More than 80% of children worldwide do not get enough daily physical activity. When summer arrives, schools close, routines disappear, and sedentary behaviours tend to worsen.
But why is sport so important? Beyond the obvious health benefits, sport helps build healthy habits, values and relationships that are essential for personal development.
When sport disappears from children’s lives — even just for a few months — they lose ability, and with it, fundamental learning: how to handle frustration, show team spirit, practise discipline or develop the capacity to work together.
Hence, Fundación Xcalibur, we are committed to keeping our sports programmes running all year long, including during school holidays. Because it is not just about moving. It is about continuing to educate, and the older we get, the more vital it becomes. This article explores why sport should be present at every stage and when it becomes most critical:
Sport in childhood: learning through play
Childhood is a crucial stage for cognitive, emotional and social development. Sport does not just improve motor skills or physical health. It stimulates executive functions, enhances concentration, and strengthens emotional regulation.
Several studies show that physically active children perform better academically and develop greater frustration tolerance and resilience. However, recent figures from leading organisations raise serious concern:
- According to the WHO’s Global Status Report on Physical Activity 2022, 81% of children aged 11 to 17 are not sufficiently active.
- This figure is expected to worsen, due to rising screen time and limited access to safe play areas.
But challenges demand real, local, and targeted solutions, like our social-sports programmes in Uganda and Colombia, where over 300 children take part weekly in sport activities linked to a monthly value: respect, effort, empathy, among others. In this way, sport becomes a continuous and meaningful educational tool, helping children integrate social values naturally, and with joy.
Sport in adolescence: when it is needed most, it is often dropped
Adolescence is a critical crossroads. According to UNESCO, 49% of teenagers stop practising sport during this stage. The reasons are many: academic pressure, stereotypes, loss of interest or lack of access and opportunity. And yet, it is precisely when it is needed most. Why? Because sport in adolescence helps:
- Strengthen self-esteem
- Channel complex emotions
- Build positive and healthy social bonds
- Prevent risks such as school dropout, violence or isolation
As a result, Fundación Xcalibur continues working with teenagers throughout the summer, creating safe spaces where they can keep building trust and a sense of belonging — through sport.
Sport and women: a gap that begins far too early
Gender inequality is also evident in sport. In Spain, for instance:
- 83% of girls do not practise sport regularly
- 49% give it up during adolescence
This not only limits their rights today — it restricts their opportunities tomorrow. Because sport, too, is a powerful training ground for leadership. A study by Ernst & Young revealed that 94% of women in leadership roles played sports during their childhood or adolescence.
The data is clear: without access to play, there is also limited access to confidence, leadership and visibility.
In our programmes, we ensure the active participation of girls and adolescent women — not as a quota, but as a core belief: the right to play, to express themselves and to lead starts in childhood.
It is essential that girls and boys play together. For this reason, we work alongside professional athletes who, as agents of change, share their stories in schools — inspiring girls to keep practising sport, and boys to recognise women as leaders on the field. This way, we promote a more equitable sporting culture, where everyone has a place. By making real stories visible, we open new paths and create safe, inclusive and joyful spaces for every child.
Sport cannot disappear from their lives
Because it is not just movement that stops — a vital part of education halts too. The kind that is not found in books, but built through engagement and cooperation. That is why continuing sport during the summer isn’t just a nice idea — it’s necessary.
- Because sport teaches values
- Because it is both a refuge and a catalyst for growth
- Because the body keeps learning, even when school stops
And because when we stop playing, we stop building a shared future.
