As a person who played sports growing up and still do today, I can’t say enough about how sports positively affected my life. Sports was in a way my introduction to how to operate in life! I mean at an extremely young age when I essentially knew nothing, I was thrust into this group environment and tasked with competing (1 winner and 1 loser). Of course, sports are perfect for improving hand-eye coordination, balance, positive effects on metabolism, and just generally staying healthy. But these are the givens. I want to discuss the many life skills playing sports has taught me and the immense impact it can have on a child’s life. The first thing I’ll address is how challenging sports can be. I mean sometimes a kid may be more talented or have a shorter learning curve, but it doesn’t change the fact that to be great at something it takes hard work (practice). As adults we often forget that subtle changes in the short term, lead to drastic changes in the long term, but with our children we harp this very principle. We teach our children that the work you put in today pays dividends later which is an ever-important lesson. Sports are challenging, hence the reason we can’t play everything! The sports that we find ourselves inclined to play are usually the ones in which we have natural talent or a love/passion for the sport. Why? Well, if you receive gratification and praise from others, you’ll tend to enjoy and chase that feeling. This chase is where the competitive spirit comes to form. You realize that “right now X person is better than me but if I continue to put in the work then I can surpass his skill set.” And as we all know this is incredibly important in every aspect of life. I also believe that being a competitive person coincides with being a driven person. Now, in what area of your life you focus that drive is a question only you can answer. There’s always someone better, something to chase, and things to do to improve yourself. As a child playing sports you quickly have a realization that it isn’t all fun and games, only the best players play and only the very best earn a trophy. This paradigm is when child athletes grow the most. When a child is not good enough to play a sport, there mind quickly forms a decision, these three choices are a) quit, b) don’t care and remain stagnant, and c) work to improve. Choice A is something I don’t advise, if a child starts a sport they should finish that season if not simply to instill the lesson of if you start something finish it, with the exception of extenuating circumstances. Some kids may choose choice B, and if they have no love or passion for the sport that is fine but if they play with others who have a passion there will be a buildup of societal pressure. Finally, the third choice C is to work hard to improve yourself to reach your goals. Now, I’m not saying any of these choices are per se “correct” because it depends on the circumstances but for parents there is a lot to learn from what the child chooses to do in a situation of hardship. Additionally, it reaffirms the child’s feelings about a particular sport. The fact that a child at such a young age is forced to make such an independent decision about their next steps is astonishing. And it is exactly why I advocate parents to get their children into sports. The child is placed in a position in which they must make an independent decision and stand by their choice. Think about how early children are learning that their decisions have consequences and depending on their choice a different outcome comes with it. In my opinion, this is the first time children have a realization that they have freewill to make their own choice but also must live by their choice. Finally, sports allow children to mold their identity. Sports are social by nature, so children are tasked with deciding how they will carry themselves, in what light they wish to be seen in by their parents, peers, coaches, and how successful they wish to be in the sport. This is when children learn if they put the work in, they can improve and surpass others who were previously better. It’s also where leadership skills are built. The team won’t simply follow anyone. And who do they follow? Usually, the one that leads by example, holds others accountable, and wants to succeed. The point of this article isn’t simply to tell you children find their identity playing sports. While although that is true, it’s also most likely the first time in their life they can show true grit by correcting errors they made and work towards who they want to be. Sports outside of the many physical benefits, teaches us social skills, how to operate in a team environment, leadership skills, reward of hard work/success, and the feeling of winning and losing. But at the end of the day, it teaches us the underlying life principle that those that work the hardest, succeed the most, and reap the rewards. Which if you ask me is very pertinent to the world we live in today!
