Teaching sports is beneficial to children’s overall development: it helps them with skills such as teamwork, collaboration, discipline, time management, resilience and self-esteem

Before online communications took over our lives and Covid-19 further eroded the face-to-face interactions crucial to early childhood development, it was commonplace for children to head to the playground at school or join their friends for a match on the football pitch.

Studies have found time and again that physical activity is key to staying healthy. And when it comes to the younger generation, the benefits of taking part in sport extend much farther than learning to swing a bat or kick a ball.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, taking in fresh air and building cardiovascular fitness help children maintain a healthy weight and develop strong bones and muscles as well as good coordination. Exercise is also hugely beneficial to the development of cognitive skills including attention and problem-solving.

Mathew Brown, a physical education (PE) teacher at Hong Kong International School (HKIS), agrees that sport can benefit a child’s overall development. “Regular exercise enhances brain function, concentration and focus while reducing stress and improving mood,” he says. He adds that participating in sport helps students develop crucial life skills such as teamwork, collaboration, discipline, time management, resilience and self-esteem. Physical activity also promotes overall physical health and well-being, leading to an optimal learning environment.

A two-time Asian Games gold medallist, skateboarder Luk Chun-yin has a passion for working with the next generation through school-based workshops and classes. He’s seen first-hand how children can benefit from learning a sport. “Skateboarding is great for the whole body because it requires a lot of coordination between hands and feet,” he notes.