Sports & Co-curricular Activities
Trend in India
Most Indian students do not participate in sports & co-curricular activities.Popular trend in India, largely dictated by the demand of over competitive parents, is marks’ & exam’s obsession. The schools have to cater to this demand & children have to suffer because of this. Students’, tuition classes filled, school days are unpleasant & after they finish education they find themselves not well suited for professional life! The main culprits are Indian parents! Let us analyze as to what are the drawbacks for students not participating in sports & co-curricular activities & draw lessons from our analysis.
Sports
Qualities like team spirit, leadership, visualizing, strategizing, spirit of healthy competition, respect for opponents, not giving up after losing, ability to laugh off own mistakes & practical intelligence get developed through sports, apart from other benefits that have been amply covered in my earlier blogs ( Exercise Improves Cognitive Function & Improve Cognitive Function).
Debating
Debating provides the foundation for future lawyers & parliamentarians to put across views and counterviews.
Cultural Activities
Cultural activities provide scope for coordination, cooperation, reacting to different situations, managing scarce resources, organizing events & developing leadership qualities. These provide avenues for socialization, self-identification, development of emotional intelligence & improves decision making in “non-yes- no type” situations.
Losses for only Academic Focused Students
The above mental & physical developments take place over a period of time. The students who do not engage in sports & co-curricular activities lose out on the benefits discussed above. It is rarely possible to make up for these losses.
Solution
Parents should not be obsessed with exams & marks. They should love the children unconditionally. They should have patience & allow the children to grow at their unique pace in life. Sports & co-curricular activities are an essential part of children’s growth. Non participant children will remain deficient in the qualities discussed above. Moreover, the additional time devoted towards academics is unlikely to result in producing academic brilliance, but only unhappy, unfit & unenthusiastic children with low self confidence!
