Our culture often puts the spotlight on individual effort rather than teamwork. But encouraging your child to play a team sport might be the best thing you do for their growth as a human being. While there may be bumps on the road, there are ways to help them understand the importance of teamwork.
In a team, there is no “I.” What is best for the team is not always best for the individual. The emphasis is on the group endeavor. Keeping individual score is fine, but what’s more important is how the team works together. Encouraging your child to use the “we” word helps them appreciate how collaboration can make for harmony.
Take responsibility for your own mistakes. Own up to mistakes rather than pointing the finger at another player. Help your child to admit to errors they make and then move on. Blaming others creates resentment and hurt feelings.
Every player and position on the team is essential and valuable. Explain to your child how cause and effect relate. Without a certain move, or pass, that goal may not have been made. It’s a series of actions and each person has a role to play. Mutual respect helps build good sportsmanship.
Teamwork can spark feelings of joy that are hard to create in individual sports. Working towards a common aim brings people together, and the mix of personalities and talents provides a rich ground for human interaction. Team sports create a sense of camaraderie.
Trying a different position is a big plus with team sports. Your child may think they like pushing first off the starting blocks for the 4 x 100m relay, but then an opportunity arises for them to go last. Perhaps their skills are best used in a different strategic position. A team sport is the perfect environment for trying something new.
Being a team player is challenging, for human beings tend to be more concerned about individual trophies. But a good sportsman knows that being a team player is a win-win situation.
