What Is Team Sport?
Team sport is a type of sports that requires a group of players to work together towards a common goal. It is a form of competitive athletics wherein the team members compete against other teams to achieve the best results and is generally considered as one of the most enjoyable forms of sports.
There are many different types of team sports such as rugby, cricket, water polo, handball, lacrosse, hockey and baseball among others. In addition to being a form of entertainment and exercise, team sports help to develop the essential skills required in life such as collaboration, communication, coordination and trust. These skills can be applied in all aspects of life whether it is at work, school or even our personal relationships.
In some instances, a sporting event may not be considered to be a true team sport because the participants do not compete against each other as part of an opposing team. For example, mountaineering or dragon boat racing is often seen as a non-team sport despite the fact that participants are grouped into teams and are competing against each other in terms of their relative position in championship standings.
According to Kim Batten, a former world champion in the 400m hurdles, at youth track level, team sport is very important because it allows young athletes to make an impact on their performance and to learn the value of putting the needs of the team before their own personal goals. For a young athlete who might not be fast enough to win the open 400, for example, running a relay leg at a national competition is still an honour and demonstrates their dedication to the sport.