How does sport help education

We found that athletes scored higher on some of the EF measures than non-athletes. Furthermore, we observed that scores varied by sport type according to which subset of EF each test measured. Self-paced athletes scored highest on an inhibition task, and externally paced athletes scored highest on a problem-solving task. Results suggest that athletes outperform non-athletes on tests of such EF domains as inhibition and problem solving, and that different types of athletic experience may correlate with higher levels of particular EF domains.

This study investigated the differences in physical fitness and sports participation over two years in children, ages years, with relatively high, average and low motor competence. Children with high motor competence scored better on physical fitness tests and participated in a greater number of sports more often. Since low motor competent children participate less in sports, they had fewer opportunities of developing motor abilities and physical fitness.

This may further prevent them from catching up with their peers having average or high motor competence. The Daily Mile makes primary school children more active, less sedentary and improves their fitness and body composition: a quasi-experimental pilot study , Ross A. Chesham, et,al. This study found that in primary school children, the Daily Mile intervention is effective at increasing levels of MVPA, reducing sedentary time, increasing physical fitness and improving body composition.

These findings have relevance for teachers, policymakers, public health practitioners, and health researchers. This review critically examines the theoretical and empirical evidence of claims made for the educational benefits of physical education and school sport PESS.

Claims regarding the benefits of PESS are made in four broad domains: 1 physical; 2 social; 3 affective; and 3 cognitive. Analysis of the evidence is generally supportive in all four domains. In the affective and social domains engagement has been positively associated with psychosocial and emotional development, yet the specific mechanisms through which these benefits occur is less clear. Likewise, the mechanisms by which PESS might contribute to cognitive and academic developments are still being explored.

Effects of one versus two bouts of moderate intensity physical activity on selective attention during a school morning in Dutch primary schoolchildren: A randomized controlled trial , Altenburg T, Chinapaw M and Singh A, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport , 13 December Evidence suggests that physical activity is positively related to several aspects of cognitive functioning in children, including selective attention.

This study looked at the frequency of physical activity on the cognitive functioning of school children aged 10 to 13 years in the Netherlands. Subjects 30 boys and 26 girls were randomly assigned to one of three groups in the classroom: 1 sitting all morning while working on school tasks; 2 one minute bout of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity MVPA ; and 3 two minute bouts of MVPA.

The results indicated that two physical activity bouts during a school morning had a significant beneficial effect on selective attention. One minute bout of physical activity about halfway through the school morning had a short-term positive effect at the start of the morning. Australian adolescents spend much of their discretionary time in organised sport and recreational activities. Positive indicators included academic achievement, university aspirations, school belonging, reduced truancy and alcohol use.

This study supports a link between extracurricular activity participation including sport and positive developmental indicators. Therefore, the potential benefits of participating in sports activities should not be neglected. Sports programs should be embraced as a complementary approach in the facilitation of positive development for Australian adolescents. Time-efficient physical activity solutions are needed to increase overall physical activity for primary school students.

FUNtervals is program used in some Canadian primary schools that provides 4-minute, high-intensity interval activities using whole-body movements at random times throughout the school-day. This study found a weak, but positive, relationship between the FUNtervals intervention and verbal behaviour and improvements in attentional performance.

More importantly, students made fewer errors in their work following FUNtervals activity. These results support the inclusion of FUNtervals within schools as a time-efficient and easily implemented physical activity break that can improve selective attention in 9 to 11 year old students.

The objective of this systematic review was to examine the relationship between fundamental movement skills FMS competency and potential health benefits in children and adolescents.

This review found strong evidence for a positive association between FMS competency and physical activity in children and adolescents. There was also a positive relationship between FMS competency and cardio-respiratory fitness and an inverse association between FMS competency and weight status; both of these relationships are associated with positive health outcomes.

The glue that holds the community together? Drawing on the author's research in northwest Victoria, this essay examines the forms of social capital that are created in and through rural sport as well as the processes of social inclusion and access to social networks and to the resources these networks contain. Rural communities view both sports clubs and schools as network hubs that foster social cohesion, local and regional identities, and a shared focus.

