Essay on “Importance of Sports” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Importance of Sports

       The importance of sports is being recognized increasingly day by day room both the educational and social points of view. A sound mind in a sound body is the ideal of a better life. We can perform our duties well when our body and mind work at their best and they cannot do so unless both are in good order. Our limbs need to be supple, active and obedient to the will. Given to the habit of games and sports right from childhood makes we fit in body and mind. The order and discipline in games and sports makes us capable to face all the odds and responsibilities of life in a smoother way. Educationists and other social scientists are of the view that enough attention should be given to the promotion of sports, by providing enough funds for games and sports for the boys and girls in schools and colleges, as these fastens friendship and amity, give a healthy direction to the excessive energies of the youth and make them better and responsible citizens of tomorrow. Gone are the days when participation in games and sports was considered wastage of time for students preparing for their examinations. Now it is felt strongly that the students good in sports turn out to show good results in their examinations and other extracurricular activities.

            In the past, sports like hunting and fishing used to be mainly utilitarian in purpose. Men used to hunt in order to get food. But with the dawn of Greek civilization sports came to be looked upon as a means of building us the body beautiful. It is common knowledge means that the Greeks excelled is shaping the human body most gracefully and beautifully. The famous Olympic Sports, held every fourth year, were proof of the importance given to sports and exercises. They have been revived from 1896, and are now held once every four years at various centers. Sports and athletics have now come to stay in our civilization as an essential feature of human activity and their object is not merely utilitarian. While sports give shape and strength to the body, they also instill the spirit of discipline and team work. Games like cricket, hockey and football are popular because of the spirit of team work which they inspire. It is said that the victories of British Empire were gained not on the battle fields so much, as on the playgrounds of public schools like Eton. The statement that “ the battle of Waterloo was won on the play fields of Eton” implies that playing games and the spirit of sportsmanship helps to inculcate lasting values which make for good soldiers, good fighters and good discipline. In British schools and colleges the fullest importance is given to sports. The result has been the creation of a healthy, well developed, disciplined and efficient society in which people know the right proportions in life, put everything in the right perspective and seldom conduct them in an unsporting, ungentlemanly and unbecoming manner. Playing game on the playground naturally instructs people to play the game of life in the right spirit, which is what matters most, not victory or defeat.

            Physical fitness is of the utmost importance for everyone, young and old. Participation in games and sports invariably ensures good health, fitness and, generally freedoms from almost all kinds of ailments which find easy victims among people who take no physical exercise and are either lazy, indolent or desk bound or book worms and keep studying all the time. Ailing bodies never make for sharp brains. Exercise in some form or another is necessary, and sports provide an easy method to ensure such fitness.

            For youth, especially, regular participation in sports provides a healthy channel for diversion of energies. Wherever students and other youth participate in sports regularly they ensure constructive sublimation. Misdirection of youthful vigor is lessened and the tendency to indulge in indiscipline and mischief, disruptive activity of various kinds is curbed. They learn not only to be good winners but also to sustain the pain of being losers. This is the real lesson for living a healthy life. Ups and downs in life are inevitable and hence unavoidable and a sportsman take them both easy. He doesn’t puff up with the victories in life and does not lose heart in the face of difficulties. The true sportsman has no grudge against his rivals in game. They re fiends when their game is over as they know that today’s losers can be tomorrow’s winners as is true with the real life situations.

            Society gains in many ways when the government encourages games and sports everywhere, provides play grounds, the necessary equipment and other facilities, rewards outstanding sportsmen so as to encourage others also to play games. The tendency to crime dips, mutual understanding especially between members of different commun98ties, caste religions etc, improves. Sports, it has been said, are not only a manifestation of animal energy of surplus strength to for the aggressive spirit in human beings.

            The aim of true sport is to play the game in a fair manner according to the prescribed rules and regulations and whoever violates the rules is supposed to play foul, not fair. No sportsman cans the referee or the umpire. Anyone who purposely tries to violate the rules repeatedly is ordered to quit the field and suffer for his or their lapse. The society, as a whole can obviously be benefited if most of its members are regular players. They will respect the law and wish others also to follow suit and those who found laws or work against the interest of the society will easily be identified and punished for their misadventures.

            While most people accept the importance of sports as a very health trend among youth but there has been much criticism about the excessive enthusiasm and craze displayed by people of all ages especially the youth for games played internationally especially cricket. It has been observed, whenever Cricket Test matches are played in India or abroad, especially however when India is the participant, the work in all offices, factories, schools and colleges comes to a stop. Everyone is seen busy in watching live commentaries on the TV or radio, thus putting all work to a big loss. The general attention of people is concentrated o the developments in the field. The co8untry and the people are put to a big standstill whenever a final cricket or hockey match is being played.

            This is, no doubt, an unhealthy outcome of the game. This is not the right description of the sport. The extraordinary craze shown by people for these game shows cannot do any good to the society. A cricket test match lasts for five or six days and no civilized society can afford its members have a mad craze for a sports even to the extent which would waste the precious time oil the general public for no good to them.

