“Health is wealth.” Those who have understood its importance will try to keep themselves fit.

Apart from a balanced diet, sports are necessary to maintain our health.

If we do not play regularly, our body does not develop.

Our body becomes weak. We may become a target for many of the diseases.

Sports are necessary for maintaining our health and physical fitness.

Sports ALSO helps in the overall development of a child.

physical activities helped students excel in academics as they improved memory power.

Sports are very important, not only to kids, but for adults as well.

When you play sports you meet so many people you probably wouldn't if you didn't play.

You get to know people that enjoy playing the same sport you do.

Sports aren't only fun, they keep you in shape.

You hone your skills, hand-eye coordination, speed, agility, endurance, and overall strength.

Sports bring people together and also set people apart. 'Sports' activity is integral to the all-round development of the human personality. Achievements in sports have a considerable bearing on the national prestige and morale.

India has had a rich tradition of sports and physical fitness. It was from here that the 'Guru-Shishya Parampara' came into vogue, with Arjuna, the archer par excellence as the 'Shishya' and Acharya Drona, the Guru. Modern India has honoured both, by instituting awards in their names for excellence in sports and coaching.

Unlike in the past, modern sports are highly competitive.

The use of modern equipment, nurturing of talent from a very tender age, stress on hard and physical training along scientific lines and introduction of modern infrastructure and highly sophisticated equipment have changed the very complexion of modern sports.

International sports events have become a show case of national pride and power.

Considering the importance of sports and games, the Government of India has taken a number of initiatives despite resource constraint to improve the standard of sports in the country.

However, a lot more remains to be done.

In order to bring about a radical change in the country's efforts to achieve excellence in sports,the Government has evolved a new National Sports Policy.

The new policy envisages broad-basing of sports, achievement of excellence in international sports events, provisioning of modern sports infrastructure, upgrading skills of our coaching fraternity, more efficient functioning of national sports federations, adequate sports-science back-up and active involvement of business and industry in promotion of sports.

It is hoped that these initiatives will help India grow into a sports power to reckon with.

The importance of sports in the life of a young student is invaluable and goes much further than the basic answer that "it keeps kids off the streets.

It does in fact keep kids off the streets, but it also instills lessons that are essential in the life of a student athlete.

Sports play a pivotal role in the makeup of a young athlete, especially in the middle school to high school years where student-athletes are much more mature and mentally developed.

Where else can a young, impressionable youth learn values like discipline, responsibility, self-confidence, sacrifice, and accountability?

Television, which may be the most influential tool in the lives of young adults, does not show enough of these qualities, nor is it on the Internet, or radio.

Rather it is up to the parents, teachers, sports teams, clubs, and after school programs to help mold, develop, and instill these qualities into the lives of student athletes.

I believe in order for this to happen, school sports programs must have a few components in place.

The first thing they need is a good core of coaches that understand the great responsibility that is placed upon their shoulders to help shape and prepare these student-athletes not only in sports, but in their everyday lives.

Yes, I did say coaches, because it is a responsibility that lies on the shoulders of more than one person and it is going to take more than one person to help lead these student-athletes to success.