Participating in team sports helps to develop good character Essay

Sport’s are an aspect of life that affect societies across the globe. Athletics affect everyone's life, whether that be playing the sport, watching games, or hearing about a sporting event. There is a big difference between playing an individual sport and players relying on their own athletic abilities versus a team sport when members of the team rely on their teammates to complete each individual's specific responsibility to reach the team's goal. Team sports bring people together in countless ways, and they teach many life skills for the athletes that participate in them. Some of these skills include communication, teamwork, discipline, work ethic, dedication, leadership, and numerous more that will help them in their personal and work

“Organized sports are a learning lab for life,” she says. “They steep kids in everything from frustration management to diplomacy to collaboration, and data suggests that involvement in team sports is associated with higher high school graduation rates.” They will be taught what is really right and what is wrong.

     Michigan State University's report, "Sportsmanship: Building Character or 'Characters'?" on the Youth Sportsman Institute webpage, explains the basic idea of how the role of children's participation in sports affects their sportsmanship. The report gives examples of how good sportsmen, and bad sportsmen are viewed by society. The Youth Sports Institute says, "participation is viewed as a double-edged sword that may have either negative or positive effects on the child"("Sportsmanship",1) and that "the critical factor in determining whether the youth sports experience has a positive or negative effect on children is the quality of adult leadership"("Sportsmanship, 3).

Sports can be viewed as a learning environment that helps individuals learn life lessons, foster strong work habits and develop core values all the while learning a sport skill. Youth sports that truly benefit young athletes should be structured to emphasize participation more than just competition. Children enjoy a sport more when they are able to have fun (Humpries). Despite many excesses some sport programs still manage to promote important virtues like self- confidence, teamwork, personal responsibility, coping skills, and persistence. Through sports kids can learn to stay organized and learn how to prioritize (Ferguson). Sports enables development of physical skills and increasing proficiency makes kids feel good about themselves. It teaches kids that failure is something to overcome and and not to fear (Meyerhoff 8-9). Youth sports has many aspects that are truly benefiting for children, but these benefits are slowly being clouded by the negatives that are prominent in today's youth sports.

Another valuable skill learned by kids participating in competitive sports is teamwork. It is important for children to learn the importance of teamwork because most jobs they may have in the future will require them to work well with others. Most sports that children participate in involve them playing on a team. When on a team, children must be able to communicate and work with others to be

Team sports for example not only provide physical activity for children. They also introduce them to the meaning of “teamwork” and ability

Teamwork is a key skill that everyone should have installed in them at a young age.The brain of a child is like a sponge, they absorb everything and use it in the future. Playing football is not an individual sport unlike competitive swim or boxing, when playing a sport heavy contact or not as a team a child learns to work with others to achieve a common goal of winning or advancing. Children become cooperative and have the ability to collaborate with others making them more resourceful and beneficial in any real life situation. According to live strong representative and author of article “Benefits of Teamworks in Sports” Wade Harle, stated “ Teamwork in sports can help give participants stronger communication skills and teach them to work better with others. Additional advantages to teamwork in sports are learning to deal with conflict and varieties of different ideas within a team.” As the young child grows and prospers into a young adult having the teamwork ability and characteristic will only gain them the upper hand when applying for jobs, working on projects and in life commitments and relationships.

This proves that playing competitive sports is good for the youth and it can also benefit them by playing on a team. It also gives them a lot of life skills such as confidence that they will use later on in their life when they have a job. Lucy Calkins is an expert in writing and in her article “Get Off That Couch and Play!” she also says that, “Students learn important life skills such as how to accept criticism, how to handle oneself under the pressure of competition, how to work hard toward a goal, how to win and lose graciously” (2014). In addition, to Lucy Calkins article “Get Off That Couch and Play!” that later in life if an adult is at a job interview they will need confidence while they are being interviewed, otherwise they probably won’t get the job. Adults and Children also need to work hard to get towards a goal. Like if someone is at their job and their boss needs something right away, they must get it done and not day dream. In the article “Pros and Cons of Sports Competition at High School Level,” education researcher and writer Grace Chen says, “When children and teens participate in group competitions and activities, they learn skills that

