“Emma is 10 years old. She’s working on a math assignment from school but doesn’t understand the problem. Frustrated, she crumples the paper, throws it away, starts crying, yelling, and says: “I hate math, I’m terrible at it, I’m dumb.”
What’s happening to Emma—the most common girl’s name registered in Chile in 2024—is becoming increasingly common among children and adolescents. Following the pandemic, behavioral issues in children have significantly increased, particularly in the socioemotional sphere. Symptoms such as sadness, apathy, irritability, changes in appetite, and sleep disturbances have become more frequent.
According to the National Survey for Monitoring Educational Establishments During the Pandemic (November 2022), 24% of schools reported that “motivation and emotional well-being” were among the most pressing challenges for their students.
Let’s go back to Emma. She starts attending a nearby field hockey school. There too, she struggles with emotional regulation, but the coaches are trained to support this process. They validate her feelings, use calming techniques, and practice positive reinforcement. Meanwhile, her parents begin attending Positive Parenting workshops to apply the same strategies at home. It’s not easy—Emma gets frustrated when she doesn’t fully understand the rules or fails to score for her team.
But that’s what sports are: they naturally involve both success and failure. The constant experience of both can be seen as a form of emotional training. Add to that the value of teamwork, shared experiences with peers, discipline through adherence to game rules, and the application of emotional regulation techniques—such as breathing exercises—and the impact can be transformative.
This Sunday, April 6, we celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace—an excellent opportunity to highlight the role of physical activity as a powerful educational platform, especially in the realm of social-emotional learning. A child with a strong foundation in this area is better prepared to handle adversity, solve problems, and engage with others—skills that are crucial for their future.
Let’s not leave them adrift. Let’s support the development of their lives”.
—
Rosario Donoso
Director of Sports, Fundación Luksic
