write a short essay on how participation in recreational activities

Essay on Recreational Activities

Students are often asked to write an essay on Recreational Activities in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Recreational Activities

What are recreational activities.

Recreational activities are fun things we do in our free time. They help us relax and enjoy. They can be anything from playing games, reading books, to going on trips. They are important because they make us happy and keep us healthy.

Types of Recreational Activities

There are many types of recreational activities. Some people like outdoor activities like football, cycling, or swimming. Others enjoy indoor activities like reading, painting, or playing board games. Even watching a movie or listening to music can be a recreational activity.

Benefits of Recreational Activities

Recreational activities have many benefits. They help us to stay fit and healthy. They also improve our mood and reduce stress. They can make us more creative and help us learn new skills. They also give us a chance to make new friends.

Choosing a Recreational Activity

Choosing a recreational activity depends on what we like. It’s important to pick something we enjoy. We should also consider how much time we have and if we need any special equipment. It’s a good idea to try different activities to find out what we like best.

250 Words Essay on Recreational Activities

Introduction.

Recreational activities are fun things we do in our free time. These can be games, sports, hobbies, or even just hanging out with friends. These activities help us relax, enjoy, and learn new skills.

There are many types of recreational activities. Some people like outdoor activities like football, cycling, or swimming. Others enjoy indoor activities like reading, painting, or playing video games. What’s important is to choose something you enjoy!

Recreational activities are not just fun but also very good for us. They help us stay fit and healthy. They also make us happy and reduce stress. For kids, these activities can also help in learning teamwork and improving skills.

Choosing the Right Activity

Choosing the right recreational activity is important. You should pick something you love to do. This way, you will enjoy it more and want to do it often. Also, try to pick something that fits your age and health.

In conclusion, recreational activities are a great way to spend your free time. They are fun, healthy, and can help you learn new things. So, go ahead and find the activity that you love the most!

(Word Count: 200)

500 Words Essay on Recreational Activities

Introduction to recreational activities.

Recreational activities are fun things we do in our free time. They are not work or chores, but things we enjoy. These activities can be anything from playing sports, reading books, to painting or even just going for a walk. They help us relax, have fun and learn new things.

There are two main types of recreational activities: indoor and outdoor. Indoor activities can be things like reading, drawing, playing board games, or doing puzzles. These are great for rainy days or when it’s too hot or cold outside. Outdoor activities can include things like playing sports, going for a hike, or exploring nature. These are great for when the weather is nice and you want to be outside in the fresh air.

Recreational activities have many benefits. They can help you relax and feel less stressed. They can also help you learn new skills and make new friends. For example, if you join a soccer team, you can learn how to play soccer and also meet new people. Recreational activities can also help keep you healthy. When you’re active and moving around, it’s good for your body.

Choosing the Right Recreational Activity

It’s important to choose a recreational activity that you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t want to do it. Think about what you like to do in your free time. Do you like to be active and play sports? Or do you prefer to relax and read a book? Once you know what you enjoy, you can find a recreational activity that fits you.

Importance of Balance

While recreational activities are fun, it’s also important to have balance. This means not spending all your time on one activity. For example, if you love playing video games, it’s good to take breaks and do other things too. This can help you avoid getting too tired or bored.

In conclusion, recreational activities are a great way to have fun, learn new things, and stay healthy. They can be anything you enjoy, from sports to reading to art. It’s important to choose something you enjoy and to have balance. So go out there and find a recreational activity that you love!

Note: This essay is a simple and easy-to-understand explanation of recreational activities, suitable for school students. It uses simple words and phrases, and is organized into distinct paragraphs that touch on different aspects of the topic. The total word count is exactly 500 words.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Recycling Should Be Mandatory
• Essay on Reflection
• Essay on Refugees

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

“All Work and no Play make Jack a dull boy” goes a popular saying.

The significance of this saying has increased manifold in today’s fast-paced and competitive world where students are forced by both their guardians and the conglomerate of society and situations as a whole to devote increasing hours in academic learning , whether theoretical or practical and knowledge enhancing activities so that they can stay ahead in the rat race. Add to that the present way of life where people mostly stay in small nuclear families and with parents working, the viability of our own home as a place where we can have recreational time has diminished.

What is recreation?

Recreation consists of activities or experiences carried on within leisure, usually chosen voluntarily by the participant – either because of satisfaction, pleasure or creative enrichment derived, or because he perceives certain personal or social values to be gained from them. It may, also be perceived as the process of participation, or as the emotional state derived from involvement.

Students, especially in higher education, now spend most of their time with college friends and outside of home for various purposes and work. Hence, in the current scenario, the best place to include recreational activities in one’s life is one’s place of education rather than at home. This not only provides a chance to include recreations in one’s life, but also helps students to socialize and become less dependent on one’s parents.

Before analyzing the effect of recreations in educational curriculum, it is important to know the impacts and necessity of recreations in one’s life as a whole. Due to the intricacies in present day society and the way of living, students nowadays are weaker than their older generations, both physically and emotionally. This gets reflected in their physical, emotional and mental health as well as their behavior and development which all the more calls for bestowing on recreations the importance that it deserves. Various studies have shown the importance of recreations on one’s life specifically in three aspects- physical health, mental health and improving quality of life.

• Physical Health : Recreational activities, especially outdoor ones improve one’s health like maintaining lower body fat percentages, lowering blood and cholesterol levels, increasing muscular strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, body composition and cardiovascular endurance. Overall it increases one’s stamina and energy level resulting in more focus for academic activities besides also having an impact on one’s class attendance and attention thus leading to more learning. And as we all know “health is wealth”.
• Mental Health : Mental health is essential for overall physical health. Recreational activities help manage stress. It provides a chance to nurture oneself and provides a sense of balance and self-esteem, which can directly reduce anxiety and depression. There is also an increased motivation to learn as it can serve as a laboratory for application of contents learnt in classrooms teaching. It provides a channel for releasing tension and anxiety thus facilitating emotional stability and resilience. Such activities help students to become more self-reliant, emphatic and self-disciplined.
• Improved Quality of Life : People who make recreation a priority are more likely to feel satisfied with their lives overall, according to an American Recreation Coalition Study, 2000. Recreational activities help create a balance between academic pressures with physical and mental well-being. The effects of recreation are multifold. It enriches self-expression, self-fulfillment ability, interpersonal skills, techniques and methods of using leisure, physical strength, creative expression, and aesthetic sense. Such attributes have a favorable effect on human beings who have limits in everyday life. Therefore, recreation is allowed to be used as a tool of therapy (Lee, 2000). Physical activity-based recreation helps participants recover from the deteriorated physical strength, caused by the lack of exercise, and develops the latent ability to achieve self-realization. This also helps people to deal with common day to day problems more effectively as it makes people more optimists and with a positive outlook to life.

Coming to the point of including recreational activities in educational curriculum, it can be said that the present generation spends less of their time in natural surroundings leading to a weakening of senses both physiologically and psychologically. Guardians, academic institutions as well as the government should find out every possible opportunity to include recreations in a student’s life for an overall holistic development of mind and body. If such opportunities are lessening in a home set up, then it should be part of the educational curriculum where a student spends majority of his/her time. In fact, recreational activities in an educational set up will be academically more enriching for the student in many ways:

• Students are more enthusiastic to learn in outdoor learning activities as compared to traditional indoor setting and also more motivated. They also develop a better attitude towards the environment and more responsible behavior
• It helps in building communication skills and team building as students have to work in groups to solve problems. There will be more discussions of ideas and feedbacks and helps students to resolve conflict among themselves
• It also helps in boosting memory as there is more practical experience and the information can be soaked up wholly by the brain in a more fresh and fascinating environment
• It also helps in moral development as students get the opportunity to undertake leadership, question actions and regulations and accept responsibility for their own behavior.
• Enhances peer relationships and interpersonal skills. Students can also excel in areas other than academics where they have an interest. Recreational activities can give a chance to discover talents other than academic excellence which can later help one in the career and life as a whole.

Overall it can be said that, recreational activities help in overall development of a student’s physically, mentally, and emotionally. It not only helps to gather knowledge but to use it ethically to lead a healthy and better life. It teaches one to think with reason and live with a more practical approach to life. It also enhances ones all round development, thus helping to achieve success in ones endeavors.

About the Author

Ms. Rituparna Devi is currently working as Junior Batch-in-Charge in Pune Institute of Business Management. Prior to this, she has worked as an Assistant Project Engineer in IIT Guwahati for 1.5 years. She holds Bachelors of Engineering Degree in Electronics & Communication from Tezpur Central University, Assam and MBA in Finance from National Institute of technology, Silchar.

Recent Posts

Education Brightens the Lives of Cambodian Sisters literally from Dumpsite to Polished Professionals

International Students’ Ongoing Contributions to the UK Post-Graduation

UNESCO Launches “Building Strong Foundations” Initiative to Prioritize Children’s Health and Well-being in Primary Education

Microsoft and Khan Academy Collaborate to Increase Access to AI Tools for Enhanced Learning

More articles.

How to Blend Language Diversity into Education?

Incorporating Innovation: The Influence of Technology on Public Speaking

Prioritizing Ethics: Examining the Responsibilities and Ethical Considerations for Speakers

Implementing Energy Efficiency Solutions for Campus Facilities and Driving Net Zero Objectives

Our motive behind developing The Knowledge Review is to provide data relevant to every individual connected to education, i.e., Student, Parents, Professors, and Institute Management.

