Sports Education needs serious consideration in our Education System
Physical education and sports education have their roots in the classroom. At the upper
elementary, middle, and high school levels, physical education programs are taught using a
curriculum and instructional paradigm called “sports education.”
It seeks to give kids and young people a fun and realistic sports experience. Sports education
usually complements academic learning since it significantly shapes students’ entire
personalities. A person who learns to play by the game’s rules is a good sportsman.
Students that participate in sports develop traits like leadership, discipline, sharing, teamwork,
honesty, team spirit, tolerance, and many more. As time goes on, we observe that most schools
are conscious that education extends beyond academics to a child’s overall development.
Sports are incredibly important to it.
There are initiatives to hire qualified coaches in schools. Sports education has designated time,
and parents are now becoming engaged by pushing their kids to participate in sports outside of
the classroom.
Schools in India are progressively realizing how crucial it is to encourage students to participate
in sports and how important sports are to a child’s entire development. In contrast to the past,
when the emphasis was solely on academics, parents and school administrators are now
encouraging kids to participate in sports due to a growing understanding of how sports help kids
develop their life skills.
Sports participation in schools has increased as a result of educators realizing how important
sports are for the growth of teamwork, trust, responsibility sharing, and cooperation.
Indian educators and advocates of new sports genres
Numerous businesses have emerged to provide kids with the greatest facilities for honing their
sports abilities. These industries have stepped up to provide and suggest the best sports
facilities and infrastructure the schools require, taking into account various school requirements
such as geographic locations, fundamental infrastructure, and budgetary constraints.
To offer sports education programs in schools all around India, Sports Education Development
India Limited (SEDIL) has made a commitment. “Sports has a larger responsibility with an
emphasis on educational results, as well as talent development,” claims Arun Khaitan, CEO of
SEDIL. It aids in the child’s entire growth. We are attempting to form a collaboration with the
schools with this goal in mind.
To impart and promote sports education among the nation’s young people. Its headquarters are
in Mumbai, but it intends to spread its activities over the whole nation.
Arun Khaitan noted while discussing changing the way that sports education is taught in
schools, “There are millions of schools in India, and undoubtedly, a single organization cannot
handle it all by itself. There must be a lot more people involved in this shift. Schools should
make a decision on this, but they aren’t. The responsibility for bringing about change in sports
education falls not only on the shoulders of the administrators but also on those of the school
owners, parents, and even the government.”
What exactly is the issue?
Sports aren’t often viewed as a profession in India, thus schools and parents don’t invest much
in fostering greatness in this area. Sport education is now a required topic in schools, but in
reality, it still lacks seriousness and significance. While few schools think that even academics
may be boosted via athletics, the majority of schools lack sports facilities and the will to give
them.
Physical education helps build healthy communities as well as healthy individuals. The finest
way to contribute to nation-building is through sports culture. India still has a long way to go in
sports compared to other nations, despite generating world-class athletes in sports like cricket,
badminton, tennis, etc. But unless steps are taken to provide aspiring athletes and sportspeople
with the necessary infrastructure as well as the financial assistance, nutritional support, physical
support, and emotional support they need, right from the grassroots level, we will continue to
lag.
They have specialized training facilities for games and sports and because sports are a required
component of their academic curricula from primary level through higher education, nations like
China and Japan thrive in sports. The following obstacles prevent the majority of Indian schools
from advancing sports education:
Lack of Modern facilities in schools – Many schools still do not have contemporary amenities
like playgrounds, equipment, methodologies, tactics, competent coaches, etc. It’s important to
adopt a scientific approach to the development of physical education and sports education.
Despite having the greatest population under 25 years old and being the youngest nation in the
world, India has not made a significant impact in the world of sports. Even though hockey is the
national sport, India hasn’t had much success playing it internationally. Our state is really pitiful
in other sports as well.
Lack of support from parents and schools for sports excellence- Sports are typically not
viewed as a vocation in India, hence parents and school administrators tend to be reluctant to
invest in children’s sports programs. India is a talent-filled country where one can find many
aspiring sports stars in the winding lanes of tiny villages. Talents need to be cultivated and
supported. These abilities need to be developed and led by providing examples of how to
achieve in their athletic abilities.
Lack of competent coaches: Because coach training programs are discouraged in India, there
aren’t enough certified coaches to staff schools.
Academics are prioritized: Kids spend the majority of their waking hours in coaching or
tutoring facilities for higher classes, which prevents them from participating in sports at the high
school level. The government person in charge of the numerous sports committees and
associations must lead them with efficiency if the nation is to overcome the difficulties
associated with delivering sports education. Budgetary allocation for sports, which falls under
the Union Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, is insufficient when compared to nations that
perform well at the Olympics and other international sporting competitions.
How to make Sports a part of our daily lives?
● A standardized curriculum is required in schools. The fact that curricula at Indian
educational institutions differ from one institution to the next and are not
standardized may possibly be a contributing factor. For the all-around growth of
children, it would only be advantageous if a consistent curriculum was
guaranteed for Indian schools, giving sports the same amount of significance.
● Universities should support sports education and offer specialized degrees in
sports in addition to schools.
● Educational institutions ought to hire qualified coaches, and they ought to
advertise additional coach-training courses.
● Modern facilities and well-defined strategies should be implemented in schools to
encourage youngsters to participate in sports.
● Sports education in India should also be approached scientifically.
● By establishing sufficient funding for sports education in India and overseeing its
correct execution, the government must play a significant role.
● Every school must have a monitoring committee made up of experts in sports
education to oversee the physical education program.
● Children from underprivileged communities and those attending rural schools
should also be inspired and given the tools they need to develop their sporting
abilities.
● People’s perspectives need to shift as well so that participation in sports is no
longer seen as a chore for kids, but as a method to excel in school and a crucial
part of a child’s total development.
● The finest way to contribute to nation-building is through sports culture. This is
how we may develop better athletes, as well as a happier and more productive
generation.
We JVG are helping schools and colleges in establishing their own sports academics