The Importance of Team Sports

Millions of people around the world participate in team sports. They aren’t just extracurricular activities; for many, participation in a team sport has a life-long impact. It teaches children the value of working together and helps them develop social skills that can be used in other aspects of their lives. The physical benefits of team sports are also apparent, as they help children become more physically fit and lead a more active lifestyle.

The term “team sport” refers to any athletic activity that involves teammates facilitating the movement of a ball or similar object in accordance with a set of rules and in order to score points against opposing teams. This distinction from individual sports, in which the result of a competition depends on the performance of a single athlete, is what differentiates team sport from other types of athletics.

Many popular team sports include football, basketball, baseball and soccer. Even some individual sports have a team component, such as synchronized swimming and relay races. In these instances, the team consists of four athletes each performing a specific stroke. This requires a high level of support and optimum performance from each team member.

Team sports often require extensive communication among team members, from locker room discussion to nonverbal cues from teammates to strategy discussions. This communication may also include the sharing of hopes, expectations and frustrations in addition to celebrations of victories and defeats. In all cases, communication is a key ingredient to a well-functioning team.