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Why investment in school sports is more important than ever

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Sport in schools can help to create a much needed active generation among the nation’s youth. The Sports & Physical Education (PE) Association UK discuss why investment in sport is crucial to pupils’ health and well-being.

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Why PE is important for Pupil Health Development - Premier Education

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PE is often undervalued in comparison to other subjects. Benefiting both health and development, read our blog on why PE is important!

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BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to compare physical activity (PA) outcomes in a sample of high school physical education (PE) lessons from schools that adopted traditional versus modified block schedule formats.

METHODS

We used the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) to conduct observations of 168 high school (HS) PE lessons delivered by 22 PE teachers in 4 schools. We used t-tests and multilevel models were used to explore variability in moderate PA and vigorous PA.

RESULTS

PA outcomes were significantly different between modified block and traditional schools. Students who attended traditional schools engaged in more vigorous PA in PE lessons. Modified block lessons lost more scheduled lesson time due to poor transition to and from the locker room. PA outcomes were positively associated with fitness and teacher promotion of PA and negatively associated with lost time, class size, management, and knowledge.

CONCLUSIONS

Though PE proponents widely advocate for more PE minutes, this study showed that greater time scheduled in PE does not necessarily result in more student accrual of MVPA minutes.

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Why investment in school sports is more important than ever

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Why investment in school sports is more important than ever

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Why investment in school sports is more important than ever

Sports

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Sport in schools can help to create a much needed active generation among the nation’s youth. The Sports & Physical Education (PE) Association UK discuss why investment in sport is crucial to pupils’ health and well-being.

If you have picked up a newspaper recently, or switched on the news, you can’t fail to have noticed the current debate around childhood obesity. In fact, it has become such a concerning issue that the World Health Organization (WHO) regards childhood obesity as one of the most serious global public health challenges for the 21st century.

The statistics speak for themselves. The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) measures the height and weight of nearly one million school children in England each year, and their latest report indicates that just over 19 per cent of children aged 10-11 are obese, with a further 14 per cent classed as overweight.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, much of the discussion has focused on children’s diet and nutrition. Any number of surveys and research papers demonstrate that the majority of children do not eat the recommended minimum of five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, and that children’s intake of sugar, salt and fat has never been higher.

Clearly children’s diets need attention, and there have been a number of initiatives to break the unhealthy eating habit, including: The National Healthy Schools Programme (1998 to 2009), which included healthy and nutritious foods being made available in school canteens and vending machines; The School Food Plan, (launched in 2015), which provided a new set of standards for all food served in schools, offering children more healthy, balanced diets, and withdrawing the provision of unhealthy snacks and drinks in school vending machines; and the much-publicised new sugar tax, which will be imposed on companies according to the sugar content of the energy and fizzy drinks they produce.

Healthy eating may be vital for tackling the obesity issue, as well as for providing for children’s longer-term health and well-being, but it is only half the story. It is essential that we devote similar attention to children’s physical activity and exercise as well.

According to The Royal Society for Public Health’s whitepaper, published in November last year: “Childhood obesity has proliferated in recent decades in part due to children living increasingly sedentary lifestyles where physical activity has declined and activities such as watching TV, playing video games and time spent on smart phones has increased. In 1995, the average child spent three hours a day in front of a screen, compared to more than six hours today.”

Beyond Health

Even if we put the health benefits of activity and exercise to one side for a moment, there are many other motivations for encouraging children to live more active lifestyles. In the government’s Sporting Future, A New Strategy for an Active Nation, the role of sport in school was particularly highlighted: “The opportunity for children to take part in and develop a love of sport and physical activity is vital to ensuring their long-term enjoyment and participation.

“The provision for children and young people will rightly sit at the heart of a new strategy for sport in this country. We want to see healthy, happy active children becoming healthy, happy active adults and the talented primary school children of today becoming our sporting stars of the future.”

Raising healthy, happy children is every parent’s ambition, even if developing tomorrow’s sporting stars is just for the few. Nevertheless, the impact of sport and physical activity has been shown to reach every aspect of a child’s upbringing.

In their annual National PE, School Sport and Physical Activity survey, the Youth Sport Trust researched where schools see a positive contribution from their sport and PE provision. The survey findings reported that schools saw positive contributions to: life skills – confidence, resilience, resourcefulness, teamwork, communication skills (95 per cent); achievement (91 per cent); behaviour and truancy (70 per cent); and attainment (69 per cent).

The Youth Sport Trust’s annual survey is just one example from more than forty research projects undertaken over the last decade that provide evidence for the positive impact that effective school sports provision can make.

In a paper prepared for Ofsted by Loughborough University, these research programmes were reviewed, summarised and compared for trends and similarities. It led to the publication of The value of physical education and sport in schools, which highlighted dozens of positive outcomes achieved through effective school sports provision.

