The Importance of Sport in Boarding School and How to Choose the Right Sport for Your Kids

Gurukul were places where children could learn sports alongside their academic studies. That culture has a major impact on how a child should get an education in India. Since ancient times, sports have been a significant part of a child's education and learning system. And the current education system in boarding schools is highly influenced by this traditional “Gurukul Shiksha Paddhati", or a system of mentoring. 

 

Though, the physical and mental growth of children in a boarding school is undoubtedly the most prominent benefit and contribution of sports activities. Sports are crucial to supporting a child's holistic growth. Yet, the values sports add to a child’s life do not end here. There are numerous positive aspects of taking up the right sport for your child that reveal the true beauty of sport. 

 

This blog covers the great benefits of playing sports for school-age children. Also, the factors you can consider for choosing the right sport when he/she attends a boarding school in India.

 

Sports and children

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No other activity in life provides children with such an opportunity to develop positive character traits and to soak up many values as sports do. Engaging in sports has many benefits, and it’s not all physical. For children, sports activities can help create habits and health benefits that last well into adulthood.

 

Sports help children develop physical skills, get exercise, make friends, have fun, learn teamwork, learn to play fair, and improve self-esteem. Sports bring up healthy competition that takes out the prevalent "win at all costs" attitude. This affects the world of children's sports and academics. The habits, attitudes, and behaviors taught to children in sports carry over to adult life and help children develop good sportsmanship. 

 

The list of values a child may learn and acquire from participating in sports is immense and is listed below. 

 

The holistic development of a child’s character 

Through fair play, character and moral principles prevail rooted in children. Moreover, active sports participants can be good role models for their classmates, neighbors, or even the school chorus and inspire them to start playing sports. While your child is engaged in sports activities, he is in a world where he strives to be the best. Playing sports will not only make your child healthier, but it will also help him have better mental health. To overcome any challenges, he may face at this age. Isn’t that what we all need?

 

 

1.      It creates lifelong friendships.

Playing sports allows children to make friendships that they might not have formed otherwise. Such bonds, for example, are maintained even when they are not playing sports and often last a lifetime. We know that the objective of sports is to bring people from all walks of life together, regardless of their social status, financial condition, or place of origin.

 

2.      Importance of Teamwork 

Any sport needs trust and teamwork between the team members to work together. When there is no trust, the players play alone, and the team suffers. Sports offer the best opportunity for children to experience teamwork and social interaction. Kids learn they are part of a team that requires the same effort from all members to succeed and how to win with class and lose with dignity. 

 

3.      Competitive learning 

Children are supposed to learn through sport, and competition is a vital component of team sports. It helps create a competitive edge that can only be valuable to the team and its members. It makes children believe in working in a team and begin to view competitions on and off the field as opportunities to improve. Also, losing in a sport often motivates kids to work much harder the next time. 

 

 

4.      Coping with school stress

Academic performance has been proven to be a key source of stress in children, resulting in behavioral changes and a loss of focus. Children are stressed by a lot of situations, notably homework and peer pressure. Teenagers have a long history of participating in school sports. Still, the benefits may go beyond just building team spirit, especially for students who face increasingly stressful conditions in their daily lives. Children who participate in sports perform better in academics as well.

 

 

“You can also help your child find the right sport or activity for him/her by considering age, maturity, and abilities,

 

Choosing the right sport for your child

Most parents want to encourage their children to play sports. They want them to be healthy and active in whatever sport they choose. However, it takes time for parents and children to find a suitable sport. As parents, you should be patient in selecting a sport for your child since it is a process that will pay off in the long run. To help your child get the most out of sports, you need to be actively involved. It includes:

 

