When it comes to life lessons, a classroom is not the only place to encourage a child to grow and develop into a well-rounded and mature individual. Sure, a classroom is critical for the development of any child. But a child’s development can be fostered just as strongly through athletics just as behind a desk.
Participating in sports with leading sports academies can do wonders for a child’s well-being. When parents encourage their kids to participate in sports, particularly team sports, kids develop real-world skills they can use both on and off of the field. Equipping kids with the core values of sports positively contributes to their development.
Sports are fun to play, and the life lessons they encourage will stay with them long after the season ends. Here are just a handful of life lessons that team sports teach in children.
The importance of teamwork
Success in team sports requires cohesive team performance. By helping each other on and off the field, kids can learn the importance of teamwork to succeed. If the team wins, everyone wins. And if the team loses, everyone loses.
In team sports, everyone has to work together to achieve the same end goal. Such teamwork also provides the framework necessary for children to make new friends. They provide a great environment for kids to meet other like-minded children who are looking to have fun and make new friends.
Practice does make perfect
Team sports teach kids the importance of practice. To improve any skill or master any technique, practice is required — and a lot of practice at that.
Team practices foster physical strength, speed, and endurance in children. They also teach them the value of working with other people and the importance of working as a team. By practicing together, kids learn the importance of patience, sharing, and cooperation.
Overcoming adversity
Team sports are a great platform to teach children how to overcome adversity. Competitive environments such as team sports provide fundamental lessons in temporary failure and how to overcome setbacks. It also teaches kids that winning isn’t everything and that it’s okay to make mistakes.
What’s really important is that everyone gets to have fun, give their best effort and enjoy playing with their friends.
How to control emotions
While learning how to control emotions can be taught to the players on the field, parents and coaches should heed this lesson as well. A loss by any measure can be difficult to swallow, and at times, it can be really frustrating. There will be games in which everything seems to fall apart and nothing goes right.
In such situations, everyone involved, from the players to the coaches and parents, can experience the feeling of frustration and even anger. Learning how to control such emotions when they arise invites opportunities to find solutions. This, in the long run, will encourage development and growth.
The value of effective communication
Anyone who’s ever participated in team sports can understand the importance of communication. Effective communication is how teammates develop trust, encourage input, and create understanding. Without communication, the team can fall apart and fail.
Coaches and parents play an integral role in equipping children with the valuable skill of communication. Kids will mirror how authority figures interact and communicate with each other. It’s important that parents and coaches don’t miss this opportunity to educate how to communicate in a mature and concise way.
The importance of respect
Even when they are competitive in nature, team sports are an excellent training ground to teach children the importance of respect. Amidst the sometimes challenging environment, being able to show respect teaches kids the value of others. Learning how to respect others teaches kids the important lesson of treating others, including opponents, how they would like to be treated.
How to lead and follow
In any team sport, every child has the opportunity to be a leader. Opportunities to lead teach self-confidence and the importance of responsibility — two valuable skills that will play a more important role the older they get.
But, just as important, team sports teach kids how to follow others. This enables them to learn the importance of how to take instructions, be respectful, and be humble. Being able to follow respectfully teaches them how to lead with confidence.
Not every child who participates in team sports will continue on the path of athletic competition — in fact, many will not. But the life lessons they learn along the way will play a crucial role in whatever path through life they choose.
Organized sports are more than just entertainment. The skills kids gain through team sports will serve them well as they continue playing in this game we call “life”.
AUTHOR BIO
A veteran c-level executive with more than 25 years of experience across multi-faceted industries including Leisure & Recreation, Barry Bremner joined Zayed Sports City as Director of Business & Corporate Services in 2009 and was appointed to General Manager in 2013. During his time with Zayed Sports City, he has developed and implemented new management systems as well as raised the profile of the organization by securing leading events to take place at Zayed Sports City, including: WWE, Monster Jam, the U-17 World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. During his tenure at the property, annual visitors to Zayed Sports City have increased from 420,000 in 2009 to 1.3m in 2016.