            India has not been performing well in the international sports now for a pretty long time. Many factors are thought to be responsible for this poor performance; otherwise such a big country could easily be able to find the best players to compete the best of the best in the world. Firstly the sports are not getting their due attention for lack of funds and poor infrastructure. The sports persons are not duly encouraged to prepare themselves fully according to the international standards. Sports cannot be a full time occupation for those who really excel in them. They have to buy themselves for their other professions simultaneously as merely sports cannot fully maintain some vested interests including the high ups in politics and other fields influence the selecting authorities for prestigious national and international events and the real talent is not allowed to come up, resulting into the poor performance. Some observers also contend that there is a close link between sports and a country’s industrial development and the general progress of the country. That is why it is contended most of the gold medals at the Olympics are bagged by advanced countries such as the USA, Russia and Germany and Britain too manages to bag a few of them. Of the eastern countries, china and Japan plunder most of the gold and silver medals.

            There seems to be a link between performance in sports and a country’s military might. Militarily China is the most powerful country in the East, but Japan, which matches the USA in industrial, especially electronic advancement does well in sports despite its small size. India is a large country of continental size, and given the proper incentives and necessary facilities, this country’s sportsmen should do well on the sports field, but whether it is the climatic factor, the lack of adequate nutrition and of incentives that our sportsmen do not compare favourably with those of the USA, Russia, Germany and Australia. Still the relatively poor show of this country in international competitions should not discourage the organizers of our sports and they should leave no stone unturned for encouraging and promoting sports from the grassroots level to the level of international competitions despite the financial constraints.

Essay No. 02

Value of Sports

Sports have a much higher value than mere simple entertainment. When is this higher value? This higher value lies in the constructive role that sports play in character building. In this connection it would be very relevant to recall what the Duke of Wellington once said about the value of sports. He said that the battle of Waterloo had been won on the playgrounds of Eton. A little reflection will show that these remarks are based on hundred per cent truth and there is no exaggeration. These only bring to limelight the importance of the excellent qualities of character that sports are capable of producing. Besides being a real source of recreation, sports teach and cultivate certain qualities of the head and the heart, such as courage, sportsmanship, honour, fair play, discipline, dutifulness, obedience, the will to fight ones way to victory, the team- spirit and unity of purpose and action. These qualities symbolize the real virtues of a sportsman who plays the game of life.   

Sports develop the  spirit of courage, manliness , the will to fight against odds and unfavorable and averse circumstances.

A true sportsman is endowed with indomitable courage that emboldens him to fight to the end to win. He never loses heart and faces rough and tough situations cheerfully, and with full vigour. They inculcate in the sportsman the quality of accepting both – defeat and success with a smile and without any ill- will or hatred towards anybody. Especially the opponents. This quality renders the International Sporting events all the more important.    

At the International Sporting events, sportsman from various countries having different social, economic and political system and ideologies come together. In their inter- action, all the virtues and qualities of sportsmanship come into full play. To a sportsman, nothing is dearer than his honour. A true sportsman would  neither conduct himself in a dishonourable   manner, nor permit himself to be an instrument of any dishonor to his opponents. He wants to live and die with honour and for the sake of honour. For this reason, international events serve to promote mutual respect, understanding and appreciation of the other people’s point of view. As world- class sportsman in all courtiers command great respect and admiration and such events are held with the support and blessings of their respective governments, the  goodwill created at these events paves way for goodwill and understanding in other fields also. In this way, the international sporting events promote the cause of peace and goodwill among the participating nations.

Game s and sports are especially important for the school and college going boys and girls. Besides keeping them fit both mentally and physically they perform a very special function in their development.

The students at this age pass through a very crucial physical and mental stage. They need to be very active and busy both mentally and physically. Only studies and present day movies and  television- watching make them slack and their extra energies do not get properly channelized. The answer to this situation is being busy in sports and games. It takes out all the  extra energy and keeps them busy mentally giving no place to unhealthy development. These is a natural healthy emotional and mental development.      

Game and sports help in the  building of an harmonious  around personality. Those who play no games have a stunted growth and personality. Education without games is a one sided affair. Mere mental and moral development is not enough.

Physical development is as important as mental growth. Games and sports  help us in the development of the body as well as of the soul. That is why every  system of education lays much stress on the utility of games and sports in life. these help us in the development of sound minds in healthy bodies. 

Games and sports makes the limbs supple and the body fit. A person with a healthy body can perform his duties of life better. A person who cares not for the physical exercise falls prey to hundred and one diseases. The cost of life in terms of medicines and sickness is heavy indeed.

India needs able- bodied and healthy youth to shoulder thousands and one duties for bigger, better an brighter tomorrow. In the building of youth and national character, sports play a tremendous role. Physical exercise  is essential for  proper development of mind. A healthy body means a healthy mind also. One who is suffering physically can never have a healthy mind or body. Games and sports help us in maintaining health of both body and mind. 

Games and sports provide an ideal recreation for the youth, children and even old people. It is better to use leisure in playing rather than in seeing television or cinema show. Reading books all the time is also not good. as the saying goes, “All word and no play will make jack a dull boy”.

Games dispel dullness and make life worth living Sports evaporate gloominess and add brightness to our lives. They provide us faith moments of light and cheers. Life’s best remembered moments are the times of our games and sports when limbs are light and eyes are bright. When a business  executive plays tennis or badminton in the evening, he adds new horizons to his business enterprise. He acquires the spirit of sportsmanship in dealing with rivals and colleagues.

Games play a great role in the development of character and career. Those who do not play any games usually do not do well in their lives too. they are miserable failures on all fronts.  

Fames and sports teach us team spirit, without which nothing can be achieved in the world, because we have all to team up our energies to make life worth living. In all affairs of life we have to act as a team and this is the great lesson of games and sports.