Benefits of Playing Team Sports
July 3, 2023
With the Women’s World Cup starting at the end of the month, we are inspired by soccer, and the benefits of being a part of a team. Below we compiled a list of the top benefits kids receive from playing a team sport like soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball and more.
Teamwork
Ron Restrepo, Chelsea Piers Soccer Director, states that joining a team sport such as soccer “teaches everyone how to collaborate and work as a group,” whether it might be with your teammates or coaches. Learning to collaborate is not just a skill that benefits your child’s well-being, but also helps those around them. Restrepo emphasizes that “getting along with your teammates or working on patterns of play are just some ways players can do their part to make their team better.”
Teamwork is not only a fundamental skill to acquire on the field, but it also helps kids learn how to work with others in the classroom, at the park, and playing with friends. Learning to collaborate is an essential skill that children carry on forever.
Ron Restrepo, Chelsea Piers Soccer Director
Camaraderie
No matter the team sport or the commitment level, from recreational teams to more competitive teams, children learn how to build camaraderie with their teammates and long-lasting relationships. By going through the ups and downs that come with playing a team sport, children learn how to celebrate their wins and comfort each other during losses. Team sports can also aid children to “break out of their shell,” talk to their teammates and develop common interests.
Girls Chelsea Piers Soccer Club Team
Mistakes are good to make
No one is born a professional soccer player, and mistakes are what makes someone a great athlete. When your child takes on a team sport, it “encourages them to take risks and learn from their mistakes when the team does not succeed,” explains Restrepo. With every mistake, there is a new lesson learned. Maybe you only learned how to kick a ball with the front of your foot instead of the inside, and now that mistake has made you a better soccer player. Making a mistake helps you improve your skills in both sports and real-life situations.
Building Confidence
Joining a team sport can help build a child’s confidence as they continue learning, growing, and competing. On the Chelsea Piers Soccer Club, Restrepo says that coaches want to “make sure players feel confident on the field and can display the skills taught during practice.” Practicing their sport helps kids become confident, knowing that they are improving their skills and achieving their goals, which helps build their confidence on and off the court or field.
How to become part of a team:
At Chelsea Piers, we offer various team sports including, soccer, basketball, hockey, and more! We also offer Golf youth programs for players of all ages and ability levels. While it is not a traditional team sport, it takes a team to help a golfer succeed on and off the course. Children learn to work together, grow their skills, compete with their teammates and make new friends while having fun!
When asked what the benefits of playing a team sport are, especially one such as soccer, Restrepo replied, “besides all the life lessons players will learn, sports will teach kids how to be a better leader, teammate, friend and overall better individual in your community.” Try a team sport this Fall starting in early September.