Physical Activity Leads to Mental Competence

Sports help children learn basic physical abilities, get proper exercise, develop social skills, have fun, find new friends, learn how to play fair, and enhance self-esteem in an important way. Participation in sports offers many wonderful benefits for mental development. The best part is that kids usually find the sports they love and participate in it with their whole family. This helps foster emotional bonding and can be a tremendous source of pride for all. Some children may find that playing sports helps them overcome challenges in social situations like picking up on other peoples’ behavior or getting along with others they might have a hard time getting along with.

Sports teach logical thinking, good goal setting, teamwork, and more. A sport coach will teach proper technique and strategy to maximize performance. A good example of this would be the way a cheerleader prepares herself before sporting a cheerleading competition. It shows her how to focus and exercise appropriate exercise to prepare her body for the competition and show how she can stay focused and exercise logical thought to score points.

Not only do children learn how to perform physically during sports, but the activity provides a venue for developing their intellectual abilities. During a game, a child’s sport success is often based on their prior learning through play, practice, or observation. They may have to analyze and apply different rules and strategies to various sports. In the process they develop motor skills necessary for competition in life, school, and work.