Physical education and sports activities as a means of overcoming isolation and building social connections among children and school-aged youth

The loss of a stable social environment, forced displacement, and the disruption of established forms of communication and interpersonal interaction significantly affect the emotional state, behavioral strategies, and the ability of growing individuals to engage constructively with social reality. These factors lead to a decline in emotional well-being, a loss of the sense of belonging, a deficit of emotional contact, and the absence of connection with a group or community. In this context, physical education and sports activities emerge as effective tools for the socialization of children and school-aged youth. They are aimed at overcoming withdrawal and rebuilding trust in interpersonal relations. This article substantiates the potential of physical education and sports activities as a means of addressing social isolation and building social connections among children and youth. It identifies and characterizes effective forms of practice that facilitate social integration through physical culture, including team sports (football, volleyball, basketball, rugby, handball, etc.), sport-based games (active games, relays), sport- tourism activities (hiking, quests, orienteering), training camps and competitions with team ranking systems, and inclusive sports adapted for children with special educational needs. The article outlines methods that demonstrate high effectiveness in addressing manifestations of social isolation, fostering positive communication, and forming stable social bonds. These include role-distributed team tasks, rotation of participants (groups, teams), modeling of real-life situations, reflective evaluation circles, «peer support» systems (assigning each participant a mentor or team partner), self-governance in small groups, cooperative learning, and pedagogical mentorship.