The benefits of sports go far beyond physical fitness. Not only do they encourage good physical health, but regular exercise also improves cognitive function. Aside from physical fitness, sports contribute to social development and personality development. These activities also promote leadership skills, capacity for goal setting, and character development. Additionally, participating in sports increases students’ self-esteem, improves social interactions, and builds their bones. In addition to health benefits, sports provide an opportunity to help people meet and exceed their personal goals.
While aesthetics is still important in many sports, the emphasis of modern competition is on quantification. The shift in emphasis from Renaissance sports to modern sports can be seen in the evolution of the word measure. At one time, measure connoted an aesthetic sense of proportion and balance. Later, the word began to refer solely to numerical measurements. Sports have also been re-defined in terms of the number of participants they can involve. But the word “measure” has become an unappreciated term in many fields, ranging from chess and poker to football and basketball.
Sport teaches students about the importance of perseverance and focusing on the present. The discipline of competing can help students master new skills, such as problem-solving and planning. This is especially true in competitive sports. It also teaches students to avoid taking situations lightly, and instead deal with them with earnestness and sincerity. Finally, sports help develop one’s analytical and observatory powers, since the attitude of the player can determine the outcome of the game.