Quick Links

© copyright 2024, the knowledge review | all rights reserved..

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Types of Sports — Playing Sports: The Importance

Playing Sports: The Importance

• Categories: Types of Sports

About this sample

Words: 657 |

Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 657 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Physical health benefits, mental and emotional well-being, social benefits, educational and cognitive development.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 864 words

3 pages / 1325 words

1 pages / 666 words

1 pages / 647 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Types of Sports

Basketball is a fast-paced sport that is played on a rectangular court with two teams of five players each. The objective of the game is to score points by shooting a ball through a hoop elevated 10 feet above the ground. The [...]

Games and amusements are critical for us. They keep us sound and fit. They offer us a change from the dullness of day by day life. It is a helpful methods for amusement and physical action. Games and recreations help in [...]

Sportsmanship is a concept that is often discussed in the world of sports. It is an important aspect of the sporting world and can have a significant impact on the game, the players, and the fans. Sportsmanship is defined as [...]

Softball has been a significant part of my life for as long as I can remember. It has shaped me into the person I am today, teaching me valuable lessons both on and off the field. The sport has given me a sense of belonging, [...]

Halasana is a combination of the Sanskrit words “hala” which means plow and asana which means posture. Halasana or plow pose is an asana and it gets its name from the plow which is a popular farming tool used in Indian culture [...]

In the modern world, the sports, entertainment, show business and computer technology industries are developing at an incredible pace. In the midst of all of these different industries, the esport (electronic sport or video [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Short Essay: Importance Of Outdoor Games

In the digital age, where screens dominate our lives, the importance of outdoor games cannot be overstated. Engaging in physical activities outdoors not only promotes physical health but also enhances mental well-being and social skills. Writing a short essay on this topic can be enlightening and educational. Here’s how to structure such an essay effectively in three sections:

Table of Contents

Introduction

Begin your essay by introducing the topic of outdoor games. Highlight how, in a world increasingly inclined towards sedentary lifestyles due to technological advancements, outdoor games serve as a crucial counterbalance. Your introduction should grab the reader’s attention and present the thesis statement: a concise declaration of your essay’s purpose. For instance, your thesis could argue that outdoor games are essential for holistic development—physical, mental, and social. This section should be engaging and informative, setting up the context for your arguments.

The body of your essay should be divided into clear, focused paragraphs, each highlighting a different benefit of playing outdoor games.

Physical Health:  Discuss how outdoor games improve physical health. Mention specific benefits such as increased stamina, stronger muscles, and better cardiovascular health. You can include statistics or findings from health studies to add credibility to your points.

Mental Well-being:  Move on to the psychological benefits. Outdoor games can reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance concentration. Highlight studies that show how physical activity outdoors can alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Social Skills:  Finally, consider the social advantages. Outdoor games often require teamwork and communication, which are vital for building strong relationships and developing social skills. Explain how these games provide a platform for practicing conflict resolution, cooperation, and empathy.

Each paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence and include evidence and examples to support your claims. This structure not only helps in maintaining the flow of the essay but also ensures that each point is given its due importance.

Conclude your essay by summarizing the main points discussed. This recap should reinforce your thesis statement and remind the reader of the comprehensive benefits of outdoor games. End with a compelling closing statement that encourages action or deeper reflection. You might suggest ways for the reader to incorporate more outdoor games into their daily routine or reflect on the changing dynamics of play in modern society.

Importance Of Outdoor Games Essay Example 1

Outdoor games have been a popular pastime for people of all ages for centuries. They provide an opportunity to engage in physical activity, socialize with others, and take a break from technology. The benefits of playing outdoor games go beyond just entertainment, as they promote physical fitness, develop social skills and teamwork abilities, and can improve mental well-being. In this essay, we will explore the importance of outdoor games in our lives.

Playing outdoor games is an excellent way to promote physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. Outdoor games require physical activity, which helps to burn calories and improve cardiovascular health. Running, jumping, and other physical activities involved in outdoor games help to strengthen muscles, improve coordination, and increase endurance. A healthy lifestyle is essential to prevent many chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Outdoor games provide an opportunity to engage in physical activity, which is an important factor in leading a healthy lifestyle.

Playing outdoor games helps to develop social skills and teamwork abilities. Outdoor games involve working together as a team and require communication, cooperation, and collaboration to achieve a common goal. These skills are essential in our personal and professional lives. Playing outdoor games allows individuals to learn how to interact with others, build relationships, and develop a sense of belonging. It also helps to improve self-confidence and problem-solving abilities.

Outdoor games provide a break from technology and can improve mental well-being. With the growing use of technology, people spend more time indoors than outdoors. Playing outdoor games allows individuals to disconnect from digital devices and enjoy the benefits of nature. Outdoor games provide a sense of relaxation and can help to reduce stress levels. Additionally, outdoor games provide an opportunity to learn new skills, explore the environment, and have fun.

In conclusion, outdoor games are essential in promoting physical fitness, developing social skills and teamwork abilities, and improving mental well-being. Playing outdoor games is not only a source of entertainment but also a way to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. As individuals, we should make an effort to engage in outdoor games regularly to reap the benefits they offer.

Importance Of Outdoor Games Essay Example 2

Outdoor games have always been an integral part of our lives, and they have been enjoyed by people of all ages for centuries. The importance of outdoor games cannot be overstated, as they provide numerous benefits that contribute to our overall physical and mental well-being. This essay will discuss the importance of outdoor games in terms of physical exercise, social development, and mental well-being.

Outdoor games provide physical exercise, which is essential for maintaining good health and fitness. When we engage in outdoor games, we are using our bodies in various ways, which help us build our stamina, strength, and endurance. For instance, sports like football, basketball, and cricket involve running, jumping, and other physical activities that keep our bodies active and healthy. Regular participation in outdoor games can also help prevent various health problems, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. In addition, outdoor games provide an excellent opportunity to get fresh air and sunlight, which are vital for our overall well-being.

Playing outdoor games can help develop social skills and teamwork abilities. Team sports like football, basketball, and volleyball require players to work together and communicate effectively to achieve common goals. Through these activities, players learn how to cooperate, communicate, and collaborate with others, which are essential skills for success in both personal and professional life. Furthermore, outdoor games provide an excellent opportunity to meet new people, make friends, and build social networks. This social interaction can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

Outdoor games can provide a fun and engaging way to reduce stress and improve mental well-being. When we engage in physical activities, our bodies release endorphins, which are natural chemicals that help us feel good and reduce stress. Outdoor games provide an excellent opportunity to engage in physical activity while having fun and enjoying the outdoors. They allow us to take a break from our busy and stressful lives and focus on the present moment, which can help reduce anxiety and improve mental clarity. Furthermore, outdoor games provide a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, which can boost our confidence and self-esteem.

In conclusion, outdoor games provide numerous benefits that contribute to our overall physical and mental well-being. They provide an excellent opportunity to engage in physical activity, develop social skills, and reduce stress. Therefore, it is essential to encourage children and adults to participate in outdoor games regularly. By doing so, we can promote a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling lifestyle for ourselves and our communities.

Importance Of Outdoor Games Essay Example 3

The importance of outdoor games cannot be overstated. They provide numerous benefits that contribute to our overall well-being. Outdoor games promote physical exercise, social interaction, teamwork, and cognitive function, among other things. In this essay, we will discuss the significance of outdoor games and how they impact our lives in meaningful ways.

Outdoor games provide physical exercise, which is essential for maintaining good health. Physical exercise is necessary to maintain a healthy body and mind. Outdoor games offer an excellent way to get the required physical activity. Running, jumping, and other activities involved in outdoor games help to develop strength, endurance, and flexibility. Additionally, outdoor games help to improve cardiovascular health, reducing the risk of heart disease and other health complications. Engaging in outdoor games regularly can help people maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of obesity and related health problems.

Outdoor games promote social interaction and teamwork, helping to develop social skills and sportsmanship. Playing outdoor games requires communication, cooperation, and coordination with teammates. These skills are essential for building strong relationships and developing social skills. Outdoor games also teach sportsmanship, which is the ability to win and lose gracefully. Engaging in outdoor games helps to build character, develop leadership skills, and foster a sense of community.

Playing outdoor games can improve cognitive function and mental health, reducing stress and improving mood. Outdoor games provide an excellent opportunity to disconnect from the stresses of daily life, reducing stress levels and promoting relaxation. Engaging in outdoor games can also enhance cognitive function, improving memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, outdoor games provide a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence, which can improve overall well-being and mental health.

Outdoor games provide numerous benefits that contribute to our overall well-being. They offer an excellent way to get physical exercise, promote social interaction and teamwork, and enhance cognitive function and mental health. Engaging in outdoor games regularly can help people maintain good health, develop social skills, and reduce stress levels. Therefore, it is essential to encourage outdoor games and make them an integral part of our daily lives.

About Mr. Greg

Mr. Greg is an English teacher from Edinburgh, Scotland, currently based in Hong Kong. He has over 5 years teaching experience and recently completed his PGCE at the University of Essex Online. In 2013, he graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a BEng(Hons) in Computing, with a focus on social media.

Mr. Greg’s English Cloud was created in 2020 during the pandemic, aiming to provide students and parents with resources to help facilitate their learning at home.

Whatsapp: +85259609792

[email protected]

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

3 Successful Extracurricular Activity Essay Examples

The purpose of the extracurricular activities essay is for admissions officers to better understand how your extracurricular activities have shaped and motivated you. This essay shouldn’t restate the activities you’ve already shared in your resume, but should elaborate on their impact and significance to you as a person.