Sporting competitions in northwest Victoria also contribute to cultural and economic capital for some participants. While the creation and transference of these capitals are to a large degree regulated by wider social divisions, the two environments clubs and schools present increased opportunities for people to take on leadership roles and to develop new skills and knowledge through sport participation.

This paper analyses the impact of engagement in sport on graduate employability using a triangulation of views from three key stakeholder groups. Primary research was conducted with graduates, employers and 13 university senior executives as part of a mixed-methods approach. This finding was particularly prominent where graduates demonstrated experience of voluntary roles through the leadership and management of sport and could articulate how this had a positive impact on the development of additional employability attributes.

We argue that there are important implications for higher education policy, sports policy, universities, employers and students. This paper analyses the impact of participation in sports programs outside of school hours on educational attainment in the form of secondary school completion and professional degrees.

Overall, the authors concluded that German adolescents engaged in sport activities had significantly higher educational attainment. They also found that the effect is generally greater for women than for men.

They recommend that opportunities to participate in sport, both in and out of school hours, should be increased. Is there a relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement?

This study looked at the relationships between physical fitness and academic achievement in a diverse population of urban public school children, aged years. Results show statistically significant relationships between fitness and academic achievement, though the direction of causation was not determined. It appears that promoting fitness, by increased opportunities for physical activity and sport, both in and out of school time may support academic achievement.

This review summarises sport research regarding the acquisition of life skills. It also looks at the conditions needed to develop life skills and the possible theoretical explanations of how, when, and under what conditions life skills develop among sport participants.

Lifetime cost effectiveness of a through-school nutrition and physical programme: Project Energize , Obesity Research and Clinical Practice , Volume 8 2 , The Project Energize program aimed to improve the overall health and reduce the rate of weight gain of Waikato, New Zealand, primary school children. The economic analysis of the program compared the intervention cost against the life-time reductions in health treatment costs attributable to obesity. In terms of measurable improvements, the program produced these results among participants years of age, when compared to non-participants: 1 Energize children could run faster; 2 Energize children had smaller waist circumferences; 3 a smaller proportion of the Energize participants were categorised as overweight or obese; 4 Energize children were more physically active, both in and out of school; and 5 Energize children demonstrated healthy eating and drinking habits.

This prospective study examines the associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and academic achievement in a sample of Portuguese boys and girls in grades 5 to 7 years of age across three years. Objectively measured fitness, as opposed to physical activity, was measured against cognitive variables for language — both native language Portuguese and English as a foreign language.

The results indicated that consistently high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, or improvements in fitness during the three year period, were associated with better academic achievement in language skills. This research investigated whether taking part in out-of-school activities during primary school is linked with end of primary school academic attainment and social, emotional and behavioural outcomes.

Specifically, the outcomes for all children were compared to children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Data on 11, children were collected at five time points, including ages 5, 7 and 11 years. Participating in organised sports or physical activity was also positively linked to social, emotional and behavioural outcomes. Among disadvantaged children, after-school club sport participation emerged as the only organised activity linked to child outcomes; participation was linked to both higher KS2 attainment and pro-social skills.

The implications of these findings for further research, policy and practice are discussed. Educational inequalities between children from different backgrounds at the end of primary school are pronounced. A quarter of children in the UK from the most disadvantaged backgrounds achieve below expected levels, compared to just 3 per cent of children from affluent backgrounds.

A range of theories have been offered to explain the different pathways that may link out-of-school activities to academic attainment; including academic enrichment I. The literature suggests that disadvantaged children have more to gain from out-of-school activities. The current research builds upon the existing evidence by examining a range of out-of-school activities and their potential for helping to reduce the attainment gap; future research must explore the causal relationships.

This systematic review of literature looked at the association between physical activity and cognition, differentiating between academic performance and cognitive ability. The results of this review support the positive association that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity has with cognition. Physical activity is associated with attention capacity in adolescents , Vanhelst J, et. This study included adolescents, aged Multivariate analyses were used to study the association of attention capacity with each measure of physical activity.

After controlling for potential confounding variables age, sex, body mass index, parental educational level, fat mass, and aerobic fitness the results indicate that longer time spent in moderate or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with a significant positive test performance on attention capacity, which is an important component of cognition in adolescents.

