For far too long we have had a stereotype in this country of a “dumb jock” and it needs to end. We are in desperate need of a paradigm shift when it comes to how we frame extracurricular activities and evaluate what they teach us. Most of us can readily recognize the value of learning a musical instrument or joining the debate team. We know that starring in the school play and being a key player in mock-trial builds a menagerie of skills few teenagers will acquire elsewhere. We can see that competitive sports are valued for the spectator aspect which influences the school’s reputation. But, rarely do we value those sports for what they teach the players. In fact, we reinforce labels placed on athletes and non-athletes, which not only causes social divisions, but it also makes us lose sight of team sports being a fabulous opportunity for growth and development. Sports are physical, yes, but they actually lead to so much more.
How Playing A Competitive Sport Improves Life Skills
Teamwork
No one is going to tell us teamwork is a useless skill. In fact, most people could stand to work on some team building exercises right now. Humans are social creatures. We are also weak creatures compared to most other mammals. If it were not for our ability to to work together, we never would have thrived or even survived as a species.
Once we enter the real world, every job out there, even the somewhat isolated ones, are going to require some teamwork to accomplish the goal. The task management, communication, and negotiation skills one learns while playing on a team will follow them into their later endeavors.
Body Awareness
Body and spacial awareness is a much needed, but often overlooked, skill. And yes, I’m calling it a skill because it is something we can learn and build upon. Toddlers use their physical awareness to develop coordination and learn to walk. The more aware we are of our personal body mechanics, the more likely we are to avoid injury. While things like roller skating, gymnastics, and yoga can require, and therefore develop, a lot of body awareness, competitive team sports can help as well.
In any sport, you will develop more physical awareness and muscle memory to control and manage your movements. With a team sport, you not only need that control over your body, you need an extra level of awareness of what all of the other bodies are doing. You use your senses, your peripheral vision, and your instincts to make decisions and predictions in game-play. These skills make you a better player for sure. They also make you a better driver, more coordinated, and less prone to falls in your golden years.
Self-confidence
Self confidence will improve in any scenario where you feel like you improved something, or accomplished something. A team sport requires players to work on their personal skills while also working on team skills. When you improve on a skill, it not only helps you, it helps the whole team. And a good team will cheer you on. That boost builds confidence and brings us to the next benefit……..
Sense of Belonging
The great part about being on a team is even if your playing wasn’t great that day, if your team wins, you still get a boost. And you should. You were part of that win. If you participate with a team that supports you and lifts you up, you’ll enjoy the confidence from the camaraderie even when you guys lose. You are not alone, you are in it together. Humans are not really great at being loners. Even in remote or isolated places, people like to band together on some level, no matter how introverted they feel. The sense of belonging you feel when on a team who has your back is fantastic. Your team can be your family.
Organization
People may overlook this one. Have you ever managed a team? Have you even been on a team that had no manager? With competitive sports, there is a lot to organize. There are playbooks, venues, uniforms, parents, water, transportation, funds, coaches, referees, permits, and so much more to manage. And a coach cannot do it all. The amount of work and details it takes to keep sporting events running smoothly is astronomical. I cannot even begin to explain how much work it was to coordinate and organize the last tournament I partook in. Between our coaches, teammates, spouses, friends and volunteers, we had more than 50 adults helping organize a fairly small event and it was still exhausting to pull off.
Participating in a competition with a team requires extreme organizational skills and sports are no different. Actually, sports can be even more complicated since you need liability waivers and on-sight EMTs standing by in case of serious injury if it is a contact sport.
So the next time you hear someone communicating any preconceived notions about “jocks”, kindly remind them that competitive team sports can actually be very beneficial. They build physical and emotional awareness, organizational skills, and can improve mental health when carried out in a supportive environment. So go ahead and sign up for that softball league. It could be just the personal boost you need to level up in life.