In honour of ParticpACTION’s 5th annual Sports Day in Canada, SNYB wants to highlight a post from the ParticiPACTION blog on “What Sport Can Do”! For many of you, the power of sport in your life is evident. You’ve witnessed firsthand how sport can shape a person, big or small, young or old. Sports connect people, teach life lessons and build community in real and lasting ways. Read on to find out more!By: Katherine Janson
So many people think of getting active, being athletic and playing sport as the same thing—and it’s true, sport can make you sweat and move your body. But, sport is so much more powerful than that.
When community sport is based on the True Sport values of excellence, fairness, inclusion and fun, there are almost no limits to the amazing things sport can do.
Sport connects people.
A positive sport experience has the power to influence a lot of people, from the kids or adults who play, to the people who coach and train the athletes, to those who run the teams or leagues, the fans who watch and the communities who fund and host the tournaments, drive the team buses or billet the visitors.
Sport lessons are life lessons.
For young people especially, sport provides social support, opportunities to learn how to win and lose, set and reach goals, work with others and build confidence. Sport can even contribute to better grades and encourage creativity and problem solving.
Sport builds community.
For communities, a thriving and positive sport culture helps reduce crime, contributes to reduced health care costs, supports newcomers by making them feel welcome and involved, and feeds into local, provincial and national economies.
I wouldn’t quite go so far as to say that a community that plays together, stays together, but that’s not too far off.
I know that one of the only places in my life that I can truly take my brain on vacation is on the volleyball court. I play recreationally, but it’s amazing how focused and inspired and happy and connected I feel when I leave my busy workday behind and think only about the next serve.
All Canadians should have the chance to benefit from sport. Which is why Saturday, November 29, is the fifth annual RBC Sports Day in Canada, presented by ParticipACTION, True Sport and CBC. It’s a national celebration of the power of sport to build community and get Canadians moving and there will be over 1800 local events to check out across the country.
I invite you to find a local event, bring your kids, and see for yourself what sport can do for you!
Katherine
Information from this article was sourced from the True Sport Report. If the information is of interest, you can find the full report here:
http://www.cces.ca/files/pdfs/TS_report_EN_webdownload.pdf
Source: http://stevenashyb.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/what-sport-can-do/