Sports do not build character. They reveal it.
Heywood Broun
Human health is the most precious value in life. World Health Organization (WHO) gives the following definition of health: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. The guarantee of well-being and quality of life is both a state and a personal task. Healthy eating and sleep, regular physical activities and healthy living help to strive for health.
Student life includes lectures, practices, extracurricular activities, tests, exams, etc. All these demand wide knowledge of studied subjects, concentration, high work efficiency and strong health. Healthy living helps to be active at lessons, remember a lot of new information, and overcome stress and the pressure of deadlines.
In general, a healthy lifestyle appeals for:
- creation, perfection and improvement of the outside world;
- efficient distribution of strength, knowledge and energy in life and work;
- strengthening and restoration of the organism after hard physical or mental work;
- development of physical abilities;
- moral and spiritual enrichment [5].
There exist different requirements for a healthy lifestyle:
- fresh air and exercise;
- regular, balanced meals and sleep;
- regular sport;
- comfortable study (working) conditions;
- rational mode of work and rest;
- freedom from vicious habits [8].
The years of studying at university are an important stage in the development of a future specialist. The furtherance of physical culture and sport at universities has a number of advantages. Physical culture and sport:
- create the environment contributing to the physical and moral improvement of students;
- neutralize and reduce the negative actions;
- promote stress resistance;
- keep, strengthen and improve health;
- form the skills of a healthy lifestyle and positive attitude to it;
- enable students to earn better grades;
- advance stronger peer relationships and more academically oriented friends;
- teach to interact with adults;
- help to avoid risky behaviour [3, 4, 6, 12, 13].
Scholars state that the main objectives of health and fitness work at university are to form the needs for sport and a healthy lifestyle among students [7, 9].
In addition, sport advances:
- discipline;
- sense of purpose;
- initiativity;
- perseverance;
- physical exposure and self-control;
- legerity;
- stamina.
Moreover, sport:
- enhances vitality;
- struggles with fatiguability;
- helps to preserve mental health and avoid depression, anxiety;
- improves general health;
- favours the increase of student quality of life [1, 2].
Sport teaches such values as discipline, responsibility, accountability, self-esteem, self-confidence, self-reliance, self-respect, self-belief and friendliness [10, 11].
There exist some disadvantages of the abundance of sport activities, such as a high demand on students’ time and energy, stress of winning and losing, expensive equipment for trainings, etc. However, they can be overcome by the university policy oriented to the balance between the studies and extracurricular activities (sport clubs, sport competitions, etc.).
Indisputably, higher educational establishments should promote sport and sporting habits among students. For example, Tomsk polytechnic university has designed a series of extra scholarships for students distinguished in science, studies, creative and social work, and sport. Every term students participate in the sport scholarship contest and present the list of their achievements (victory in competitions, championships, universiades, etc.). Every year the university increases the size of the scholarship and attracts more participants. These measures contribute to the popularization of sport among TPU students.
There is no denying that sport shapes body and mind. It is an integral part of education and helps to achieve better academic results. Sport meets the needs of student physical activity, satisfies the thirst for new experience and feelings, gives opportunities for informal socializing and positive emotions, assists to open personal qualities, helps to overcome educational challenges and preserve well-being.
References:
1. Волкова К. Р., Разживин О. А. Спорт в студенческой среде как социальный феномен // В сборнике: Перспективы развития современного студенческого спорта. Итоги выступлений российских спортсменов на Универсиаде-2013 в Казани материалы Всероссийской научно-практической конференции. редколлегия: Ф. Р. Зотова, Н. Х. Давлетова, М. Н. Савосина, Т. В. Заячук. 2013. С. 24–25.
2. Коломиец О. И. Влияние занятий спортом на качество жизни студентов // Вестник Южно-Уральского государственного университета. Серия: Образование, здравоохранение, физическая культура. 2006. № 3–1. С. 22–24.
3. Корбукова Н. А., Куртев А. Н. О роли физической культуры и спорта в повышении качества профессионального образования и развитии личности студента // Глобальный научный потенциал. 2013. № 3 (24). С. 27–29.
4. Наскалов В. М. Комплексный подход к физическому воспитанию студентов // Ученые записки университета им. П. Ф. Лесгафта. 2014. № 11 (117). С. 94–98.
5. Рженева О. П. Роль физической культуры и спорта в формирование здорового образа жизни студента // Вестник Ангарской государственной технической академии. 2009. Т. 1. № 1. С. 181–184.
6. Русанова А. А. Социокультурная функция спорта в социальном самоопределении студенческой молодежи в условиях образовательного пространства вуза // Вестник Кемеровского государственного университета культуры и искусств. 2011. № 17–2. С. 241–247.
7. Селютина Н. А. Роль физической культуры и спорта в жизни студентов и формировании здоровья // В сборнике: Перспективные направления в области физической культуры, спорта и туризма Материалы III Всероссийской научно-практической конференции. Ответственный редактор А. А. Клетнева. 2013. С. 286–292.
8. Ушакова Я. В. Здоровье студентов и факторы его формирования // Вестник Нижегородского университета им. Н. И. Лобачевского. 2007. № 4. С. 197–202.
9. Футорный С. М., Kashuba V. A., Кашуба В. А. Роль физического воспитания и спорта в ориентации студентов на здоровый образ жизни // Физическое воспитание студентов. 2011. № 3. С. 94–98.
10. Cooperwood O. The importance of sports in the life of a student. http://www.wrestlingassistant.com/ImportantSports.html (accessed March 15, 2015).
11. Luxbacher J. Pros and cons of youth sports participation. http://www.upmc.com/Services/sports-medicine/newsletter/pages/pros-cons-youth-participation.aspx (accessed March 15, 2015).
12. Psychological and social benefits of playing true sport. http://truesport.org/resources/publications/reports/psychological-and-social-benefits-of-playing-true-sport/ (accessed March 15, 2015).
13. Scherbachenko V. K., Afanasyev V. V. Physical development of high school students in free time // Педагогика, психология и медико-биологические проблемы физического воспитания и спорта. 2009. № 11. С. 151–153.