This paper reviews the effectiveness of school-based interventions with a physical activity component by measuring changes in psychological determinants, physical activity, and health outcomes. The literature search identified suitable studies. Further research is needed to clarify the mediator effects of psychological variables that underlie behavioural change.

Physical exercise performed four hours after learning improves memory retention and increases hippocampal pattern similarity during retrieval , Dongen E, Kersten I, Wagner I, Morris R and Fernandez G, Current Biology Persistent long-term memory depends on successful stabilization and integration of new memories after initial encoding.

This consolidation process is thought to require the release of dopamine, noradrenaline, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Research has established that physical exercise acutely stimulates the release of one or more of these chemicals in the brain, raising the question whether physical exercise can be used to improve memory retention.

In this study 72 subjects were randomly assigned to one of three age and gender matched groups; each group was exposed to a set of picture-location learning tasks lasting 40 minutes. The results showed no evidence for any effect of physical exercise immediately after learning, suggesting that the physiological response to exercise did not benefit memory consolidation at this stage.

However, delayed exercise intervention was effective in improving memory retention; it seems likely that one or more of the physiological consequences of aerobic exercise facilitated memory consolidation. These results provide initial evidence that properly timed physical exercise can alter mnemonic processes at delayed retrieval and improve memory retention. The findings of this study are in line with previous studies reporting beneficial effects of physical exercise on learning, and highlight its potential as a memory intervention technique.

The practical nature of using physical exercise in educational settings is worth further study. Current results should be considered as speculative until supported by other studies. The Journal of Pediatrics , Volume 1 , 29 March This study examined the association of physical fitness and obesity with academic achievement and the independent association between fitness and academic achievement after controlling for relevant confounders such as age, parental education, and body mass index in school aged children.

Overall, academic achievement scores were positively related to fitness levels. Participants were children aged 8 to 9 years from 10 schools in Greater London, assessed in a cluster-randomized controlled trial between March and May For 6 weeks, intervention children received minute VT sessions three times a week during math and English lessons.

Children in control schools received regular teaching. VT pupils engaged in significantly more school-day MVPA at T1 only, with no other significant differences between groups in overall school-day or weekend-day activity.

More on-task behavior was shown in VT pupils than COM pupils but there was no difference in student engagement. VT reduced sedentary behavior and increased physical activity during lesson time but not across overall school or weekend days.

VT improved on-task behavior but had no effect on student engagement. Physically active lessons in schools and their impact on physical activity, educational, health and cognition outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis , Emma Norris, Tommy van Steen, Artur Direito, Emmanuel Stamatakis, British Journal of Sports Medicine , 16 October Systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled studies.

Six meta-analyses pooled effects on lesson-time PA, overall PA, in-class educational and overall educational outcomes, cognition and health outcomes. Meta-analyses were conducted using the metafor package in R. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool for risk of bias.

In elementary and preschool settings, when physically active lessons were added into the curriculum they had positive impact on both physical activity and educational outcomes. These findings support policy initiatives encouraging the incorporation of physically active lessons into teaching in elementary and preschool setting.

Mullender-Wijnsma, et. Using physical activity in the teaching of academic lessons is a new way of learning. After 2 years, multilevel analysis showed that children in the intervention group had significantly greater gains in mathematics speed test, general mathematics, and spelling scores. This equates to 4 months more learning gains in comparison with the control group. No differences were found on the reading test. This study was carried out to examine the association between systematic physical activity and academic performance in school-age children after controlling for potential socio-demographic and educational confounding variables.

A random sample of students from 5th and 9th grades were studied; data on their physical activity habits, anthropometric characteristics, socioeconomic status, and academic performance was collected from standardized tests.

Devoting more than 4 hours per week to scheduled exercise significantly increased the odds of children scoring above the 50th percentile and above the 75th percentile on academic achievement tests. The results suggest that better academic performance was associated with children participating in 4 or more hours per week of physical activity.

Social values of sport participation and their significance for youth attitudes towards physical education and sport, Tomik R, Olex-Zarychta D and Mynarski W, Studies in Physical Culture and Tourism , Volume 19 2 , This study examined whether European school sport clubs might support the overall efforts of the school to prepare youngsters with positive attitudes about lifelong participation in physical activity and sport.

