Physical education is a vital component of a child’s overall development, contributing not just a very important part of any child’s school experience is the program covering physical education as it helps students in different aspects – from fitness to mental health and social and academic success. Regrettably, in several schools particularly those in the rural areas of India, this fundamental component of education is poorly developed or, indeed, ignored due to lack of means, infrastructural facilities and devices, general orientation toward the formal academic subjects at the neglect of co-curricular activities. However, one of the most famous sports NGOs in India – Sportz Village Foundation is continuously working on bringing differences to this situation and helping to achieve physical activity in rural schools.
The Need for Rural Physical Education Programs
In the schools found in the rural areas, lack of school funding and adequate staffing qualified enough to provide the child with effective physical education most of the time. Such absence can have profound implications since physical activities are known to play a huge role in children’s mental, psychological, and academic performance. Several studies have made an important assertion which is children who are involved in daily exercise have better academic performances, better behavior, and personal, teamwork, discipline, and leadership.
Sportz Village Foundation’s Mission and Approach
The foundation’s programs focus on three core pillars: physical well-being and motor development as well as emotional growth and socialization. These pillars are implemented in the structured curriculum which brings out certain activities such as cricket, football, and other life skill activities that promote vigor in activities such as teamwork, leadership, and communication among others. By incorporating all these activities in the school calendar, Sportz Village Foundation makes it possible for rural physical education programs to form part of the education curriculum, hence not being a dream of students or part of extracurricular activities.
Ashok Leyland Partnership
The following are the major partnerships that Sportz Village Foundation has established to support its role in the community; The Sportz Village Foundation has partnered with Ashok Leyland, the automobile manufacturing company in India. We have together done the #SportForChange baseline program that aims to ensure physical activity in rural schools.
This initiative which is part of the ‘Road to School Initiative,’ being spearheaded by Ashok Leyland is at the moment being implemented in schools in Hosur Namakkal and Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu.
The effect of this collaboration has been felt. As of now, the program has been taken to over 19, 000 kids in 391 schools in total in five different cities. Children who participate in these initiations demonstrate better attendance, and better academic performance and have been noted to improve on their socio-emotional skills. In addition, the process adopted by the Sportz Village Foundation and Ashok Leyland for the implementation of the program is also making sure that the overall goals of the program can be replicated in other areas in the future effectively.
HCL Foundation Partnership
The other partnership that has enabled the foundation to cover many parts of the country especially in the rural areas is with the HCL Foundation which is the CSR affiliate of HCL Technologies Ltd. The major program of the HCL Foundation ‘Sports for Change’ is in sync with the programmatic focus of the Sportz Village Foundation with an emphasis on the use of sports in developmental capacities. Combined, we strive to positively impact youth in those areas by becoming leaders that provide equal chances of participation for middle and high school students in physical education and sports.
The given program empowers the next generation of athletes and leaders by offering these students a chance to engage in regular physical activity in rural schools as well as to develop their sporting opportunities. The issues of youth especially in the areas of sports are also receiving their much-needed support which in turn is building confidence, self-esteem, and a general sense of belonging among the students.
Decathlon Partnership
Decathlon India which is the world’s largest retailer of sporting goods has also aligned with the Sportz Village Foundation to provide structured rural physical education programs in schools in the rural areas. Decathlon has an initiative that focuses on enhancing health and wellness among school-going children especially those in marginalized communities through Sports for School Children. This is under the social arm of Decathlon, known as SPORTS REALLY FOR ALL (SRFA) whose aim is to impact society through sports in the long run.
However, one of the peculiarities of this partnership is a rather important focus on volunteers. In Decathlon’s case, its employee volunteers engage themselves in the program implementation through the use of time and skills to benefit rural children. Since the beginning of the program, it has already impacted over 4,000 children from seven schools spanning four cities, and in the long-term object aims to develop sustainable value for the surrounding communities of Decathlon’s stores and factories.
The Broader Impact of Sportz Village Foundation’s Work
The activities being carried out by the Sportz Village Foundation are not merely related to the conversion of bodies into fat-burning machines, it is an effort to bring about a change in rural populations. In other words, the foundation is meanwhile working on enhancing the academic performance of students, reducing the rates of absenteeism, and enhancing essential life skills through physical education. Also, the Intelligent Civilisation Centre Foundation, which was supported by Ashok Leyland, HCL Foundation, and Decathlon, is establishing a model for other areas of the country that can be widely used in rural areas.
Conclusion
This small write-up is just a witness, the marvelous work done by the Sportz Village Foundation is just an example of the positive changes that physical education brings. The foundation is changing the experience of how young children learn physical activity in rural schools and offering them equal chances as children in urban areas. Our valued partners at Ashok Leyland, HCL Foundation, as well as Decathlon, have been supporting Sportz Village Foundation in creating a huge difference in the lives of thousands of children and shaping a positive future for the rural population of India through sports.
