The Benefits of Sporting Activity for a Family
Sport and Exercise go hand in hand. In the broadest sense of the term, sport encompasses any form of physical activity that contributes to bodily well-being, emotional well-being or social interaction. These include: organized, competitive or recreational sport; games; played for recreation; and indigenous games or sports. As it is often pointed out, there can never be too much sport. Sport, after all, has been a factor in almost every society, most notably during the ancient and medieval times when it was a source of amusement and exercise for the people. Sport events have been shown to reduce stress levels, improve work attendance, and provide physical education for children.
Today, a lot of sports and recreational activities have been formed out of games that earlier were considered as physical activities only. For example, there are outdoor games, including golf, tennis, basketball, softball, badminton, water-skiing, hiking, cricket and horseback riding. There are indoor games, such as bingo, bridge, bowling and table tennis. There are even games that are available for people with mobility problems. This means that individuals with impairments such as paralysis, arthritis, neurological problems and other physical limitations can also take part in these sports.
Sport can be a catalyst for social change. For example, there have been numerous instances where ordinary people who were once shy or timid have developed a strong desire to participate in competitive sports. Likewise, there are numerous athletes and team members who have become famous because of their participation in sporting events or teams. These individuals show remarkable courage in breaking the stereotype and barriers in order to accept and promote the integration of physical pursuits into their lives.
Sports, however, is not only a venue for creativity and mental stimulation. It is also a great avenue to strengthen family relationships. For many people, sport forms a perfect platform to spend quality time with each other. This is especially true for families wherein dad plays tennis and mom is an excellent tennis player, both participating in international tournaments or local tennis leagues. The same goes for families wherein dad is in the hospital and mom is in a nursing school; they spend quality time together simply doing physical activity like playing tennis or going for a bike ride.
Sport can foster unity in a family. For example, you might see a couple walking on the street holding hands or hugging each other. Such acts of solidarity may be spontaneous and may occur only during sporting events or when attending a social event. However, couples and families that observe and practice sporting relationships tend to become more unified in their values and beliefs. They also tend to respect and appreciate one another.
One important lesson to learn from sporting events is how to share physical space. People often divide up space to get a shot, catch a ball or defend a goal. A good instance of this was illustrated when a lady in a major league baseball game stretched out her arms to stretch out the opposite field. While doing so, she inadvertently bumped into the center-fielder who was coming off the field and received a warning from the coach for her actions. In the end, everyone came out unscathed and fortunately avoided further conflict.