With the pressure of mounting population and the need for more residences and offices, steel, concrete and glass structures are mushrooming every day, encroaching upon the green spaces which were earlier available for kids to play in, thus making playgrounds rare. Additionally, land grabbing and illegal constructions are taking away the parks and playgrounds. Further, due to the reduction of green cover, there is a drastic reduction in open spaces for kids to play around.

Even in schools, playgrounds are becoming rare due to lack of space and being replaced with concrete paved areas. Though it offers a space for kids’ activities, it doesn’t provide any physical or health benefits or the therapeutic value and rejuvenation provided by a playground. 

Owing to lack of green spaces to play, kids take to video games, movies, tabs, mobiles, increasing their screen time which increases their addiction to the same which is detrimental at various levels: makes them physically weak, can lead to obesity if doubled up with an unhealthy diet, does not stimulate their minds, can lead to a host of other physical and mental health disorders among many other side effects. The absence of adequate exposure to the sun is linked to depression, weak bones and muscle development among kids. 

The clubs come to the rescue in such situations. They are safe spaces with a lot of greenery, outdoor sports options, and coaching options.

•  With excellent quality outdoor sports facilities, it’s limited to usage by kids and other sports enthusiasts in the family.
•  The qualitative sports facilities ensure safe playing and bring out the best of potential enthusiasts.
• The availability of coaching across various sports allows children and adults to explore multiple sports and narrow down to one of their choices to be pursued.

 The advantages of playing in open, green spaces are multifold.

• Positive impact on children’s physical health 
  • Firstly, it helps in making kids physically healthier. 
    • It involves a lot of use of motor skills which get enhanced with use.
    • Improvement in eye-hand coordination 
    • It burns more calories, keeping obesity and other lifestyle disorders at bay and strengthening bones and muscles.
    • Playing in the sun also aids in the production of Vitamin D, which further strengthens their bones, making for a healthy foundation. It activates the pineal gland, which is associated with robust immune systems and makes them feel happy.
    • Free play in the fresh air reduces stress levels and keeps kids happy. 
• Social and Emotional Development
  • Secondly, it aids cognitive and social/emotional development.
    • Unstructured outdoor play helps kids understand concepts of social living – cooperation, sharing, bonding, empathy.
    • While inventing and playing games with siblings, adults or other kids, their communication, cooperation and organizational skills improve. 
    • The kind who have played in the open in their childhood tend to appreciate nature and become environment-friendly adults.
• Sensory skill enhancement
  • Thirdly, it helps improve sensory skills.
    • Kids, when playing outside, develop better distance vision as their eyes practise to do the same regularly.
    • Most kids’ learning is sensorial – when playing outside, all their senses are used to learn about new things, which adds to their delight. Therefore, this helps them use all their senses to the fullest, which sharpens the same; compared to those kids glued to devices, they only end up using two senses (visual and auditory), which can adversely impact their perceptual abilities.
• New skills via coaching
  • Fourthly, coaching helps them learn various new skills. 
    • During coaching, people interaction and management skills are required to navigate their way with peers, juniors, and adults. This social interaction provides life lessons that cannot be taught or learnt in any classroom.
    • Learning a new skill – learning new rules, techniques of the sport etc., which enhances their mental capacity. 
    • Their solo time away from friends and family members is the first step towards the taste of independence they learn to navigate.

Therefore, for metro cities like Mumbai, clubs provide an excellent opportunity for kids, working millennials, youngsters and others the joy of playing in open spaces and pursuing a sport in a great and safe environment which can lead to them having better quality of life, overall physical and mental well being. Clubs double up as spaces to rejuvenate oneself and enjoy life to the fullest.