How Can We Develop More Programs to Encourage Students to Participate in Sports?

Recently, the students' participation in sports is at a lower rate. The report suggests that there exist some barriers that hinder many students from engaging in sports activities. Most of these obstacles are from within the students themselves for instance lack of confidence among themselves. There are also some barriers that are from the school environment, for instance, insufficient sports facilities and issues about curriculum pressure that restrict them enough time for sports activities. The paper, therefore, will explore some ways of developing more programs that will encourage most of the students to participate in sports. Also, some of the barriers that usually hinders the development and implementation of such programs will be elucidated.

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Firstly, well design PE programs should be established in most of the schools and employing well-trained instructors in the education systems which can accommodate the day to day physical activities. Most of the students spend most of their time in schools, and they will well utilize the establishment of such improved PE programs (Chepyator-Thomson, Jepkorir R, and Shan-Hui Hsu, 23). The teachers as well should encourage such programs by creating more time for PE programs.

Also, the schools in collaboration with the community organization should develop partnerships programs to provide physical activities, before and after school and even during summer seasons. They should come up with organizations for example girls and boys club which will oversee the programs that occur outside the school hours that promote both the structure and unstructured play for them.

Moreover, there should be the establishment of post-secondary institutions programs which will provide better opportunities by offering courses about the benefits of sports, club sports, intramural programs and generation of accessible facilities. Such programs will make the students busy as they wait to join the next level in their studies (Kohl, Harold W, and Heather D, 12). For some, they may end up getting recruited as part of the particular teams after showing their potentials. On top of that, such programs will remove the tendencies of being idle while at home and will save them from getting into troubles that are associated with idle minds.

In addition, there should also be establishments of programs that encourage participation in sports during the early stages of life. The statistics reveal that there is a higher likelihood that a student who loves sports most must have been initiated to preschool and children centers where they got engaged in sports activities while still young. The programs in such centers provide the children with a chance to develop physical literacy by taking them through the basic movements skills while still young.

Despite that most of the students would like to participate in sports, there exist some barriers that undermine the established programs. Some of such obstacles are discussed below:

1. Personal barriers- they are usually the obstacles that are within the student, and they are under the control of that participant. They include, for instance, lack of time, lack of motivation, low energy levels and self-efficacy (Stenta, Donald A, and Cara W, 15). When the behavior of such a student is modified, it can bring a positive influence by creating good habits.
2. Social barriers- it includes such factors like family influence, socioeconomic status of a student, and the culture which can limit sports involvement by such a student due to the poor attitude towards sports and the cost that are associated with it since it may be harder for an individual to control them. Proper information and financial resources, however, can significantly reduce these outcomes.
3. Environmental barriers- the students are usually surrounded by some of the factors that may act as barriers to his/her ability to participate in sports. They include unsafe neighborhoods, lack of facilities, occupation, and weather. They can affect sports participation since such factors are beyond their control. There are therefore some of the supportive policies, financial facilities and safe facilities that may limit this barrier

Appropriate policies and programs should, however, be created to overcome such sport participation barriers. The policies should be created locally and provisionally in promoting physical activity. The education sector is a driving venue for promoting such programs and policies that will increase students' participation in sports (Winnick, Joseph P, and David L, 26).

Conclusion

In summary, the parents and teachers should put emphasis and acknowledge the benefits of sports for students. They should not just view sports as pass time but should understand the benefits that will be rooted in the students. Among such benefits include being physically active which not only leads to improvement in physiological outcomes but also improve mental health and cognitive functions. Also, getting into sports will help the students acknowledge the virtue of teamwork where they learn how to create teams and work for one another. Participation in sports will also help students build their personality, and they will also be confident about themselves. Teachers, parents and other stakeholders are therefore called upon to support all the programs that will encourage students to participate in sports and always put emphasis on the benefits of the same.

Works Cited

Chepyator-Thomson, Jepkorir R, and Shan-Hui Hsu. Global Perspectives on Physical Education and After-School Sports Programs. Lanham: University Press of America, 2013. Internet resource.

Kohl, Harold W, and Heather D. Cook. Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School. , 2013. Print.

Stenta, Donald A, and Cara W. McFadden. Student Leadership Development Through Recreation and Athletics. , 2015. Print.

Winnick, Joseph P, and David L. Porretta. Adapted Physical Education and Sport. , 2017. Print.