Importance of sport for children

I think I can argue without a doubt that sport is an element of fundamental importance for children. Their growth can and must be fostered by the irreplaceable gym of sports; it is not excessive to think in these terms, the history of humanity itself, over the centuries, shows extensively which inner resources and potentialities are developed through physical exercise.

The latest research and related statistics underscore a disturbing aspect that inexorably emerges in the new generations: obesity and dependence from a virtual world (video game- internet- chat ...). As teachers of sport we have a moral obligation not to shirk our responsibilities, especially those of educators. The time that the children spend with us is not very much but this does not allow us to think that our contribution, even if minimal, can not influence their education of life. The degeneration of youth habits (drugs, alcohol, addictions of all kinds) is not surprising if read through a careful examination of our society. Who is the company? It is us, no one feels excluded and makes an examination of conscience. The sport puts the boy in front of multiple issues that, if lived with a good guide, can have important and lasting effects: the boy learns to socialize, compares respectfully with his peers and with the teacher. With the gradual approach to competition and training, the young learns about frustrations and successes; to moderate the euphoria of victory by giving it the right importance and becoming resilient to the defeats; to know oneself in the moment of the fall in which it seems that everything goes wrong, to start again the trust in what has been learned and to have the strength to start again. How many times in life must we start again! An element that I consider absolute is relative to the learning process; must be placed before the result, always! The boy must fall in love with what he is doing, enter into the smallest emotions of learning and having fun doing it. The craving for the result kills the passion, especially in the very young, triggering the desire to escape rather than continue. "