A team sport is an athletic activity that requires the use of a group of individuals to play and win. They are distinguished from individual sports by the impossibility or impracticality of executing them as single-player endeavors, although some sports have both team and individual aspects (e.g., curling, synchronized swimming, four-man bobsled, sprint relay races).
When kids participate in team sports, they learn to appreciate each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They also learn to take turns, support one another, and celebrate successes together. This is called a balanced approach, which can help kids succeed in everything from academics to relationships.
In addition, team sports foster good sportsmanship and put winning and losing into perspective. It’s not unusual for young children and people who have never played a team sport to suffer from a case of sore losers, but in a secure and encouraging environment, athletes can learn to accept defeat with grace and triumph in the same fashion.
Most team sports are incredibly complex, and it takes a great deal of communication to be successful. Whether it’s listening to teammates during locker room pep talks, picking up on nonverbal cues on the field, or debriefing after a game, sports teams rely heavily on effective communication to function. This helps them communicate goals, responsibilities, and concerns clearly, which is a skill that can benefit kids throughout their lives. In addition, sports teams encourage open communication between coaches and players, which can promote greater trust in the athletic community as a whole.