Importance of Games and Sports - Complete Essay

The value of games and sports is now being increasingly recognised in the world from personal, social, educational and national points of view. There is no denying that games and sports are fairly essential for the all round development of a personality. We can say that play is an instinctive activity in which all living beings virtually take part. Games and sports are an organized and systematic form of play. In recent times, they have assumed tremendous importance.

It is by playing games and sports that we can develop and maintain our health. Many of the modern diseases like hypertension, blood-pressure, diabetes, piles and indigestion, etc. are the obvious results of our lifestyle. Most of us have excluded physical exercise or activity from our lives. It is only in a sound body that a sound mind resides. Absence of games has also resulted in many mental ailments and sleeplessness.

"On earth there is nothing great but a man; in man there is nothing great but a mind." - Hamilton, Lectures on Metaphysics.

Games keep our body alert, active, youthful and energetic. While playing games and sports, blood circulation increases and there is an increased supply of oxygen. Only a healthy person can work long, hard and cheerfully. An unhealthy man may not take as much interest in work as a healthy one. Health can be maintained by exercise alone.

But games and sports have some other benefits as they are played in groups and in healthy competitive spirit. Among many other things, they help to develop co-operation, quality of leadership, team spirit and a willingness to submit to the rule of law. Games instil in the players the spirit of self-reliance, justice, fair play and sporting spirit. They make people bold, adventurous, social, disciplined and more conscious of their responsibilities towards society and nation. Players have been found better people to fight superstitions, communalism and narrow approach to issues of national interest.

“Character does not reach its best until it is controlled, harnessed and disciplined.” - Mencius, Works

The kind of joy, excitement, thrill and entertainment games provide is simply matchless. They make the exercise interesting and provide man with confidence in this work. They also teach to take success and failure in a sporting spirit. So, games and sports do have all these additional advantages which a simple exercise for physical fitness and health lacks. Majority of the players are bound to become broadminded, tolerant, principled, disciplined, honest, more liberal in their approach and tough enough to face all sort of circumstances.

“True virtue in life is under the direction of reason.” - Lord Tennyson.

It is said that players develop the great qualities of leadership, patriotism, heroism, endurance, courage and team-spirit in the playing fields. These and other qualities of character derived from games and sports are absolutely necessary for Success in life. They provide the much needed self-confidence and sense of fair play. They also make the players true followers of the rule of law. A player has to follow certain rules and regulations while playing. He is always penalised for a foul. He or she has to abide by the decision of the referee. He or she has to play in a certain place and position. He also plays under the captain of the team and he has to respect and obey his captain.

“Where law ends, tyranny begins.” - Emerson.

A team has to play as an organized whole in a competitive spirit against the other team. And this goes a long way to develop in the players a spirit of adventure, discipline, fair play, team spirit and co-operation. The games of skill and speed enable the players to take quick and right decisions within no time. A sportsman may not lose his temper and morale even in the face of defeat. He would rather take it coolly, calmly and would try to perform better the next time. Players do know that victory and defeat are the two aspects of the same coin. There is always more joy in playing than in its end result.

“The problems of victory are more agreeable than those of defeat, but they are no less difficult.” - Winston Churchill

As in the games, so in life, a good player will never give up or admit defeat, nor would be demoralized by defeat. Enjoy and success also he will never be over or rather will keep his cool and balanced poise. The defeated players and their team congratulate the winning team and shake hands with the winning players. All this teaches them to face the realities of life with a smiling face. Games also help in overcoming the sense of violence, arrogance and superiority.

“Nothing can harm a good man, either in life or after death.” - Socrates.

Thus, there cannot be any better place than a playground for our young men and women preparing to enter the combat of practical life. It is not success or failure or the length of life that is significant. What is of great importance is the quality of life and the spirit in which it has been spent.

“Float like a butterfly,
Sting like a bee!
Rumble young man! Rumble.” - Muhammad Ali, The Greatest “My Own Story”.