THE IMPACT OF SPORTS AND ATLETICS ON YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

  

THE IMPACT OF SPORTS AND ATLETICS ON YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

On the African continent, the concept of using sports to bring about development among the youth and spark positive social change has gained significant momentum in the African community in the past decade.  Sports and athletics are a global unifying phenomenon and in Nigeria over 80 percent of youth are into one sports or another.

This 80 percent are an accumulation of different ethnic group and different religions all coming together to achieve a common goal. One other such unifying factor in this regard is the National Youth Service Corp which has succeeded in bridging the multicultural sample space 

Athletics both actively and passively, have become an important part of the social and cultural profiles of many youths around the world and in Nigeria sport  has grown from a humble beginning as an entertainment and recreational past time for young people to a prominent phenomenon whose influence is felt in all facets of lives of the citizenry.

IMPACT OF SPORT AND ATLETICS ON YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

There are a lot of impact that sports and  athletics have on youth empowerment but a few mentions are :

1.PHYSICAL HEALTH

Participation in sports promotes physical health and well-being among youth. Regular physical activity helps combat obesity, improves cardiovascular health, enhances motor skills, and develops overall fitness. By engaging in sports, young people learn the importance of leading an active and healthy lifestyle, which has long-term benefits for their well-being.

2. PRIDE OF WINNERS

In ancient Greece, sportsmen were revered and thought to be members of the elites, they were celebrated for their dedication and even gave incentives when the representatives of their city states displayed superiority over the other city states. This trend still continues as in competitive sports asides building teamwork in team sports pr improving skills in individual sports, the goal is to win and be celebrated and this brings a sense of self worth which automatically translates to a high self esteem which in itself is a measure for youth empowerment.

3. JOB OPPORTUNITIES 

Sports can open doors to career and professional opportunities for youth. Beyond becoming professional athletes, sports-related careers can include coaching, sports management, sports medicine, sports journalism, and sports administration. By nurturing talent, providing training programs, and exposing youth to various roles in sports, communities can empower young people to pursue their passions and aspirations.

 

4. PREVENTING CRIME AND TRUANCY

Sport activities have played a positive role as an important ingredient to divert youths from a life of a crime and truancy, youths can be integrated into diffrent sports and athletics whilst emerging from their cocoons of pubertal changes so that they are preoccupied as an idle mind is the devils workshop. Moreso young adults especially those with a history of crime have shown great reception to sporting activities. For example Boxing helps one manage anger as all feelings of rage can be directed at the punching bag, Football gives a sense of bonding and community, these and many more can help lessen youth from the dark web of crime and truancy and push them into productivity whilst enjoying bodily enrichment.

5..SENSE OF COMMUNITY

Sports provide opportunities for youth to actively engage in their communities. They can participate in community sports events, volunteer as coaches or mentors, or organize sports-based initiatives for social causes. These activities develop a sense of civic responsibility, empathy, and social awareness, empowering young people to contribute positively to their communities

6. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Sports and athletics adequately provide opportunities for personal growth and development. Through the sports medium, youths can develop very valuable life dependable skills such as leadership , selflessness, teamwork, dedication, discipline,  perseverance,  goal setting and time management to mention a few. This core values are important in any sport of choice in order to succeed and in all honesty no one likes to lose. These skills channel into other areas of their lives including educational activities,  careers, and even contributing to personal relationships with friends, lovers and families.

 

But there is a need to sustain and maintain these positive impacts of sports and athletics on the youths by a very active investment by both the private and public sector as a successful sport industry benefits all and sundry. There is need to renovate public recreational centers,also a growing need to repair  spoilt sports equipment and provide new state of the art equipment to these sports institutions around the country to provide an equal opportunity to  athletes who are competing with others from other states and other countries, and to provide optimum fitness to those using these sport institutions for recreation.

There is also need for top professional to guide and bring new techniques or new tactics to help improve skill development. Sports has the ability to heal individuals, heal homes, Mend broken fences and even stop war like it did in Ivory Coast. The earlier we as Nigerians maximise the profit margins of this activity we will be one step closer to creating a nation envied and seen as the nexus for challenging otger countries.

WRITTEN BY

Judith Avworho Ejiroghene 

OS/23B/2942