Is Online Engagement in Sports Sustainable in the Future?
The definition of and the passion for sports differ from person to person. Nonetheless, whatever your outlook, sports have proven to be beneficial for the overall development of children and youth. It has been widely recognised that sports contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular those of Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Quality Education (SDG 4), and Gender Equality (SDG 5).
However, in the past few months, the participation of children and youth in sports has been a challenge due to the ongoing pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns across the world. There has been a shift in the mode of engaging children and youth in sports. The medium of engagement has gone from the sports fields to online mediums. Most schools, academies, clubs, and organisations have come up with creative ways to involve children and youth in sports digitally. Informational webinars, online games, and fitness videos are the new normal in the sports arena.
This has also been the case for sport for development (S4D) programs, those that utilise the medium of sport for specific development objectives. For instance, to engage its program participants during the lockdown, Pro Sport Development (PSD) created various fitness videos that were shared with the participants and other organisations. As schools remain closed across India, PSD has taken its various S4D programs online to inculcate life skills and sporting values among the participants along with various sports-based and physical activities. However, engaging children and youth online remains an issue due to non-universal digital accessibility. That being said, digital platforms are the only tool available to retain participation in S4D programs in the current situation.
Online engagement for S4D has its own set of pros and cons. It has helped children become more technologically educated and advanced. They have acquired new technical skills such as operating smartphones, downloading content, and using various applications as well as better digital communication and coordination. “Through online classes and sport sessions, I have learned about various video conferencing applications like Zoom, Google Meet, and how to operate these applications. I have learned how to submit my work online and make better use of the smartphone”, said Abhinandini Maharana, a class 9th student from Vivekananda Shikshya Kendra in Bhubaneswar, part of PSD’s S4D programs.
Moreover, children have been enthusiastic about seeing their friends, peers, teachers, and coaches online in the absence of regular schooling. Communicating and engaging online has provided an avenue for socialisation and a sense of security. Saideep Das, a class 9th student of Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Bhubaneswar said, “I was missing my friends and through the online sessions, I was able to see my friends and coaches which made me feel happy.”
However, when the children are on the playground or sports field, they have certain advantages as compared to being online. They build and strengthen their soft skills such as leadership, communication, and team-building and inculcate values of mutual respect and understanding within the team and opponents, something that is more effective when they participate with their peers in-person. Through on-ground sporting activities, children can interact with others to learn the art of strategising and motivating themselves and others. “We (girls and boys) used to play together as a team which made us understand and respect each other. I feel playing together on the field taught us great skills, especially various values”, said Satya, a class 9th student of Beena Bharati Vidya Mandir in Bhubaneswar.
With online sports engagement, children and youth are missing out on in-person interaction and building a connection along with peer/team relationships and emotional bonds on and off the field. The moments of victory, motivation, and celebration are also missing online. “I miss playing with my friends and the practice sessions at school”, said Abhaya Prusty, a 9th class student of Vivekananda Shikshya Kendra in Bhubaneswar. Ksheerodini Muduli, PSD’s Community Sports Trainer said, “Children used to play together, plan the game together and celebrate their victories together. They miss all of those things. However, they are engaged in online physical activities but miss the connection they built on-ground.”
The one area that has thrived during the recent pandemic is online learning and communication. The pandemic has led to S4D programs, like other educational programs, to move online. As the lockdown slowly eases and various professional football and cricket leagues are on their way back, there is hope that grassroots sport will also transit from online to offline engagement soon.
Looking into the future, PSD too would like to get back on the field at some point, keeping in mind all safety precautions and measures. However, virtual sports have provided S4D programs flexibility in online and offline delivery. Learning from our online programming in the past few months, PSD will look at continuing some aspects of online delivery, especially during vacations and breaks, when children may be unavailable at school.
