11 Reasons Your Child Should Play Team Sports
Dhwani Shah
March 22, 2024
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4 min read
The COVID 19 pandemic has affected several aspects of childhood – screen time has replaced physical activity and staying at home has affected kids’ social skills. Team sports can provide an effective solution to these problems. While playing a sport is a great way to stay in shape, its benefits are not limited to physical health alone. Sports are an excellent way to develop soft skills and foster emotional and mental growth. Here are a few ways team sports facilitate child development-
Team sports provide a great setting for developing self esteem. When kids actively contribute to team results and see tangible outcomes of their hard work, they feel a sense of pride in not only their team’s, but also their own accomplishments. Moreover, receiving recognition and praise from a coach or teammate for a job well done goes a long way in boosting self-esteem and confidence.
Strong critical thinking skills help us make good decisions and solve problems; the two things that life demands from us at every stage . Sports players need to be quick and calculative and make effective decisions in high pressure situations. The decision to pass to a teammate or shoot a basket needs to be made in a split second. Each game offers different situations which require different tactics, strengths and weaknesses to be analyzed and used accordingly. The critical thinking skills developed while responding to these situations help children both on and off the field.
“We don't have to be smarter than the rest. We have to be more disciplined than the rest.” These words by Warren Buffet are relevant outside of investing. Discipline is a prerequisite for growth. Team sports train kids to be disciplined both physically and mentally. Long hours of practice and sometimes a controlled diet build self-restraint and empower their minds to deal with any situation. Good discipline is a pathway to achieving goals and reaching one’s full potential.
Assuming responsibility for something gone wrong doesn't come easy. Yet, it's important to take accountability to reduce conflict and improve performance. Working with team members teaches children to step up and take accountability for their mistakes and when needed, even take one for the team. Being able to accept our faults and learn from them is a fundamental step towards happiness and success.
“Teamwork makes the dream work.” Many situations need us to collaborate with others and work towards a common goal, be it at home, at school, or at the workplace. Playing team sports teaches children the importance of teamwork at an early age as they interact with teammates and work together towards achieving a common objective. It also prepares them to be a responsible and dependable member of the team while learning to recognize and respect the strengths and weaknesses of their peers.
Being able to communicate effectively is perhaps the most important of all life skills. Clear communication can help avoid misunderstandings and develop strong relationships. Playing team sports enables children to develop excellent communication skills, which includes communicating strategies verbally as well as non - verbally and motivating one another on and off the field. And since communication is a two way street, it also teaches them to be a good listener and take feedback positively.
While team sports teach us a lot about working in a team, they provide us with equally valuable lessons about leading one. A good leader is associated with strong communication skills and decision making abilities, a sense of self discipline and the capability to deal well with success and failure - attributes inculcated by partaking in team sports. Small steps such as leading warm ups or captaining a team encourage players to step up and lead from the forefront, preparing them for bigger things in the future.
“It is your response to winning and losing that makes you a loser or a winner.”
Being a good sport is an incredibly important display of character. While winning feels great, losing sometimes is inevitable. Team sports teach children the crucial lessons of winning humbly and losing gracefully. Each loss imparts a learning experience that teaches them something new to carry into the future.
Exercise is a powerful way to boost feelings of happiness and relaxation. Physical activity stimulates chemicals in the brain that help people feel happier and more relaxed. Moreover, the emotional joy that kids experience while engaging with their friends playing a game they love and occasionally experiencing the highs of winning is sure to have them beaming from ear to ear! Being physically active also allows kids to channel their feelings of stress, frustration and anger into something productive.
Physical exercise is essential for everybody - kids as well as adults. Playing team sports provide an appealing and entertaining way for kids to exercise. Regular exercise helps kids become stronger and healthier, reducing the risk of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure that can continue to affect them well into adulthood. Furthermore, studies have shown that physically active children are more likely to be active, and in turn, healthier adults.
Playing a sport can positively contribute to emotional and psychological development. Participating in team sports teaches children valuable skills such as problem solving and time management and imbues vital qualities such as discipline and patience. Additionally, playing sports leads to improved memory and concentration and enhanced creativity. These qualities and skills learnt on the field can yield appreciable academic results when carried to the classroom.
Team sports effortlessly teach children life lessons like positively approaching setbacks, and persevering relentlessly to attain goals. However, in addition to all these benefits, perhaps the most important one is the sheer joy they provide kids everyday!
Sports are more than just an extracurricular activity, and the values they imbibe in your kids will carry them way beyond the pitch!