This included: attendance levels (studies show a positive relationship between participation in sports and school attendance); behaviour (research concludes that even a little organised physical activity, either inside or outside the classroom, has a positive effect on classroom behaviour, especially amongst the most disruptive pupils); cognitive function (several studies report a positive relationship between physical activity and cognition, concentration, attention span and perceptual skills); mental health (studies indicate positive impacts of physical activity on mood, well-being, anxiety and depression, as well as on children’s self-esteem and confidence); and attainment (a number of well-controlled studies conclude that academic achievement is maintained or enhanced by increased physical activity).

The research has not gone unnoticed by Ofsted. In its own investigation, entitled Going the extra mile, Excellence in competitive school sport, chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw concluded that ‘the real value of competitive sport in schools is the positive effect it has on education’.

Funding and Investment

Now that the Department of Education and Ofsted have placed greater emphasis on sports provision, a school’s investment in PE and sports facilities, as well as in the sports, clubs and activities that it offers, has never been more important.

The ring-fenced Primary PE & Sport Premium helps, but it is designed to support a school’s existing sports investment, rather than replace it entirely. It is hoped that one effect may be that primary schools will increasingly be selected on the basis of the sports and activities it offers, rather than solely on the basis of its performance.

That’s because prospective parents will be able to compare sports provision between schools, both during and after the school day.

Schools will be required to include not only details of their PE and sport provision on their website, but they must also publish details of where their PE and sport premium funding has been spent.

The vision for the Primary PE & Sport Premium is that by the time they leave primary school, all pupils will be physically literate, with the knowledge, skills and motivation necessary to equip them for a healthy lifestyle and lifelong participation in physical activity and sport.

Since Ofsted is holding to account how schools spend their additional, ring-fenced funding, it is worth reviewing how your school meets the Premium’s objectives: engaging pupils in regular physical activity – kick-starting healthy and active lifestyles; raising the profile of PE and sport in school as a means of whole school improvement; Increasing the confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport; offering a broad range of sports and activities to all pupils; and increasing participation in competitive sport.

Using the PE and sports premium, schools can invest in: hiring qualified sports coaches to work with teachers; providing existing staff with training or resources to help them teach PE and sport more effectively; introducing new sports or activities and encourage more pupils to take up sport; supporting and involving the least active children by running or extending school sports clubs, holiday clubs and other clubs; and running sport competitions and activities with other schools.

The funding is reasonably flexible, as long as a school is not using it simply to deliver the basic requirements of the PE element of the curriculum.

The Sports & Physical Education (PE) Association UK, an association under the Federation of Sports and Play Associations umbrella, is the lead trade association, established to represent organisations supplying and manufacturing sports equipment within the education and leisure industries.

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The findings of the Territory-wide Physical Fitness Survey for the Community announced by the Community Sports Committee last year have pointed out that the physical activity level of children and adolescents failed to attain the level recommended by the World Health Organisation (i.e. an average of 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activities per day per week). There are views that increasing the physical education (PE) lesson time for primary and secondary students can promote their physical and mental health. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as the discussion paper on "Physical Education and Arts Education in Primary and Secondary Schools" submitted by the authorities to the Panel on Education of this Council on the second of last month has pointed out that in general, schools strengthen students' physical development through a life-wide learning approach, which includes introducing physical activity sessions such as morning exercise, increasing the proportion of physical activities in multiple intelligences lessons, arranging students to take part in physical activities during recess, lunch break or after school, and organising school team training, inter-house/class sports competitions, etc., whether the authorities have compiled statistics on the proportion of schools adopting the aforesaid learning approach, with a tabulated breakdown by geographical constituency for the 2021 Legislative Council General Election; whether the authorities have assessed the effectiveness of adopting the aforesaid learning approach by such schools;

(2) whether it has compiled statistics on the number and types of new sports introduced by all schools in Hong Kong, as well as the proportion of schools which have introduced new sports; if so, of the details (including whether students take part in new sports in PE lessons or in the form of extra-curricular activities);

(3) given that the Government has been supporting schools in employing retired athletes as School Sports Promotion Coordinators through the Retired Athletes Transformation Programme since 2018, of the number of retired athletes employed through the Programme in the past five years, as well as the sports to which such athletes belonged and their average salaries;

(4) as the Physical Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary One to Secondary Six) currently stipulates that schools should allocate five per cent to eight per cent of the total lesson time to PE lessons at the primary level, but the Primary Education Curriculum Guide (Pilot Version) introduced in 2022 recommends that the PE lesson time should account for no less than five per cent of the total lesson time, of the authorities' current requirement for the PE lesson time in primary schools;

(5) whether the authorities have reviewed and compiled statistics to see if the percentage of the PE lesson time in primary and secondary schools has reached five per cent to eight per cent of the total lesson time, and have compiled detailed statistics on the average weekly PE lesson time in primary and secondary schools; if the authorities have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

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You might not necessarily think of sports and athletic programs at the college level as needing even more money poured into them than what they already receive. However, there are some valid reasons why colleges and universities ought to consider putting more money into the athletic programs that they fund.