In this post, we will share three extracurricular essays, written by real students, that are strong responses. Read them to be inspired in your own essay writing!

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Essay Example #1

My fingers raced across the keys, rapidly striking one after another. My body swayed with the music as my hands raced across the piano. Crashing onto the final chord, it was over as quickly as it had begun. My shoulders relaxed and I couldn’t help but break into a satisfied grin. I had just played the Moonlight Sonata’s third movement, a longtime dream of mine.

Four short months ago, though, I had considered it impossible. The piece’s tempo was impossibly fast, its notes stretching between each end of the piano, forcing me to reach farther than I had ever dared. It was 17 pages of the most fragile and intricate melodies I had ever encountered.

But that summer, I found myself ready to take on the challenge. With the end of the school year, I was released from my commitment to practicing for band and solo performances. I was now free to determine my own musical path: either succeed in learning the piece, or let it defeat me for the third summer in a row.

Over those few months, I spent countless hours practicing the same notes until they burned a permanent place in my memory, creating a soundtrack for even my dreams. Some would say I’ve mastered the piece, but as a musician I know better. Now that I can play it, I am eager to take the next step and add in layers of musicality and expression to make the once-impossible piece even more beautiful.

What the Essay Did Well

This essay has a descriptive and engaging hook that immediately places the reader in the middle of the action and captivates us for the rest of the essay. The way the student describes playing piano as a full-body experience, from their splayed out fingers to their tensed shoulders, allows the reader to envision the student in front of them, passionately losing themselves in the music. Seeing the way they write about the piano is a sign that this student is dedicated to this extracurricular. 

Another strength of this essay is how it shows this student’s character, particularly their determination. By describing the challenge of playing this piece, we can fully appreciate all that they had to overcome to be successful. Rather than simply saying it was a hard song, they show us how it was physically and mentally daunting: “ The piece’s tempo was impossibly fast, its notes stretching between each end of the piano, forcing me to reach farther than I had ever dared. It was 17 pages of the most fragile and intricate melodies I had ever encountered.”

This student knows how to make music in their writing, as well as on the piano. The use of elevated and creative language throughout the essay makes it flow smoothly for the reader. They take a rather simple story, but through their deft writing the student makes it both enjoyable and reveals details about themself.

What Could Be Improved

This essay could have been made even stronger if this student included details about them actually practicing. They go from telling us about how daunting this piece was to suddenly being able to play it months later, but admissions officers are curious about how you overcome challenges, not just the fact that you did.

Two or three sentences that describe the tedious process of practicing a particular scale or how they continuously messed up a certain bar of music would be sufficient to express what this student actually accomplished. Although space is tight in this essay, this would have been a better use of the third paragraph than what the student currently has. 

Essay Example #2

My school’s newspaper and I have a typical love-hate relationship; some days I want nothing more than to pass two hours writing and formatting articles, while on others the mere thought of student journalism makes me shiver. Still, as we’re entering our fourth year together, you could consider us relatively stable. We’ve learned to accept each other’s differences; at this point I’ve become comfortable spending an entire Friday night preparing for an upcoming issue, and I hardly even notice the snail-like speed of our computers. I’ve even benefitted from the polygamous nature of our relationship—with twelve other editors, there’s a lot of cooperation involved. Perverse as it may be, from that teamwork I’ve both gained some of my closest friends and improved my organizational and time-management skills. And though leaving it in the hands of new editors next year will be difficult, I know our time together has only better prepared me for future relationships.

This response is great. It’s cute and endearing and, importantly, tells readers a lot about the student who wrote it. Framing this essay in the context of a “love-hate relationship,” then supplementing with comments like “We’ve learned to accept each other’s differences” allows this student to advertise their maturity in a unique and engaging way. 

Personifying the newspaper is a creative way to demonstrate the role it plays in this student’s life. Because it is an unexpected tactic, it lets the reader appreciate the humor and wit of the author, while also being a lighthearted and fun response to read. 

While Extracurricular Essays can be a place to show how you’ve grown within an activity, they can also be a place to show how you’ve grown through an activity. At the end of this essay, readers think that this student is mature and enjoyable, and we think that their experience with the school newspaper helped make them that way.

One strike against this essay is that in the first sentence it claims the student has a love-hate relationship with the newspaper, but the rest of the essay really only addresses their experience from a positive perspective. They say the “ mere thought of student journalism makes me shiver ” but there is little-to-no elaboration about the negatives. Since they poised their essay as a love-hate relationship, it feels like it is missing something without any discussion about the hate aspect of the relationship. 

Essay Example #3

The cool, white halls of the Rayburn House office building contrasted with the bustling energy of interns entertaining tourists, staffers rushing to cover committee meetings, and my fellow conference attendees separating to meet with our respective congresspeople. Through civics and US history classes, I had learned about our government, but simply hearing the legislative process outlined didn’t prepare me to navigate it. It was my first political conference, and, after learning about congressional mechanics during breakout sessions, I was lobbying my representative about an upcoming vote crucial to the US-Middle East relationship. As the daughter of Iranian immigrants, my whole life had led me to the moment when I could speak on behalf of the family members who had not emigrated with my parents.

As I sat down with my congresswoman’s chief of staff, I truly felt like a participant in democracy; I was exercising my right to be heard as a young American. Through this educational conference, I developed a plan of action to raise my voice. When I returned home, I signed up to volunteer with the state chapter of the Democratic Party. I sponsored letter-writing campaigns, canvassed for local elections, and even pursued an internship with a state senate campaign. I know that I don’t need to be old enough to vote to effect change. Most importantly, I also know that I want to study government—I want to make a difference for my communities in the United States and the Middle East throughout my career.

The strength of this essay comes from its connections. It connects the student’s extracurricular activity to their studies and connects theirs studies to their personal history.

While this prompt is about extracurricular activities, it specifically references the idea that the extracurricular should support the curricular. It is focused on experiential learning for future career success. This student wants to study government, so they chose to describe an experience of hands-on learning within their field—an apt choice!

As this student discusses their extracurricular experience, they also clue readers into their future goals—they want to help Middle Eastern communities. Admissions officers love when students mention concrete plans with a solid foundation. Here, the foundation comes from this student’s ethnicity. With lines like “my whole life had led me to the moment when I could speak on behalf of the family members who had not emigrated with my parents,” the student assures admissions officers of their emotional connection to their future field.

Something that is missing from this essay is the emotional reflection this student has from their experiences in politics. They tell us they felt like a participant in democracy and they know they want to study government and make a difference, but for a really strong essay you need to dig deeper and tell the reader more about how this extracurricular makes you feel.

What does it feel like to be a participant in democracy? Liberating? Empowering? How did volunteering impact them personally? Did they develop a new appreciation for what it means to be an American? What feeling is this student trying to elicit by studying government? While all of these questions don’t have to be addressed, the idea is to inject more of the student’s feelings and emotion into the essay to help us better understand exactly what this extracurricular meant to them. 

More Supplemental Essay Tips

4 Tips for Writing a Diversity College Essay

How to Write the “Why This College” Essay

Where to Get Your Extracurricular Activity Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Extracurricular Activity essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

• Open access
• Published: 08 April 2021

Youth sport participation and physical activity in rural communities

• Debra K. Kellstedt   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3737-8627 1 ,
• Michaela A. Schenkelberg 2 ,
• Ann M. Essay 1 ,
• Mary J. Von Seggern 2 ,
• Richard R. Rosenkranz 3 ,
• Gregory J. Welk 4 ,
• Robin High 1 &
• David A. Dzewaltowski 1  

Archives of Public Health volume  79 , Article number:  46 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

11 Citations

11 Altmetric

Metrics details

Physical activity, a high-frequency health behavior, varies by where children live, learn, and play. Children accumulate physical activity in adult-led in-school and out-of-school settings. Youth sport is a potential setting for physical activity, but there are differences in youth sport participation based on age, sex, and socioeconomic status. There is a gap in understanding demographic influences on youth sport participation and how these factors interact to influence physical activity. This study examines influences of grade, sex, and family income on youth sport participation and these factors and youth sport participation on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity of children in rural communities.

Children ( n  = 418 3rd–6th graders) living in two rural communities completed the online Youth Activity Profile as part of Wellscapes, a type 3 hybrid implementation-effectiveness community randomized trial. Mixed models with community as a random effect examined main effects and interactions of grade, sex, and family income on youth sport participation and these factors and youth sport participation on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

About 80% of children engaged in youth sport, and full-pay lunch students were almost four times more likely to have youth sport participation than students with free/reduced lunch (OR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.95, 7.8). Females and 6th graders ( p  < 0.05) had lower physical activity than comparison groups. Males with higher family income had greater physical activity; females with higher family income had less physical activity. For 6th graders, high family income had less effect on physical activity than similar 3rd-5th graders ( p  < 0.01).

Conclusions

While a fairly high percentage of children participate in youth sports, there are disparities in rural communities on youth sport participation and physical activity outcomes based on age, sex, and family income.

