5 Apps for Student Sports Lovers

Finding out what students are fond of can be daunting. And making each lesson interactive and motivating for young learners is even more challenging. Since students rarely share the same interests, teachers constantly struggle to find a one-fits-all solution.

However, a few general topics rate high in every student’s life. Among others, sports is an all-time talking point among boys and girls today. Many students love sports and are fascinated by their favourite athletes’ and professional teams’ statistics. Moreover, they are eager to discover scores, compare figures, track transfers, and predict future performance.

If this is your experience as a teacher, figuring out how to transform every lesson into an engaging journey becomes easy. Your task after examining hobbies and interests is to develop the curriculum goals. This way, you can leverage students’ passions to attract their attention and stimulate a working environment.

The apps listed below serve more than one purpose. Besides sharing the latest news, images, and video clips, they offer score updates and relevant articles on multiple sports topics. Try each app to inspire your audience in the classroom and meet their learning objectives.

NFL Play 60 (iOS, Android)

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The American Heart Association designed this app to empower youth to be fit and healthy. The ultimate aim of the wellness campaign is to encourage children to do physical exercise for at least 60 minutes a day. Anything from running and walking to jumping and turning is acceptable to reach the daily goal.

James Cords, who is a children’s health specialist and also works as a writer for PapersOwl, claims: “Using technology for developing healthy habits is a great way to make the kids or even students exercise. They love playing with apps, and it will be easy to attract their attention. Besides, they can virtually visit stadiums in several cities and learn some geography.” He goes on by saying: “At least 60minutes of sport every day will have a tremendous influence on the child’s physical and mental health as well as general wellbeing.”

What makes this app so appealing is the ability to collect lots of play points and customize personal avatars. By improving their overall physical fitness, kids unlock the latest NFL gear.

Newsela (iOS)

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Take the learning activity one step further by implementing the Newsela mobile app. The fast-growing educational platform abounds with reading topics in endless niches available at five Lexile levels. It aims to provide meaningful and engaging content for every app user.

The Sports section includes versatile texts on current events. It boasts comprehensive news coverage on the most popular sport in the world, besides other important topics. Each app segment offers highly informative readings beneficial for all learners. And the author’s choice of articles is ideal for students who struggle to explore text structure.

Use the Newsela app in the classroom to enhance reading and understanding through high-interest materials. Pick a levelled text that best suits your learners’ needs. They can work individually, do group reading, or engage with the whole class. Nowadays, over ten million people use curated Newsela texts to become better readers.

Nike+ Run Club (iOS, Android)

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Sports apps collect various information about our lifestyle and help us improve it. One such tool is the comparable fitness app Nike+ Run Club for all iOS and Android devices.

NRC lets users connect with peers and other enthusiastic runners through personal experiences, goals, and challenges. And though students might not be aware of the abundant data at their disposal, fitness apps like these are packed with information. You only need to have the inspiration to use games for educational purposes.

As a teacher, consider exploiting the potential of wearables for storytelling. Comprehensive fitness data reveals a massive analysis of a person’s day and can inspire writers to develop their skills. Use activity graphs as a writing prompt and ask students to create authentic stories.

NFL (iOS, Android)

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NFL is an app that enables watching live local and primetime games. And the best thing is that users have multiple options to enjoy sports. While some parts are more appealing to students, educators can skip video replays and stick to feature stories. In addition, the stats section provides excellent resources to use in the classroom.

Let’s check a few examples of connecting content and curriculum. Tell students to compare the rushing yards of two opposing teams and practice their math skills. Students can also find averages of their favourite player’s performance over the entire season.

Youngsters keen on the National Football League will love the official app on their phones because they can manage tickets. In addition, it streams matches and includes comprehensive schedules and breaking news. Updates run 24/7 to highlight the latest events, and the Game Pass is available for an extra fee.

Sports Illustrated Kids Magazine (iOS, Android)

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Learners learn by accessing the interactive issues of the magazine. Each edition allows them to follow stories and get a free issue after downloading the app. However, the annual subscription and individual copies cost extra. So, how can educators use this app in class?

Digital magazines like SI Kids can help teachers pick highly engaging texts. Students can answer multiple choice questions, unscramble sentences, and make predictions. Once elaborated in detail, the teacher can assign a writing assignment.

To Summarize

If you’ve integrated sports apps or other engaging learning tools to keep your learners’ hands full, keep up the excellent work. Choosing apps related to student interests helps kids of all ages engage with informational writing and develop individual passions. Moreover, they access interactive sports news that makes them wonder and dig deeper.

Responding to the student’s needs also shows them that you listen to their inner voice. Soon, you’ll realize that your efforts are worthwhile because students will follow your example.