At Southside Fitness, we believe in people working to build themselves up physically and mentally. If you check out this site, you can see how you can sign up for a membership for our gyms and learn more about the benefits that one receives when they work out in a gym such as the one that we provide.

There are numerous reasons why we believe in the increased attribution of funds to college and athletic programs, and we want to take the time right now to go over a few of the key reasons why this may be helpful to society as a whole.

Increased Enrollment

The goal of virtually every college and university is to maximize their enrollment numbers. They need to bolster those numbers in order to make it more attractive to attend that school in the first place.

When they fail to do so, they will very likely not be able to maintain any number of other programs that the school operates as well. Thus, it is ideal to have a strong athletic program in order to keep enrollment at as high of a level as possible.

Better Academic Performance

It turns out that physical performance is directly linked to intelligence, and it is certainly the case that better academic performance is often accompanied by more physical activity. This is to say that one feeds into the other.

There are people who work out effectively and are able to see a boost to their academic performance as a result. Thus, a college or university that puts a significant amount of money into their academic programs has a good chance of helping those students who would like to use those facilities to help bolster their academic performance as well.

Better Social Skills

Sports require athletes to communicate with one another. Social skills are enhanced when sports are performed and teamwork and cooperation is expected. Students who spend time working with teammates on strategy for their athletic events may also learn some social skills that will be very helpful to them in the long run. This is to say that they may learn a trick or two that they are able to use when they need to take social skills with them in other aspects of their life.

Increased Usage

There is a connection between athletic facilities that have been updated and their total usage. There are a lot of people who will be attracted to a newer athletic facility when they see that it has been updated as compared to a facility that has not been given that same treatment.

People flock to the facility that has received upgrades, but they may not be as prone to check out one that has not seen the same level of investment in it in a long time.

Safer Communities

Sports and athletic programs are a great outlet for many at-risk youth. They are offered the opportunity to experience a collective goal and work together with other people that they know from their own neighborhoods. That kind of thing is important when it comes to creating safer communities and helping to keep everyone safe.

People who want to live somewhere that is safer and generally better for all who live there will note that they can find these attributes when they are in a community that has invested heavily in the athletic programs in the area.

It is one of the surefire ways to boost engagement with the community and ensure that everyone is able to find the safe space that they need to cooperate with others and figure out how to resolve any issues that they may have with others.

It can certainly be a big boost to see communities coming together and people working on the issues that they might have otherwise had with one another when they are able to work together on a sports team of some kind to get the kind of teamwork and cooperation skills that they require.

Sports provide an extensive number of benefits to those who play, and it is certainly the case that colleges and universities should at least consider investing more money into these programs than they already are. They can generate a huge number of benefits that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to receive otherwise.

# data[].attributes.body
You might not necessarily think of sports and athletic programs at the college level as needing even more money poured into them than what they already receive. However, there are some valid reasons why colleges and universities ought to consider putting more money into the athletic programs that they fund.

At Southside Fitness, we believe in people working to build themselves up physically and mentally. If you check out this site, you can see how you can sign up for a membership for our gyms and learn more about the benefits that one receives when they work out in a gym such as the one that we provide.

There are numerous reasons why we believe in the increased attribution of funds to college and athletic programs, and we want to take the time right now to go over a few of the key reasons why this may be helpful to society as a whole.

Increased Enrollment

The goal of virtually every college and university is to maximize their enrollment numbers. They need to bolster those numbers in order to make it more attractive to attend that school in the first place.

When they fail to do so, they will very likely not be able to maintain any number of other programs that the school operates as well. Thus, it is ideal to have a strong athletic program in order to keep enrollment at as high of a level as possible.

Better Academic Performance

It turns out that physical performance is directly linked to intelligence, and it is certainly the case that better academic performance is often accompanied by more physical activity. This is to say that one feeds into the other.

There are people who work out effectively and are able to see a boost to their academic performance as a result. Thus, a college or university that puts a significant amount of money into their academic programs has a good chance of helping those students who would like to use those facilities to help bolster their academic performance as well.

Better Social Skills

Sports require athletes to communicate with one another. Social skills are enhanced when sports are performed and teamwork and cooperation is expected. Students who spend time working with teammates on strategy for their athletic events may also learn some social skills that will be very helpful to them in the long run. This is to say that they may learn a trick or two that they are able to use when they need to take social skills with them in other aspects of their life.

Increased Usage

There is a connection between athletic facilities that have been updated and their total usage. There are a lot of people who will be attracted to a newer athletic facility when they see that it has been updated as compared to a facility that has not been given that same treatment.