The results support the hypothesis that school sports clubs foster more pro-social attitudes among participants toward sport, compared to peers with no involvement. The results support the importance of sport in reinforcing the positive effects of social and cultural education at school. This paper explores the role that sport can play in facilitating positive youth development. The authors identify the environments in which sport best contributes to positive youth development and the role that schools, and the psychologists who work in these schools, play in this process.

As a result of their extensive commitment toward their sports, elite athletes tend to demonstrate self-conscious, goal-oriented, and problem-focused behaviours to improve their performances. This is also reflected in their capability to manage a tight schedule between training, competitions and ongoing commitment to school. Health and education are strongly connected; healthy children achieve better results at school, which in turn is associated with improved health later in life.

This relationship between health and education forms the basis of the World Health Organization WHO Health Promoting Schools HPS framework, an approach to promoting health in schools that addresses the whole school environment. The review covered 67 studies, 22 of these studies addressed primarily physical activity or the combined effect of physical activity and nutrition intervention.

This review found interventions produced positive effects on reducing body mass index and increasing physical activity and physical fitness. Intervention effects were generally small but have the potential to produce public health benefits at the population level.

Advocacy for School Sport. School Sport Victoria has a collection of resources directed to the advocacy for sport in schools. Life skills and a sense of enjoyment are emphasised as part of social and emotional learning through play and leisure activities. At this school in Tokyo, five-year-olds cause traffic jams and windows are for Santa to climb into.

Meet: the world's cutest kindergarten, designed by architect Takaharu Tezuka. In this charming talk, he walks us through a design process that really lets kids be kids. School Sport Victoria advocacy for sport. This video highlights the benefits of school sport; it is essential viewing for Principals, School Councils and School Sport Coordinators. Sport Works - cross curriculum and whole school impact. This presentation from Britain's Youth Sport Trust demonstrates the impact that sport can have across the curriculum and the whole school.

Physical activity through sport and PE. Burn 2 Learn , accessed 29 January UK program enhancing whole school improvement and improving child mental health through social interaction and movement in the classroom.

Fit for Learning , University of Newcastle , accessed 29 January The program targeted adolescent boys from low-income areas that were not meeting national physical activity or screen-time guidelines. Schools are universally recognised as important institutions for the promotion of physical activity; physical education and school sport programs being potential vehicles for the promotion and provision of these opportunities.

This paper presents the case for physical education becoming a core subject within the National Curriculum in England alongside English, mathematics and science. Core subjects are generally considered to lay the foundation for learning in other subjects and, as a result, are generally advantaged in terms of their status, preparation for teaching, and their time and resource allocation in schools. This has led to a narrowing of the curriculum. Focusing on sports skills and tactics is a very traditional way of teaching health and physical education, and an approach that only reflects a small part of the national curriculum.

So when Elisabeth Murdoch College said they wanted to totally transform their program, Monash researchers jumped at the chance to collaborate. Physical activity promotes healthy growth and development in children and young people, and helps establish behaviour that prevents unhealthy later-life weight gain.

By avoiding the need to draw clearly defined lines between PE and sport, MC embraces both. MC maintains the educational purpose of PE by developing meaningful subject matter and contextualised learning that reflect contemporary and evolving participation in sport. It is argued that such structures have the potential to support a more coherent rationale for pedagogical practice across the PE curricula.

Physical literacy, as embodied within physical education, has been associated with the disposition of students of all abilities to engage in lifelong physical activity. This paper discusses how the pedagogical features of Sport Education SE , may be used to operationalise both physical literacy and physical education.

The authors conclude that substantial evidence exists to validate the link between physical literacy and physical education. However, despite effective curricular innovation using SE as a methodology within physical education, the potential to transform physical literacy to a broader context of long-term physical activity participation remains less clear.

Some researchers have suggested that students who are developing into competent, literate, and enthusiastic participants within their school physical education program must be provided with an external outlet to activate their skills in the form of community sport. Therefore, SE provides the necessary connections and collaborations with the youth sport community to encourage extra-curricular and community-based participation.

Physical literacy serves as an important foundation for many sport and education policies in Canada. This paper provides an overview of physical literacy through the lens of an educator and attempts to bridge a significant gap between sport and physical education.