Peer Review reports

Physical activity (PA), a high-frequency health behavior, varies by where children live, learn, and play [ 1 ]. Establishing healthy behaviors early in life can reduce the risk of certain types of cancers and other chronic conditions that can develop over the life course [ 2 , 3 ]. The current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines indicate that children and youth ages 5–17 years should accumulate at least 60 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) every day [ 4 ], but in recent estimates, only 21% of children in the U.S. are meeting those guidelines [ 5 ]. Physical inactivity and obesity are greater problems in rural communities than in urban or suburban environments [ 1 , 6 , 7 , 8 ], and children’s PA behaviors are influenced by the social and physical community environments that surround them [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. In the past, children’s PA occurred in free range settings while walking or biking to school and while playing on neighborhood streets and in parks [ 13 ]. In contemporary community social structures, children’s PA occurs more frequently in adult-led in-school and out-of-school settings, like physical education (PE) classes or youth sport [ 13 , 14 ]. PE is a teacher-led class in schools that provides curricula aimed at improving physical skills, knowledge, and behaviors [ 15 ]. A 2008 cross-sectional study found rural and urban differences in these settings for children’s PA with more activity for rural children than urban at lunchtime and after school but less during PE classes [ 1 ]. A 2016 systematic review of PA-related policy and environmental strategies to prevent obesity in rural communities found that one of the most common intervention strategies to prevent obesity was to increase opportunities for out-of-school PA [ 14 ]. As noted in the study, an example of a policy employing this strategy would be to share school facilities, like outdoor fields, for public use before or after school.

For over 50 years, playing sports has been reported as a favorite activity of children [ 16 , 17 ], and youth sport holds potential as a setting for health promotion [ 14 , 18 ]. In the past, youth sport, through youth development programs, was seen as a social solution for keeping children occupied in positive activity and less likely to engage in problem behaviors [ 19 , 20 ]. More recently, youth sport has been promoted for its physical, psychological, and even intellectual benefits [ 21 , 22 ]. A 2013 systematic review found considerable evidence for improved psychological and social health from youth sport participation over other forms of leisure-time PA [ 23 ]. A 2007 study of boys aged 6–12 years found that youth sport participation contributed to PA benefits with 23% of total daily minutes of MVPA—a higher percentage than either PE or recess [ 24 ]. A 2006 study of adolescent girls demonstrated that sport participation contributed to girls’ vigorous PA in late adolescence, and that having more years of sports participation was associated with more PA [ 25 ]. A more recent study conducted in Europe found that participation in sports doubled the odds of meeting PA guidelines among 7–12-year-olds [ 26 ]. In addition to immediate benefits, youth sport participation can lead to more PA in adulthood [ 27 , 28 ].

Youth sport holds promise for impacting population health, because this setting has the potential to reach a large number of children [ 29 ]. In the U.S., over 60 million children participate in youth sport [ 30 ]. But with youth sport programming moving away from the school setting and resulting in increased costs and focus on competition, youth sport may not be accessible to all [ 30 , 31 ]. In Australia, a decline in youth sport participation is attributed to limited access due to costs of uniforms and registration [ 13 ]. According to the National Survey of Children’s Health, 64% of U.S. children aged 6–17 years are participating in sports, but this number varies by age, sex, and family income [ 32 ]. Past research has shown a decline in sports participation and PA as children approach adolescence, and that boys are more likely to participate in sports and engage in more PA than girls [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Higher family incomes have predicted youth sport participation and PA in younger age groups (6–9 year olds) [ 36 ]. A 2015 study of U.S. households found that material resources mattered. Families with more income had significantly higher levels of children participating in organized activities [ 37 ]. Children in rural settings may have less access to youth sport because of lack of programming and transportation barriers [ 6 ].

There is a gap in our understanding of the factors related to youth sport participation in rural settings and how these factors interact to influence PA outcomes [ 14 , 38 ]. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of grade, sex, and family income on youth sport participation and these factors and youth sport participation on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity of children in rural communities.

Study sample

This study was a sub-study of the Wellscapes Project. The ongoing Wellscapes Project is both a Type 3 Hybrid-Implementation-Effectiveness community randomized trial ( ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03380143) of four rural communities and a social epidemiology study to determine the impact of system drivers on child population physical activity [ 39 , 40 ]. In Wave 1 of the Wellscapes Project, two rural Great Plains communities representing communities with a majority of primarily white children in 3rd through 6th grade were targeted for planned recruitment. In Wave 2 of the Wellscapes Project, two communities representing communities with a majority of primarily Hispanic/Latino children in 3rd through 6th grade will be targeted for planned recruitment [ 39 ]. Inclusion criteria for the Wave 1 communities ( n  = 2) were the following: concentration of white, non-Hispanic residents; completion of a community health needs assessment and prioritization of obesity prevention on a community health improvement plan; location in a rural area that was distant from an urbanized area (> 10 miles), had one public high school; and agreement by the health department and school district to participate in the study.

The present study reports on Spring of 2019, 3rd–6th graders ( n  = 418) participating in the Wave 1 social epidemiology component who completed the PA surveillance instrument. This study also reports on a subset of children ( n  = 235) participating in the two communities’ targeted classrooms, after school programs, youth clubs and youth sport who were recruited to be a part of the Wellscapes Project community trial and were included in the trial upon receipt of informed parental consent. Children who participated in the community trial and also completed the PA surveillance instrument, had parental consent to link their school demographic data (i.e., sex, grade, and free and reduced lunch status) with their surveillance instrument responses. The Institutional Review Board at University of Nebraska Medical Center approved data collection procedures in 2018 (IRB #446–18-EP).

Demographics

Covariates in this study included grade, sex, and family income. Grade was either 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th grade, based on each student’s school enrollment records during Spring 2019, and sex was either male or female. Family income was based on family free and reduced lunch status. We created a dichotomous variable with lower income based on either free or reduced lunch status and higher income based on full-pay lunch status.

Youth sport participation

Youth sport participation was obtained using a set of supplemental survey items in the Youth Activity Profile that are based on items from the National Survey of Children’s Health 2017–2018 (NSCH) [ 32 ]. These items assessed participation in out-of-school activities including daily afterschool programs, sports teams or sports lessons, clubs or organizations (i.e., 4-H, Scouting), and other organized activities or lessons (i.e., music, dance, language, arts). The present analyses relied on “yes” or “no” responses to the following question pertaining to the out-of-school activity of youth sport: “During the past 12 months, did you participate in a sports team or take sports lessons after school or on weekends?” [ 32 ].

Moderate to vigorous physical activity

The primary outcome variable of children’s MVPA was obtained from the Youth Activity Profile (YAP), a validated online, self-report assessment of children’s PA behaviors [ 41 ]. The YAP comprises 15 items that assess time-segmented youth PA, both in-school (5 items) and out-of-school (5 items), as well as sedentary behavior (5 items). Consistent with standardized protocols, students completed the YAP during the school day with teacher supervision and were reminded to reflect specifically on their behaviors in the last week. Individualized reports from the YAP platform were provided to individual students, but a novel aspect of the YAP is that the data can be aggregated to provide accurate group level estimates of child PA and sedentary behavior [ 41 ]. The estimates were obtained using updated calibration equations developed specifically for the online version of the YAP (Welk, unpublished observations). The equations had computed values of Mean Absolute Percent Error (MAPE) ranging from 15 to 25% when compared to monitor-based estimates and have suitable precision for the present analyses.

Descriptive statistics were examined to summarize the social epidemiology study participation and the clinical trial participation samples and the measures. Mixed-models were used to analyze the continuous PA outcome of daily average minutes of MVPA (in-school and out-of-school) and the dichotomous outcome of youth sport participation using MIXED and GLIMMIX procedures respectively, from SAS/STAT software, version 9.4 (© 2002–2012) of the SAS System for Windows (Cary, NC). For all models, community was included as a random effect. Grade, sex, and family income and their interactions were used as fixed effects, and model analyses were conducted on generated least squares means. The PA outcome model also included youth sport participation as a fixed effect. To assure that over-fitting was not a problem, backward elimination of non-significant covariates based on statistical significance of p  < 0.05 was used where non-significant higher order interactions were eliminated first, and then the models were refit [ 42 , 43 ].

Descriptive characteristics of children in the Wellscapes YAP social epidemiology study along with characteristics of the subset of children consented to participate in the Wellscapes community trial can be found in Table  1 . A total of 418 3rd–6th graders participated in Spring of 2019 across two communities. Of those, 235 students consented to participate in the community trial. In the community trial, more children participated in youth sport than did not (80% versus 20%), and more children had a full-pay lunch status than free/reduced lunch status (75.3% versus 24.7%).

Table 2 shows the results from the mixed-model regression predicting youth sport participation. Full-pay lunch status students were almost four times more likely to participate in youth sport than students with a free or reduced lunch status (OR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.95, 7.8). There were no significant differences by grade level or sex and the odds of participating in youth sport.

Table 3 presents least squares means and significant differences in daily MVPA by main effects of grade, sex, lunch status, and youth sport participation. There were significant differences in MVPA by grade, with a drop in average minutes of MVPA among 6th graders, as compared to 3rd, 4th, or 5th graders (74.6 min compared to 83.9, 80.5, and 87.0 min, respectively). Males reported significantly more minutes of MVPA than females (93.7 min versus 69.3 min). There were no significant differences in MVPA by lunch status, but there were significant interaction effects on MVPA between lunch status and sex and lunch status and grade. Table  4 presents least squares means estimates and significant differences in daily MVPA by these interaction effects. Males with a free/reduced lunch status had approximately 4.8 min fewer daily minutes of MVPA than those with a full-pay status. In contrast, females with free/reduced lunch status had approximately 4 min more of MVPA than females with a full-pay status. There were also significant interaction effects of grade and lunch status for all grades. 6th graders with a full-pay lunch status reported significantly fewer minutes of daily MVPA as compared to those with free/reduced lunch status (71.2 min vs. 78.0), and there was a significant difference in minutes of daily MVPA between 3rd and 6th graders with a full-pay lunch status, dropping over 13 min from 84.4 min to 71.2.