People flock to the facility that has received upgrades, but they may not be as prone to check out one that has not seen the same level of investment in it in a long time.

Safer Communities

Sports and athletic programs are a great outlet for many at-risk youth. They are offered the opportunity to experience a collective goal and work together with other people that they know from their own neighborhoods. That kind of thing is important when it comes to creating safer communities and helping to keep everyone safe.

People who want to live somewhere that is safer and generally better for all who live there will note that they can find these attributes when they are in a community that has invested heavily in the athletic programs in the area.

It is one of the surefire ways to boost engagement with the community and ensure that everyone is able to find the safe space that they need to cooperate with others and figure out how to resolve any issues that they may have with others.

It can certainly be a big boost to see communities coming together and people working on the issues that they might have otherwise had with one another when they are able to work together on a sports team of some kind to get the kind of teamwork and cooperation skills that they require.

Sports provide an extensive number of benefits to those who play, and it is certainly the case that colleges and universities should at least consider investing more money into these programs than they already are. They can generate a huge number of benefits that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to receive otherwise.

# data[].attributes.headline
You might not necessarily think of sports and athletic programs at the college level as needing even more money poured into them than what they already receive. However, there are some valid reasons why colleges and universities ought to consider putting more money into the athletic programs that they fund.

# data[].attributes.subject
You might not necessarily think of sports and athletic programs at the college level as needing even more money poured into them than what they already receive. However, there are some valid reasons why colleges and universities ought to consider putting more money into the athletic programs that they fund.

# data[].attributes.body
At Southside Fitness, we believe in people working to build themselves up physically and mentally. If you check out this site, you can see how you can sign up for a membership for our gyms and learn more about the benefits that one receives when they work out in a gym such as the one that we provide.

There are numerous reasons why we believe in the increased attribution of funds to college and athletic programs, and we want to take the time right now to go over a few of the key reasons why this may be helpful to society as a whole.

Increased Enrollment

The goal of virtually every college and university is to maximize their enrollment numbers. They need to bolster those numbers in order to make it more attractive to attend that school in the first place.

When they fail to do so, they will very likely not be able to maintain any number of other programs that the school operates as well. Thus, it is ideal to have a strong athletic program in order to keep enrollment at as high of a level as possible.

Better Academic Performance

It turns out that physical performance is directly linked to intelligence, and it is certainly the case that better academic performance is often accompanied by more physical activity. This is to say that one feeds into the other.

There are people who work out effectively and are able to see a boost to their academic performance as a result. Thus, a college or university that puts a significant amount of money into their academic programs has a good chance of helping those students who would like to use those facilities to help bolster their academic performance as well.

Better Social Skills

Sports require athletes to communicate with one another. Social skills are enhanced when sports are performed and teamwork and cooperation is expected. Students who spend time working with teammates on strategy for their athletic events may also learn some social skills that will be very helpful to them in the long run. This is to say that they may learn a trick or two that they are able to use when they need to take social skills with them in other aspects of their life.

Increased Usage

There is a connection between athletic facilities that have been updated and their total usage. There are a lot of people who will be attracted to a newer athletic facility when they see that it has been updated as compared to a facility that has not been given that same treatment.

People flock to the facility that has received upgrades, but they may not be as prone to check out one that has not seen the same level of investment in it in a long time.

Safer Communities

Sports and athletic programs are a great outlet for many at-risk youth. They are offered the opportunity to experience a collective goal and work together with other people that they know from their own neighborhoods. That kind of thing is important when it comes to creating safer communities and helping to keep everyone safe.

People who want to live somewhere that is safer and generally better for all who live there will note that they can find these attributes when they are in a community that has invested heavily in the athletic programs in the area.

It is one of the surefire ways to boost engagement with the community and ensure that everyone is able to find the safe space that they need to cooperate with others and figure out how to resolve any issues that they may have with others.

It can certainly be a big boost to see communities coming together and people working on the issues that they might have otherwise had with one another when they are able to work together on a sports team of some kind to get the kind of teamwork and cooperation skills that they require.

Sports provide an extensive number of benefits to those who play, and it is certainly the case that colleges and universities should at least consider investing more money into these programs than they already are. They can generate a huge number of benefits that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to receive otherwise.

