Johnathan Faller: Sports are an integral part of bring communities together. They also empower people who otherwise would not have the opportunity to be in places they are in otherwise. It is just a general community in which everyone is accepted.
Many of us know that exercise and some sort of physical activity makes us feel good. This is because of that great chemical our brain produces called endorphins.
Braden Ingram: I think sports are important in any society as it is a great way to build teams and collaborations that are in a lot more of a play environment rather than something strictly academic. Here people’s pressures and insecurities they would normally have in some spaces are easily broken down on a sports field or while playing a fun sport.
So one can guess, based on the production of this feel-good chemical, taking part in a sport can make a society better.
But is there more to it than that? The Northcliff Melville Times asked a few in our community why they think sports are beneficial to society.
Here is what they had to say:
Lance Louw: Sports bring cultures and denominations together and help ensure everyone enjoys what they are doing all at the same time. It also gives you a balance, as it takes you away from your work life and gives you a balance between work and play. It’s for this reason that I play sports too.Jon Patricios: I think the activity within a sport is actually the powerful intervention we have for disease prevention and treatment. If everybody exercised we would have far less rates of all sorts of diseases. Everything from heart disease to high blood pressure. It also helps you prevent infectious illnesses and fight them better. Sports are something that should be routine for everybody and we have those guidelines in terms of how much to do. So it is really something that has physical, menBongani Ntini: Sports can break barriers. We know our country’s past and sports have been a good leveller, where different people from different backgrounds and cultures can come together. It also aids in networking as well as being fun.