The development of physically literate individuals is a priority that both education and the sport system share. The working definition that is provided examines physical literacy from the perspective of a quality physical education program and the role that such programs play in the development of the whole child. The aim of this evidence review was to identify relevant literature on the physiological, psychological, social, and behavioural outcomes of physical activity participation among children aged 5 — 11 years, and provide an indication of the strength of the evidence for each outcome.

The physiological outcomes with the strongest evidence for a positive association with physical activity among 5 — 11 years olds are: 1 cardio-metabolic health; 2 muscular strength; 3 bone health, and; 4 cardiorespiratory fitness. The social outcomes with positive associations with physical activity are confidence and peer acceptance. There was insufficient evidence on any of the behavioural outcomes included in the review.

This review underpins and informs the construction of appropriate messages for parents and children about the benefits of physical activity, as put forward by the Change4Life campaign. This report presents the case for increasing physical literacy amongst children in Australia, with a view to promoting greater physical activity and healthy lifestyles. Physical literacy is a concept capturing the ability to move effectively; the desire to move; the perceptual abilities that support effective movement; the confidence and assurance to attempt movement challenges; and the subsequent ability to interact effectively with the environment and other people.

Children who become physically literate are more likely to achieve sporting prowess, athleticism, cardiovascular fitness, and spend more time being active, which contributes to a long list of positive outcomes.

The longitudinal study of Australian children: Annual statistical report , Australian Institute of Family Studies This is the third volume in the LSAC Annual Statistical Report series, which for the first time incorporates data from the fourth wave of the study.

The data shows that children from relatively low socio-economic family backgrounds were equally likely to participate in organised sports in school, but significantly less likely to participate in organised sports away from school and in organised sport overall, compared to children from moderate to high socio-economic backgrounds. This result supports other findings that the school environment provides a suitable platform for the introduction of organised sport and physical activity across the community.

National Report on Schooling in Australia, This report evaluates the status of physical activity programs in NSW schools. The report contains eight recommendations in three areas: 1 how Schools can make better use of the two hours per week of class time allocated to physical activity, 2 how physical activity can be better integrated into other parts of the curriculum, and 3 how human resources and infrastructure resources can be used more effectively.

The eight recommendations include: enhance existing monitoring and reporting arrangements; once reliable information is available, identify schools in need of assistance; provide greater recognition for staff involved in the delivery of school sport and emphasize the value of physical education teaching; ensure schools make the best use of available time to maximise the amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and reduce student waiting time and travel time; help schools engage with local sporting organisations to encourage greater sharing of expertise; increase the skill levels of primary school teachers in teaching physical activity and sport; identify best practice in schools and promote this, and; assist schools and groups of schools to develop agreements with local government to access facilities at little or no cost.

This is the fourth in a series of school-based surveys of NSW school students. The report provides valuable trend information on the weight status and associated physical fitness characteristics of a representative sample of NSW school students. The general trend shown over the past 20 years, among both boys and girls, is a reduced aerobic capacity and lower ability in movement skills such as running, jumping, and throwing.

The median frequency of participation among children, aged between 5 and 14, in organised physical activity including school sport, club sport, and other organised activities was two times per week.

The ERASS data also shows that participation in organised physical activity peaks in the years age-group. Review of Funding for Schooling , Gonski D, et. The Smart Moves program was implemented in as a way of increasing student participation in physical activity and improving the quality of activity delivered in all Queensland state schools.

There are six key components of the program: 1 allocated time for physical activity, 2 improved access to resources, 3 increased capacity to deliver physical activity programs, 4 professional development for teachers, 5 community partnerships, and 6 accountability and reporting. This review concluded: that physical activity programs can continue to be effectively embedded across the key learning areas; and localised approaches to planning and implementation may best meet the diverse needs of Queensland schools.

What works in schools and colleges to increase physical activity? A briefing for head teachers, college principals, staff working in education settings, directors of public health and wider partners , Public Health England October Evidence suggests a strong association between being physically active and academic attainment and attention, and physical and emotional health and wellbeing.

