Research On Causes And Countermeasures For The Current Situation Of University Extracurricular Sports In Some Areas Of China

Now the social economy is developing rapidly, and people’s living standard andthe level of both material and spiritual life have been greatly improved. Leisure timeand recreational activities have increased. However, these are not accompanied withimproved level of fitness and health. The last three decades’ monitoring of students’physical health shows, that university students’ physical fitness is on a continuousdownward trend. On May7th,2007CPC and the State Council issued―Advices onstrengthening youth sports and enhancing youth physique‖(The Central Document No.7), presenting requests and deployments for school sports work, as youth physique andhealth have drawn great national attention.This research selects the university extracurricular sports (both extracurricularactivities and physical exercises included) as the research objects. On one hand,university students are a special group whose physique and health are critical to thisnation’s future and destiny; on the other hand, higher education emphasizes onindependent studying, thus students’ time and energy being more spent out of the classand extracurricular sports of great significance to improving the students’ physique.This research combines science of physical culture and sports, pedagogy,psychology and sociology. Based on previous studies, it investigates on the currentsituation of regular university students’ extracurricular sports, and does researches ontheir motives for participating in sports and on the factors affecting them. This paperappeals to the university teachers and students to value extracurricular sports, hopingextracurricular sports can play the role of educating and strengthening people as theyare supposed to.The research results are following: 1、The majority of extracurricular sports organized in universitys are in the form ofcompetition which students know little about and even less do they participate in, andthere are more―all-around players‖taking part in the sports.2、University students spend little time in extracurricular exercises in a lowfrequency, and girls’ condition is worse. The ratio of―university extracurricular sportpopulation‖is only one third.3、Among the factors restricting university students to participate in extracurricularsports， the objective ones dominate: Heavy extracurricular academic burden, too hot orcold weather are the top two reasons, and the Internet occupies much extracurriculartime. Whether university students have exercise habits or not has little to do with theirparents’ education, as no correlation is showed.4、The inner motive is stronger in those who often participate than those who don’t;extracurricular sports in which boys and girls participate are different and their motivesvary, though girls are more interested in outdoor sports， roller skating andskateboarding.5、 University students prefer to participate in extracurricular activities andexercises freely and out of their own interests and hobbies. Their enthusiasm andinitiative need to be guided and enhanced. Some universities gradually innovate, enrichand optimize the forms and contents of extracurricular sports, having realized theimportance of cultivating students’ sports and humanity accomplishments.