Kids Playing Sport

This is a very general topic to write about, but interesting nevertheless. I find it quite fascinating that although technology has developed at quite an impressive rate over the decades, one of the consequences of such remarkable improvement is the stifling of outdoor activity for kids. When I was much younger, I usually played outside in the fields with my friends. The games we often played were tennis, baseball, soccer and hide and seek. In the present age, kids prefer staying indoors playing their video games and watching the television. Playing video games is insufficient in the development of movement skills. Kids need to play active sports to enhance their development. The inventors of these popular video games may not agree with the article but the data published is very clear.

To be honest, there are far too many obese kids who are inherently inactive that lead very unhealthy lifestyles. Hence, an added advantage of playing active outdoor sports is the health aspect and the healthy development of children. However, it is quite difficult to change kid’s behaviour when it involves exercise. Margaret Quinn describes the introduction of active video gaming into the school curriculum. The aim of the study was to determine whether the introduction of active video gaming into the PE curriculum would show any benefit in the childhood obesity epidemic. Their findings revealed that kids specifically enjoyed the dance routines and Margaret concluded that the kids were very likely to continue with the dance routines at home. So although active video gaming is not ideal, it is a step in the right direction in terms of reducing childhood obesity.

Another major concern is injury caused by playing different sports, and this is unfortunately one of the deterrents that promote non active participation in sports. Injury does not necessarily need to become a deterrent as long as precautionary personal protective equipment is used.

There are many benefits for kids in terms of actively participating in sports such a reduction in obesity, reduced risk of diabetes, improved social skills and becoming a well-balanced individual. In my opinion, parents and society at large should focus more effort on reducing the amount of time kids spend indoors, and incentivize outdoor sporting activities.