In addition, children and adolescents who are physically active are more likely to continue the habit into adult life. Schools and colleges have an important contribution to make in encouraging, and providing opportunities for, children and adolescents to take part in physical activity. The Australian Sports Commission ASC is committed to keeping sports relevant and viable, whilst supporting all Australians to develop their physical literacy for active and healthy lives.

The ASC is aware that the sport environment is changing and is dedicated to supporting our national sporting organisations to thrive and maximise their ability to contribute to participation outcomes.

A key component of this commitment is the sharing of high-quality information, research and data to enable better decision making concerning participation. Physical activity declines among adolescents in many countries and strategies to combat this occurrence are included in both educational and public health priorities.

Schools have been identified as central institutions for the promotion of physical activity among youth though physical education and school sport. This study found that both boys and girls considered school sport an important opportunity to be physically active and interact with their friends. Boys reported significantly higher levels of perceived sport competence and physical fitness. Girls reported that school sport enhanced social support.

Australian-based research shaded text is identified. Data from the LOOK Study was used to investigate the longitudinal and cross-sectional relationships between eye-hand coordination EHC and cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, percent body fat, body image, and the amount of organised sport participation.

Cross-sectional analyses showed that boys and girls with better EHC were significantly fitter. A longitudinal relationship showed that girls who improved their EHC over time became fitter. There was also evidence that children with better EHC possessed a more positive body image. At age 8 years, boys and girls participating in organised sport possessed better EHC than non-participants.

These data provide evidence for the premise that early acquisition of this single motor skill promotes the development of a child's fitness, body image, and continued participation in sport. The purpose of this study was to determine the contributing role of physical education classes PE to the daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity MVPA of sixth-grade students in a Midwest USA school system. This study concluded that PE provided a positive contribution to increasing daily MVPA and increased the likelihood that students would be more active and less sedentary beyond the school environment.

Do school-based interventions focusing on physical activity, fitness, or fundamental movement skill competency produce a sustained impact in these outcomes in children and adolescents? There is considerable evidence for positive associations between physical activity PA , fitness, and fundamental movement skill FMS competence, for both children and adolescents. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to determine whether children and adolescents, aged 3 to 18 years, who participated in school-based programs achieve sustained outcomes.

While most studies reported positive findings, a key challenge is ensuring long-term change, so there needs to be additional follow-up studies to assess these outcomes. Effectiveness of interventions to promote physical activity in children and adolescents: systematic review of controlled trials , van Sluijs E, McMinn A and Griffin S, British Medical Journal , published online December Two independent reviewers assessed studies using a controlled trial design, comparison of interventions that promote physical activity with no intervention control condition.

All studies contained participants younger than 18 years, and reported the statistical analyses of a physical activity outcome measure. The literature search identified 57 studies; 33 aimed at children and 24 at adolescents. Twenty four studies were of high methodological quality. Strong evidence was found that school-based interventions that also included involvement of the family or community and multicomponent interventions can significantly increase physical activity among adolescents.

A lack of high quality evaluations at his time limits conclusions concerning the effectiveness of intervention programs among children. Overall, the meta-analysis provides evidence that school-based PA interventions are successful in improving CRF, particularly in girls. The simplistic nature of sport, where there are identifiable winners and losers, leads to natural highs and lows — something that children need to be prepared for later in life.

Sport is a great way to display how hard work pays. Perseverance and a never-give-up attitude will be needed to succeed in all walks of life. Through sports your child will learn the benefits of working hard to achieve their goals. The positive impact of sport stretches far beyond the physical. Engaging a child in their work is one of the biggest challenges a schoolteacher is presented with. A study from VU University in the Netherlands showed how exercising can improve the attention span of school pupils, and a report from the Pediatrics Journal showed how students who exercise after school can improve their executive control.

A study published in the Brain Research journal found that regular exercise helped to grow this part of the brain. Consistent cardiovascular-based exercise is therefore linked to better brain functionality and improved memory.

Adding to sharper brains and a better capacity to retain information, studies have also discovered how our creativity is boosted by simple exercises such as leisurely walking. Specifically, the experiment by Stanford University found an improvement in divergent thinking, which is concerned with out-of-the-box idea creation rather than identifying a correct answer to a question. Put all the above together, and you have children that are much more capable to achieve in the classroom — something which is supported by science.

