How can sports in general and especially Ultimate Frisbee have a positive impact on a child’s emotional well-being?
A quick personal story, I got involved in sports at the age of four – I was creative, loved art – enjoyed painting and drawing whenever I got the chance, helping me be more observant and imaginative too, but it was the balance of playing various sports that helped me build agility, focus and teamwork.
What I didn’t know as a child was how it was benefitting me emotionally – something that wasn’t really spoken of when I was growing up in the 90s.
But once playing a sport reduced and disappeared from my life, I realised how valuable it was.
When we decided to start School of Ultimate, we did so with the desire to cultivate a sustainable habit to play. We knew this was possible with Ultimate Frisbee.
So how does sports in general and ultimate frisbee specifically help the child’s emotional wellbeing?
1. Stress Reduction:
We may not always realise this but this desire to do a lot and be competitive causes stress even in the smallest of children. Therefore, engaging in physical activity through sports helps reduce stress levels.
Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, which are natural mood-boosting hormones that promote feelings of happiness and relaxation – and the best thing of all, laughter!
2. Mood Enhancement:
Taking it further from the earlier point (and without sounding too repetitive), physical activity in sports triggers the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which are known to improve mood and increase feelings of pleasure. Regular exercise through sports can help combat feelings of sadness.
I look back to my school days and not ever knowing what sadness was – it helped me to be a happier child and made me a better team player too.
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3. Self-Confidence & Self-Esteem:
More than success, it’s the improvement in skill during sporting activities that can significantly boost a child’s self-confidence and self-esteem.
Yes success is part of sports, but that’s a by-product of playing well and improving skill – that should be more important for children rather than pushing them towards success.
4. Emotional Regulation:
During our coaching sessions of ultimate frisbee, we find that it provides children (and adults) a healthy outlet to express and regulate their emotions. Engaging in physical activity can help reduce feelings of anger, frustration and aggression by channeling them into positive energy (again relating to the first two points that I mentioned above). With ultimate frisbee being a self-refereed sport, it teaches children how to manage their emotions in a game, control their impulses, work to understand fair-play and handle all situations and outcomes with grace.
5. Social Support & Connection:
Ultimate frisbee is a team sport and so it creates a conducive environment for children to build social connections and develop a support system. They interact with teammates, coaches and other individuals who are growing and working together. These relationships provide emotional support, camaraderie and a sense of belonging, which can enhance their emotional well-being.
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- Developing Health Awareness in Children Through Ultimate Frisbee
- Developing Physical Fitness in Children through Ultimate Frisbee
- Developing Positive Discipline & Goal Setting in Children Through Ultimate Frisbee
6. Coping Skills & Resilience:
When you play a sport, you won’t always win, that’s the truth with everything – but what’s essential is learning to encounter these challenges and setbacks. Sport provides children the opportunity to experience and develop coping skills and resilience by learning to persevere, bounce back from defeats, and overcome obstacles in a safe space.
7. Mental Well-Being:
We’ve established this, through the previous points, that regular physical activity through sports has been linked to improved mental health outcomes in children. But within this, it’s important to address how it helps to enhance cognitive function, improve concentration and focus and promote better sleep patterns.
Overall, all this works well when we provide children with an environment that promotes emotional maturity and joy – emphasising the importance of balance while being competitive and focussing on teamwork, sportsmanship, inclusivity and respect, which depends on the coaches and the parent’s willingness to have this encouraged in their child.
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We, School of Ultimate wish to help contribute and grow this Ultimate game, by sharing the principles, rules through in our practical coaching sessions in Mumbai. We’ve begun sessions for kids and young adults aged 7-10 and 11-16 years old.
To know more, check out our About Us page or FAQs on our coaching.
