I have been at St. John's College over the past couple months to practice soccer and while I am there I have stayed around to watch various youth organizations practice organized sports out on the field. Primary and secondary school children of all ages are out every day playing soccer and rugby on the fields under the supervision of several adult coaches. There are girls and boys playing both of the sports as well, although rugby is more male-dominated.
This is contrary to primary school from where I grew up. In order to play soccer, I had to pay money to join a community recreational team or pay more for a club team (in order to get more competitiveness). However, these children seem to be part of an after school program that buses them to the fields a few times a week to practice. I have had this experience through high school, but not before that. I think it is a great opportunity for kids to improve many aspects of their life. The most obvious one is their athletics and fitness, which is good to keep kids active and living a healthy lifestyle. Also they are improving their social skills and making more friends (hopefully) within a structured manner. This is one thing that I wish was implemented more within the U.S. education system, as kids would stay out of trouble more and hopefully get in the habit of daily exercise and discipline.
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