How Football Can Benefit Schools and Pupils

What Are The Benefits Of Introducing Football In Schools?

So we’ve already made some big claims. It may appear to some that we’ve put football on a supersized pedestal already. But you’ll soon see for yourself that we can stand by our claims.

To begin, here’s a summary of the advantages of football in school for both the students and the school.

For The Students

• Encourages an active lifestyle.
• Children develop crucial communication skills through football.
• Helps to stimulate social skills.
• Enhances and teaches team skills and teamwork.
• Develops fundamental movement skills.

For The School

• Help schools to meet the national curriculum requirements for physical education through all key stages.
• Improves academic performance.
• Helps to meet recommendations in ‘The Childhood Obesity Plan’ from Public Health England for what works in schools and colleges to increase physical activity in students.
• It’s an easy, low cost, all gender inclusive sport to implement both as a playground sport and as part of the curriculum.

The Childhood Obesity Plan from Public Health England features several references to studies that demonstrate how regular exercise, like football, has a positive impact on long-term academic performance. For example, the studies featured shows how physical exercise improves concentration and working memory and also improves a child’s self-esteem and confidence.

How Can You Begin Introducing Football To Your Primary School Students?

So how do you introduce play and technical/skill-based games to your students? Here are a few ideas:

Football and ball work is perfect for helping you to meet the national curriculum requirements for physical education at key stages one and two.

KS1 focuses on lessons to help children develop fundamental movement skills, and to develop confidence in agility, balance and coordination; both independently and with peers. Students should learn basic skills like running, throwing, catching and jumping. And should participate in team games to develop tactics for simple attacking and defending.

And at KS2, children continue developing the skills they’ve learnt in KS1 and now begin to learn how to use them in a variety of different ways. For example: to take purposeful actions, like a ‘sequence of movement’.

This is where children learn to communicate and collaborate with each other and begin to understand how to improve their skills while developing skills in recognising and evaluating their progress. It’s at this stage where modified football is suggested as one of several sports that are perfect for developing this level of attacking and defending skills.

According to the national curriculum guidelines, KS2 pupils should:

• Continue to apply (and develop) a broader range of skills.
• Learn how to use these skills in different ways so that they can link them to make actions and sequences of movement.
• Enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other.
• Develop an understanding of how to improve in different sports or physical activities.
• Learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success.
• Take part in outdoor adventurous activity challenges individually and as part of a team.

Football anyone?

Skills like ball manipulation skills (toe taps, inside outside and sole rolls) or ‘turns’ are recommended. We Make Footballers describes these techniques and lists three turns that are perfect for children ages 6 – 8: the drag back, the L-turn and the Cruyff turn. They’re the perfect type of football skills for physical education classes to teach, and are easy for children to practice at home or in the playground.

It goes without saying that schools that encourage football play in playgrounds during break times give their students the perfect opportunity to burn off their extra energy between classes. You also give students opportunities to practice their skills. Not just ball skills but those that help with social development, communication and academic performance.

However, in the earlier stages of school (KS1 and KS2) you might need to provide equipment, encouragement and supervision to help your students make the most of this opportunity.

The good thing about sports like football is that most children will enjoy the experience. Schools can take advantage of this by stacking football activities in after school clubs that support your lessons and playground activities. In doing so, you’ll further encourage children to really get involved with the sport — helping them to stay focused on the development of these football skills outside of PE class.

Ways To Encourage Lifelong Participation In Football Amongst Students In Your School

We all know that good experiences in childhood can lead to the long-term enjoyment of a subject. And sports, or physical education is no different. If you can create the right kind of experience with football for your students, they’ll reap this positive influence on their lives for years to come. You complete most of the hard work through the curriculum, especially so if you’ve continued to encourage children with their ball skills in the playground and in afterschool clubs. But there are a few extra considerations you might like to make to accelerate the football experience for your students such as:

Encourage Consistent Play

“Anyone can play a game of football, you see a game on a Sunday, pub games, they all love a game of football. The real players had a practice ethic about them”— Alex Ferguson.

Maintaining consistency (even when it’s raining, boiling hot or during school holidays) not only helps students develop the discipline to participate in their sports activities no matter the weather or circumstance, but it also keeps up the momentum and leads to success. Not to mention, if you can avoid weather disruptions within your school you will find it easier to maintain routine, and keep up their efforts to encourage children to play outdoors, participate in physical sports, and live a healthier life.

But as a school, how do you support this need for consistency?

When the sun is beaming down, you have an obligation to keep your students safe from the harmful UV rays the sun brings. And when it’s raining, you need to be certain that your students won’t be cold and wet for the rest of their school days. But at the same time, you’re obligated to encourage outdoor play and meet your curriculum requirements.

MUGA sports pitches are perfect for all weather sports, when you can’t run around on a soggy field. But they don’t solve the other issues, like providing protection from the sun, wind or rain. Fortunately there’s a simple solution. MUGA sports canopies and playground shelters are becoming an increasingly popular solution and for good reason. They provide the necessary protection from the elements, allow for increased playtime and sun protection, with very little maintenance required.

How Does Secondary School Football Games Differ To Those Played In Primary School?

Secondary schools should have outside spaces that are suitable for use for at least seven hours per week during term-time, but they’re often in use for much longer than that! Many secondary schools feature MUGA pitches, but they’ll likely have more than one.

They’ll also have full-size pitches too for a variety of sports.

At these stages KS3 and KS4 students are becoming more confident in their skills. They will master some of them and should know what makes physical activities effective and how to apply them to their own experience. It’s at this stage where they should start to develop confidence and interest in exercise and sports activities. They should also begin to participate in physical activities outside of school. This is where students begin to participate in competitive football matches and start to learn how the game is really played. Their success depends on their dedication and their early skill training.