The demand for students to participate in active sports is increasing across the globe, especially in developed and emerging countries. In the USA for instance, the departments for Health and Education recommended that all schools and colleges ensure that their students participate in active activities. A significant number of Asian and European countries also emphasize the importance of physical sports in colleges and schools. The requirement for college students to participate in active sports is linked to many problems that are caused by physical inactivity. The World Health Organization (WHO), for instance, raised the alarm about the high number of people who die of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and respiratory illnesses. A lack of physical activities mainly causes the diseases. Physical sport is a strategy that can be used to improve the health of college students. Besides, physical sports are associated with improved academic performance (Nelson et al ., 2011) . Thus, to enhance the health and academic performance, all college students must be involved in physical activities.
The number of college students who are overweight and obese is alarming. The percentage of college students who are obese and are suffering from obesity-related diseases or disorders has increased significantly over the last two decades, and the problem is likely to continue if it is not addressed in time. Currently, many college students are suffering from diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases because they rarely participate in active sports or activities (Nelson et al ., 2011) . Many college students have adopted a sedentary lifestyle as they spend a lot of time browsing on the internet and chatting with colleagues through various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Therefore, to address the problem of overweight, obesity, and obesity-related diseases in colleges, all students must be involved in active sports.
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There is enough evidence to prove that active sports can help in reducing obesity and other chronic diseases significantly. A study that was done by Nelson et al., (2011), for example, found that students who participate in active sports have lower weight status when compared to their counterparts who do not engage in active sports. The same study also found that students who participate in active sports or physical activities have lower risks to diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and respiratory diseases. Active sports increase energy expenditure, which is important in maintaining the right body weight while remaining healthy (Nelson et al ., 2011). Hence, to avoid obesity and chronic diseases epidemic in colleges, all students should be encouraged to participate in active sports. Active sports will improve the health status of college students significantly.
Apart from improving the health of college students, active sports will help in boosting academic performance. The primary objective of any student is to excel academically, which is not possible if she or he maintains an inactive lifestyle. Active sports increase academic performance because they improve the health of human brains (Kohl III & Cook, 2013). The brain is one of the critical factors that determine academic or intellectual performance. There is a positive relationship between physical activities and cognitive or brain health (Kohl III & Cook, 2013). Students who participate in active sports are likely to perform better in subjects such as mathematics and readings. Active sports are also linked to academic performance because they boost student’s motivation as well as self-discipline that is required to succeed academically. Thus, students should not view active sports as a waste of time but rather one of the strategies to improve academic performance. At the same time, college administrators should use active sports as a strategy to increase the academic performance of students.
However, some people, especially parents are against sports activities because of the perception that they reduce academic performance. The main argument is that participating in active sports reduces the time available for studying (Rees & Sabia, 2010). Active sports are time-consuming because they require constant practice. As a result, they reduce the time available for students to study, which may have a negative impact on learners. Some students skip classes because of the need to participate in active sports, especially during sports competition periods. However, even though the argument may be valid, a lot of active sports in colleges take place during the time for co-curriculum activities. Rarely do students leave classrooms to participate in active sports. Active sports do not interfere with time available for study.
In conclusion, active sports are important for college students. Health conditions such as obesity, heart diseases, and chronic illnesses like diabetes can be reduced in colleges if students participate in active sports. Besides, active sports will help in improving the academic performance of college students. Lack of participation in active sports may be lack of knowledge on the benefits of physical exercise. Hence, college administrations should take the lead in ensuring that all college students are involved in active sports. It is also important to motivate college students to participate in active sports. Importantly, the importance of active sports should be emphasized to college students.
References
Kohl III, H. W., & Cook, H. D. (2013 ). Physical activity, fitness, and physical education: Effects on academic performance. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201501/?report=reader
Nelson, T. F., Stovitz, S. D., Thomas, M., LaVoi, N. M., Bauer, K. W., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2011). Do youth sports prevent pediatric obesity? A systematic review and commentary. Current sports medicine reports , 10 (6), 360-370.
Rees, D. I., & Sabia, J. J. (2010). Sports participation and academic performance: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Economics of Education Review , 29 (5), 751-759.
