Should Competitive Sports be allowed in Schools? (Essay Sample)

SHOULD COMPETITIVE SPORTS BE ALLOWED IN SCHOOLS?
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TIME \@ "MMMM d, y" May 18, 18
Should Competitive Sports be allowed in Schools?
Physical Education (PE) in schools today is a necessary component of holistic growth for children. A majority of a person’s childhood is spent in the formal education system, which makes it essential for these institutions to involve themselves in promoting physical activities amongst students. Not only is it necessary for physical well-being, but it has been shown to help mental development as well (Evidence on Physical Education and Sport in Schools: Key Findings, 2013). The problem arises due to the fact that education is still looked at as an academic pursuit. However, in today’s times, where physical activities outside the school may be limited, it is even more essential to have regimented Physical Education incorporated into school curriculums.
Sports have always been proclaimed and proven to be healthy for humans. By having compulsory PE right in the formative years makes it a lifelong habit. This is even more necessary in a world where technology and money allow easy access to a lethargic lifestyle. The cases of morbid obesity in children are on the rise in children worldwide in developed nations, aided in some part by a lack of physical activities. This is where a compulsory school PE program can of help, and it does not even have to be through traditional sports. The inclusion of activities such as gymnastics, swimming, and availability of multi-gyms and weight training in schools is sufficient to promote the health of the students (Jenkin, 2015). Engaging in any physical activity allows students an education that goes beyond their school books and classrooms, thus enabling more holistic development. An adage states that a healthy mind needs a healthy body. Moreover, compulsory PE does not have to draconian, in that it forces every student to follow a set regime. A set of activities can be pursued on the basis of ability. The term “compulsory” is meant to denote a forced inclusion of a set time frame during which any physical activity of choice must be pursued. Moreover, Sports assist in character building. Team sports, for instance, ingrain an understanding of teams and their dynamics, and of how every member has to work with the others for success. Apart from that, sports make younger people face not just the sweetness of victory, but also the disappointment of a loss. This teaches them to both win and lose graciously by tempering their reactions in their formative years. Moreover, it makes youngsters develop a respect for rules and other individuals.
Though the advantages of sports and PE in schools is acknowledged and quite well documented, there is an opposing point of view as well. From an expense point of view, many schools believe that infrastructure necessary for physical activities carries an unreasonable cost. Additionally, since every child develops differently, the results of these activities vary as well. If these activities are made compulsory, some may be participating due to not having a say, and may not be adept or successful at activities and sports. However, the biggest argument made against physical education in schools is the fear of bodily injury. Many team sports are physically very demanding, and the contact nature of many others means that injuries are bound to occur. These are not limited to usual scrapes and bruises but include fractures, torn muscles, and even disability or death in extreme cases. One such sport that has gained a lot of traction in schools in the UK is rugby. It is renowned to be one of the most violent games on the planet, and professional players regularly suffer one or the other injury. In fact, the probability of an injury to a professional rugby player is 90% (Pollock, 2015). An adult player may be able to recover from such an injury with minor damage. However with the rising adoption of rugby in schools, children may be exposed to similar injuries, and in their case, they may be worse due to their physiologies, which are still in development.
Any sport, when played beyond or against its rules and conventions has the capability of being injurious, or even lethal, to its player. In the case of rugby, the problem is with the governance of the sport. The rules and regulations that are applied are of World Rugby, the body that is responsible for the professional guidelines. What is necessary is for the link between school rugby and professional rugby to severed, so that safer guidelines can be developed and implemented for children (Pollock, 2015). Younger people are more susceptible to injury. In fact, injuries that may be brushed off by adults have the capacity to harm younger bodies in a worse manner. In such a scenario, it’s not just rugby, but any physical activity, sports or otherwise, that can result in injury. A drastic step staking away sports and PE from schools is a counterintuitive step. What is necessary is such as proper guidelines and safety measures that are drawn up keeping in mind the subjects are no...