The Importance of Sports in Schools

Physical education, or PE as we call it, is an essential part of the curriculum. It teaches children the fundamentals for leading a healthy lifestyle, and more importantly, helps to create healthy habits for the future. In PE, children explore a range of sports from running and hockey to dodgeball. They have the opportunity to find which they enjoy and talents that they’ve potentially not yet discovered. While some absolutely detest it, it’s a chance for others to have some down time. Below are some reasons as to why it’s a compulsory part of the curriculum and super beneficial for children.

This is a collaborative post that was put together with the help of a junior school in Leicestershire.

Wellness

To continue on from the point made above, PE ensures that children engage in 2 hours of intense physical activity a week. This is in line with what professionals constitute to be a healthy lifestyle. 

Gross Motor Skills

Gross motor skills can also be built upon. These skills are related to the larger muscles of the body and help children to do things like run, climb and jump. They are just as important, if not more, than fine motor skills.

Mental Health

School can be exhausting for children. They have 7 or so hours of back to back lessons with a few breaks in between. There’s also the pressure of doing well and preparing for assessments which can take a toll on their mental health. PE is a way that children can unwind. They can use it as an outlet for dealing with their pent up stress and feel better within themselves as exercise releases endorphins. If you don’t know what these are, they are chemicals that make us feel happier and relieve stress.

Better Performance All Round

The combined effects of all the above can help children in making real improvements at school. As they will likely feel less stressed, they will be able to deal with things like exam pressure better and achieve greater results.