Athletics do, in fact, instill motivation and build concentration and confidence in children who participate. When children participate in order to achieve certain personal goals, especially in a team-oriented atmosphere, they learn to appreciate the rewards of hard work. Activity Inside and Out Research shows that, in academic settings, children who are regularly physically active outperform children who are not. Physical activity may help promote the development of brain synapses, or nerve connections, which are critical to learning and thinking. Exercise may also increase the number of capillaries delivering oxygen, blood and nutrients to the brain, leading to more rapid brain development.
Studies show that young, developing children receive the most mental benefit from exercise.
In the last decade, the number of obese children has more than doubled. Almost five million children ages six through 17 are severely overweight. This epidemic is largely due to an overconsumption of fatty junk foods, lack of exercise and an emphasis on certain sedentary distractions, such as television. The average child between the ages of two and five watches an average of 26 hours of television each week. Studies show that the more television a child watches, the more likely that child is to become overweight.