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How sport can help children with life's lessons Most people generally remember their school sports days with trepidation. They are still able to feel that pang of anxiety while preparing to pull out all the stops in the name of a greater glory — that of winning, obtaining respect in yourself and from your team mates. But such pressure is a double-edged sword — losing or winning can be the difference between acceptance and rejection, and the difference between perceiving sport as a pleasure or a trial to be endured. These negative experiences as a child can lead to individuals having a distorted perception of sport in later life. Such unfairness, often experienced through the challenges of sports days, swimming galas and PE lessons, easily translates itself into the real world. Sport can in many cases give children a good grounding in the ways of the world, and a great grounding in the extremes of success and failure. Gary Brace of the General Teaching Council for Wales agrees a key approach in effectively introducing children to the real world is through sport. “Pupils can take acceptable risks by participating in controlled physical activities, which they might not otherwise have been given the chance to take,” he said. “Sport — and especially the competition element within it — can help pupils to face new challenges whether those be against others in team sports or against themselves by seeking to improve their own performances. Sport can help pupils experience elation as well as disappointment and the importance of accepting the decisions of others. “These experiences can be great precursors to life's lessons ahead.” Sir Clive Woodward, the former England rugby coach, certainly learnt some lessons through his experiences of sport in school. In his new book he describes his schooldays at HMS Conway in Bangor as the “darkest of his life”. Although he preferred the game of football, schoolmasters at his Welsh boarding school forced him into playing rugby. He admits he only became good at rugby to avoid corporal punishment, only learning to enjoy it later in life because of the personal satisfaction gained through winning. Issues surrounding the benefits of sport in education have never been so widely debated. Certainly, the ever-increasing obesity crisis in the UK has brought the issue to the fore within the media time and time again in recent months. However, despite claims that children are becoming more sedentary, recent research has suggested that contrary to popular belief, the school run is wrongly blamed for falling levels of exercise and rising obesity in young children. A study of primary school children undertaken by the Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth found no difference in weekly activity levels between those who were driven to and from schools to those who walked. So how can the benefits of sport be encouraged at school, and the pleasures of enjoying physical activity? This year is the European Year of Education through Sport 2004, an initiative from the European Union designed to strengthen the partnership between the world of schools and sports. Statistical research by the EU found a disturbing 88% of all European citizens spent most of their leisure time watching television. Those who spent their spare time playing sport stood at a tiny 15%. At the launch, EU Commissioner for Education and Culture Viviane Reding said, “Schools should be promoting a positive experience of sport, offering a comfortable setting for pupils from all levels of physical fitness. Schools are also often the only place where children and young adults have the chance to exercise and learn valuable skills such as team-work, discipline and how to establish and follow a network of rules.” To gain entry onto her PGCE course newly qualified teacher Louise Hurlow was asked to debate whether there should be an element of competition used in school. Now a PE teacher at Pembroke School, Louise clearly understands the benefits of competition at school. “Wherever possible I try to encourage a competitive element within the activities that the pupils do. Some pupils respond very well, especially the younger pupils, who without a competitive nature to their activities seem to lose all interest. “However I'm aware that this doesn't suit everyone. The older years respond better to activities where the competitive nature of sport is taken away. Activities such as aerobics and circuits, where the competition is between two pupils, not a group, seem to be far more appealing. I have learnt that competition in sport can be a great way to instil confidence and increase self-esteem within pupils.” Lynne Spackman, PE subject officer for Welsh curriculum body Accac, and specialist consultant for the Welsh Assembly Government's sponsored PE and sports project in Wales, agrees that sport in education has a number of benefits to pupils' physical and psychological wellbeing and development. “As well as underpinning much of an individual's physical development during their school years, sport can provide a channel for children and young people to build their self esteem and feelings of self worth through the confidence they can build while taking part in physical education and sport,” she said. “I would also argue against suggestions that competition in sport is detrimental to a pupil's wellbeing. Competition in sport is a healthy way for children to learn commitment and ambition, and the pleasure to be gained through sporting achievement. It also enables children to learn to win and lose graciously — great preparation for later life. “For the UK to be able to produce Olympic greats such as Kelly Holmes, sport must be encouraged at grassroots level — giving children an opportunity to develop their talents further. The Sports Council for Wales manages the recently established PE and School Sport Project in Wales, working with partners like the General Teaching Council for Wales, Estyn and Accac. This project has been crucial in helping to cultivate this kind of attitude, and has so far led to the establishment of 44 development centres within local authorities in Wales with a brief to raise standards in PE and school sport and increase levels of participation among young people."
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