There were significantly more daily average minutes of MVPA for those children that participated in sports than those who did not participate (84.9 min vs. 78.1, p  < 0.05). Figure  1 shows differences between youth sport participation and in-school and out-of-school daily minutes of MVPA. In-school MVPA was similar for those with youth sport participation and those without youth sport participation (26.6 and 26.3 min, p  = 0.76), but out-of-school daily MVPA differed by youth sport participation by 6 min between the groups (73.8 min vs. 67.8, p  < 0.05). We found even greater differences in out-of-school MVPA for those children that participated in sports than those that did not participate when analyzing the full social epidemiology study sample (73.2 min vs. 63.1, p  < 0.05).

Differences between youth sport participation and in-school and out-of-school daily average minutes of MVPA

This study examined the influence of grade, sex, and family income on youth sport participation and their impact on MVPA of children in rural communities. While there were no significant impacts of grade on youth sport participation, there were significant impacts of grade on PA—with the level of average daily minutes of MVPA lowering by grade with the sharpest drop of over 12 min per day from 5th grade to 6th grade. In a 2007 review of worldwide youth sport trends, there was a steady decline in youth sport participation in 11 European countries starting during adolescence through to adulthood [ 33 ]. Reasons for dropping out included lack of time, less interest, less perceived competence, less support from family and friends, and participation in other leisure activities [ 33 ]. According to the Aspen Institute/Utah State University 2019 National Youth Sport Survey, most children in the U.S. quit playing sports by the age of 11 [ 44 ]. Declines in youth sport participation as children age in the U.S. may be explained by the competitive and exclusionary nature of both school and club sports that often starts around adolescence [ 44 ]. Our study does not show a significant decline in youth sport participation by grade among rural 3rd-6th graders, but a lower level of MVPA, which may indicate that time actually being physically active is lacking in in-school or out-of-school settings that include youth sport (e.g., recess, physical education, out-of-school clubs). A study of the contribution of youth sport to PA among boys aged 6–12 years found that youth sport contributed to 23% of their daily MVPA [ 25 ], and more recent research found that participating in sports doubled the odds of meeting PA guidelines in similar aged children [ 29 ]. It appears youth sport participation is making a positive impact on daily MVPA. It may be the quantity of active minutes of PA during youth sport is declining as children get older, which is an important question for further research. Similar to our findings, a 2005 review of evidence for trends in children’s PA behaviors found a worldwide decline in children’s aerobic performance between 1995 and 2005 [ 13 ]. A 2019 study found a decline in children’s cardiorespiratory fitness in high and upper middle-income countries between 1981 and 2014 [ 45 ]. Studies that examine the quantity and quality of children’s PA during youth sport in a variety of settings, in both urban and rural communities, may shed light on the contextual factors that explain declines in MVPA as children age.

Sex was not significantly associated with youth sport participation, but had a significant impact on MVPA, with males in our study averaging almost 25 more minutes of physical activity per day. This finding is consistent with past self-report and objective measure studies showing variations in PA by sex, with boys engaging in more MVPA than girls [ 1 , 34 , 35 ]. We did, however, find an interaction between sex and family income on MVPA. Males with a full-pay lunch status were significantly more active than males with a free/reduced status. Our findings show that the opposite was true for females. Free/reduced lunch status females were more active than full-pay lunch status females. Interestingly, we do not see an interaction effect between sex, lunch status, and youth sport participation for males or females, so youth sport participation may not be the opportunity that explains these interactions. It may be that where children spend out-of-school time varies by sex and socioeconomic status. But we can safely say that youth sport does not appear to be a driver of differences. This is a question for further research. Nonetheless, given the significantly lower levels of MVPA reported by girls in our study, targeted interventions may be needed across in-school and out-of-school settings that help to increase PA among girls. Past research has shown that girls’ participation in sport declines after adolescence [ 33 ], and our study included girls only through the 6th grade. Youth sport programs that aim to include girls post-adolescence and that are tailored to keep them motivated to participate may have an impact on girls’ MVPA over time.

We found that family income had a significant effect on youth sport participation, with higher incomes predicting almost four times higher youth sport participation. This finding aligns with prior research on socioeconomic status and participation [ 12 , 36 , 37 ]. Though this effect in rural settings may not be as apparent as previous research suggests, with 80 % of the children in our study reporting participating in youth sport within the past year [ 6 ]. Family income did not have a significant impact on MVPA, but those children who participated in sports had significantly greater MVPA, by approximately 7 min more per day. Perhaps, therefore, the impact of family income on MVPA is mediated by youth sport participation. The impact of family income on MVPA was also dependent on grade. Unexpectedly, we observed a drop in levels of MVPA by grade that was more apparent with students that were full-pay lunch status than those that were free/reduced lunch status. Perhaps a decline in PA by age and income is less realized in rural communities where, especially in elementary school, there is a need for teams to fill their rosters and therefore be more inclusive. Barker posits in his behavior setting theory that in smaller towns there is a social demand for sustained participation in a variety of activities and settings due to a short supply for positions to be filled [ 46 , 47 ]. Research also shows a short supply, or setting demand, on a sports team may mean more play time, physical activity, and satisfaction for those participating [ 48 , 49 , 50 ]. Reducing costs and barriers to participate in youth sport, though, could enable children from all income levels to be more physically active as they move out of elementary school into junior high and high school when distance and transportation become factors [ 38 ].

Past strategies for improving children’s PA behaviors have focused on schools as the lead coordinating institution for implementation, but more recently the 2013 Physical Activity Guidelines Midcourse Report called for a focus on other settings [ 14 , 51 ]. We found very little difference in in- school MVPA between those who participated in youth sport and those that did not, but we found that children participating in youth sport had 6 min more per day of out-of-school MVPA. This finding suggests that schools may not be the only setting in rural communities where we should focus our attention. Rural communities may see significantly more impact on children’s PA with improved youth sport delivery implemented through community collaborations. Other possible coordinating institutions within rural communities include parks and recreation agencies and libraries and including stakeholders from these organizations in collaborations may increase local capacity for youth sport interventions.

Limitations

This study is not without limitations. Our sample was limited to two communities, but these communities were selected as representative of rural Great Plains communities that lack racial and ethnic diversity. The next wave of the Wellscapes Project will recruit representative rural Great Plains communities with a concentration of Hispanic-Latino children. Future research should investigate the impact of race and ethnicity on youth sport participation and other opportunities to be active and MVPA within a rural context, as these are important considerations in assessing the accessibility of programs and their impact on health outcomes. Child PA was self-reported and may not as accurately reflect MVPA as well as objective measures like accelerometry and observation, though the YAP is a tool that has been extensively validated and captures self-report data as accurately as possible. In fact, group level estimates from the YAP in a preliminary calibration study were statistically equal to the SenseWear Armband Pro3 PA monitor [ 41 ].

This study suggests that, along with other factors, youth sport participation plays an important role in the daily PA of children in rural communities. While a fairly high percentage of children have youth sport participation, there are disparities in rural communities on youth sport participation and PA outcomes based on age, sex, and family income. Because youth sport is a popular out-of-school setting for PA in rural communities, more accessible youth sport programming could make a significant impact on the MVPA and health of children.

Availability of data and materials

Following NIH and IRB data sharing policies, data will be made available after publication of the main findings of R01CA215420 from the PI David A. Dzewaltowski, Ph.D.

Abbreviations

• Physical activity

National Survey of Children’s Health

Youth Activity Profile

Mean Absolute Percent Error

Joens-Matre RR, Welk GJ, Calabro MA, Russell DW, Nicklay E, Hensley LD. Rural-urban differences in physical activity, physical fitness, and overweight prevalence of children. J Rural Health. 2008;24(1):49–54. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-0361.2008.00136.x .

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Bianchini F, Kaaks R, Vainio H. Weight control and physical activity in cancer prevention. Obes Rev. 2002;3(1):5–8. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1467-789X.2002.00046.x .

Kuh DJ, Cooper C. Physical activity at 36 years: patterns and childhood predictors in a longitudinal study. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1992;46(2):114–9. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.46.2.114 .

Article   CAS   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Youth Physical Activity Guidelines | Physical Activity | Healthy Schools | CDC [Internet]. [cited 2020 Apr 9]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/guidelines.htm

2016 United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth Released - News & Events | Health.gov [Internet]. [cited 2020 Apr 9]. Available from: https://health.gov/news-archive/blog/2016/11/2016-united-states-report-card-on-physical-activity-for-children-and-youth-released/index.html

Yousefian A, Ziller E, Swartz J, Hartley D. Active living for rural youth: addressing physical inactivity in rural communities. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2009;15(3):223–31. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHH.0b013e3181a11822 .

Meit M, Knudson A, Gilbert T, Yu AT, Tanenbaum E, Ormson E, et al. The 2014 update of the rural-urban chartbook. Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center 2014;

Davis AM, Bennett KJ, Befort C, Nollen N. Obesity and related health behaviors among urban and rural children in the United States: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004 and 2005-2006. J Pediatr Psychol. 2011;36(6):669–76. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsq117 .

