UNICEF recognizes the critical role of sport and physical play in children’s lives. According to UNICEF, at the most fundamental level, sport and play are a child’s right, as detailed in article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: States shall “recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.”
Added to this is the broad consensus that regular physical activity is essential for the physical, mental, psychological and social development of children and adolescents. Involvement in sport can boost children’s health, improve academic performance and help reduce crime. That is the concept of sport for development – that sport is not just an end in itself, but also an effective tool to help improve the lives of children, families and communities.
Sport and physical education is fundamental to the early development of children and youth and the skills learned during play, physical education and sport contribute to the holistic development of young people. Through participation in sport and physical education, young people learn about the importance of key values such as: honesty, teamwork, fair play, respect for themselves and others, and adherence to rules.
At Dream A Dream, we call this Life Skills Development and since 2003 have been using a variety of sports based mediums to develop critical life coping skills in children from vulnerable backgrounds in Bangalore. Few things possess more power than empowering children from vulnerable backgrounds with life skills. The idea of using a team sports like football is to create a fun-filled, experiential, non-threatening learning environment for children. We believe what children learn on field can be directly transferred to life off the pitch. For Dream A Dream, sports like football are more than a game. It’s a medium to deliver life skills to children from vulnerable backgrounds.
