For many growing up, team sports provided a safe haven where priceless life lessons were taught, bonds were built, and social skills were developed. From a tech mogul like Mark Cuban to a podcast superstar like Lewis Howes, many top entrepreneurs grew up loving sports. For others, team sports may have provided a less-than-stellar experience.
No matter which side of the fence you were on, research finds that putting your kids in team sports during their formative years can help provide them with the tools needed to crush it in the workplace later in life. Specifically, a study by Cornell University found that teenagers who played sports developed stronger leadership skills worked better in teams, and demonstrated more confidence in work environments.
In addition, according to NPR, kids who participated in youth sports were found to have higher incomes and rise up the corporate ladder faster than their peers. Here are just some of the reasons why this is the case and how to get started.
Why put your kids in team sports?
1. Giving them the chance to lead.
Whether your kid works their way to becoming a team captain or remains a role player, sports will allow them to hone in and create a leader’s mindset for themselves. Apart from sports, there aren’t many opportunities before your kids graduate college that help refine their leadership skills by putting them in positions to lead a team. This makes it difficult for individuals thrust into high-pressure management positions and haven’t experienced that pressure elsewhere.
2. Learning how to lose.
Unlike almost everything else in school and life, sports are black and white. You either won your game, lost, or it ended in a draw. This equips kids with the ability and mental stamina to sustain losses without taking them personally. Losing is all part of the game as an entrepreneur or top-performing professional. If you aren’t losing, you aren’t taking risks. Without the grit to get up the next morning with your head held high, even after a bad presentation or a missed deal, the cutthroat workplace will be rough for your kids.
3. Developing respect for authority.
All team sports have a clear hierarchy like a company does — from the coach to the rookies. Unlike much of the media’s portrayal of entrepreneurship, I would like you to believe that immediate success in your youth is hard to come by. There are many more VPs and middle-aged business owners than there are Mark Zuckerberg’s. TZuckerberg’s truth is that you’ll almost always have people to answer to, no matter who you are.
Even the top startup founders need to answer to their investors and customers. If your kids are too stubborn or entitled not to have a healthy respect for their higher-ups or authority in general, they’ll rub someone the wrong way and likely learn a lesson the hard way.
4. Team building.
Another indispensable skill sports will arm your child with is team building. Even the biggest companies are run by much smaller, fast-moving teams that work together closely. Without the ability to work well within a team environment, lift the rest of your team, and put your ego aside, it’ll be hard to stand out as an entrepreneur in any industry.
Where to Start
1. Look beyond football, baseball, and basketball.
Not every kid likes baseball or football as much as the next. Luckily, in most areas nationwide, your kids don’t need to be limited only to the most popular sports. There are leagues outside of school-organized sports kids can try, like hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and more.
2. Start with sports camps.
If your kid isn’t sure they want to commit to a certain sport for an entire season, try testing the waters by enrolling them in a shorter sports camp. During the summer season, these camps are plentiful and vary in commitment– ranging from day camps to week-long training. From there, you can decide whether the sport is right for them.
3. Manage expectations and communicate clearly.
One of the biggest things holding back kids from joining a team is being afraid they won’t be good enough at the sport. Team sports can be intimidating because they haven’t built up the confidence to play the sport and because of the social anxiety of being thrust into a new environment with new kids.
Be open and honest by explaining to your kids the benefits sports will bring them later on in life, and how they certainly don’t need to be the best on their team to develop those skills.