Yet another thing sports can do is teach a player many life lessons. According to Scope Magazine's Tim O'Shei, sports teaches perseverance, team spirit, and fun. Many sports coaches will not allow players to participate in a game if the player's homework is not done on time. Some studies even show that some grades may drop after the season is over because of the lack of motive in a student. A student could also learn how to be a good sport by congratulating his or her team even if they lose. They should learn to be a good sport because whether the team wins or loses, the good spirit of the team would remain. A good team spirit could also make it fun and motivational for everyone else. The perseverance, team spirit, and fun in a team player could make both a good role model and a fun person to be around.

This directly translates into their studies and their lives. In these team sports, success or failure in competition depends on many variables. When these variables align through effective teamwork a successful play emerges as the teammates work together through coordination, communication and cohesion in training to achieve this result. Everyone has a role in the team and is expected to execute their task effectively. Any sort of individualism proves detrimental to the team as we all know, there is no “I” in

I believe that sports have a positive impact on children. Sports can improve children’s health,

Students are full of energy, all of which cannot be spent in studies only. The extra energy can lead students to do wrong or unwanted activities which are harmful not only for the health but studies of students as well. This is avoidable through sports. They are the outlets of surplus energy. Students who play sports have their mind occupied and are less likely to have their mind wander to wrongful things. A student learns that while playing, he has to play not for his own good but for the good and success of whole team. He or she is to keep in mind the success of his or her school. Sports help students lead a more corporate and mature life. Sports teach our students that the ups and downs are the inevitable aspects of life and should be taken in strides. Playing for a sports can help them experience hardships and allow them to face the trials, hardships and various rigors of daily life in the future. The very breath of sportsmanship is fair play. Sports are another name of honesty, integrity and loyalty for students. Thus a good sportsman can be the ideal citizen of the country.

I saw in his eyes sheer delight and the joy of accomplishment. He had successfully faced a pitcher older and bigger and had fought off pitch after pitch before knocking a single into left field. His base hit drove in a run, continued an inning and fueled a rally which brought the team a victory from what looked like a certain defeat. He was willing to be taught and was willing to try. Success was secondary to the life skills he was mastering. Character traits will certainly be developed as one participates in team sports, but to attain positive character traits will require deliberate efforts by parents, adults, teammates and even leaders of the organization itself.

One thing that is a positive outcome in sports is the overflowing happiness people get when they participate in competitive sports. One example is that “children who were involved in sports were more assertive, had greater confidence in their skills and physical appearance, and reported more positive feelings than those who didn’t participate. (Merkal, Donna, Youth sport: positive and negative impact on young athletes, 201, May 31).” If children hold an extreme love for the sport they play, most children use that sport as an escape. Playing sports blows off steam and helps people relax. “Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research ,Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity, 1998).” Playing sports can help bring families or other kids together to build strong bonds. “It appears that US children are healthy and happy as they engage in this traditional pastime, and families report higher levels of satisfaction if their children participate. (Macdonald, Brian, Kids in Sports, Part 5: Can sports help shy kids to make friends?, 2009).” A pat on the back from a parental figure is enough to keep kids going and doing their best. Because sports make children happier, they are more prone to keep playing which all in all makes children happier and it teaches kids to do what makes them happy. With suicide being the second biggest fatality for adolescents doing what makes them happy can be a life or death situation.

“Sports are for fun, but they also offer benefits and lessons that carry over into all aspects of life”. This well-known anonymous quotation conveys the message that sport is the game which has some rules and custom. It is not only for fun and entertainment, but there are also some benefits of playing sports and which gives some important lessons for life. Every kind of physical sports is healthy because it involves running, jumping, stretching, mind skills and much more. There are so many sports available in the world nowadays, but we can categorize them by the numbers of players, the three main categories are individual sport, dual sport and team sport.