Reasons for students' reluctance to participate in physical education and sports at the secondary level

Abstract

Physical education and sports are considered complementary to general education, playing a vital role in shaping and refining an individual's character in all physical, psychological, social, and intellectual aspects. This is achieved through various games, both individual and team-based. In educational institutions, it is often the only subject where students can express their pent-up emotions and pressures resulting from difficult social life and the intensity of academic subjects. Students find in it their only outlet through recreational, leisure, and competitive activities programmed within the class. It also plays a crucial role in identifying and discovering talents and individuals with physical and technical abilities in various individual and team activities, opening doors to excellence, championships, fame, and ultimately, professionalism, thus transitioning from an educational to a planned training approach. Despite all these advantages, physical education faces several obstacles that lead students to withdraw from it, offering excuses and medical certificates that result in partial or complete cessation of participation. This negatively impacts physical education in particular, and the development of well-rounded individuals who grow in all their intellectual and moral capacities.