Football can be a demanding obligation to sign up for as a youth who is still undergoing schooling.
Given that their schedules are usually chock-full with other activities, from academic commitments to other co-curricular activities (CCAs) to recreational pastimes, youths participating in competitive football often end up juggling an increased number of responsibilities. Nevertheless, this has not seemed to deter many youths in Asia from taking up the sport despite the multiple expectations that come with doing so.
The numerous benefits that the youth can gain from regularly playing team sports such as football have been widely acknowledged. Physical benefits that come with playing sports in general include improved fitness, coordination, stamina and cardiorespiratory health. Team sports can also contribute greatly to a child’s mental and emotional development as they are exposed to more opportunities to enhance their social skills such as communication, cooperation and learning how to form and maintain healthy relationships. Participating in sports regularly can also help augment a youth’s sense of belonging and community as they collaborate to pursue collective goals.
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, however, temporarily deprived youths of opportunities to experience these benefits, as societies were forced to implement a variety of restrictions in order to curb the spread of the virus. As a result of these restrictions, Asia witnessed a drastic reduction of participants in competitive
