Sporting activities are instrumental in early childhood education, and development. Sport can help build a child’s identity, wellbeing, and confidence and communication skills, supporting holistic development from a young age.
Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa and an advocate for education, once said, “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.”
This notion of sport as an accessible and powerful language is especially evident during early childhood, a critical foundation period where children, well before they can read and write, are able to move, be active and use sport as a powerful vehicle for developing key physical, social, emotional and cognitive skills.
Unfortunately, many private and some public schools lack sport playing grounds and facilities.
Emeka Enyadike, director at Digital Sports, Africa speaking on the need for Nigeria to rethink investment in sports called on government, policymakers, and stakeholders, among others to embrace sports venture to optimise the economic benefits.
Enyadike reiterated that the country is full of talents but lacks the ecosystem and facilities to develop and harness these talents.
He insisted that Nigeria must create more viable sports ecosystem amidst abundance of talents and to put in place infrastructure, commercialisation and human capacity development.
To achieve this viable goal, schools serve as a good window to introduce children into the sport activities and career development.
Using an early childhood education setting such as a kindergarten and the sport such as football to illustrate the impacts of sports on a child, experts argue that sport does not need to be competitive and/or formal.
Research shows play-based learning, including sport, plays a significant role in social and emotional development, supporting children in enhancing their social skills such as communication, cooperation and conflict resolution.
Learning through play additionally encourages creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking, helping children explore new skills and ideas in a safe, engaging environment.
Participating in physical education, achieving personal milestones, such as kicking a ball for the first time, and receiving encouragement from peers and teachers also helps children build confidence and a sense of accomplishment.
These experiences play a crucial role in shaping children’s self-awareness and fostering a strong foundation for their personal growth and identity.
James Aina, a coach, frowned that in Nigeria the sports calendar and education does not accommodate each other. They are on parallel lanes; they could see and wave to each other but never meant to meet.
Aina emphasised that a child must be made to engage in education in order to engage in sports.
“Our educational system needs an overhaul. A system where a child will enter the classroom by 8:00am and leave by 4:00pm, is not ideal for talents developing.
“Nigerian educational system lacks facilities for sports development and even the facilitators of sports need orientations on the value of sports in education and life,” he said.
When children engage in sport, they experience a range of emotions, from excitement and joy to frustration and disappointment. Through these experiences, they learn how to cope with their emotions in healthy ways, such as managing frustration after not winning a game or celebrating success in a group.
By learning to handle both the highs and lows of sports, children develop crucial emotional resilience, which plays a vital role in supporting their overall well-being.
In the face of this , the government should insist that before a school is approved, it must make provision for sports space and facilities.