1. A child at this age is typically ready to take on sports such as football, basketball, hockey, and volleyball. 
2. Keep in mind that growth spurts can temporarily affect coordination and balance. 
3. Ensure your child has the proper technique and movement for whatever sport he/she chooses to avoid injuries. 
4. Take your child's age, maturity level, and size into consideration before letting him/her participate in a contact sport.
5. Organized athletics may not interest your children, so let them explore other options.
6. It is still possible for children to be physically active by biking, hiking, jumping rope, or playing tag with friends.
7. Our overall goal is to teach your child the benefits of lifelong fitness, not the other way around. 
8. Not to stress them enough or impose unrealistic expectations and hard-to-achievable goals on children from the beginning.
9. Provide emotional support and positive feedback by attending some games and talking about them afterward.
10. Teaching your child to handle disappointments about losing by praising their efforts to compete and improve athletic skills
11. Forcing the child to play some sports may have the opposite effect and, as a result, make them develop an aversion to sports in general.
12.  Let your child first get used to sports, then accept them, and get to like them so they can become part of his or her everyday life. 
13. It is vital to allow your child to discover and explore other things besides sports. 
14. Results, achievements, medals, and awards may come later, though they require hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.
15. Children usually have a natural preference for specific sports and activities. Consider these factors when comparing sports. 

• How much will your child enjoy the activity?
• Does the sport emphasize age-appropriate skill development?
• Will there be opportunities for each child to participate?

 

Best Sports Boarding Schools in India

Most boarding schools in India include sports facilities for students. Still, choosing the right boarding school for your child may depend on many factors. Many top boarding schools in India provide the best academic and sports facilities for children. It makes it much easier for students at boarding schools to get a holistic environment to improve their mental and physical strength. Today, many CBSE and IB board boarding schools in India encourage their students to participate in sports activities during school hours.

 

On top of receiving a world-class education, there are certain facilities boarding schools offer to create the desired environment for students. 

The best residential schools in #Dehradun, #Bangalore, and #Mumbai are the most popular for nurturing the best versions of children. Providing equal and better opportunities to the child brings out his/her talents to shine in this competitive world. 

 

Moreover, these boarding schools have a long history in the sport, with many notable alumni that include many athletes and sports celebrities.

 

Famous sports personalities who went to boarding schools

 

1. KL Rahul (Indian national cricket team)
2. Abhinav Bindra (2008 Olympic gold medalist, Shooting)
3. Pankaj Advani (Indian billiards and snooker player)
4. Robin Uthappa (Indian national cricket team)

 

We have listed the top sports facilities and the best sports boarding schools in India,  

 

1. ODM Global School, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha
2. The Asian School, Dehradun
3. JAIN International Residential School, Bangalore
4. MODY SCHOOL, Rajasthan
5. Springfield World School, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh

 

To keep the students engaged and physically fit, boarding schools offer a number of sports facilities:

 

1. Football field 
2. Swimming pool 
3. Outdoor and indoor sports facilities
4. Trained coaches and world-class sports teachers 
5. Basketball court 

 

Boarding Schools of India

Boarding Schools of India is the best resource for getting information, advice, and finding the best boarding schools in India. Our team of specialists can evaluate your child's boarding school requirements and any concerns you may have. 

 

We also recommend the best boarding schools in India. 

For help send your questions to us. 

 

Good Nutrition and Student Performance at Boarding School

Leaving home and staying in a boarding school is a significant and drastic change for children. Even having a thought of sending the child to a boarding school raises all sorts of questions for parents. Just as they want their children to get the best education, they want them to be healthier too. 

 However, living in a boarding school comes with its own challenges. Aside from the daily supervision of their parents, many students mature quickly in both their academic and personal lives. But when they go to boarding schools, students don’t have their parents around all day to watch them and ensure that they make wise decisions about important stuffs, like healthy eating, exercise, and mental health.

 We all need good nutrition, especially our children. For parents, the biggest concern when sending their children to a boarding school is how they will get the essential nutrients crucial to their health and performance in academics and other contributing factors to the comprehensive development of the child in extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. 

As a top platform to find the best boarding schools in India, we are not only helping you find the best residential school for your child. We are making sure we address all the concerns you, as a parent, might have. 

Children may seem to be ‘fussy’ about eating fruit and vegetables and instilling them with good eating habits is challenging and may require extra attention from the school and parents too. 

However, following healthy eating practices at an early age can help children develop healthy dietary patterns. Healthy eating habits are an important part of a well-performing student at school, as are healthy foods and nutrients for growth, development, and learning. 

