Improving mental & physical well-being through sports participation
Simon Hodge
Highly qualified professional in sports coaching & education. Company Director at Sports Connect UK Founder Pro Perform UK. Coached at Charlton Athletic FC & Gillingham FC.
So how can participating in sports support mental and physical well-being?
Through my experiences of 26 years of coaching sports to children and young people with varying range of abilities in various environments, and having coached across four different continents I have devised some simple, straightforward guidance on why participating in sports is vital to support mental and physical well-being.
A belonging
Being involved in sport whether its individual or team is a vital in feeling part of something, having a positive purpose, a sense of achievement and essentially feeling like you belong. It’s a movement, a passion, a love and that breads happiness!
A commitment
Having a commitment enables organisation and structure. Organisation and structure gives the opportunity to plan, target set, so long as they are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound) enables a true sense of achievement and feel good factor.
Social interaction
Humans thrive on interaction, the most positive type of interaction is face to face. In a sporting environment relationships can flourish through a mutual connection of sports participating. A bond can be created through a common interest, respect and friendships can be formed and/or continued.
Being active
Being active increases our fitness levels and enables us to lead a healthy life, feel better about ourselves due to the natural release of endorphins, it can also lead to weight management, reduction in the risk of disease, strengthens bones and muscles and can lead to improved self-perception.
Feeling good
Feeling part of something, enjoying participating with others, having a sense of achievement and fulfilment leads to feeling positive, looking good which raises self-confidence and belief. This feeling can then be transferred into other areas of life such as family/friends, job and future career prospects. It can create a strong sense of inner belief.
From an employability point of view, it can be huge for several reasons. There a wide range of career's available within sport, not just participation and coaching. Careers in marketing, engineering, psychology, media, etc. From an individual's point of view, being involved in sport builds networks, confidence, skills, physical tolerance, self-esteem, etc. All of these are key elements of employability. Sport means so many different things to different people. When I was younger, it was playing most sports, running and football. Now it is a lot of walking, a bit of swimming and running a football supporter's club. Equally enjoyable and beneficial.