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(6) as it is learnt that the PE lesson time for students in Hong Kong is significantly less than that for students on the Mainland and in Singapore and Finland, and a public opinion survey has pointed out that over 75 percent of the parents of students are in favour of increasing the PE lesson time, whether the authorities will consider conducting a study on increasing the PE lesson time and forging a consensus with the education sector and others; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

Physical Education (PE) is one of the five domains of ethics, intellect, physique, social skills and aesthetics, thus has always been an essential component of school education to foster students' balanced, whole-person development throughout their journey in primary and secondary schools. The Education Bureau (EDB) has explained in detail the direction and strategies for promoting PE in primary and secondary schools to the Legislative Council Panel on Education (Note 1) in February 2024. Helping students lead a healthy lifestyle is one of the seven learning goals of primary and secondary education. Apart from providing at least two PE lessons per week for students in accordance with the PE curriculum guide as required by the EDB, schools generally adopt a life-wide learning approach with diversified physical activities within and beyond the classroom to develop students' motor skills, enhance their physical fitness, form a habit of regular participation in physical activities and promote a healthy lifestyle, thereby instilling in them positive values and attitudes.

Our reply to the Hon Vincent Cheng's question is as follows:

(1) and (2) The EDB has all along been supporting schools to promote school PE development through a life-wide learning approach, including conducting ongoing renewal of curriculum guides, developing learning and teaching resources, providing training for PE teachers, organising teacher professional networks, and launching the "Active Students, Active People" Campaign, with a view to assisting schools in flexibly arranging different sports-related activities for students. As revealed from our communication with schools and relevant information collected, schools generally adopt a life-wide learning approach to promote the development of PE. For example, having regard to school contexts, a variety of appropriate physical activities may be arranged for students before morning assemblies, during recess or lunch break, and after school hours; sports-related extra-curricular activities and activities such as sports days, swimming galas and school team trainings are organised; opportunities to participate in inter-school sports competitions are offered for students to engage in different sports activities.

To promote newly emerging sports, the EDB encourages schools to flexibly introduce different kinds of sports in alignment with the PE curriculum. The EDB has also developed a variety of learning and teaching resources on newly emerging sports such as rope skipping and 3-on-3 basketball, and conducted professional development programmes for teachers to introduce various newly emerging sports such as pickleball, tchoukball and floorball so as to enhance teachers' knowledge. As the introduction of different sports in a school depends on a number of factors such as the physical environment and facilities available, student interests, teachers' expertise and experiences, the EDB does not have the statistics of related information.

In addition, schools also actively participate in sports activities organised by different government departments. For example, the School Sports Programme (SSP) organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has been well-received by schools since its launch. A total of over 345 000 students from 608 schools participated in the SSP in 2022-23. In 2023-24, the SSP will also promote newly emerging sport events such as 3-on-3 basketball. To encourage students to engage in physical activities, improve their cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health with the aim to reduce the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases, starting from the 2019/20 school year, the criteria of physical activities in the "sportACT Award Scheme" has included daily routine physical activities such as housework, stair climbing, brisk walking during commuting, and hiking, so as to integrate physical activity into their daily lives.

(3) Organised by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Retired Athletes Transformation Programme aims to provide additional opportunities for athletes to realise their potential for post-retirement career development in the longer-term, allowing them to assist schools and sports organisations in promoting sports, and identifying and nurturing potential sports talents. In the past five years, a total of 249 retired athletes have been employed as School Sports Promotion Coordinators under the programme. The number of retired athletes employed and their relevant expertise are as follows:

Sports                                               School Year2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Triathlon44111Handball66466Water Polo00100Athletics44543Table-tennis11111Badminton01000Football33786Cricket11000Karatedo55533Tenpin Bowling77666Judo22222Boxing00022Cycling98356Baseball11111Taekwondo12334Windsurfing10000Sports Climbing11111Squash12111Canoe00011Dragonboat00111Rowing44322Fin Swimming11111Basketball00100Total5253474948

The salary of the retired athletes employed is determined by their years of training as senior or professional athletes, as well as their relevant working experiences. The starting salary is between $17,980 and $25,590 per month.

(4), (5) and (6) The education systems, curriculum frameworks, teaching and assessment policies in different regions are developed based on factors such as their unique social culture, background, spatial environment, history and economy. In formulating the PE curriculum in Hong Kong, the EDB and the Curriculum Development Council have taken into account students' development needs as a whole and have sought to balance the diverse expectations of Hong Kong society regarding student learning. Currently, primary and secondary schools are providing at least two PE lessons per week for students in accordance with the curriculum guide and, through a wide range of physical activities, foster students' interest in sports, develop their motor skills and improve their physical fitness. These initiatives aim to develop students' habit of doing regular exercise and cultivate their positive values and attitudes.

According to the Primary Education Curriculum Guide (Pilot Version) (2022), primary schools are required to allocate at least five per cent of the total lesson time to PE lessons, without an upper limit. Schools can fully utilise the flexible lesson time to promote a balanced physical and mental health development among students. The recommended lesson time is a result of extensive consultation with and support obtained from the school sector. According to observations during curriculum visits, some primary schools have flexibly arranged three or more PE lessons per week, demonstrating that this recommendation has provided schools with greater flexibility in timetabling.

