Are those days past when sports and games were just played for the fun, adventure and excitement, when there were no strings (career, fame and money) attached? When all that mattered was being one with the sport at that moment, the rush of energy and adrenaline, the simple pleasures in jumping a little higher, or stretching a little longer and hitting a little stronger and better, the hours of being with friends, sometimes strangers, learning to cope with the dynamics and politics, the sense of purpose mixed with the joy of achievement. When the hours spent on the field did not have to justified with better performance, trophies or certificates. When losing and winning were secondary to the pure fun and thrill of the game itself. Were we not just a bunch of kids doing what we loved to do.....play? Do our children play spend even a tenth of the time we spent playing games and sports, and even if they do, do they now play them for the same reasons?
There is a steady decline in active play. There is less free time, increased academic pressure, and the TVs, computers and playstations have become the primary source of entertainment! They have moved a whole generation from outdoors to indoors (and I don't only mean the children!), cutting them off from any physical activities. Big companies have to sell products, and most of this generation feels obliged to watch their advertisements and help them achieve their sales targets! Lack of space has also become a huge problem, and children mostly remain cooped up in isolated houses or cramped colonies and flats, with little or no space to play. Housing societies do not prioritize children's playgrounds, instead they believe in gymnasiums and clubhouses for adults! Small neighbourhood parks, with walking or cycling tracks have been 'eaten up' by big malls and commercial complexes. Even if there is a small park nearby, safety concerns make them unusable, as they are not provided with security, and parents do not allow their children to play outdoors unsupervised.
Schools in India also do not emphasize on sports these days (it was not so in our school and college-days). The focus is now completely on academic performance, school exams and preparation for competitive exams. Academic excellence has become the only parameter of achievement or success, other activities like sports, music, art, etc. have all been sidelined for study-related activities. Students are allotted a measly half an hour to an hour of PE time per week, and that too is never utilized for sports properly. Some schools have huge playgrounds which are not put to much use at all, while others have no playgrounds at all. Either way, the message is clear, excelling in academics is all that is required of a 'good student'. Overall development is no more a criterion. We are a 'cerebral' nation now, and even the policy-making and bureaucratic system has ignored sports to a great extent.
Another reason, I feel, is that sports have become too 'organized'. The element of 'free play' or unstructured sports is fast being replaced by ideas of trying to 'manage' sports, laying stress on perfection and competition. From time immemorial, children have enjoyed sports as a spontaneous activity, minus adult involvement. Too much structure is now leading to quick burn-out and boredom. Burn-out is the quitting/dropping of any activity that was at one time enjoyable. With excessive structure, and year-round tournaments and matches, sports fatigue sets in. Constant criticism from coaches, parents and teammates leads to anxiety and stress, and consequently burnout. The demands of parents from their children sometimes exceeds their physical and cognitive devlopment, leading to feelings of inadequacy, frustration and depression. Aggression, anti-social behaviour and even suicidal tendencies become evident in children. Children begin playing for their parents, and the fun and spirit of adventure goes missing. The stakes become too high and the business models are hard for kids to understand. Boredom and rejection comes fast. There are organized sports programmes even for 3 and 4-year olds! More than two-thirds of children quit organized sports by thirteen, which is actually the age they can do something worthwhile.
All parents want 'gifted' children, just being good at something is not enough! There is a set of parents who stress too much on academics, proficiency in maths, science and language skills becomes paramount, while there is the other set of well-meaning parents who push their children into sports to excel. The expectations from them are phenomenal, as these parents are using sports the same way the other set of parents use academics – as springboards for careers and financial security. Some parents actually push their children too much, wanting to live their own dreams vicariously through them, to experience success through their children. Others use it to validate their own worth as parents, to prove to the world how much they sacrifice or forsake for the sake of their children's sports schedules or future careers! Either way, this trend is very harmful for the children. It robs them of their childhood, simple enjoyment, social development, and true sense of sportsmanship. A sad state of affairs indeed! If what you've just read has made you think, let's look for solutions next time. Till then!
al mother-teacher, runs Life Express - an after-school center for children. She can be reached at juhimalini@gmail.com. She also writes 'Reflections of an inner Journey'
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