It’s becoming a norm that, sports is being viewed as a way to stay healthy and in shape or fit, but the importance goes much further than body shape and entertainment practice. Broadly, playing sports instills life lessons like discipline, responsibility, self-confidence, accountability, and teamwork. Various dangers and vices rising among the youth nowadays namely depression resulting in committing suicide, high immorality levels, drug abuse, alcoholism, poor communication skills, self-neglect, and ignoring of religious life among others. If possible, even introducing a week of prayer emphasizes that the world is becoming crazier.
Constant studies have shown that exercises increase blood flow to the brain and help the body build more connections between nerves, leading to increased concentration, enhanced memory, stimulated creativity, and better-developed problem-solving skills. Briefly, playing sports helps one’s brain grow and makes it work better.
From a social standpoint, sports are a powerful tool that brings people together and creates a sense of community. Why shouldn’t it work for a community like Mount Kigali University? We all believe in the development of connections that bond together people from all walks of life. As a student at Mount Kenya, who enjoys football as the world’s most known sport, some enjoy the gym, basketball, volleyball, and athletics among others are the fastest and easiest way to make friends specifically for new students. As a matter of fact, during my second semester on campus, I had the chance to make two friends from the seventh semester because of the interfaculty games that were commencing by then. It’s not a secret that they have helped me throughout even till now even in other parts of my world career. Can you imagine how great the visibility of a university would boost if there were sports done on proper schedules, these games being streamed live on youtube, and live commentary was done by our very own Gatari Regis, Isaac Rabine, Elly Baryinyonza as a few of some made in Mount Kenya talents, defined sponsors from student entrepreneurs, student artists performing, talk of an evening annual galore, dinner of Mount Kenya current graduates and old students. Life is about happiness whatever the vision you have it’s all to make one and their beloved happy in this Kigali.
One can think of how many wonders sports and games can bring to such an incredible institution with various cultures united together. The big boys now already thinking of the international games i.e. students from DRC versus the native Rwandans, why not? This would bring about an appreciation of our different cultures as it would be a well-prepared and legally supported festival. When you talk about festivals, you talk about music and art too, where will that natural-born artist develop their talent despite them waking up to an 11 pm CAT every second week of the month?
As an undergraduate student who is pursuing a bachelor’s in media and mass communication, I had very challenging classes and occasionally had to deal with bad homework or grades; my ego took a bad hit whenever that happened. I believe that playing sports taught me how to deal with failure and disappointment in life largely by watching matches both live on TV and attending matchdays at stadiums. I learned that I am not always going to get the results that I want, but no matter what, I have to persevere and not give up. Sports gave me a positive attitude where I see falling as a way to learn how to pick myself up.
In addition to that, exercising is a great way to get out of the stressful college life that is all about homework, presentations, and group projects. In fact, playing sports helps students relax and reduce their anxiety. I personally think that I would go crazy if I wasn’t at the game over the weekend or at least watch Super Sports Premier league with Peter Drury doing his poetry over a Salah long-run goal vs Manchester City. Health care professionals recommend physical activity as a key ingredient to any stress-management activity.
The reason most students do not play sports is that they feel lazy about it and don’t have the energy for it as there isn’t a proper and backing environment accompanying it for those who love doing it. The benefits of playing sports actually include giving one more energy to accomplish everything else they need to do to manage the busy college schedule.
It’s of great pleasure that anyone can argue such an institution of beauty in and out, well brought up students and of course, civilized fellows from all over borders and seas to put an extra bone in the sports part of its activities. Besides just being fun, sports can help students perform better in school, relax more and worry less, deal with setbacks, work better with others and increase energy call it vibes if you are a fresher, all of which help them balance school and everything else going on in their life. Saying this in the name of the game, football.