The promotion of students' physical development in schools is not confined to PE lessons. Schools should make good use of flexible lesson / learning time through a life-wide learning approach, and encourage students to participate in physical activities in their spare time. The EDB has issued the EDB Circular No. 5/2024 titled "Developing an Active and Healthy Lifestyle Through Promoting Physical Activities"(Note 2) in February 2024 to provide strategies, specific recommendations as well as information on relevant curriculum resources and support measures to schools. The circular contains examples of physical activities and a logbook to guide students in participating in physical activities beyond PE lessons. Students may take part in school team training and engage in routine physical activities such as brisk walking, stair climbing, household chores, stretching exercises to integrate the habit of exercise into their daily lives.

The EDB has been using various means such as inspections, school visits and regular contacts with schools to understand and review the implementation of work in schools (including PE lesson time). Professional advice and support will be provided to schools to facilitate schools' self-improvement and sustainable development. If any non-compliance is found, immediate follow-up actions will be taken. The EDB will continue to provide support and collaborate with the LCSD and other departments to assist schools in promoting students' physical fitness and health.

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A large, academic-looking building full of the pursuit of knowledge, lies overshadowed by the sprawling gym building. The gigantic football field, surrounded by the track, abruptly interrupts rolling lawns of beautiful green grass. Across the street, the soccer field with its two goal nets sits expectantly, waiting for a crowd of excited students. 

# data[].attributes.subject
A large, academic-looking building full of the pursuit of knowledge, lies overshadowed by the sprawling gym building. The gigantic football field, surrounded by the track, abruptly interrupts rolling lawns of beautiful green grass. Across the street, the soccer field with its two goal nets sits expectantly, waiting for a crowd of excited students. 

# data[].attributes.body
This is the picture of America’s schools, where academics and sports coexist.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 1991-2019 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data, about 57% of high school students played on at least one school or community sports team in the past year,” EducationWeekly tells us.

School sports are important to many schools, students, and their families. Surprisingly, they can also be a somewhat controversial topic. For an activity that over 50% of high school students participate in, you would think that school sports would be an accepted part of life.

The shocker is that it’s not a settled issue.

“Participation in sports offers students a number of benefits,” SportsRec suggests. “Sports helps students stay in shape, learn to work as a team, and enhance their attractiveness as college applicants.”

On the other hand, an opinion piece from the New York Times counters, “Competitive sports is not about exercise. If it were, we’d have the fittest kids in the world. It’s about a fantasy with a short shelf life. If we want to build school spirit and teach kids about grit, hold a pep rally for the debate team. Those kids are training to rule the real world.”

As the debate rages on, what are the pros and cons of school sports?

Pros

Those in favor of school-based sports teams and events tend to be rather passionate about the subject, and rightfully so. We Americans love our sports!

What are some benefits of school sports?

1. One obvious item in the “pro” column is student health. Who can deny that exercise has health benefits? Aside from physical health, there are mental and psychological benefits to regular activity.

“As the issue of childhood obesity takes on more prominence, sports provide a way for kids to get the exercise needed to stay in shape,” SportsRec weighs in. “It offers students the opportunity to build confidence and leadership skills, and can encourage students to spend time with other students they don’t otherwise associate with. School sports can also be more affordable than those run by outside organizations, giving more students an opportunity to participate.”

Psychology Today also has some insights. “Too many tweens and teens are unable to handle the rigors of school. They are easily overwhelmed and crumble when they do poorly in class. In fact, parents often protect their children from defeat by fiercely advocating for them….Youth sports provide a nice balance since parents can’t protect athletes from defeat and hardship. It’s good for your kids to learn how to both lose and win.”

2. The Public School Review suggests, “Learning to work as a team is an invaluable skill no matter what your age or occupation. Sports are all about working together as a team to accomplish a common goal—winning the game. Not only must students work together, but they also need to learn how to communicate effectively.”

The community and teamwork inherent in sports offer students real-world skills.

“Kids who play team sports show increased cooperation and teamwork and foster a sense of community.…” explains ActiveKids. “Teammates learn to support each other through good games and bad, something that might be most important during a losing streak.”

3. For many kids, sports are a way to blow off steam, get away from a bad home situation, or even discover themselves. “Football offers kids from difficult economic and social situations a way out,” says Dr. David Gerier.

Students, especially teenagers, experience a lot of growth and changes. Sometimes they need an anchor, something to focus on, and a way to connect to others. Sports can offer that.

“Athletics offers teens a physical outlet to exert their troubles, anger, and emotions,” states the Public School Review, “As hormones alter teens’ moods and thoughts, competition fosters an opportunity for teens to interact with fellow peers, coaches, and mentors, while helping them understand their own abilities and talents.”

4. Studies have consistently shown that athletic pursuits and physical exercise can benefit students academically.

Edsys weighs in on this benefit: “Studies have shown a positive connection between sports activities and improved memory and cognitive functions of the brain. This means that students can perform better in academics if sports are made a part of their routine.”

