For school dropouts, sports offer a future

Oct 17, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
In Guyana, the incentives athletes and sporting disciplines generally receive are praises. Sports hardly ever link to economic prosperity in Guyana. Internationally all activities in contemporary society that enjoy incredible development, sports hold an eminent place. In Guyana that is not the case. In sports, the media plays an important role. The media, known as mass communication industry; it includes newspapers, radio, television and internet. The media get people informed of the happening within their locality and beyond. Whenever sport is publicized, do you know who the beneficiaries are? The athletes!
Whenever a sports journalist takes the time to creatively articulate on a sporting discipline, obstacles and success something magically happen. Sports in Guyana need all the help it can get particularly from the media. Almost all the sporting disciplines in Guyana do not offer a financial career. For an athlete, association and any sporting discipline, organized sports can provide opportunities such as
a. For growth of individuals self-confidence – “When you have confidence, you can do anything.” Sloane Stephens. There is a relationship between school dropout and lack of confidence in self. Sports offer an excellent opportunity for growth in that area. Research has found that kids that play sports, especially girls, are more likely to have a positive body image and higher self-esteem. They also are less likely to be overweight.
b. Physical Growth in the form of exercise. “Laziness isn’t merely a physical phenomenon, about being a couch potato, stuffing your face with fries and watching cricket all day; it’s a mental thing, too, and that’s the part I have never aspired for.” Shah Rukh Khan Children involved in sports are less likely to take drugs or smoke because they realize the impact that these destructive activities can have upon their performance. Girls who play sports are also less likely to become pregnant.
c. Playing Sports is Fun. To a child, it gives them something to do and a group to belong to. It offers mental growth while having fun at the same time.
d. Sports help children to develop discipline-They learn to set goals and then work to achieve those goals. They learn that by working hard they can accomplish the things that they want to in their lives.
e. Sports help develop teamwork and leadership skills. Children quickly learn that they have to work together as a team to win the game.
f. Opportunities to travel and learn about different culture and value system.
In closing, I encourage the sports media not to take away the praise through which an average athlete uses as motivation to work harder.

Jr. Andrew Hercules

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