It’s a known fact that sports and sports study programs have many mental and physical health benefits for young people far beyond the school walls. Giving kids a chance to expend and channel their energy helps them focus in the classroom. But the benefits go much further. They also encourage school perseverance. In fact, this week we will be celebrating Hooked on School Days. Let’s talk about it!
More than just sport
Sport is a true school of life. Boys and girls learn to win, lose, face adversity, work hard, fall down and get back up. They develop skills and abilities that will follow them everywhere. They will be stronger and better able to face their challenges at school, in teams and later in their personal and professional lives. The gains are measured in self-esteem, confidence, autonomy, sense of responsibility, leadership, relational skills…
Sports: a key to academic success
On a social level, it’s motivating to belong to a team or an organization. In order to take advantage of this privilege, there are often conditions to respect, including academic success. Propelled by their love of sports, their team, their friends and their desire to succeed, young athletes find it easier to find the motivation to achieve their goals.
By giving meaning to their lives, sports become an excellent tool for academic perseverance.
Sports have been penalized for too long
Let’s go back to March 2020. My son was just a few weeks away from the Dodge Cup, after a near perfect hockey season. He had been making great strides over the past few months. At the height of his motivation, everything came to an abrupt halt.
Last year, he was unable to play his sport because of the confinement.
While the game continues in the other Canadian provinces, one can wonder what the impact will be on our Quebec players. To ask the question is to answer it.
As a parent, the question isn’t to know what level my son will reach in hockey, but rather if he’ll still want to play and train if activities don’t resume normally. Especially when we know that at a certain age, young people tend to drop out of sports more easily. What will be the impact on his motivation? What will be the real effect of this long break upon our children? The alarm has already sounded. Midnight is unfortunately over for many…
Recently, we’ve been experiencing “homeschooling.” Without his sport study program, I’ve seen my son’s screen time increase, while his physical activity time has significantly decreased. The phone being of course a strong link he has with his friends. Even our beautiful skating rink no longer made an impact on him without his buddies. I must admit that the “Hockey Mom” is no longer a match for him on the rink.
In top of being active, his sport brings structure to his life, discipline, confidence and allows him to socialize. All of these factors fuel his motivation, give meaning to what he does and contribute to his perseverance in school, his desire to accomplish and succeed.
Let’s be meaningful
At the beginning of the Hooked on School Days (HSD), I invite you to take part in the national movement whose theme is “Thank you for making it meaningful”.
Encourage your children to persevere.
Tell them you are proud of them.
Celebrate every effort. Not just the wins, because the effort is often far more important.
In this regard, we can make a difference as parents. Our actions are also the inspiration for their motivation, their perseverance and the being in the making that they are!
Have a great HSD!