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Fogelholm M, Nuutinen O, Pasanen M, Myöhänen E, Säätelä T. Parent-child relationship of physical activity patterns and obesity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1999;23(12):1262–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801061 .

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Davison KK, Lawson CT. Do attributes in the physical environment influence children’s physical activity? A review of the literature. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2006;3(1):19. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-3-19 .

Marmot MG. Improvement of social environment to improve health. Lancet. 1998;351(9095):57–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(97)08084-7 .

Eime RM, Charity MJ, Harvey JT, Payne WR. Participation in sport and physical activity: associations with socio-economic status and geographical remoteness. BMC Public Health. 2015;15(1):434. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-1796-0 .

Dollman J, Norton K, Norton L. Evidence for secular trends in children’s physical activity behaviour. Br J Sports Med 2005;39(12):892–897; discussion 897, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2004.016675 .

Umstattd Meyer MR, Perry CK, Sumrall JC, Patterson MS, Walsh SM, Clendennen SC, et al. Physical activity-related policy and environmental strategies to prevent obesity in rural communities: a systematic review of the literature, 2002-2013. Prev Chronic Dis. 2016;13:E03.

Article   Google Scholar  

America SH. The essential components of physical education. Reston: Author; 2015.

Google Scholar  

Norton KI, Dollman J, Norton L. The obesogenic environment: childhood overweight and obesity in Australia. Adelaide: Government of South Australia, Department of Human Services; 2003.

Rowe N, Champion R. Young People and Sport-National Survey 1999. Young people and sport-National Survey 1999. 2000

Kokko S, Green LW, Kannas L. A review of settings-based health promotion with applications to sports clubs. Health Promot Int. 2014;29(3):494–509. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dat046 .

Evans J, Roberts GC. Physical competence and the development of children’s peer relations. Quest. 1987;39(1):23–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.1987.10483854 .

Segrave JO. Sport and juvenile delinquency. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 1983;11:181–209.

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Fraser-Thomas JL, Côté J, Deakin J. Youth sport programs: an avenue to foster positive youth development. Phys Educ Sport Pedagogy. 2005 Feb;10(1):19–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/1740898042000334890 .

Dzewaltowski DA, Rosenkranz RR. Youth development: an approach for physical activity behavioral science. Kinesiol Rev. 2014;3(1):92–100. https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2014-0042 .

Eime RM, Young JA, Harvey JT, Charity MJ, Payne WR. A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents: informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2013;10(1):98. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-98 .

Wickel EE, Eisenmann JC. Contribution of youth sport to total daily physical activity among 6- to 12-yr-old boys. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(9):1493–500. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e318093f56a .

Pfeiffer KA, Dowda M, Dishman RK, McIver KL, Sirard JR, Ward DS, et al. Sport participation and physical activity in adolescent females across a four-year period. J Adolesc Health. 2006;39(4):523–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.03.005 .

Mooses K, Kull M. The participation in organised sport doubles the odds of meeting physical activity recommendations in 7–12-year-old children. Eur J Sport Sci. 2020;20(4):563–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2019.1645887 .

Telama R, Yang X, Hirvensalo M, Raitakari O. Participation in organized youth sport as a predictor of adult physical activity: a 21-year longitudinal study. Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2006;18(1):76–88. https://doi.org/10.1123/pes.18.1.76 .

Pfeiffer KA, Wierenga MJ. Promoting physical activity through youth sport. Kinesiol Review. 2019;8(3):204–10. https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2019-0033 .

Pate RR, Trost SG, Levin S, Dowda M. Sports participation and health-related behaviors among US youth. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2000;154(9):904–11. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.154.9.904 .

NCYS: Advocate of Youth Sports | National Council of Youth Sports [Internet]. [cited 2020 Apr 20]. Available from: https://www.ncys.org/

Edwards MB, Kanters MA, Bocarro JN. Opportunities for extracurricular physical activity in North Carolina middle schools. J Phys Act Health. 2011 Jul;8(5):597–605. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.8.5.597 .

National Survey of Children’s Health - Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health [Internet]. [cited 2020 Apr 20]. Available from: https://www.childhealthdata.org/learn-about-the-nsch/NSCH

Knop PD. European trends in youth sport: a report from 11 European countries. Eur J Phys Educ. 1996;1(1–2):36–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/1740898960010104 .

Santos P, Guerra S, Ribeiro JC, Duarte JA, Mota J. Age and gender-related physical activity. A descriptive study in children using accelerometry. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2003;43(1):85–9.

CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Sallis JF. Epidemiology of physical activity and fitness in children and adolescents. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 1993;33(4–5):403–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408399309527639 .

White P, McTeer W. Socioeconomic status and sport participation at different developmental stages during childhood and youth: multivariate analyses using Canadian national survey data. Sociol Sport J. 2012;29(2):186–209. https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.29.2.186 .

Weininger EB, Lareau A, Conley D. What money doesn’t buy: class resources and children's participation in organized extracurricular activities. Social Forces. 2015;94(2):479–503. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sov071 .

Howie EK, Guagliano JM, Milton K, Vella SA, Gomersall SR, Kolbe-Alexander TL, et al. Ten research priorities related to youth sport, physical activity and health. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2020;

Whole-of-Community Systems Intervention for Youth Population Physical Activity - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. [cited 2020 Apr 27]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03380143

Curran GM, Bauer M, Mittman B, Pyne JM, Stetler C. Effectiveness-implementation hybrid designs: combining elements of clinical effectiveness and implementation research to enhance public health impact. Med Care. 2012;50(3):217–26. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0b013e3182408812 .

Saint-Maurice PF, Welk GJ. Validity and calibration of the youth activity profile. PLoS One. 2015;10(12):e0143949. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0143949 .

Milliken G, Johnson D. Analysis of messy data, volume III: analysis of covariance. Chapman and Hall/CRC; 2001, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781420036183 .

Stroup WW, Milliken GA, Claassen EA, Wolfinger RD. SAS for mixed models: introduction and basic applications. SAS Institute; 2018.

Survey: Kids Quit Most Sports By Age 11 — The Aspen Institute Project Play [Internet]. [cited 2021 Mar 16]. Available from: https://www.aspenprojectplay.org/national-youth-sport-survey/kids-quit-most-sports-by-age-11

Tomkinson GR, Lang JJ, Tremblay MS. Temporal trends in the cardiorespiratory fitness of children and adolescents representing 19 high-income and upper middle-income countries between 1981 and 2014. Br J Sports Med. 2019;53(8):478–86. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097982 .

Barker RG, Gump PV. Big school, small school: High school size and student behavior.

Schoggen P, Schoggen M. Student voluntary participation and high school size. J Educ Res. 1988;81(5):288–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1988.10885837 .

Hill B, Green BC. Give the bench the boot! Using manning theory to design youth-sport programs. J Sport Manag. 2008;22(2):184–204. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.22.2.184 .

Wicker AW. Undermanning, performances, and students' subjective experiences in behavior settings of large and small high schools. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1968;10(3):255–61. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0026611 .

Schlechter CR, Guagliano JM, Rosenkranz RR, Milliken GA, Dzewaltowski DA. Physical activity patterns across time-segmented youth sport flag football practice. BMC Public Health. 2018;18:1.

Services US Department of Health and Human. Physical activity guidelines for Americans midcourse report: Strategies to increase physical activity among youth. Washington: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2012.

Download references

Acknowledgements

Not applicable.

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01CA215420. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

Debra K. Kellstedt, Ann M. Essay, Robin High & David A. Dzewaltowski

School of Health and Kinesiology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA

Michaela A. Schenkelberg & Mary J. Von Seggern

College of Health & Human Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA

Richard R. Rosenkranz

College of Human Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

Gregory J. Welk

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

DKK, AME, MAS, GJW, RRR, and DAD were involved in the design of the study. MVS, AME, GJW, and DAD contributed to the data collection. DKK, AME, RH, and DAD conducted the statistical analysis. DKK wrote the first draft of the manuscript, after MAS, AME, MVS, RRR, GJW, RH, and DAD contributed to the revision of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Debra K. Kellstedt .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at University of Nebraska Medical Center approved data collection procedures in 2018 (IRB #446–18-EP). The IRB approved the Wellscapes Community Initiative as Exempt, and a waiver for informed consent was approved due to normal educational practice and collection of de-identified data. The randomized controlled trial was approved by the IRB as minimal risk with a waiver of child assent requested. Parents provided informed consent to collect his or her child’s name and link the name with their school ID number to link data.

Consent for publication

Consents forms are available upon request.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Kellstedt, D.K., Schenkelberg, M.A., Essay, A.M. et al. Youth sport participation and physical activity in rural communities. Arch Public Health 79 , 46 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-021-00570-y

Download citation

Received : 28 December 2020

Accepted : 29 March 2021

Published : 08 April 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-021-00570-y

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Youth sport
• Health equity

Archives of Public Health

ISSN: 2049-3258

• General enquiries: [email protected]

Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay

Why is it important to spend time outdoors: essay introduction, health effects of spending time outdoor: essay body, exercise & outdoor activities: essay body, mood & concentration benefits of outdoor activities: essay body, essay about outdoor activities: conclusion, works cited.

Do you like spending time in nature with family and friends? Then you will definitely enjoy writing an essay about outdoor activities! But why is it important to spend time outdoors? Essay example on this page has the answer: check it out!

Spending time outside the serenity one is used to have positive effects on the physical and the mental health. Research shows that spending leisure time in those activities not confined to your area improves both the physical and mental well-being.

