Team sport is all about working together to achieve a common goal. Learning to respect your teammates – their strengths and weaknesses, their different personalities and how they play the game – is an important life skill that you’ll carry with you into all your relationships, on and off the field.
Being part of a team also helps children learn to deal with failure in a safe and supportive environment. When everyone shares the burden of loss, it can be less devastating, and when winning is celebrated collectively, it can feel more meaningful. Kids also gain an appreciation of the value of each teammate’s abilities and how they contribute to the success of the whole group, which can make them more supportive and patient people in their everyday lives.
Kids who participate in team sports have to work hard to meet the expectations of their coaches, and they are encouraged to take on leadership roles during practices, games and training sessions. This can help them develop discipline both tactically and mentally, as well as learning self-restraint during stressful situations – useful for all aspects of their life.
Team sports hone problem-solving skills and teach kids to think on their feet, work in partnership and use critical thinking to overcome the challenges they face. They also have to communicate with their teammates both verbally and non-verbally. This teaches them how to be an active listener, which can be invaluable in all their interpersonal interactions, including at school.