Early humans didn’t have the conveniences of modern living. The daily task of food- gathering, coupled with avoiding predators and rival tribes kept them sufficiently active. Sports as a leisure and entertainment activity is recorded as early as 1850 B.C. on frescos in an Egyptian tomb at Beni Hasan depicting many pictures of wrestlers using holds and falls, which are used even now.
Obesity, diabetes, hypertension and depression are growing health concerns in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean and around the world. Playing sports helps to alleviate these problems. We can control our body weight, build muscles and strong bones as well as improve our cardiovascular and immune systems. Apart from the benefits to our physical bodies, it’s also good for our mental health. It can improve our mood and stave off depression by releasing endorphins, those “feel good” hormones our bodies produce for free. We get a natural high when we exercise so we don’t need to take mood-altering drugs.
According to ‘SportandDevelopment.org’, playing sports helps to improve self esteem and body image. This is especially important for teenagers who struggle with identity issues and are bombarded with messages in the media, which urge us to look a certain way. When children are involved in sports they learn about teamwork, goal-setting, time management and discipline. All these attributes can be transferred to the classroom to help improve academic performance.
Playing sports is an excellent way to teach character education. They learn about fairplay, about respecting the other players, about respect for the rules of the game and decisions made by referees. Children learn that while winning is good they must play honourably. They learn that there may be times when they will not win and how to accept those losses graciously.
Futhermore, there is a growing body of research, which shows that high school students involved in sports are less likely to drop out from school and do maintain good grades. The US Department of Health and Human Services commissioned a study, which showed that students who played sports were less likely to smoke cigarettes or use illicit drugs and were more likely to disapprove of others using them. It must be stated that this happens under the careful guidance and support of the coaches, parents and teachers.
Sports can be beneficial to the community and by extension, the country. By providing our young people with opportunities to play sports, we engage them in positive, healthy, enjoyable activities. It’s also a way of releasing stress and filling idle time. When officials in Phoenix, Arizona kept open their basketball courts and other recreational facilities until 2 am during the summer, police reported that juvenile crime dropped 55 percent. Similarly, when late-night recreation programmes were initiated the crime rates dropped by 24 percent.
If we wish to enjoy a healthier, happier life for ourselves and our children we must become more physically active. There is no better time than the present. One can start by taking just 30 minutes to walk. You don’t have to wait to go to the gym. Don’t wait another day. We deserve to be healthy.
It is against this background that SWAHA will continue to organized sporting activities in order to assist in the all-round development of its members. As we herald in the new year, SWAHA will be holding its 21st Annual Sports Day at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Balmain, Couva on Sunday, January 26th 2014 beginning at 9 am. Other sporting activities to look forward to in the new year include the annual windball cricket competition and a day of indoor games.
