Extra-curricular sport participation: A potential buffer against social anxiety symptoms in primary school children

Abstract

The present research: Proposal for the design of a sports school for soccer and volleyball for children and young people aged 6 to 14 years with a focus on constructivism, carried out between 2019 and 2020, aims to propose the design of a soccer and volleyball sports school related to a constructivist model, as a strategy for the free use of children and young people aged 6 to 14 years of the Caldas Institute. The methodology developed was based on a quantitative approach, non-experimental and descriptive design, based on the bibliographic search, the relevant concepts for the investigation are presented with theoretical contributions on constructivism, as a model in sports teaching, as well as the necessary topics and regulations for the implementation of a sports school, such as motivation, sports, the basic principles of sports practice, the importance of extracurricular activities, healthy habits and the use of free time.Axial categories were defined with which the interpretation was constructed in the light of the theory, where the related authors are retaken in both the theoretical and conceptual frameworks and the information that is the theoretical construction of the researchers is triangulated. It is concluded that the design of the sports school is a positive strategy for the use of free time and personal development, since the students in the interview expressed motivation to be part of it, emphasizing that they can improve interpersonal relationships, create links to strengthen teamwork and have a healthy coexistence with students from other grades. Similarly, the sports training school will allow students to have optimal physical, emotional, social and sports development.

A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents: informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport

“…A recent study [37] incorporated Antonovsky’s Salutogenesis model [67] and Bandura’s theory of Social Learning [68]. The foundation of Antonovsky’s model is that heterostasis, ageing and progressive entropy are core characteristics of all living organisms.…”

“…The model focuses on what makes a person maintain good health rather than focusing on the aetiology of sickness. In terms of the Social Learning theory, it is suggested that organised sport, particularly in teams, could be an important factor in a child’s social development [37]. However, this was a general discussion comment, and it is not clear how the Social Learning Theory was applied in the methodology of this study [43].…”

“…The definition of ‘sport’ as an extracurricular activity varied considerably. Sport was sometimes defined as including both team and individual sports [40,53] or encompassing different categorical groups for both team and individual sports participants [37], whilst others categorised groups as structured versus unstructured activities [55]. Howie et al (2010) investigated extracurricular (outside school) activities - sports teams/lessons, sports clubs/organisations, or both - in the previous year [39].…”

Prospective associations between sport participation and psychological adjustment in adolescents

“…However, longitudinal findings remain limited and mixed. For example, some studies suggest no benefits of sport frequency,14 no benefits team versus individual sport,24 or reductions in social anxiety in response to individual sport compared with team sport 15…”

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“…La influencia del proceso de socialización y relación con los pares en las actividades deportivas hace que cobre una especial importancia al estudio del efecto de los deportes de equipo frente a deportes individuales, encontrándose mayores beneficios cuando se practica deporte de equipo, por ejemplo, en el decremento de la ansiedad social (Schumacher y Seiler, 2011).…”