There are, of course, many benefits of taking part in sports, but what are the benefits of a school sports tour?
We've created this eye-catching poster to show you all the opportunities a sports tour provides for students.
There are, of course, many benefits of taking part in sports, but what are the benefits of a tour?
We've created this eye-catching poster, highlighting how a school sports tour improves teamwork, ability to manage pressure, and above all promotes a healthy lifestyle.
And it's FREE to download!
So, what are the benefits of a sports tour?
Healthy lifestyle
Having a real passion for sport should encourage students to adopt a healthy lifestyle that they will continue into adulthood.
They will not only understand and appreciate the benefits of exercise, but they will also recognise how healthy eating improves their overall well-being, encouraging them to keep a healthy diet.
Passion for sport contributes to their mental health as well.
Being physically active reduces stress and anxiety as it gives your mind something to focus on and helps to calm negative or worrisome thoughts.
Feel-good hormones, such as dopamine, are released during exercise reducing stress levels and combating negative feelings.
So, a preseason sports tour will give students something to look forward to and provide them with a goal to work towards when they are preparing for it, again giving them positive motivation and a reason to exercise.
Managing pressure
A sports tour will, no doubt, increase your students’ desires to return home successfully which, of course, puts pressure on your team.
However, this will help them to learn how to manage pressure and not be overwhelmed by it.
A healthy way for students to deal with pressure from teammates, parents or coaches is to shift the focus from winning to doing their best.
If students can take on a positive mindset when competing, and recognise when they have given their best efforts, both as a team and as an individual, then they will learn how to cope with pressure in a positive, healthy way.
This itself is a transferrable life skill, as mindfulness and positive thinking are good techniques for managing stress in all areas of adult life.
Hard work
Not only will the sport itself teach students to work hard, but a preseason sports tour will hammer home the message that hard work pays off – they may be shattered by the end of it, but they’ll soon see the difference it’s made when the season starts up again.
Students will learn discipline and dedication on their sports tour, which are skills that will again aid them in other areas of their lives, particularly exams, where hard work and dedication is crucial.
Teamwork
A school sports tour is a fantastic opportunity for your students to play against teams of a similar standard and expose them to different playing styles and tactics.
They’ll see the importance of coming together as a team and adapting, improving their overall understanding of how teamwork will be a valuable skill throughout life.
Playing in a sports team also teaches them leadership skills, as they may have the opportunity to be the team leader or captain and take on the responsibilities of this sort of role.
Again, this will transfer to other areas of life and most likely be useful in their future careers, as leadership is a desirable trait to most employers. A sports tour could be a good chance for them to put their teamwork and leadership skills to the test in a real-life environment.
Coping strategies
Your team will build so much resilience with a sports tour, as every success and failure will teach them something new.
They’ll learn to never give up and how to overcome adversity, both as a team, and as individuals.The skill of reacting well to setbacks and bouncing back from them will particularly help students during their exams, as this can be a very stressful time with students having to recover from one exam to prepare for the next.
Naturally, mistakes can be disheartening and it’s easy to let emotions get the better of you and impact your entire exam period.
This is where, once again, exercise can be a great way to channel this negative energy and improve resilience.
We have an article all about how P.E can improve students’ success in exams, if you wish to delve a little further into this.
Practice
Giving students the opportunity to take on opposition in friendly fixtures or an international tournament will soon show them how important their pre-season training was in preparing them for such challenges.
They will have the chance to see how other teams play and learn from their different tactics and strategies, which in turn will improve their adaptability.
Having encountered different styles of play, they will be motivated to build upon their own skills as a team and as individuals, allowing them to challenge themselves and build up their confidence.
While these are the main benefits of a school sports tour, don’t forget the other benefits such as independence, friendship building and, most importantly, fun!
Ready to start planning your tour?
Please don’t hesitate to contact us for further information or to request a tailor-made quote.