The importance of sports and exercise for children

Summer has arrived, bringing with it a variety of sporting occasions, such as the Olympics and the European Championship.

At Pilgrims, we emphasise the importance of sports and regular exercise for our children, aiming to instil a lifelong love for physical activity.

Engaging in sports not only enhances physical health and fitness but also significantly benefits mental wellbeing.

Physical health and fitness

Exercise is crucial for maintaining a healthy body. Regular physical activity helps children build strong bones and muscles and improve their cardiovascular health.

Activities like running, jumping and playing sports enhance their motor skills, agility and overall physical development.

Mental health benefits

The benefits of exercise extend beyond physical health.

Engaging in sports and physical activities helps reduce anxiety and stress, contributing to better mental health. Physical activity releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters.

We encourage the children to watch the determination and focus of Olympic athletes or the passion and resilience of footballers in the Euros to inspire similar qualities.

Exercise also helps children pay better attention in school and promotes good sleep, which is critical for brain development.

These factors combined help children get the most out of their school experience.

Encouraging participation and enjoyment

At Pilgrims, we understand that while some children naturally enjoy sports, others may need encouragement.

Our dedicated staff work hard to find activities that each child enjoys to foster a love for movement.

Events like the Olympics help to showcase to the children the vast variety of sporting activities.

We give the children the opportunity to learn different sports and discover which ones they are good at and most importantly, the ones they enjoy most.

Healthy competition

We want all of the children to enjoy sports and so we teach them healthy competition, but also that having fun is not all about winning, it’s about taking part.

Healthy competition is encouraged, promoting values like teamwork, perseverance and sportsmanship.

We regularly take part in inter-school competitions such as tennis and mini-cricket tournaments, competing with pupils from other schools.

The European Championship, with its intense competition, is a perfect example of how sports can test and build character.

The children can watch their favourite teams and players navigate the highs and lows of the tournament, learning valuable lessons about dealing with success and failure, setting goals and working hard to achieve them.

Sports Day

Sports Day is a highlight of our sporting calendar, where children and parents come together for a day of fun and friendly competition.

Parents are invited to attend to support their children as they take part in a series of races to win points for their House. These are fun races, and the children do not feel they are competing against each other, instead they simply want to run as fast as they can, whilst hearing their parents cheer them on.

The same goes for the older children in main school, although the parent races can get a little more competitive!

These events reinforce the idea that sports are about effort, enjoyment and community spirit.

Sport is a very important part of school life for the children at Pilgrims.

We are committed to providing diverse and enjoyable sporting opportunities, fostering a love for physical activity that our students will carry with them long after they leave our school.