Part of me thinks that this is a wonderful thing, and part says that schools should encourage more team sports. School is really the only opportunity children have to try different team sports, whereas yoga and other more solitary exercises can be learnt once they leave school. If you have never played football or hockey, it is very hard to join a local club with no experience.

If the sports we play reflect our culture, this is a very promising sign. Rather than sports that reflect and glorify conflict, these celebrate excellence in human achievement. Nice.

It's about time they offered yoga in schools. I think it will be a long time before they do it here in Italy where I live. I would love to be able to promote this discipline. I have only recently, in the last three years, become conscious of my mind and body. The awareness of body sensations through yoga is extraordinary. Children need to be taught this at at young age.

I 'm not sure if you're implying this or not, but I don't think one should pit competitive sports against non-competitive activities where one is said to be superior in any way to the other.

Either can be approached in a Yogic or un-Yogic way and either can be healthy or unhealthy. It's all a matter of matching the person's personality to the activity.

I grew up in competitive sports and have continued to compete my entire life--tennis, basketball, windsurfing. It's been one of the best things in my life.

As I have become more and more deeply involved in Yoga, it never occurred to me that it was inconsistent with competition. In fact some of the best sports psychology stuff has always been based on Eastern spirituality. But Yoga has changed the way I approach tennis. See:

"Yoga Tennis"
http://yogademystified.com/yoga-tennis/

Bob Weisenberg
http://YogaDemystified.com

Marcia, good point about team sports as a group activity. This aspect is at least as important as the competition. I played both tennis and basketball in high school. I loved both, but I learned a lot more about how to work with other people and work for the good of the team in basketball.

Bob Weisenberg
http://YogaDemystified.com

Good point Marcia. I never even learned about team sports at home, so learning at school was difficult, and I would never have thought of joining a club.
I am mostly excited that schools are offering these things. It is a great way for kids who are not comfortable with team sports to still learn to exercise and be active.

Well, I teach lunch hour and after school yoga in elementary schools, and find that though there is definately an influx in children choosing yoga, many of them are taking it because it actually complements their soccer, field hockey, what-have-you. They are learning about a balanced life and this I find so pleasing.
When my own daughter was younger,Ishe came to countless yoga classes with me, she is naturally flexible and everyone thought she'd follow in my footsteps and become a yoga teacher. Au contraire! She has ditched yoga for team sports, thrives on a team. She doesn't necessarily have the competitive nature for these sports, but she enjoys them and that's what counts. All in balance, right?

It's important that governments see yoga as a life skill, in much the same way they do swimming. Self-esteem is a huge issue with kids. Competitive sport can give children self confidence but it doesn't necessarily mean that they have self-esteem. Self-confidence changes from moment to moment but self-esteem is constant. It comes from learning to be still - in body but mainly in the mind. That's when you get in touch with your true essence and when you do there is nothing you cannot like. This leads to fearlessness. You can then fly. No one can ever hurt you with words. You feel strong. You get honest. You become intuitive. You develop compassion. You start to really like yourself. And that is the greatest gift of all!