The Impact of Additional Sports Activities on the Development of Students in General Education Schools

Abstract

Sports can be diverse – dual career, sports for the general public, youth sports, and other levels. However, the level of general education schools is vital, as it is compulsory in the Latvian education system. Thus, for approximately 70% of Latvian children and young people, sports lessons are the only places to do sports. The study’s author has analyzed the “Sport everyone in the class” project organized by the Latvian Olympic Committee. The essence of the project is related to additional sports activities that depend on the capabilities of the particular school – both in terms of infrastructure and human resources. A quantitative and qualitative survey method has been performed. Data were obtained from 26 schools participating in the project. Number of respondents – students – n-582. The author analyzed the impact of additional sports activities on students’ work ethic, learning achievements, physical fitness, etc. Data were processed using the Windows SPSS program. It is concluded that students improve their ability to concentrate and complete the learning process and their eating habits. In qualitative surveys – interviews with school management, it was found that this type of process is recommended for all educational institutions because the benefits are more than the negative factors.