A team sport is an athletic endeavor that requires teammates to work together in order to achieve a common objective. The objective generally involves teammates facilitating the movement of a ball or similar item in accordance with a set of rules, in order to score points. Examples of team sports include baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, lacrosse, water polo, and rugby. The term team sport can also be used to describe activities that do not involve opposing teams or point scoring, such as mountaineering and sailing.
Athletes in team sports learn to solve problems on the fly and make decisions quickly. They also develop critical thinking skills that they can apply to their classroom or work life. For example, if a player gets injured and is unable to play, she might think about how to best replace her on the field. This might require her to talk to her coach, or it might call for her to rely on her teammates for support. Either way, it will require her to rely on her teammates’ strengths and weaknesses to come up with an effective solution.
Team athletes often have to practice patience and perseverance. For example, a hurdler who was one of the top-ranked 110 hurdlers in the country once told me that her high school coach made some “straight-up stupid” ideas when it came to trying to squeak out more team points by putting her in the high jump when she had been dominating the long jump and should have been saving her energy for the 110 hurdles. This taught her that putting in the extra effort pays off, and that she should stick with her plan even if it means missing out on some individual accolades.
In addition, team athletes learn the importance of commitment, training, and setting and achieving goals. They also learn that not everyone wins all the time, and that it’s important to turn a loss into a learning opportunity rather than letting it get them down. This is a great lesson to reinforce in the classroom, as students need to know that despite some failures, they are still capable of achieving their goals with hard work and persistence.
Athletes in team sports also build strong friendships based on a common interest. They are more likely to be socially connected and feel a sense of belonging when they participate in team sports, and it’s no wonder that they have higher self-esteem than non-athletes. Team sport participants also have more regular physical activity, which is proven to have positive impacts on the mind and spirit as well as the body. As a result, they are better equipped to face life’s challenges with confidence and resilience.