How Organized Sports Shape Young Scholars

Weeks 4 and 5 of STEM Summer Camp moved away from in-class lectures and, instead, took to the field for “All About Sports.” These two weeks of activities were action packed, exposing our scholars to a number of different sports including Basketball, Soccer, Football, and Volleyball. Our incredible STEM instructors worked with the scholars to refine their fine and gross motor skills, especially the skills that relate most to athletics. On our gorgeous School Age playground, our scholars ran dynamic drills and worked in teams to play against each other. The week started out small—learning the basics of each sport as well as their respective rules. The camp then moved into working on the muscle memory required to dribble, throw, and run while kicking a soccer ball. In between the development of their star athlete skills, our scholars participated in extensive lessons regarding diet and the food pyramid. They learned the difference between food groups, which ones are most important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and how everything we eat becomes fuel for our bodies.

When thinking about children’s sports, Little League on Sundays with orange slices at halftime often comes to mind. However, introducing sports to children at a young age can be incredibly important for early childhood development. Various researchers in the field of early childhood development have found that playing sports actually teaches children how to cope with the highs and lows of life. Stephen D. Keener, the CEO of Little League International, states that it is incredibly important for children to play sports—and even more important for them to lose. The feelings associated with losing a game teach children how to handle pressure and anxiety, and how to learn from their mistakes. Participating in organized sports helps teach children how to be a team player, how to exhibit sportsmanship, and, in many ways, how to be a leader.

These are the basic foundations of how to be an adult and a good citizen later in life. Whether our scholars go on to be engineers, architects, doctors, or even teachers themselves, participating in organized sports offers valuable lessons about life as well as managing social and emotional development, which also provides our scholars with the drive to work harder. The number one rule that Stephen D. Keener outlines is the idea that win or lose, we must always try our hardest. When we teach our scholars to try, even in the face of potential failure, we are teaching them to be resilient. When our scholars ultimately embark on careers within the fields of engineering, architecture, medicine, or education, they will use all of the skills they learned on the field and take each challenge in stride.

STEM Child Care – Creating Passionate Lifelong Learners. Enroll Today.

REFERENCES

https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/10/10/childrens-sportslife-balance/sports-teach-kids-valuable-lessons