The effect of sports activities on improving the concentration of students with attention deficit

The current era in which we live is becoming more and more rapid and daily challenges are increasing. Nowadays, many students face challenges due to their suffering from attention deficit during study periods, as attention deficit disorder is one of the common disorders that affect students’ ability to concentrate. In this context, the importance of research and development in methods that help improve students’ concentration and enhance their academic and personal performance is highlighted. Sports activities are one of the important tools that can help improve students’ concentration, in addition to achieving mental and physical health benefits. Sports are not just a means of getting fit, but they have a profound effect on brain function and a person’s ability to concentrate and pay attention.

The effect of sports activities on students' concentration

Many scientific studies have shown that practicing sports activities helps improve brain function and enhance attention and concentration.

Sports activity:

• Physical exercise increases the brain's release of hormones such as dopamine and norepinephrine, which contribute to enhancing attention and improving mood.

• Physical activity helps improve blood flow to the brain, which enhances cognitive functions such as concentration and attention.

• Sports are also a way to get rid of excess energy in students with attention deficit , which contributes to improving students' concentration and calming them down better during study periods.

The comprehensive impact of sports:

• The effect of sports activities on students with attention deficit is magical, as practicing sports activities is an important part of a comprehensive treatment plan for this disorder.

• By incorporating physical activity into their daily routine, students can benefit from improved focus and attention, and thus greater success in the classroom and in their personal lives in general.

• The social aspect of sports activities also has a positive impact on students with attention deficit disorder . Participation in sports activities can help boost students’ self-confidence and improve their social skills, leading to better interactions with others and a greater sense of belonging. This can help students better cope with challenges they may face in the academic environment in particular.

Benefits of Sports Activities for Students with Attention Deficit

The direct benefits of physical activities for students with attention deficit disorder then lead to long-term effects that may be important for improving their quality of life.

Skills from sports:

• Sports activities can be a way to learn time management and organization skills, as students learn to allocate part of their time to exercise regularly, which positively reflects on their academic performance and daily life.

• When a student allocates part of his daily time to exercise, such as running early in the morning or exercising after school, he learns how to organize his schedule and set priorities. Consequently, he has better time management and organizational skills, which positively reflects on his academic performance and his ability to complete tasks on time without procrastinating, and positively affects the quality of his daily life.

• After a period of time, sports can be a means of enhancing self-motivation and self-discipline, which essentially leads to improving students’ concentration , as practicing sports requires consistency and dedication, which is positively reflected in their ability to work hard and endure in the face of difficult challenges.

• If a student is involved in long-term athletic challenges, such as training for a marathon, at the beginning of the marathon preparation, the student may find it difficult to adhere to the increasing training schedule and the difficult physical requirements. With time, dedication to training, and continuity in practice, he will notice a gradual improvement in his performance and physical strength. The student will find himself gaining strong internal motivation to continue training and achieve his goals. His self-discipline grows significantly, as he learns how to control himself and overcome obstacles and challenges that may face him on the way to achieving his goals. Consequently, this strong motivation and self-discipline is reflected in his ability to focus and work hard during his studies, as he is equipped with the mental strength and determination he needs to overcome the difficult challenges in the academic path.

Diversity and impact of sports:

• Sports activities are varied and suitable for different students’ needs and interests. Some students may find interest in team sports such as football or basketball, while others prefer individual activities such as swimming or cycling.

• There may be a student who finds his passion in playing basketball. This student has a team spirit and enjoys collaborating with his teammates to achieve victories. He feels excited and enthusiastic during matches, and benefits from social integration and learning from his teammates’ experiences. On the other hand, another student may prefer to engage in swimming as an individual activity. This student finds peace and calm in the water, which helps him focus and relax . He can set his personal goals and work to achieve them independently, which enhances the feeling of self-motivation and the drive towards continuous improvement. This shows how sports activities can suit the different requirements and interests of students to lead to improving students’ focus , and provide them with the opportunity to enjoy an activity that suits their personality and achieves satisfaction and personal development.

