Learning to be an adult is not a class in modern schools, but it probably should be. The world of education uses sports, athletics and a good pitching net as a medium to teach our kids how to be better adults, but it is done without saying it. Engaging in athletic competition is an important part of social learning for young people. Team sports and games are good for kids to be a part of and not just for keeping physically fit. It is through sports that many life lessons are taught to our youngsters, so that they can go on and become adults with good morals and decent values.
Someone once said, that all great sports have balls. This maybe true literally, but it is also true metaphorically speaking. All great sports attempt to engage our children in learning to test themselves and be courageous about life. Therefore, here are some of the inherent good things that athletics and sports are teaching our kids today.
Trying New Things is Inherently Good
Not all kids are naturally inclined to try new things, sometimes they even are afraid to do so. Being around peers and doing something new is a little scary, but it also can be exhilarating. This is because anytime we do something for the first time, it has a tremendous impact on our mental self esteem. So rather than forcing children to engage in sports and athletics, try to remember new things are good for their growth into maturity as adults in life.
Learning to Get Along With Others
Getting along with other people is an essential part of living your daily life. When kids engage in athletics, especially team sports, they learn the value of interaction. Getting along with people will aid them in their education, personal and career lives ahead. Learning good social skills can be a hindrance, if the individual child does not learn this by later life. Also getting along with others helps in having a happy personal lifestyle, but is hard to play catch up on down the road.
Team Competition Should Be Friendly
Knowing how to have friendly competitions is the key to leadership. If an individual is easily offended or gets angry about small things, they will find many people not willing to work with them in life. Team sports competition is a great way for kids to learn that things happen, but thing also happen that you should let go. One minute on the field you are in competition for the ball, and later you are friends laughing about the game you played. This is healthy and promotes friendship.
Anyone Can Become a Team Leader
Nobody is unable to be a leader, but it is a learned skillset. Leaders are born out of necessity and sometimes they rise to meet a challenge. All people have the ability to become a team leader, yet many never learn this in early life. Team sports help build self-esteem and cultivate the leadership traits in all players. Being able to take charge and guide others to interact is a good thing for anyone to learn about. Because anyone can become a team leader, and this has been a lesson learned within sports since the earliest times.
Everyone Can Work Toward a Goal
Not everyone is going to lead, therefore it is important that we know how to follow and work together. This is an essential truth that all team sports can teach children today. Working together towards common goals is a part of daily life, but also is the key to having a happy family and personal world structure. Since teams are an inherent part of almost all sports and athletics, nothing is simpler to use in teaching kids good group dynamics. Everyone can learn to work within a group, when playing sports.
Showing Up is Important
If you aren’t there, you can’t be a part of what happens. This is a golden rule for those that have engaged in athletic competition. Because showing up is important, a team player learns to be on time and be ready to play. This isn’t just to benefit the individual player, but is beneficial to all players and creates team unity. If a person can do nothing else, they should still show up. This is a valuable lesson that kids can glean from sporting activities.
Go Outside of the Comfort Zone
Anyone wishing to be better at anything, must learn to get out of their own head and think outside of the box. Everyone has their comfort zone, but sports teaches us that we can do better than that in life. All people are capable to being a better person, doing a better job, and exceeding their own expectations. By seeing others try harder, we become inclined to try harder. Learning to go outside of our own comfort zone is a sure way to do better at anything we want to achieve.
Sometimes Your Team Wins
When we experience a win in life, it feels good and even greater things seem to be on their way. Learning how to win with grace, yet enjoying the victory, this is the key to winning in our real world. Sports is one way that children can learn this valuable lesson and carry it with them into later adult life. Seeing things from a winning point of view can create healthy ambition and allow individuals to become masters of their own world, or their personal life at least.
Sometimes Your Team Loses
When we experience a loss in life, it feels bad and even worse things seem doomed to happen next. Learning how to lose with character, yet knowing this loss will not be the only one in life, this is a key to adult life. Sports is one method for children to learn that you must pick yourself up and never give up. If kids learn to keep on playing, even when your team may lose a game, they will be happier all around. Losing is not the end of the world, this is something taught everyday through engaging in healthy athletic competition.
Don’t Fear Success or Failure
The big lesson by playing sports and being in teams is overcoming your fears. If you are afraid of success, you will have trouble doing anything. If you fear failure, you will never try anything. Team sports teaches kids to strike a balance between these two irrational extremes, so they can succeed or fail with honor. Being able to accept success or failure is essential to being a well adjusted human being. Therefore, if children play sports with others, their fear of life’s obstacles will be minimized and they will learn to live life fearlessly.
Jessica Kane is a writer for SteelLocker Sports, a leading retailer of brand name baseball equipment at great discount prices.
Wonderful post with some great info. I think sports are great for kids and its good for kids to venture out and try new things.
These are very good tips for teaching tips for sports. My kids love participating in Sports and feeling good when they win and dealing with when the lose.
This is such great information! I definitely think playing sports as a child helps you learn about yourself and help you once you’re an adult.
These are great tips. Sport really helps kids to learn and become stronger and better
This is so true. I think that when a parent gets too caught up in their child’s winning, it can take away the good lessons that would otherwise be a good foundation for later in life!
This is a great article on sports.