Outdoor activities includes walking, fishing, running, playing, mountain hiking, biking, horseback riding, boating and fishing, kayaking, picnicking and swimming. It is also healthy to spend time in nature settings for example watching the rivers flowing, adventuring the forests and game parks (Sisson 1).

Research proves that engaging in outdoor activities is significant to the growth and development of the body and the mind. However, this can be achieved through other means like indoors, but with a lot of trouble and expenses (Komaroff 1)

Many people like serenity of spending leisure free time in nature so that they can reduce or eliminate the stress and fatigue of engaging in day-to-day activities. The natural scenery and fresh air outside have the positive effects for both adults and the kids. The overall quality of children’s life improves when they are actively engaged in outdoor activities.

Engaging in outdoor activities means that a person will get enough sunlight. Sunshine acts as a source of vitamin D. When the sunlight hits the skin, the process starts from the involvement of the liver and kidneys; this eventually results in the development of the biologically active form of the vitamin. Many other vitamins do not have powers to fight back the diseases as compared to the vitamin D that has been proved more powerful.

Research proves that vitamin D protects the body against serious diseases like cancer, heart failures, stroke and the diseases of the mind like depression more than other vitamins do. A good source of vitamin D is the exposure of the arms and legs to sunlight for ten to fifteen minutes. Age and the skin color affect the rate at which the skin receives Vitamin D from sunlight.

Older people above 65 years of age generate vitamin D four times the people in their twenties while the dark skinned people produce about half the levels of vitamin D in their blood compared to the white skinned people. Ultra Violet light is the one that generates vitamin D when in contact with the body. However, the UVB light might be blocked by the sunscreens (Komaroff 1).

Research shows that engaging in outdoor activities enables human beings especially children to get more exercise. Researchers from Britain argue that a child who engages in outdoor activities is double active than those engaging in indoor activities. This research was undertaken using machines that track the movement of 1,000 children throughout the day.

It is advisable that one engages in those activities that keep the body in motion for a good body exercise for example walking, hiking, biking, gardening, and cleaning up the yard among other vigorous activities. A good exercise is good for the growth and development of a child (Komaroff 2).

Research shows that human beings become happy if they exercise in outdoor activities. Natural light tends to boost people’s mood and the only place one can access natural light is by moving out of the enclosures. Physical activities relax and cheer up people. Spending time outdoors makes an individual more proactive, cheerful and initiates a happy mood.

Researchers call the practice of exercising the body in the presence of nature as the “green exercise”. Such exercises are significant to the growth and development of the mind. Researchers from England argue that engaging in a green exercise for at least five minutes improves self-esteem, enjoyment and mood (Komaroff 2). Outdoor activities have the mental benefits such as the overall stress reduction.

Thinking capacity also tends to improve through improvement of attention that enhances connectivity in the brain and allows people to have good focus. Workouts also give one an opportunity to be joyous (Sisson 2). Spending time outdoor improves concentration. Children with emotional and mental disorders tend to experience the feeling of depression, lack of concentration and are not hyperactive.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children causes lack of concentration when they are subjected to too much work indoors. Research shows that such children will have better focus and improved concentration if subjected to the outdoor activities. Studies show that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) perform better in examinations after a scenery walk through a park than after an indoor walk in the neighborhood.

Other studies show that outdoor exercises have positive effects on children with ADHD. Adults who have a shorter span of concentration also experience this condition and engaging in outdoor activities may solve this (Komaroff 3). Spending time in an open natural setting drastically decreases the symptoms of ADHD, mental and behavioral disorders in children.

Workouts in a natural environment offer an emotional and behavioral release for the people with depression while the challenges faced during the adventure in outdoor activities help in regaining trust, self-confidence and improved self-esteem (Sisson 2).

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh showed that patients with spinal surgery might heal faster when exposed to the natural light. When they are under medication, they tend to experience pain and stress. Another study reported that when a patient views outside through the window it has a positive impact on the healing process. This is due to the fresh air coming in from the window (Komaroff 3).

Other studies have also shown that, spending leisure time in nature decreases prevalence to diseases such as blood pressure, heart failure, and sympathetic nerve activity. The anti-cancer protein and natural killer cells increase over time to prevent the infection and the growth of the cancer cells.

Body exercises done outdoors in green and blue natural, water like swimming enhance the growth of such body protective cells. Studies have also proved that engaging in outdoor activities increases body energy, more positive hyperactivity, less depression, anger reduction, less confusion, and reduced stress as compared to the indoor workouts (Sisson 1).

Spending time outdoor means going outside the enclosed setting to a natural space where one gets enough time to adventure what is new in the natural setting. Researches proof that engaging in outdoor activities is beneficial for the growth and development of the physical and mental wellbeing of an individual. In children, spending time outdoor prevents the emotional and behavioral disorders.

A lot of research has been done to counter the claims that indoor activities play the same role as those by the outdoor activities in the physical and mental health of an individual such as the cost and the trouble associated with indoors. For a healthy living, both the children and the adults must be engaged in the outdoor activities in the natural setting such as rivers, mountains and forests.

Komaroff, Anthony. A Prescription for Better Health: Go alfresco. Boston : Harvard Health Publications, 2012. Print.

Sisson, Mark. The Rich and Measurable Benefits of Spending More Time in Nature . Oxnard: Mark’s Daily Apple, 2012. Print.

• Importance of Outdoor Free Plays
• Indoor Air Quality
• National Outdoor Leadership School Experience
• Causes of Noise-induced Hearing Loss
• The High Infant and Perinatal Mortality Rates in Chicago
• Differences in Diabetic Related Cases in African-Americans and Whites
• Radiation Dose Reduction Strategies in Cardiac CT Angiography
• Analysis of Qualitative Nursing Research Study
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, March 11). Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay. https://ivypanda.com/essays/benefits-of-spending-time-outdoor/

"Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay." IvyPanda , 11 Mar. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/benefits-of-spending-time-outdoor/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay'. 11 March.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay." March 11, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/benefits-of-spending-time-outdoor/.

1. IvyPanda . "Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay." March 11, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/benefits-of-spending-time-outdoor/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Why Is It Important to Spend Time Outdoors: Essay." March 11, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/benefits-of-spending-time-outdoor/.

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings
• Browse Titles

NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

Khasnabis C, Heinicke Motsch K, Achu K, et al., editors. Community-Based Rehabilitation: CBR Guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010.

Community-Based Rehabilitation: CBR Guidelines.

Recreation, leisure and sports.

• Introduction

Like culture and art, recreation, leisure and sports activities play an important role in communities. Their many benefits include improving the health and well-being of individuals, contributing to the empowerment of individuals, and promoting the development of inclusive communities. Recreation, leisure and sports activities may involve individuals, small groups, teams or whole communities and are relevant to people of all different ages, abilities and levels of skill. The types of recreation, leisure and sports activities people participate in vary greatly depending on local context, and tend to reflect the social systems and cultural values.

Participation in recreation, leisure and sports activities may be one of the few opportunities people with disabilities have to engage in community life beyond their immediate families. The right to participate in these activities is highlighted in the box below . As with culture and art, people with disabilities may choose to participate actively (e.g. as team members of a basketball team), or passively (e.g. as spectators at a football match).

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 30, paragraph 5: Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport ( 2 )

With a view to enabling persons with disabilities to participate on an ongoing basis with others in recreational, leisure and sporting activities, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to a) encourage and promote the participation, to the fullest extent possible, of persons with disabilities in mainstream sporting activities at all levels; b) have an opportunity to organize, develop and participate in disability-specific sporting and recreational activities; c) have access to sporting, recreational and tourism venues; d) ensure that children with disabilities have equal access with other children to participation in play, recreation and leisure and sporting activities; e) have access to services from those involved in the organization of recreational, tourism, leisure and sporting activities.

BOX 19 Morocco

Using sport for social inclusion and personal development ( 9 ).

The project Sport as a Tool for Social Inclusion and Personal Development was launched by Handicap International in Morocco in 2007. A survey previously conducted (in 2004) by Handicap International had estimated that more than 1.5 million Moroccans had disabilities, and the purpose of the programme was to increase the opportunities for people with disabilities to be involved in sports and address inequalities in access to rehabilitation, health care and social integration.

The programme focused on three areas:

• Capacity-building and networking of Moroccan institutions – programme staff worked closely with the Royal Moroccan Sports Federation (specialists in mainstream sports but with limited expertise in disability) and around 600 Moroccan disability associations specializing in health and education for people with disabilities, assisting them to develop strategic, national and international partnerships. Support was also offered to small projects and sports clubs for people with disabilities by offering training in management skills, project development, proposal writing and fundraising.
• Provision of adapted sports equipment – including wheelchairs, appropriate clothing, and adapted equipment, e.g. balls which make noise for the blind.
• Organization of inclusive sports events – a number of sporting events were held. These included an event to mark the International Day for Disabled Persons, and the Race for All, which attracted approximately 2000 runners both with and without disabilities. A high profile football tournament for players with disabilities was also held; it was sponsored by the King of Morocco and the final game was broadcast on national television to an audience of approximately 20 000 people.

The programme achieved a number of impacts:

• 1500 people with disabilities were reached through sporting clubs and regular sporting events;
• people with disabilities gained access to quality services, including appropriate technology and equipment and trained personnel who can advise them;
• people with disabilities gained access to opportunities to meet and interact with others of all abilities.

People with disabilities participate both actively and as spectators in recreational, leisure and sporting activities on an equal basis with others.