A recent study by the University of Kansas indicates a link between physical activity and enhanced academic performance, according to the Public School Review.

“…the results of the study showed that student-athletes had higher GPAs and a 10% higher rate for graduating high school,” notes the Public School Review. “It is unclear exactly how physical activity boosted academic performance, but it could be increased blood flow to the brain.”

5. Playing school sports can teach life lessons. School sports offer students the opportunity to learn and practice traits that will come in handy not only in their immediate school life, but also later on in life.

Psychology Today agrees. “Combining sports and school requires an ability to self-regulate. Getting to practice on time with the proper equipment helps student-athletes learn to organize themselves and say no to other activities….Learning when to say no is a great skill to carry over to adulthood.”

Edsys notes that sports teach quality life lessons such as mental, physical, and tactical discipline. Students must learn to follow rules and experience practicing restraint. They also have to master obeying the coach and respecting decisions. All of these are good life lessons that can propel them toward real-life success.

Cons

1. School sports dramatically increase the chances of students suffering injuries or other negative sports-related effects.

Azcentral comments on this: “According to the National Center for Sports Safety, over 3 million children under the age of 14 incur some type of injury as a result of sports. These may occur as a result of practice or a competitive event.”

The fact of the matter is that students are young, and their bodies are still developing. Sports Empire notes, “The rigorous cycle of training, workout, and competitions provide stress to the body, leading to bodily injuries. It’s common for athletes to develop injuries because they tend to overwork their muscles and bones. Impact and trauma also play a huge role in obtaining sports injuries.”

2. School sports is mostly an American phenomenon. Other countries prefer students to focus on their academics.

“Sports are a big part of American school culture….” the Mountaineer tells us. “In Europe, sports are not tied in with the school….While here, sports play a major role in our education, social life, sometimes even a student’s future.”

With over 50% of students participating in school sports, American schools heavily invest in their athletic departments. Meanwhile, American students are falling behind on the global academic scene, according to Pew Research.

In the words of The Atlantic, “The United States routinely spends more tax dollars per high-school athlete than per high-school math student—unlike most countries worldwide. And we wonder why we lag in international education rankings?”

3. Many opponents to school sports think they bring the wrong focus to the school atmosphere.

The New York Times explores this idea, saying, “By mixing sports and academics, we tempt kids into believing that it’s O.K. if they don’t like math or writing — that there is another path to glory. Less obvious is that this path ends abruptly, whereupon they get to spend 50 years in an economy that lavishly rewards those with higher-order skills and ruthlessly punishes those without.”

The Times sees it this way: “Imagine if medical schools dedicated hours of every day (and a chunk of their budgets and staff) to the culinary arts — to perfecting tiered wedding cakes and artisan breads. We could argue that this approach keeps med students from dropping out, but we would sound insane.”

4. Many experts are concerned with the undue emotional and mental pressure that school sports can place on children’s minds, especially in their younger years.

Psychology Today explains, “The weight of expectations is a crushing burden on the shoulders of young athletes. Imagine your children having to put on a 50-pound weight vest when they enter the field of play and you’ll get a sense of what they feel and how it will make them perform.”

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Physical Education in Schools – Quality, Comprehensive, & Consistent

With a long list of health benefits of physical education in schools, it is essential we have a clear understanding of what physical education programs can and should look like.

While the content and material covered by physical education teachers will vary throughout the United States, there should be some overarching themes. Shape America outlines the three domains of learning in physical education,

“Physical education addresses the three domains of learning: cognitive or mental skills related to the knowledge of movement; affective, which addresses growth in feelings or attitudes; and psychomotor, which relates to the manual or physical skills related to movement literacy.”

But beyond the high-level definitions, it is crucial to be specific and clear about what physical education should look like in schools. Physical education programs should be:

Quality – PE programs are more than just playing sports and “rolling out the ball.” Instead, PE classes have a scope and sequence that builds and develops students’ skills and understanding of different types of physical fitness and exercise.

Comprehensive – Physical education classes introduce and develop a wide range of topics and units ranging in physical fitness, mental health, social-emotional skills, and more. Physical education is an academic subject, just like math or science.

Consistent – To be both quality and comprehensive, physical education teachers need to see students consistently. In some parts of the United States, physical education classes have been reduced to as little as 30 minutes a week for one semester. Schools and states must dedicate more time (150 minutes or more weekly) to physical education.

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The health benefits of physical education schools are well documented. After exploring the current state of student health and wellness, we outline and review the short and long-term health benefits of physical education in schools. In addition, we provide a clear call to action for schools and states to dedicate more physical activity opportunities and daily physical education to empower students.

