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<\/a><\/p>\nProfessor Norikazu Hirose, \u00a0As I was writing this piece (August 2020), the media were presenting various opinions expressed on social media about a Covid-19 infection cluster in a school\u2019s extracurricular club.<\/p>\n \u201cWere appropriate safety measures taken?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShould sports activities be going on at a time like this?\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m sure readers of this column will have their own opinions too. This piece will not address every issue involved.\u00a0However, this shows us that sports cannot be separated from society, that we must recognize sports as a part of society.\u00a0Based on that, I feel that all of us involved in sports are called more than ever to question why we do sports, and to earn goodwill in society.<\/p>\n Recently I asked my daughter if she had ever cried watching sports. She told me that she cried and took courage from watching a DVD of the Japan women\u2019s national football team winning the 2011 World Cup.\u00a0Even though she didn\u2019t watch in real time, the athletes\u2019 joy and tears surely did that to her.\u00a0Emotion is contagious.[*1]<\/sup>\u00a0It is known that people actually feel happier when they watch sports.[*2]<\/sup>\u00a0So sports affect the emotions of people watching, and they can also surely change people\u2019s behavior. Society is composed of people.\u00a0If people can grapple with issues with courage and positivity, then can\u2019t that drive positive growth in society?<\/p>\n Actually, what stirs the emotions of spectators is not sport itself, but the people doing the sports, the athletes.\u00a0Those athletes are now asking themselves, Why do we play sports?\u00a0With the competitions which they aim for being canceled because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, we hear via the media that athletes are losing their motivation.\u00a0Especially in times like these, asking ourselves why we are competing will provide energy to move forward when we face difficulties.[*3] <\/sup><\/p>\n The example of the Japan women\u2019s national football team above focuses on competitive sport.\u00a0So why are recreational sports necessary to society?\u00a0We know from a number of research that sports foster a healthy mind and body.\u00a0That rhythmic exercise like walking activates the \u201chappiness hormone\u201d serotonin is just one example.[*4]<\/sup>\u00a0Furthermore, sports may have benefits through \u201cgrooming,\u201d[*5]<\/sup> behavior which helps build social bonds and human relationships.\u00a0In the \u201cnew normal\u201d society, recreational sports may play an even more important role, as a way to improve mental health and foster grooming.<\/p>\n In addition to physical and mental health, I believe that the growth which people experience through sports is also of value to society.\u00a0To be precise, sports provide a foundation for growth.\u00a0In other words, there is a foundation for growth in sports, but achieving that growth depends on the individuals and the adults around them.\u00a0For people to grow, they need the stages of \u201cpreparation\u201d and \u201cperformance.\u201d In sports there are practice and matches.\u00a0However, whether these two stages produce growth depends on whether they are connected by the processes of issue analysis and problem solving.\u00a0Through review of competition results, issues are analyzed and the next goals are set.\u00a0For those issues which need special attention, training is planned with a slightly higher load.<\/p>\n If individuals can complete the cycle of reflection, goal-setting, focusing and load-training on their own, then they can continue to grow in any environment. [see Figure 1]<\/sup>\u00a0If more people continuously drove their own growth cycle, wouldn\u2019t it create a society of sustainable growth?<\/p>\n In fact, the same kind of \u201cscenes\u201d and \u201cprocesses\u201d exist in other fields, from education to music, business projects, agriculture and more.\u00a0But, since sports can begin at a young age and have matches and practice on a weekly basis, they provide those experiences with high frequency.\u00a0Above all, the ability to work independently, with \u201cfun\u201d as the motivation, is precious.\u00a0While saying the child wants to do it, adults can have them learn the growth cycle.\u00a0I think this is a truly wonderful tool.\u00a0If children can\u2019t feel growth through sports, it could be because adults are not allowing them to enjoy it independently, or are not fostering the thought processes of issue analysis and problem-solving.<\/p>\n Although participant sports have value to society, in the new normal society adequate safety measures are required.\u00a0The situation demands that athletic trainers, who support the safety and peace of mind of athletes, ponder Why?, more than ever.\u00a0Why not run in line? Why not wear a mask? To find appropriate answers to these questions, we must gather accurate information.\u00a0In the unpredictable new normal society, this information can change at any moment.\u00a0Even in this environment, we must find the most appropriate solution for each moment, and constantly be able to explain Why? and Why not?\u00a0Scientists will be expected to fulfill the role of information providers more than before.\u00a0And collaboration among all those on the front lines of sports, athletic trainers, sports doctors, coaches, parents, guardians and athletes themselves, is essential to actually provide the support called for by science.<\/p>\n Figure 2<\/p><\/div>\n We can turn to science for solutions to problems in society, but science cannot solve them alone.\u00a0By asking themselves Why?, everyone involved in sports, by cooperating organically, can create the kind of participant sports which resonate in society.<\/p>\n
\nWaseda University Faculty of Sport Sciences<\/a><\/p>\nThe value of participant sports in society<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Do people grow through participant sports?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nThe four cycles and five foundations of growth.\u00a0Factors influencing laying of the foundations include: coaches who show the fun of sports and connection of practice, existence and appreciation of supporters, opportunities to deepen self-awareness, experience of filling responsible roles, and experience of overcoming difficulty.\u00a0These can all be experienced through participant sports, but whether these factors are connected to the foundations and whether the individual can run the four cycles are important keys.<\/h5>\n
Support of participant sports: Organic collaboration among fields and professions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>Sports are a part of society.\u00a0Even more than in the past, people involved in sports will be required to have an attitude of considering the value of sports in society.\u00a0And creating a safe environment for sports will also be required, for the participants and in order to earn goodwill in society.\u00a0Participants, parents, guardians, coaches, athletic trainers and strength coaches,\u00a0medical professionals and scientists must cooperate across fields and professions to create the environment.<\/h5>\n
References<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nhttps:\/\/berd.benesse.jp\/up_images\/research\/report_KGU_20170316_02.pdf<\/a> (accessed 2020\/9\/12)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nAuthor’s Profile<\/h2>\n
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