• Sports activities are an opportunity to enhance communication between students and between coaches and supervisors, which can contribute to building positive and supportive relationships to enhance students’ self-confidence as well as a sense of belonging, which is something that those with attention deficit disorder are severely lacking.

• When students participate in a sports training class, such as a school soccer team, it gives them the opportunity to connect and interact with each other and their coaches. Students come together for regular practices and matches, where they share experiences and learn new techniques and strategies from each other. With this positive social environment, bonds form between students and coaches, helping to build friendly and supportive relationships. Students have a safe space to express themselves and share opinions and ideas, which builds self-confidence and a sense of belonging to the team. This positive connection can be particularly beneficial for students with attention deficit disorder, who find a supportive and stimulating environment to improve their social skills and build self-confidence.

Sports with treatment:

• Sports activities are not a substitute for medical treatment that students with attention deficit disorder may need, but they are a valuable and effective addition to improving their quality of life and helping them achieve their full potential in academic and personal life.

• When a student with attention deficit disorder is receiving medical treatment, he or she may also be directed to engage in physical activity as part of the overall treatment plan. For example, a physician may recommend that the student engage in regular exercise, such as brisk walking or swimming, in addition to medication or therapy. Physical activity can be a valuable addition to medical treatment, helping to improve the health of the body, mind, and emotions.

• Sports activities help strengthen the body, increase energy levels , and improve students’ concentration and mood, which enhances the feeling of motivation and positivity. Moreover, sports activities help provide students with an opportunity to relieve and relax, which reduces the levels of stress and anxiety that may be associated with the disorder. It is clear that sports activities are not a substitute for medical treatment, but rather an important complement to it, as they contribute to improving the quality of life of students with attention deficit disorder and help them achieve their full potential in academic and personal life.

Sports and focus in the journey of academic success

Given the multiple benefits of physical activities on the concentration of students with attention deficit, there are suggestions for some practical steps to encourage these students to engage in regular physical activity.

Encourage family participation:

• As a parent, you would prefer to play sports with your children to encourage them, whether by doing physical activities at home or by joining sports clubs outside school.

• As a family, you can go for a walk as a form of exercise together. This type of family interaction contributes to building strong family relationships and enhancing the physical and mental health of all family members.

Providing guidance and support:

• Teachers and coaches should provide guidance and support to students with attention deficit to help them choose appropriate sports activities and motivate them to continue practicing them.

• The mature approach of teachers and coaches in terms of guiding and discussing a variety of sports options with students and helping them to identify the activity that suits their abilities and interests, in addition to providing moral support and praising the students’ efforts, can encourage these students to continue practicing physical activity by providing them with the necessary assistance and resources.

Providing an environment conducive to physical activity:

• If you are a parent and your child is struggling with attention deficit, you should provide an environment that is conducive to exercise. This environment may include open play areas, fitness facilities, and appropriate sports equipment.

Encourage general healthy habits:

• Students should be encouraged to follow general healthy habits including a healthy, balanced diet and adequate sleep, which can enhance their ability to concentrate and pay attention .

Encourage competitions and mind games:

• Relaxation and focus elements can be included in sports activities, such as meditation exercises, which help calm the mind and improve students' concentration .

Mental health care:

• Teachers in schools should be sensitive to students' mental and psychological needs, and provide necessary support and guidance to students with attention deficit disorder in particular.

Providing integrated educational programs:

• Sports activities can be integrated into integrated educational programmes, aiming to improve students' concentration and develop their self-management and organisational skills.

The role of sports activities in enhancing self-confidence among students

Self-confidence is one of the most important qualities that can greatly affect an individual’s life, especially during youth and childhood. In a world full of challenges and pressures, psychological support and personal development play a crucial role in shaping an individual’s personality, enhancing their positive thinking and facing challenges. Hence, sports activities come as an effective means to stimulate self-confidence in students, through several different aspects.

Achieving personal accomplishments and progress:

• When playing sports, students are exposed to repeated opportunities for personal achievement and progress. Whether it is improving their physical skills, or achieving new athletic goals, each success builds self-confidence and fosters a sense of pride and positivity.