State of Student Health & Wellness

Before diving into the health benefits of physical education in schools, it is essential to understand the current landscape of student health in the United States:

Physical Health – Childhood obesity amongst children 6-19 is 21.45%, with minority populations and low-income families disproportionately at risk. Less than 25% of children achieve the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Only 26% of high school-aged students attend PE classes 5 days a week.

Mental Health – 70% of teenagers cited anxiety and depression as the number one problem affecting their peer group. 29% of teenagers self-reported having poor mental health.

Social-Emotional Health – 87% of public schools reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted student socio-emotional development during the 2021-22 school year, with classroom disruptions due to misbehavior at the top of the list.

Academic Performance – Average scores for students in 2022 declined 5 points in reading and 7 points in mathematics compared to 2020. This is the largest average score decline in reading since 1990 and the first-ever score decline in mathematics. 13% of students do not graduate from high school, with minority populations and low-income students disproportionately affected.

Long story short, elementary through high school students are struggling. Higher levels of physical activity and physical education can be powerful tools to combat many of the challenges facing our youth.

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According to Active Kids, when it comes to school sports, most kids start early. By the age of six, 60% of boys and 47% of girls are on a team. Competition, parental pressure, and the desire to please are driving factors for young athletes. Overuse, or pushing their bodies farther than they should, is becoming a common problem.

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According to Active Kids, when it comes to school sports, most kids start early. By the age of six, 60% of boys and 47% of girls are on a team. Competition, parental pressure, and the desire to please are driving factors for young athletes. Overuse, or pushing their bodies farther than they should, is becoming a common problem.

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“An overuse injury is microtraumatic damage to a bone, muscle, or tendon that has been subjected to repetitive stress without sufficient time to heal or undergo the natural reparative process….The incidence of overuse injuries in the young athlete has paralleled the growth of youth participation in sports. Up to 50% of all injuries seen in pediatric sports medicine are related to overuse.” This excerpt from a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics outlines the serious concern that medical professionals have concerning this issue.

5. Cost is one of the biggest factors that concerned citizens bring up in relation to school sports. In many districts, the spending for athletics exceeds the budget for other school activities, including classroom time.

A report by Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics found, “Median athletics spending per athlete at institutions in each major athletics conference ranges from 4 to nearly 11 times more than the median spending on education-related activities per student.”

Cost is an issue for students too. The Public School Review points out that some schools require students to buy the uniforms and equipment needed to play. Some families simply can’t afford this. Many concerned citizens think that sports, as a publicly-funded school activity, should be open to all students. U.S. News notes, “Only 30 percent of students in families with annual household incomes of less than $60,000 played school sports, compared with 51 percent of students in families that earned $60,000 or more a year.”

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Long-Term Health Benefits of Physical Education In Schools

The impact of PE classes goes well beyond the school day and year. In fact, PE classes can help instill and support our young people as they transition into adulthood so they can lead long-term healthy lifestyles.

This is because quality physical education doesn’t just help students achieve regular physical activity in the moment. Instead, it helps to empower them with motor skills, physical literacy, and a vast array of other health and wellness tools to promote overall health.

As a result, when students participate in high-quality physical education programs, they are more likely to feel comfortable and confident working out and continuing regular physical activity as adults. Therefore the health benefits of physical education in schools can also be connected to the health benefits of physical activity on adults from the CDC listed below:

Blood Pressure – Reduces blood pressure.

Brain Health – Reduces the risk of developing dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease) and reduces the risk of depression.

Heart Health – Lowers risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Cancer Prevention – Lowers risk of eight cancers: bladder, breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, lung, and stomach.

Healthy Weight – Reduces the risk of weight gain.

Bone Strength- Improves bone health.

Balance and Coordination – Reduces the risks of falls.

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Short-Term Health Benefits of Physical Education In Schools

Physical education classes play an important role in the overall health of students. Children of all ages can build physical health, mental health, and social-emotional skills via physical education classes that immediately impact students’ well-being.

The CDC has outlined various “Health Benefits of Physical Activity For Children.” While there are clear differences and distinctions between physical activity vs physical education, the list could certainly be labeled “Health Benefits of Physical Education In Schools.” Regardless of the title, the list includes:

Brain Health – Reduces risk of depression and anxiety.

Academic Performance – Improves attention and memory.

Muscular Fitness – Builds strong muscles and endurance.

Cardiometabolic Health – Helps maintain normal blood sugar levels.

Heart & Lunge Health – Improves blood pressure and aerobic fitness.

Healthy Weight – Helps regular body weight and reduce body fat.

Sleep – Improves sleep quality.

And again, we must reiterate that the health benefits of physical education are not limited to only our very young people in elementary schools. Instead, all grade levels, including high school students, can reap the health benefits of physical education. Daily physical education can be a powerful elixir to combat our youth’s growing mental and physical health concerns.

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