SHOULD SCHOOLS HAVE SPORTS AS MANDATORY?

Essay by Janethe A. López Pérez

For many years, sports have been considered as a mandatory course in schools,
which tries to promote a complete development of students through physical
activation. And, although many students disagree, probably to avoid fatigue, it is true
that sports offer a wide variety of educational benefits at the cognitive, motor and
socio-emotional or affective levels.

As mentioned, sports are one of the educational means to provide the student with
an integral education, so it is important to understand the first benefit that they offer,
which is the development at the cognitive level. It influences the intellectual learning.
For example, students who play sports have better retention of information, since
physical activity reduces stress, allowing them to have better concentration in the
classroom.

Secondly, motor levels are also benefited. This refers to the learning of simple and
complex movements. Thanks to sports, students can perform better physically, have
balance and coordination, as well as develop the domain of many more skills.

In the same way, they develop better in socio-emotional or affective levels, which
has to do with ethics and coexistence. This helps to build good relationships and
stimulates cooperation with others. Thus, students learn to channel their need of
confrontation and aggressiveness, and to stimulate sensitivity and creativity,
therefore they improve their social environment.

In conclusion, I believe that sports should be mandatory, at least in the early stages
of education, since it allows them to develop cognitively, motor and socio-
emotionally. By playing sports, students will develop a complete education. They will
be more relaxed, they will learn better, they will have more self-confidence, and they
will be better companions for others. In a nutshell, sports will make them a better
person not only personally, but with and for others.
 REFERENCES

Conexión ESAN. (2018). El papel del deporte en el bienestar social. ESAN Graduate
school of Business. Retrieved from https://www.esan.edu.pe/conexion-esan/el-
papel-del-deporte-en-el-bienestar-social

Maderas y Recreo. (s.f). La importancia de la motricidad infantil y adulta. Retrieved

from https://maderasyrecreo.es/importancia-
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Nuñez, D. (2013). Actividad física: cómo mejora la capacidad cognitiva (y otros

beneficios). Psyciencia. Retrieved from https://www.psyciencia.com/actividad-fisica-
como-mejora-la-capacidad-cognitiva-y-otros-beneficios/