A lot of research in this field, highlights the critical relationship between nutrition and the early brain development of a school-age child. And, how foods, calcium, fibre rich supplements can improve their performance in class as well. In this blog, let’s explore more about the link between proper nutrition and a child’s performance at boarding schools. And at the end we will take questions.

1. Improve their ability to cope with stress.

Growing up can seem like a carefree time to adults, but for kids it is still a time where they go through a lot of stress related issues. Sometimes they may feel overwhelmed by all the pressures coming from teachers, academics and most importantly from their small but influential social circle. Children can experience this stress in many healthy or unhealthy ways, and nutritional deficiencies can have a bitter impact on their behaviours as well.  

As a parent, you can't always protect your child from this stress, but you can help them manage stress and solve everyday problems healthily, even at home or at the boarding school. Thus, promoting the ideal eating habits among children at home can very well help them manage stress and manage hormonal or behavioural changes, in a boarding school as well. 

2.     Increase concentration 

Students often have to deal with difficulties concentrating on their studies due to distractions, and these small habits of eating on time, maintain a hygiene and keeping a major part of the meal full of veggies and fruits. Indeed, help children be more focused on their academics and excel in other physical and mindset-growing activities, overcoming the health-related distractions. "When children with high and medium levels of concentration were given high protein and nutrient-dense diets, they performed better."

Much research has found that children's dietary can have a direct impact on their mental capacity and conscious. Students are more likely to have fewer absences, attend class more regularly, be more attentive in class and tend to perform better in academics.

3.     Nutrition to Increase Brain Function

Nutritional choices certainly play a vital role in a child's overall health and even help to maintain or improve the health of the brain. Eating the right foods improve the abilities to perform and complete mental tasks, such as memorization and concentration. They can also keep a child’s brain healthy can dramatically help decrease the risk of developing neurological problems caused due to stress later in life. 

“Research shows that the best brain foods are the same ones that protect your heart and blood vessels.” But the direct and indirect effects of diet on the brain are often overlapping and synergistic with other major benefits too.

4.     A Balanced Diet for Better Behaviour and Learning 

Bad food quality may cause behavioural issues in children, and the added sugar, preservatives may affect their behaviour, make them rude, unorganized, annoying and distract their concentration as well.

While, a well-balanced diet of necessary carbohydrates, proteins, calcium, fats, and fibres, can help reduce such behaviours. That results in less disruption in their daily academic tasks while developing better immunity among them. Now there is more time for students to be attentive in class.

5.     Increase in academic performance 

Living in a residential school changes many things in a student. When children learn the good eating habits, the adequate nutrition and healthy food options. They start to get time learning how to bind with a schedule, compete healthy, being punctual, attentive, and accountable.

Healthier children perform better at an overall, they become determined about their schedule, have fewer absences, perform better in class tests, and excel in other academic subjects & activities.  

 

Are children getting all the necessary nutrients at boarding schools

By this age eating becomes a social activity for chilren, and they tend to avoid the necessary nutrients important to their overall development.

Many top boarding schools in India provide meals with a lot of options, included the much healthier fast-food options. To ensure their students perform to their optimal potential in academics and other co-curricular activities, while enjoying a healthy lifestyle at the boarding.

At boarding schools, a child develops in many ways. They are challenged to find their interpersonal skills and talents through a variety of activities, academics, weekend outings, sports, co-curricular activities, and healthy competitions between their respected “boarding houses” or other ally schools. When your children grow, they need the same nutrients that adults do, as well as additional vitamins and minerals to support their developing bodies. At school, it becomes more of a responsibility of hers to take the proper nutrients.

"Your child’s regular day at a boarding school begins with a wake-up call at 6:00 AM followed by an hour-long physical training session from 6:30 AM to 7:30 AM.". Students take showers and eat breakfast (8:10 - 8:40 AM) in the morning. This includes fresh fruits, boiled eggs, parathas, etc. During classes, students can also take short breaks to enjoy fruit juice / fresh fruit. Following a healthy breakfast, lunch consists of a vegetarian or meat-based meal, followed by a light dinner at night.” 

Worried about finding the right boarding school that can provide all the best residential school facilities, with the necessary nutrition your child needs? 

You already know where to find the best boarding school for your child.

 

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