Life Skills Development Through Sport

FAME Foundation, in collaboration with Laureus Sport for Good, recently organized its Life Skills Development Through Sports session at LEA Primary School, Jabi, Kpadna, Abuja, on November 21,2024. The event, part of the Play It Dream It initiative, engaged over 70 children who took part in a series of sports activities aimed at fostering personal development and essential life skills.

The primary objective of the session was to help the children develop key qualities such as self-confidence, self-esteem, teamwork, and resilience. The participants were encouraged to improve their physical talents while also strengthening their interpersonal connections through a mix of engaging sports activities and informative sessions. The event not only promoted physical fitness but also focused on personal growth and social cohesion, ensuring that the children gained both life skills and valuable social experiences.

The session began with a warm-up led by Coach Musa Muhammed, where the children engaged in light jogging and stretching exercises. The emphasis during this session was on flexibility and body care, with particular attention to injury prevention. The children were taught the importance of warming up before engaging in physical activities, ensuring that they understood the need for proper preparation to safeguard their health.

Following the warm-up, the first structured activity was a ball-passing exercise, in which participants were paired with someone of the opposite gender and instructed to pass the ball back and forth. This activity was designed to promote teamwork and communication while helping to break down social barriers.

The next activity introduced a physical challenge designed to test the children’s agility, balance, and resilience. Participants were required to navigate a series of hurdles while holding a ball. The exercise encouraged them to maintain control of the ball while overcoming obstacles, helping them build both physical and mental resilience. This task underscored the importance of perseverance and focus, as the children were required to push through challenges and remain determined in the face of adversity.

Coach Ifeoma Adibe led a mentorship session focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, covering the key areas of physical activity, nutrition, and mindset. She explained the importance of staying active, describing how regular exercise benefits both physical and mental health. Coach Ifeoma encouraged the children to find ways to stay active outside of structured sports activities, such as through daily play or walking, highlighting how even simple activities can help improve overall fitness.

In addition to physical activity, Coach Ifeoma spoke about nutrition and the role of healthy eating in supporting energy and growth. She explained the value of eating a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. To make the concept more relatable, she asked the children to share their favorite healthy foods and compared them with less nutritious options, helping them understand how food choices impact their energy and health.

Coach Ifeoma also addressed the importance of having a positive mindset. She explained that mental health is just as important as physical health, and that cultivating a positive attitude can help overcome challenges in sports and daily life. She shared examples of how maintaining a positive outlook can help people stay focused and resilient, even when facing difficulties.

Coach Ifeoma prompted the children to think about their current health habits. She asked questions like, “How much time do you spend being active?” and “What kind of foods do you eat regularly?” This encouraged the children to reflect on their habits and think about how they could make healthier choices. The children shared their thoughts and experiences, which helped them connect the ideas to their own lives.

To further illustrate the benefits of physical activity, Coach Ifeoma shared a real-life example of someone who had experienced improvements in both physical and mental health through consistent exercise. She explained how regular sports participation can boost energy, reduce stress, and improve sleep, providing the children with a clearer understanding of the long-term benefits of staying active.

The session concluded with a question-and-answer segment, where the children had the chance to ask questions and discuss how they could apply the lessons learned. They reflected on how they would use the skills they had gained such as teamwork, resilience, and healthy living in their daily lives. This open discussion allowed the children to solidify their understanding and think about how they could implement the concepts in their personal routines.

The session helped the children develop a better understanding of how physical activity, nutrition, and mindset are connected to overall well-being. They left the session with a clearer idea of how to make healthier choices in their daily lives and how to apply the life skills they had learned.