Why is playing sports beneficial for student health?

Enjoying and playing sports helps elementary students form the foundation of attitudes, habits, and skills that will keep them active and fit for a lifetime. Many schools have expanded their elementary Physical Education programs to include a greater emphasis on lifetime individual sports such as golf, tennis, swimming, hiking, and bicycling vs. the traditional approach of competitive team sports.

Student participation in competitive team sports often fades as students get older because of the lack of time and opportunity to be part of a team, fear of injury, and lack of skill required.

During Physical Fitness and Sports Month, assign each student one of a variety of individual sports that they could choose to participate in during their lifetime that will help them stay fit, provide a healthy outlet for their energy, and that they can enjoy. For example: kayaking, bicycling, rowing, swimming, golf, skating, dancing, karate or other martial arts, hiking, horseback riding, skateboarding, tennis; gymnastics, yoga and similar fitness classes, fencing, Frisbee, and running.

Pathfinder: Students will use keyword searching based on the sport they are assigned.

Students should create reports of about 100 words that cites at least two resources and summarizes interesting information about the sport:

• How the sport contributes to fitness.
  
  
• What special skills are required.
  
  
• A well-known athlete in the sport.
  
  
• Hazards and safety concerns.
  
  
• Something unusual or exciting about the sport.

Oral and PowerPoint reports provide an opportunity for students to develop standards-based lifetime presentation skills and to share their new knowledge with their peers.



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