Facts on youth sports 44 million children participated in some form of youth sports in the United States, 66 % boys and 34 % girls.

Most popular sports with girls More than 450,000 girls play school-sponsored basketball, making it the most popular. A close second with more than 425,000 participants was outdoor track and field, with volleyball, softball and soccer completing the top five. The National Federation of State High School Associations 2005

Most Popular sports among boys Football is by far the most popular for boys. More than 1 million boys play interscholastic football. The second biggest boys school sport is basketball with almost 550,000 players. The rest of the top five includes outdoor track and field, baseball and soccer.

WHY KIDS PLAY SPORTS To have fun, To improve skills, Stay in shape, Do something they were good at Fun competing.

Why Kids quit sports? Lost interest, Not having fun, Took too much time, The coach did not do a good job teaching how to play, Too much pressure placed on them. Socioeconomic factors Over emphasis on winning

Marathon…. Take my heart

Enhancing individual skills…… Cat –Walk

Teamwork…… Gossip

Social skills…….. 24/7 high alert

Role play…….. Self- Hypnosis

Physical advantages.. Strong muscles and circulatory system Burn calories from all junk food Release endorphins Hand-to-eye coordination Leadership skills

Legal rulings on physical activity It is Mustahabb. It is Waajib when it is required as part of disease treatment. Participative sports are preferred over spectator sports. Males and females should be separated in sports activities. Sports involving show of cruelty, high risk for participants or spectators, or gambling are either Haram or Makruuh.

Benefits of being fit.. Strength to undertake physical acts of ‘ibadat like salat or hajj Energy to undertake work to be economically productive Able to travel and engage in social activities such as visiting relatives, visiting the sick, and participating in Dawah

Word of Caution…. Addiction Commercialization Gambling Exposure of body parts Neglect of all responsibilities Risk games

Fiqh of sports…… Is it permissible for Muslims to make kites? Is it allowed to women to watch football games on Television ? What is Islamic ruling on Chess? Can A female participate in training sports with boys, while she wears hijab? Is it permissible for a woman to go with her female friends for games like bowling and so on?

What is the ruling on supporting sports teams? What is the ruling on playing Pokemon? What is the ruling on playing Karate? What is the ruling on doing dangerous sports, such as walking across tightropes in high places, jumping down from high places and staying in a cage with snakes? What is the ruling on going to funfairs?

Rasulullah (saw) prayed against laziness and incompetence and stressed regular physical activity and exercise. Prophet (saw) sanctioned horse riding, swimming, archery, spear playing, wrestling, running and playing with dolls (for girls).

“Mind gets tired, as do bodies, so treat them with humour and refresh your minds from time to time, for a tired mind becomes blind”. (Ali) “I entertain my heart with something trivial in order to make it stronger in the service of truth.” (Abu Darda)

Focus of activity from life of Rasulullah (saw) Stamina building Running Prolonged standing Teamwork Focusing (Bow & arrow, swimming, horse riding etc)

Activity….. Design a game which fulfills the following purpose: -Skills -Determination -Competition -Discipline -Physical fitness

Last Word…..