Sports have long served as a place for learning social order. Sports have served as a catalyst for children from diverse backgrounds to connect with one another. Through these activities, they have provided opportunities to learn the importance of following rules and foster relationships. Motivation to achieve something in sports typically involves two goals: learning goals and performance goals. Learning goals are those that focus on increasing one’s knowledge and skills through learning. More broadly, the enjoyment of learning and practicing is a goal in itself. On the other hand, performance goals focus on academic achievement and social recognition. Performance goals emphasize the recognition that one excels others through the results achieved. Both of these motivations appear to be necessary.
In sports, achieving these goals requires a place to play. Economic disparities today mean that many children lack sufficient access to sports and are deprived of the experiences necessary for better development. With the current state of sports activities, the financial burden will undoubtedly increase. If this burden continues to grow, the gap in experiences among children will widen. One option is to prepare more flexible activities that do not require the same level of specialized equipment as currently available. Another option is to offer a wider range of “lighter” activities, including through the participation of local volunteers. This would allow children to experience a variety of sports and cultural activities over a short period of time. Another option is to change activities by season, such as baseball in the spring and football in the summer. Another option is to essentially guarantee voluntary participation in club activities and introduce a “seasonal system” like in the United States.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has rules that limit the number of practice days and hours due to considerations of health management and academic studies. Developing a consistent daily study habit is essential to continuing to compete in the NCAA. Even if they are not as prestigious as Stanford, Division I NCAA schools offer a supportive environment for athletes. NCAA Division I schools offer a wide range of facilities, including training facilities and academic support. It has been pointed out that balancing sports with studying is difficult, but it is said that this difficulty is more likely to turn into a positive thing. Playing sports does not automatically develop various abilities. These are skills that can only be acquired when you intentionally work to improve perseverance, planning, self-control, creativity, communication, and other abilities in sports situations.
