Few topics have generated as much as debate as importance of time spent on studying, with some arguing that it should be allocated doing physical tasks intead. Although I admit education plays integral role in child’s development, engaging children in sports is benefial for healthy lifestyle and refreshed mind.
Granted, there are understandable reasons why some parents encourage their children to develop academic skills only. Chief among them is the fact that students can go to prestigious universities. Usually top colleges require academic achievements such as high GPA, certificates of different olympiads. Therefore students and their parents try their utmost to get academic validation as much as possible. For example, in order to achieve an offer from Harvard, students should get perfect SAT score, high GPA from their previous institution and top place in different academic competition. Of greater importance potential career prospects. Academic brilliance allows students to get hired in rewarding jobs with higher potential of job stability. Long-term secured position offer people to enjoy a comfortable standard of living and provide their family, which is the lifelong goal of many people.
Plausible as these arguments may seem, I remain convinced that academic skills alone is not the measurement of successful life. To begin with, physical activities help children cope with the pressure caused by academics. Long hours of studying session can drain students and may give rise to academic burnout. This, in turn, can lead to loss of motivation towards life. For instance, an hour of walking may help cardiovascular system work efficiently and may give a break to the brain after classes. Another important point to mention is that sports enable children to grow healthy with strong immune system. As a result children may get sick very rarely and do not follow the sedentery lifestyle which is the main contributor of obesity and chronic backpain.
To sum up, although academic skills are essential to get high quality education and career progression, I remain convinced that sport is a bit as important as cognitive abilities. Not only does it promote healthy lifestyle but also help to get rid of the pressure caused by academics
