In order to know the meaning of the term school sport, it is necessary, first of all, to discover the etymological origin of the two words that give it shape:
-Deporte comes from Latin, exactly derives from the verb “deportare”.
-School also has its origin in Latin. In this case, it exactly stems from “scholaris”, which can be translated as “belonging to school”. Thus, it was formed from the sum of two different parts: the noun “schola”, which is synonymous with “school”, and the suffix “-ar”, which comes to indicate “relationship”.
A sport is a competitive or recreational activity whose development requires a certain amount of training and respect for the rules. School, on the other hand, is that which is linked to the school (an educational establishment).
It is known as school sports, therefore, the sports activity that takes place within the framework of a school, either during class hours or in non-teaching instances. Its objective is to favor the development of the child thanks to the multiple dimensions linked to the practice of sports.
School sport, in this framework, is not oriented towards competition. Students are expected to have fun, learn to take care of their physique and develop various skills. School sport can contribute, for example, to teamwork.
Through school sports, students can acquire skills, improve their physical capacity, raise their self-esteem and create healthy habits. Sport also enables integration and teaches essential notions of respect (to colleagues, rivals, authorities, rules, etc.).
Many times inter-school competitions are organized in which students from one school face students from other institutions. Beyond this competitive nature, teachers must instill in the children that the most important thing is not to win, but to participate in the activity. By leaving success in the background, the effort made by each of the participants is put at the center.
Therefore, we can state that school sports is a way of instilling values, teaching them basic rules of behavior and education and even allowing them to ensure, from early childhood, the protection and care of their health.
However, we cannot forget that the aforementioned type of sport also brings with it other advantages such as the following:
-Allows each minor to learn to know himself much better, thus discovering what his strengths are and also his “weaknesses”.
-It is a tool that is committed to inculcating that the way to solve problems and conflicts is not violence but communication, dialogue.
-Helps to learn to manage frustration and to know that things are achieved with work and effort.
-It contributes so that, through any sports discipline, minors learn to respect differences and see them as something positive and not as a reason for rejection.
-Promotes coexistence and tolerance.
Sometimes the school sport is the first approach of a child to the practice of sports. With the necessary stimulus and the appropriate personal conditions, this discovery can lead to the exercise of sport at a professional level in the future .