The Greater Game: more than just football
Maintaining your health looks different for everyone. However one chooses to focus on maintaining their health, it’s important to start healthy habits at a young age. The Greater Game, a program started in England recently, aims to use the power of football to improve young people’s health and well-being.
Currently, there are numerous factors that make it difficult for young people to maintain good mental and physical health. Social norms, lack of resources, and not enough time may contribute to the fact that less than half of kids aged 12 to 16 in the UK exercise regularly for one hour per day and that 1 in 5 children leave primary school classified as obese.
The Greater Game uses four pillars to inspire young people to “make at least one healthier action per week.” These pillars include moving well, thinking well, eating well, and sleeping well. Each pillar focuses on an important aspect of health, specifically focusing on getting exercise, supporting mental health resources, eating a balanced diet, and getting enough quality sleep. With young people as the target audience of this campaign, these good habits can form from a young age and carry into adulthood where they will be maintained long term.
Do you think these four pillars encapsulate all aspects of health for young people? Are there any aspects to health that are missing?
https://www.englandfootball.com/participate/The-Greater-Game/Our-Pillars
I think all of these pillars are necessary for young people to be healthy. As a kid growing up, my parents were very keen on me being active when I was young. Whether it was sports, eating, and sleeping. I was a very active kid growing up. I played all kinds of sports and played basketball in high school. I think just creating a routine for yourself growing up, It will make it so much easier for you in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, I don't think you could get rid of any of these categories and maintain being healthy. I do think that these pillars are missing an aspect of social health-- it is important for youth to maintain social relationships to stay healthy. You make a very good point about the importance of a routine with good habits when you are young. It will definitely make things easier in the long run.
DeleteZach Lichtman - The Greater Game pillars is very interesting to see. I have subconsiously realized that playing sports and staying active when you are young is amazing for mental health, and now that I see it written down, it makes even more sense to me. These pillars are a great structure for staying healthy mentally and physically and it promotes healthy habits when you are growing as a young person. There are different factors that could be mentioned such as being able to be social. In team sports when you are young, I think it is important to be social and look to connect with teamates and friends to better your life. While the pillars are a great structure, socializing is another step towards being better with your mental health because friends and connections are amazing for that.
ReplyDeleteYou make a great point about socializing being another important factor to prioritize when considering how sports can help young people improve their health. Social connections and support systems are so fundamental to having good mental and physical health and set the foundation for almost everything else, including the 4 pillars The Greater Game focuses on.
DeleteThe four pillars of "moving well, thinking well, eating well, and sleeping well" encompass crucial aspects of overall health for young people. These pillars effectively address the foundations of physical activity, mental well-being, nutrition, and sleep hygiene, providing a comprehensive approach to cultivating healthy habits. While these pillars lay a strong foundation, it's essential to consider the broader spectrum of social, emotional, and environmental factors influencing health. Encouraging positive relationships, fostering resilience, and addressing societal influences are additional dimensions that could complement the existing pillars. Overall, the four pillars provide a robust framework, and any expansion should aim to enhance, rather than dilute, the effectiveness of promoting holistic well-being among young individuals.
ReplyDeleteYou said this very well, and I totally agree-- The Greater Game's four pillars encompass a lot, yet not everything, about maintaining good health. As you mentioned, I think if The Greater Game expands it would be beneficial if it begins to incorporate how to build positive relationships, resilience, and specific societal factors into their education. This way, they can promote more specific strategies for more specific populations.
DeleteI think the four pillars are a good representation of health in the younger generations. Physical health is something that is not practiced enough today with the younger generation, especially with the new technologies being used. The initiative is a good way to inform young people on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I also think the mentioning of mental health is very important, which I believe the pillar "thinking well" promotes. Mental health needs to be talked about more as it is just as important as physical health.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, the importance of encouraging focus on both physical and mental health for young people is more important now than ever. As the world changes and more goes on in children's lives, it's important to keep the focus on the basics and to not let fundamental aspects of maintaining your health fall into the background.
DeleteThe four pillars are essential in this day and age. There are many europeans that grew up only playing grass root sports, or incorporating it into their day-day lives. This carried on with them through adult hood. In the US, the majority of people played elite sports which typically ended after high school or college. Once these sports ended, most people will just stop exercising or only work out once a week. The greater game is making a huge difference in the UK, and the US should look to follow in their footsetps.
ReplyDelete-TylerB