Sports do not build character. They reveal it.
Heywood Broun
The culture of leisure is one of the challenges of the modern society and an important part of students’ life. Student culture and leisure activity is one of the important indicators of spiritual and moral development of young people. Leisure provides opportunities and conditions for self-realization, creativity, active longevity and high performance maintenance. It satisfies the need for communication and relaxation, performs pedagogical, educational and recreational functions [1].
Participation in sports activities has the following advantages. It:
- helps to meet the needs of the youth to communicate with peers and make new friends;
- boosts self-expression, self-assertion;
- increases self-esteem;
- improves self-image;
- promotes health;
- reduces stress, anxiety and depression;
- improves the ability to do daily activities more efficiently;
- teaches and helps to achieve goals;
- increases the chances to live longer [2, 4, 5, 6].
The organization of sports events has to meet the following requirements:
- compliance with the age, state of health and physical fitness of the participants;
- creation of the conditions for activities (sports equipment, etc.);
- compliance with the weather conditions (at the outdoors organization);
- appropriate footwear and clothing.
Leisure and sports activities can be organized in the following forms:
- indoor and outdoor games;
- sports sections;
- fitness and health recreation events;
- sports and entertainment events;
- hiking trips, etc.
We conducted a poll among 34 second-year students of Institute of Non-destructive Testing, Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) to find out their attitude to sport and asked them the following questions:
1) Is sport an important part of university education?
2) Should the number of physical education classes be increased?
3) What is your favourite kind of sport?
4) What are the advantages of sport?
5) Which sports events organized by TPU do you attend?
We received the following answers: 79% of the respondents highlighted the importance of sport in university education; however, 71% dislikes the increase of physical education classes in the syllabus.
41% of the respondents named football as their favourite sports activity; other sports named were basketball, tennis, swimming, snowboarding, yoga, dancing.
Among sports benefits 82% indicated health promotion and care; the other answers were recreation, increase of confidence and physical appeal, stress reduction and opportunity to make new friends.
The most popular answer to the question of sports events in TPU was “The Freshman’s Feast” – 38%, other answers were “TPU Nations Cup in Arena-Football”, “Fitness-Star Marathon” and other sports contents.
Thus, leisure and sports activities contribute to the popularization of sports and healthy lifestyle, improve physical and mental well-being, promote interpersonal communication and harmonious development of students.
References:
1. Бабешко (Осипова) О.А. Культура повседневного досуга студентов. URL: http://www.scienceforum.ru/2013/155/1752 (дата обращения 23. 04. 2015)
2. Паначев В.Д., Гордеева С.С. Спорт и здоровье: социологический анализ // Вестник Пермского национального исследовательского политехнического университета. Социально-экономические науки. 2010. № 6. С. 128-134.
3. Паначев В.Д., Сырчиков А.С. Спорт и личность: проблемы развития спортивной культуры личности студента в вузе // Ученые записки университета им. П.Ф. Лесгафта. 2008. № 1. С. 75-77.
4. Ушакова Я.В. Здоровье студентов и факты его формирования // Вестник Нижегородского университета им. Н.И. Лобачевского. 2007. № 4. С. 197-202.
5. Sports and exercise help your mind and body. http://www.healthline.com/health/mental-benefits-sports (accessed April 25, 2015).
6. What Are the Benefits of Sports & Physical Activities? http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/benefits-sports-physical-activities-5908.html (accessed April 25, 2015).
