Participation and involvement in sports can positively impact both children and adults. But for young boys who participate in sports, those benefits have the potential to last a lifetime. Whether they play an individual or a team-based sport, the benefits are substantially more than just physical fitness. Participating in sports helps boys shape self-esteem, build confidence, and motivates them to achieve goals. For young boys, sports are where true social skills are built, and where goal setting attitudes and commitments take root.
Physical activity is probably the most obvious benefit from participating in sports. Today, boys spend too much time watching TV, playing video games, and swiping their tablets. But with sports, the training, workouts, and competitions provide a superb opportunity for vigorous physical exercise. And this exercise will help every boy to be physically healthy.
Playing sports, especially for young boys, can have a big impact on self-esteem. They receive praise and encouragement from peers, parents and coaches. They learn to trust in personal abilities. And they learn to receive and accept criticism in a positive way. Indeed, sports are the perfect vehicle for parents to be directly and actively involved in this growth.
Participating in organized sports helps boys develop the social skills that will be an integral part of their lives. They learn to interact directly with boys their own age; they learn to communicate with adults, (coaches and officials), in a positive and respectful manner, giving them the tools they need to learn how to build relationships. More than that, boys develop skills in leadership, team building, and communication.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that boys who play sports and participate in athletics also do well with academics. They are more focused and can apply the commitment and hard work associated with their sports, to their studies. Interestingly, statistics show that boys who play on high school sports teams have a higher probability of graduating and moving on to higher education.
Needless to say, sports participation promotes physical health and mental wellbeing. It lasts from childhood through adulthood, with satisfaction and fulfillment for a lifetime. And in most cases, sports can be continued through adulthood. In short, sports participation becomes an avenue to better health, both physical and mental.
In Canada, Camp Chikopi has created a sports camp environment where young boys can flourish. It’s an ideal setting to build self-confidence and develop self-assurance. The class sizes are small so that personal attention is assured. But the training is still quite comprehensive. At Chikopi, the focus for every boy is on developing skills; practicing drills; and playing competitively. But above all, campers are encouraged to have fun, whatever their sport of choice.
Camp Chikopi has campers coming from around the world, and every summer the boys have an opportunity to improve their personal performance. Whether beginner or advanced, every boy is encouraged to do their best - perfecting their skills, boosting their endurance, and building their physical strength. This is an environment where young boys are engaged in character-building all summer long - it’s demanding, challenging, and more than exciting.
