What is sport?
Many people tend to confuse sport and physical activity. The difference between them lies in the fact that sport is an organized physical activity, that is, any sport is a physical activity, but not every physical activity is a sport. Any movement of the body that causes energy expenditure is a physical activity, whether it is standing, sitting, walking, carrying things, etc.
When we talk about sport, we are calling a specific type of physical activity that has characteristics such as competition, institutionalization, physical effort and specific motor skills, standardization of spaces and rules, in addition to formation of groups. When we analyze sport in its specificities, we can see why it is so important in child development.
What are the benefits of sport in childhood?
Sport, as an organized physical activity, is important not only for physical and motor development, but also for children's social development. Based on their rules and conditions, children are able to understand ways of relating to each other, exchanging experiences, competing and helping each other.
Some authors argue that children's sports practice is able to prevent many future illnesses, such as stress, respiratory, cardiac, spinal and other problems. This is because, from the practice of sports, children develop bone and muscle strength, in addition to improving physical development. Another relevant aspect is the development of motor coordination, being rated as an improving agent in writing, as it allows more efficient relationships with objects and material boundaries (such as pencil and paper).
Can childhood sport be harmful?
It is important that parents, teachers and physical educators are always aware of the type of sport that children practice. The sport practiced must be appropriate to the age, weight, sex and size of each child. To avoid any kind of overload or impairment in development, it is important that every sport practice in childhood is preceded by an analysis of the physical conditions of each child, in order to find the sport that best suits their muscle, bone, respiratory and cardiac arrests.
Another important aspect is variety. As children have energy and curiosity, it is important to explore more than one sport, not just for them to have contact with different rules and organizations of physical activity, but to protect the body from repetitions that may be harmful to the development. Some authors propose working with compensation systems, such as: swimming and ballet (one to develop respiratory strength and endurance and the other to work balance, posture and rhythm).
The importance of the role of the family in the development of the child's relationship with sport should also be highlighted. It is always important to remember that there is no benefit in parents' exaggerated demands and demands on income. The way in which children will relate to the practice of sports greatly depends on how their parents do it. It's quite complicated for a child to understand why he has to exercise if the parents don't like to exercise.
Parents are of paramount importance so that children are encouraged to play sports
Is there an ideal age to start practicing sports?
Many authors advocate that sports activities should start from the age of six, but this does not prevent the child from engaging in physical activities before that time. Preschool age is the most suitable, precisely because it is a time when physical development and socialization are emerging. A baby can do physical activities such as swimming, but since we are understanding sport in its form of organization, it is important that the child is at an age when he is able to understand the rules and deal with the anxieties and joys of socializing and competition.
How to find out more?
Some books, such as “Sports and Physical Activity in Childhood and Adolescence”, by Dante de Jose Júnior, are very enlightening. To deal with educational aspects, the book “Plays and Sports in Kindergarten”, by Liselott Diem, is a classic introduction to the issue.
Juliana Spinelli Ferrari
Brazil School Collaborator
Graduated in Psychology from UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista
Brief psychotherapy course by FUNDEB - Foundation for the Development of Bauru
Master's Student in School Psychology and Human Development at USP - University of São Paulo
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/psicologia/esporte-infantil.htm