The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing children to remain indoors and online classes have consumed their day, making them gain weight and are quickly becoming unhealthy due to physical inactivity. Even during pre COVID-19 times, physical activity among children at schools throughout Sri Lanka was increasingly a concern with only a mere 5pct or less being involved in some type of sport throughout their time in school.
This is primarily due to the fact that many children end up pursuing a sport which they do not have talent for to only find themselves giving it up a few years later.
Research shows that being engaged in a sport helps a child to succeed in their higher education and in their career later as adults. According to a 2018 study, they are more likely than non-athletes to attend college and graduate. A 2014 survey of 75 Executive Vice Presidents from Fortune 500 companies found that 95pct of them were involved in a high school sport.
‘This is a great opportunity for parents to not just think along the lines of academic excellencethrough only studies, but also to combine it with the impact sports has on the character development of the child, to set them up for success when they enter the professional, corporate and business world. What is important to realize is that it is not just taking part in sports for fun, but taking part in Sports when winning and losing matters is where the child benefits the most. Introduced in 2014, SportUnleash is able to predict the child’s sports talents, enabling them to realize their true potential which will help them compete at the highest level in school. This can only be performedwhen the child is between the ages of 9-11 years.
