Research on the promotion of healthy development of children and adolescents through off-campus sports training

Abstract

With the development of society and the evolution of educational concepts, the physical and mental health development of children and adolescents has received widespread attention. This study aims to explore the role of off-campus sports training in promoting the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, as well as the mechanisms involved. The research employs a combination of literature review, theoretical analysis, and empirical research to systematically analyze the impact of off-campus sports training on the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, and to propose corresponding countermeasures and recommendations. The study conducts a literature review to outline the current research status of sports training for children and adolescents both domestically and internationally. It finds that while existing studies have confirmed the positive impact of physical activities on the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, there is still a lack of systematic research on off-campus sports training. Based on this, the study constructs a theoretical framework for the impact of off-campus sports training on the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, which includes Social Learning Theory, Educational Ecology Theory, and others, and proposes research hypotheses. Using an empirical research method, the study targets 305 fifth and sixth-grade students from C Primary School in B District, A City. Through cluster sampling, the students are randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group receives an additional hour of basketball training each week for eight weeks, in addition to regular school physical activities. By comparing data before and after the experiment, the study employs a Randomized Controlled Trial and difference-in-differences method to statistically test the results, assessing the impact of off-campus sports training on aspects such as teamwork, self-control, interpersonal communication, resilience, and emotional regulation in children and adolescents. The research results indicate that off-campus sports training significantly enhances students' teamwork, self-control, and interpersonal communication skills. Moreover, the improvement in these skills becomes more pronounced with increased training duration. However, the impact on qualities such as resilience and emotional regulation is not significant, which may be related to the short duration of the experiment. Further analysis reveals that non-only children exhibit more significant improvements in basketball training, while the educational level of parents does not significantly affect the training outcomes. These findings suggest that off-campus sports training, as an educational resource, plays an important role in promoting the physical and mental health development of children and adolescents, and its positive effects can transcend differences in family backgrounds. In light of these conclusions, the study proposes a series of recommendations, including optimizing the content and curriculum design of off-campus sports training, paying attention to individual differences, strengthening mental health education and support, promoting cooperation between families and schools as well as community involvement, enhancing teacher training and team building, and establishing long-term tracking, evaluation, and feedback mechanisms, aiming to provide guidance for the practice of off-campus sports training.