• Students can improve their athletic skills such as fitness, strength and flexibility, which enhances their sense of competence and independence. Additionally, sports can help students achieve their personal and athletic goals, whether it’s improving their running time or increasing the number of weights they can lift, which boosts their self-confidence and gives them extra motivation to achieve more. Winning a sports match or improving their personal performance may be just what they need to feel victorious and motivated to move forward. These positive experiences promote self-satisfaction and help to enhance mental and emotional health. Therefore, it can be said that achieving personal achievements and progress in sports is an essential part of the benefits that students with attention deficit can achieve. It is important to support and encourage them to continue achieving their athletic and personal goals, as this contributes to improving students’ focus , enhancing their self-confidence and improving their overall quality of life.

Developing social skills:

• By playing sports in a group environment, students with attention deficit learn how to cooperate and communicate with others, and how to deal with challenges and difficulties in a constructive and positive way. This contributes to enhancing students' self-confidence and self-esteem.

• When students participate in a sports team such as football or basketball, they learn how to cooperate with their teammates to achieve common goals and how to communicate effectively during games and practices. They also learn how to control emotions and react to challenges and stressors that may arise during games, which enhances their skills in controlling emotions and developing patience and endurance.
• Playing sports in a group environment can enhance social relationships between students, as they share common experiences and build new friendships. These relationships can be supportive and motivating, as students share experiences and encourage each other to improve and develop. Through these positive social relationships, students learn how to treat others with respect and appreciation, which enhances their social skills and thus contributes to building their self-confidence.

Learn to endure and excel:

• While practicing sports and its challenges, students learn how to deal with failure and keep trying to achieve success. This contributes to developing the ability to endure and withstand challenges, thus enhancing self-confidence.

• When playing team sports such as soccer, students may experience some losses or struggle to achieve personal goals such as improving their physical skills. However, from these experiences, they learn how to deal with failure and use it as an opportunity to learn and grow. For example, when a team loses a match, students learn how to deal with this defeat with sportsmanship and how to work on improving their performance next time instead of giving in to frustration. Additionally, when setting personal goals such as increasing the number of laps they swim or increase the distance they run, students learn how to commit to training and challenging tasks to achieve those goals. These experiences help students build their resilience and determination to succeed despite the odds, and enhance their determination to achieve their goals. With each challenge they overcome, students’ self-belief and confidence in their ability to succeed increase, which enhances their sense of self-confidence and excellence.

Motivating challenge and personal development:

• Sports provide an ideal environment to experience challenges and develop leadership skills and personal excellence. When students encounter challenges in sports practice , they learn how to deal with them effectively and strive towards achieving set goals, which enhances their sense of competence and self-confidence.

Providing opportunities for self-expression:

• Through sports, students can express themselves and develop their personal identity. Whether they choose to join sports teams or play sports individually, sports give them an opportunity to express their talents and interests.

Promote discipline and organization:

• Playing sports requires discipline and organization, whether it is organizing an exercise schedule or following a healthy diet. These life skills learned through sports help improve students’ focus and ability to control their lives.

Provide opportunities to learn from failure:

• In the world of sports activities, students learn the importance of failure and how to deal with it constructively. Failure is not the end of the road, but can be the beginning of learning and improvement. This experience enhances students’ self-confidence and makes them feel ready to face the challenges ahead.

Sports activities are one of the most important factors that play an effective role in improving the concentration of students with attention deficit, which is positively reflected in their academic and personal performance. In addition, sports activities stimulate the secretion of chemicals in the brain responsible for feelings of happiness and comfort, which contributes to reducing levels of stress and anxiety that may negatively affect concentration. It is important to understand that sports activities are not only important for improving physical fitness, but they also have a significant impact on mental health and mental focus. From this standpoint, parents should accept their children's personalities if they face challenges with attention deficit, encourage them to exercise regularly, and provide appropriate environments that facilitate their practice of sports activities with ease so that they can enjoy the benefits of sports and its positive impact on their lives in general.