The University of Illinois found a strong relationship between the fitness of children and their performance academically. To see how a Nord Anglia Education school near you harnesses the benefits of physical education to develop your child, head to our schools page. Want to hear from us? By joining our mailing list, we can keep you up to date with any future newsletters, events and announcements from our family of 76 premium schools.

We use cookies to improve your online experiences. To learn more and choose your cookies options, please refer to our cookie policy. Find A School. Academic excellence Academic excellence Curricula Our approach to learning Parent feedback. Outstanding experiences Our social purpose Creativity and culture Expeditions.

Our schools Find a school Boarding. Admissions Admissions process Alumni. The Importance of Sports in Education. News The Importance of Sports in Education. Shaking hands with your opponents, the referee and the opposition coach after each game is a simple way of showing some humility.

Win or lose players should behave in the same way as they thank their opponents for the game. Every pupil deserves the opportunity to represent his or her school and to experience the exhilaration of a hard fought victory or the heartbreak of a narrow loss.

Children need to learn that they cannot always come first and how to deal with the emotions surrounding that. We often hear top level coaches saying that they learn more from a loss than a victory. Failure is never final. A mistake or loss is an opportunity to learn and improve. But sport is full of stories about great comebacks, encouraging you to never give up.

When coaching I often make situations that are impossible to overcome or at least are a significant challenge. Sport encourages you to add the word 'yet' at the end of that sentence. Sportsmen and women often have to adapt to rapidly changing situations, to weigh up their options and make a final decision. The benefit for children from developing their problem-solving skills transcends sport.

These kinds of problem-solving skills have countless applications beyond sports. In many ways having fun is the most important thing. Through sport everyone can experience exquisite moments of magic that they remember forever. I feel that sometimes we forget to have fun and therefore miss out on the psychological benefits of laughing and smiling.

Whether it be as a stress release or as a way of reinforcing bonds with family members. Play takes us back to one of our primary needs. Sport is a fantastic vehicle for this because, particularly with recreational sport, there are few boundaries and countless opportunities. What are your memories of Sompting Abbotts and what did you enjoy about your time at the school? Joining Sompting Abbotts was a big change for me.

I came from a state school in Brighton with big open-plan classes where I could hide and get away with not doing much work. Moving to a school with classrooms and desks in rows meant I had to adapt and knuckle down! I was good at football so I made it into the 1st XI quickly and made friends. I was a bit cheeky as an early teenager, never too far from a bit of trouble. That made life more fun. I was in an amazing dorm. It was so much fun: a truly fantastic experience.

Today I wicket-keep to be involved with every ball. I had never played rugby before. My uncle taught me to dive-pass in my first year and that got me a place at scrum half.

I loved it and never looked back. What was your educational path after Sompting Abbotts? Tell us about your career journey in brief? I wanted to be a sports scientist but also to travel, so teaching was my best route.

To me sport was the best thing about being a child and teenager. Back then we had the time and freedom to play; whether it was in the street, going with friends to the local park or in school. Children today are not quite as lucky; society has changed as have the distractions available.

Tell us about your role as Director of Sports at Trinity today. I oversee the sporting programme at Trinity. We run 36 sports as clubs or competitive sports. I have a fantastic team and a very supportive Headmaster who all really believe in the importance of sport. Trinity sport has really taken off in the last few years. I do expect every team to strive to win but sport is about so much more: learning to lose with good grace, learning to win with humility, learning to accept decisions of umpires and referees, as well as simply enjoying all the social benefits of playing in a team.

I'm determined we don't lose sight of these values. Matt bottom left on an international tennis tour with Trinity pupils. I've many highlights from the eight years I have been here. You must have to stay pretty fit to teach sports! What sports do you play yourself? School sport is a six-day week so I had to stop playing rugby a while ago.

I run in fair weather, or cycle to work, to get some exercise. Summer is approaching and I love playing tennis in the sun. My children keep me moving.

My daughter is seven does gymnastics, swimming, hockey and has started playing tennis. My son is only two so he just runs… a lot! This year has been fantastic. The England rugby team is the only other team I will drop everything to watch given the chance but as my wife will tell you, I'll watch any sport in my free time!