Many essential life lessons come from participating in sports, regardless of if they are solo or team activities. The most valuable lessons they’ve learned have come from playing youth sports and dedicating their time to an activity they were passionate about for many people.

These lessons have relevance far beyond the sport they originated from, as they prepared people for their careers and future interactions. Here are just a few of the life lessons that can be gained from sports.

Perseverance

Almost nobody can step into a new activity and be perfect at it, especially in the world of sports where skills and knowledge are key. Sports teach people that it’s okay not to be excellent at something the first time – that practice and perseverance can improve any skill with enough time.

Good Sportsmanship

Everyone has come across at least one sore loser (and sore winner) in their years. Participating in sports can help teach somebody what it takes to have good sportsmanship, including not being a poor loser/winner. These traits carry over to lessons about patience, self-control, and humility.

Mistakes Happen

Everybody makes mistakes – it happens. What is essential is to get up and learn from those mistakes. This is a lesson that sports do well to drive home, as errors are commonplace, especially in the early stages of learning. Coaches and fellow players can help make this lesson a bit easier by focusing on what to change instead of harping on the mistake made.

Share Credit

Team sports succeed because every member of the group shares the work – and the credit. A teammate who wants to hog the shots, glory, and praise will find themselves on the outs very quickly, and that’s a good lesson to learn. Sure, an athlete can score a goal, but they only succeeded because of the support from their teammates. This is an important lesson to learn, as sharing credit is critical in many different parts of life.

Accountability

A commitment to sports requires a willingness to consistently show up to practices, meets, and all significant events. Failure to do so not only negatively affects the individual but their whole team. This, in turn, teaches athletes about the importance of accountability. They quickly learn that their actions have an impact on others and that holding themselves accountable is essential.

Article originally published on WayneEmersonGregoryJr.net