For my free inquiry project, I’d like to take you on a seven-week journey to explore why I believe sports are such an asset to childhood development. As a mom of two kids, ages 3 and 6, I see every day how much sports shape who they are becoming. Our weeks are full with snowboarding, skiing and hockey in the winter. Followed by dirt biking, soccer, baseball, mountain biking, gymnastics, and even a little golf throughout the rest of the year. Watching them fall, miss, try again, and finally succeed has convinced me that sports are about far more than keeping kids busy or active. They’re building blocks for growth.

Throughout this project, I’ll explore how sports support physical development, cognitive growth, social and emotional learning, as well as inclusion, equity, and the role parents and communities play in making sports accessible.

Sports touch so many areas of development. Physically, they build strength, coordination, and balance. Mentally, kids learn focus and persistence; how to keep working at something even when it feels hard. Socially, they discover how to be part of a team, share space, and celebrate both wins and losses. Emotionally, they practice handling disappointment, frustration, and the pride that comes when effort pays off. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 73% of parents believe that sports benefit their children’s mental health.

The World Health Organization recommends that children ages 5–17 spend at least one hour per day in moderate to vigorous activity, at least three times a week. It also warns that higher levels of sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents are linked to poor health outcomes: increased adiposity, lower cardiometabolic health and fitness, poor behavioural conduct, and reduced sleep duration.

With the amount of time kids spend on screens, sports feel more important than ever. They give kids chances to move, connect, and test themselves. When my daughter misses a goal in hockey or my son falls snowboarding, I can see the frustration in the moment, but I also see the choice: do they give up, or do they try again? Those small moments show so much resilience. They’re learning grit and problem-solving that will matter in school, in friendships, and later in life.

For me, as both a mom and a university student training to become a teacher, I see sports as more than just playtime. They’re opportunities to build confidence, character, and life skills. I don’t care if my kids ever become great athletes, the point is that they’re learning persistence, teamwork, and self-belief. These lessons will follow them into the classroom and throughout their lives.

Sports aren’t just for fun or a way to pass the time. They’re shaping the way kids see themselves and what they believe they’re capable of. And as someone who will soon be in the classroom with other people’s children, I’m reminded daily why these early experiences matter so deeply in childhood development.