• The role of CBR

The role of CBR programmes is to promote increased participation of people with disabilities in recreation, leisure and sports activities; and provide support to mainstream organizations and programmes to enable them to strengthen their capacity by offering appropriate and accessible recreation, leisure and sports activities.

• Desirable outcomes
• People with disabilities participate in recreation, leisure and sports programmes available in the local community.
• Local, national and international authorities and associations include people with disabilities in their recreational, leisure and sports programmes.
• Families, teachers and community members recognize and actively promote the right and ability of people with disabilities to take part in recreation, leisure and sports activities.
• People both with and without disabilities are involved together in recreation, leisure and sports activities.
• People with disabilities are able to access recreation, leisure and sports venues.
• Equipment used for recreation, leisure and sports is adapted where needed to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities.
• Recreational, leisure and sports programmes and activities are developed specifically for people with disabilities where required.
• Key concepts

Definitions

In this element:

Recreation refers to all those activities that people choose to do to refresh their bodies and minds and make their leisure time more interesting and enjoyable. Examples of recreation activities are walking, swimming, meditation, reading, playing games and dancing.

Leisure refers to the free time that people can spend away from their everyday responsibilities (e.g. work and domestic tasks) to rest, relax and enjoy life. It is during leisure time that people participate in recreation and sporting activities.

Sport refers to any type of organized physical activity, e.g. soccer, rugby, football, basketball and athletics.

Recreation, leisure and sports in the community

In many low-income countries where people work every day just to survive, the concept of leisure time is not always well understood and nor is it a priority. Indeed, many activities that are considered recreational in high-income countries are considered a means of livelihood in low-income countries, e.g. fishing and handicrafts.

In most communities the type of recreational and sporting activities people participate in are determined by age, gender, local context (e.g. rural vs. urban) and socioeconomic status. For example, children in poor communities are likely to play games using natural materials, such as sticks or stones or using discarded manufactured items like tyres and rope. Leisure time is also likely to be based around cultural activities, such as traditional dance, storytelling, religious festivals and events, and visiting entertainment troupes.

In many poor and rural communities there are no designated places for people to spend their leisure time, such as community centres and sports stadiums, so it is common for people to gather in places of worship, tea shops, houses and open spaces.

Communities in low-income countries often have pressing priorities and limited budgets. As a result the development of formal recreation and sports activities/programmes is usually dependent on donors. It is important that external funding is carefully managed to ensure that the programmes/activities introduced are appropriate to the local context.

The benefits of participation

Participation in recreation and sports activities can have many benefits for both the individual and community.These include:

• health promotion and disease prevention – recreation and sports activities are an enjoyable and effective way to improve health and well-being; they can relieve stress, increase fitness, improve physical and mental health, and prevent the development of chronic diseases, such as heart disease;
• skills development – physical and social skills are some of the many skills that can be developed through participation in recreation and sports activities;
• awareness raising, reduction of stigma and social inclusion – recreation and sports activities are a powerful, low-cost means to foster greater inclusion of people with disabilities; they bring people of all ages and abilities together for enjoyment, and provide people with disabilities the opportunity to demonstrate their strengths and abilities, and promote a positive image of disability;
• international peace and development – sport is a universal language that can be used as a powerful tool to promote peace, tolerance and understanding by bringing people together across boundaries, cultures and religions ( 10 ).
• empowerment – recreation and sports activities can empower people with disabilities by positively influencing their self-confidence and self-esteem.

BOX 20 Eritrea

War veterans become role models.

In Eritrea, war veterans with disabilities received training to work as football team managers and trainers so they could play a key role in implementing children's football activities, involving more than 2000 children, in the capital city of Asmara. This involvement has changed the way the war veterans view themselves, and has positively influenced the way in which children view people with disabilities, while providing positive role models for other people with disabilities. Building on this success, the sports club is now providing football training to deaf children as a first step in the inclusion of children with disabilities in its sports activities.

Recreation and sport are complementary with other opportunities

While the many benefits of recreation and sporting activities have been highlighted, it is important to remember that they should not be used as a substitute for limited access to other opportunities, such as education or livelihood.

BOX 21 Afghanistan

Bicycle training.

The Afghan Amputee Bicyclists for Rehabilitation and Recreation (AABRAR) programme in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a bicycle training programme for people with amputations, to improve their functional mobility and independence and enable them to travel to and from work and save on transportation costs.

Enabling access to recreation, leisure and sport

Reasonable accommodation may be necessary for some people with disabilities to participate in recreation and sporting activities. With a little creativity and flexibility, activities and equipment can be adapted at minimal or no cost to ensure the inclusion and participation of people with disabilities.

Adapting sporting activities

Adapting the rules or point scoring systems of games can allow people of different abilities and ages to play together at no cost. Using local materials to make cheap adaptations of equipment, e.g. using a dried gourd with grains to make a ball that makes a sound, or pairing players to play together, can increase the participation of all community members.

• Suggested activities

Identify local recreation, leisure and sports opportunities

A first step is to identify what recreation, leisure and sporting opportunities already exist in and around the community. CBR programmes should work closely with community groups, e.g. youth and women's groups, children's clubs, and people with disabilities, to identify these.

Facilitate the participation of people with disabilities

Activities are successful when they are: requested by individuals and communities, culturally appropriate, enjoyable and fulfilling for participants, and not too costly to develop and sustain. To facilitate the participation of people with disabilities in recreation and sporting activities, it is suggested that CBR programmes:

• provide information to people with disabilities about the recreation and sporting opportunities available in their local communities;
• link people with disabilities to mainstream recreation and sporting clubs/associations;
• ensure children with disabilities have the same opportunities as other children to participate in recreation and sports activities at school;
• explore options for personal assistance to enable people with disabilities to participate, whether actively or passively;
• facilitate positive media coverage of disability recreation and sports to encourage more people with disabilities to become involved.

Use recreation and sport to raise awareness about inclusion

Major events, such as the International Day of Disabled Persons, can provide opportunities for raising awareness, from national to local level, about the need for inclusive recreation and sporting activities. These events often attract positive media attention, which can raise awareness across a wide audience.

BOX 23 Pakistan

The blind cricket world cup.

Following successful local and national media coverage of the Blind Cricket World Cup in Pakistan, some CBR programmes saw an increase in the number of parents asking about educational and leisure opportunities for their visually impaired children.

Encourage mainstream programmes to become inclusive

Often mainstream recreation and sports programmes have not considered including people with disabilities. CBR programmes can work with these programmes to explore how to make their activities accessible to all. CBR programmes can:

• consult with national and international organizations to ensure that programmes are culturally and geographically specific, and available to people with disabilities of all ages, abilities, and genders living in urban and rural settings;
• provide ideas and suggestions on how to safely adapt activities, equipment and venues, emphasizing that many activities can be adapted at minimal or no cost;
• facilitate training for staff of mainstream programmes to develop their skills and confidence to include people with disabilities;
• advocate alongside disabled people's organizations to ensure that recreation and sporting opportunities become available and accessible for people with disabilities.

Publications such as the Fun and inclusive handbook ( 11 ) and Sport, recreation and play ( 12 ) provide further information and examples on how inclusion can be supported in low-income countries.

School sports days

CBR programmes can encourage and support school sports days that offer opportunities for inclusion. These sports days can increase awareness and understanding among school- aged children by offering opportunities for individuals with and without disabilities to play sports together. The events are a positive experience for everyone involved including the children, parents, teachers, volunteers and sports officials. They can positively challenge attitudes and beliefs about disability and increase awareness about the sporting abilities of children with disabilities.

Develop and support disability-specific programmes

Disability-specific programmes provide opportunities for people with disabilities to meet other people with disabilities, and enable them to compete against others who are at a similar skill level. CBR programmes can:

• ensure that people with disabilities are leaders and play a strong role in the decision-making process during programme development to make certain that recreation and sports programmes are suitable for their needs;
• provide appropriate training and resources to support people with disabilities who want to set up their own recreation and sports groups/clubs;
• link local disability recreation and sports groups/clubs to national and international organizations, e.g. the International Sports Federation for People with Intellectual Disability, the International Paralympic Committee, Special Olympics International, and the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf.

Box 25 Bangladesh

Connecting through chess.

One of the largest networks of visually impaired people in Bangladesh is a Braille chess club, which has a network of clubs that reaches throughout urban and rural areas. This network provides opportunities not only to compete and develop skills but also to socialize and link with people of similar interests.

All rights reserved. Publications of the World Health Organization can be obtained from WHO Press, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland (tel.: +41 22 791 3264; fax: +41 22 791 4857; e-mail: tni.ohw@sredrokoob ). Requests for permission to reproduce or translate WHO publications – whether for sale or for noncommercial distribution – should be addressed to WHO Press, at the above address (fax: +41 22 791 4806; e-mail: tni.ohw@snoissimrep ).

• Cite this Page Khasnabis C, Heinicke Motsch K, Achu K, et al., editors. Community-Based Rehabilitation: CBR Guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010. Recreation, leisure and sports.

In this Page

Other titles in this collection.

• WHO Guidelines Approved by the Guidelines Review Committee

Recent Activity

• Recreation, leisure and sports - Community-Based Rehabilitation: CBR Guidelines Recreation, leisure and sports - Community-Based Rehabilitation: CBR Guidelines

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

Connect with NLM

National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20894

Web Policies FOIA HHS Vulnerability Disclosure

Help Accessibility Careers