How sporting activities can improve academic excellence

Chairman, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), Wahab Alawiye-King has pointed out that sporting activities can foster academic excellence, instill discipline and character building.
According to him, sport activities, when combined with the cognitive and affective, produce thoroughly finished adults.

Alawiye-King who was represented by permanent board member, LASUBEB, Sherifat Adedoyin, harped on the need for schools to embark on sporting activities for the inclusive development of students.

Speaking at the 14th annual inter-house sports competition of Wellsprings College, Lagos, the chairman disclosed that research has proven that exercise is an effective way of ridding the body of metabolic deposit capable of harming the health, improving cognitive abilities, among other benefits.

Alawiye-King said that the inter-house sports, puts into broader prospects the ability of students to deal with success, failure, responsibility and trust.

He added that sporting activities promotes unity across generations and background by bringing people together for a common cause.

Executive Director, Media reach, Yinka Adebayo, expressed gratitude to parents for their high turnout, noting that the gesture shows support for the students.

“One of the most invaluable things we can give to the kids is time.  Incidentally, the pressure of work seems to be taking it away from us”, he said.

According to Adebayo, any of his child’s desire to do sports professionally would not compromise education because they compliment each other.

He noted that such activities help to identify, celebrate and reward talent.

Jide Alaje, who is also a parent, explained that sporting activity is vital in the overall growth of humans.

“We emphasise that parents take their children to schools that would help develop the mind and body of their kids. With this inter-house sports, we see the role of sports in developing the body and also the mind. Children in schools that engage in sporting activities would do better than schools that engage only in study,” he added.

He urged schools to include sporting facilities in their space allocation plan.