sports and your future

                When I was younger, every person I knew played some sort of sport.  Most of my friends actually played almost every sport offered by their playground until about age 12.  We didn’t think anything of it at the time, but now looking back, I realize that participating in all of these sports and organizations as a child helped to shape the person I am today.

                First I believe that playing on a sports team teaches children to work together.  There are kids today that know how to work together, but I keep seeing more and more kids who do not play well together, share, or work as a group to get things done.  Many kids are forced to choose one sport at an early age so they do not get the well rounded idea of being on multiple teams and having to work together with different groups of people.  I find it easier to go into a new surrounding or group of people and start to bond with them and I attribute that to my childhood of belonging to many teams and having to work with different groups of kids. 

                Second, belonging to a sports team teaches children respect for their teammates and coaches.  It is so easy to ignore what your friends and coaches tell you to do because you don’t want to do it, but it becomes more difficult when there is a whole team counting on you to do the right thing and listen to their advice.  It is that sense of a bond that makes you want to succeed and do well because you don’t want to let the others down.  There is also a respect for other players that is learned through sports.  If you hurt someone, it is just habit to help them up or say sorry.  I believe that that habit was taught through being a part of a team and knowing that when you accidently hurt someone, helping them and apologizing was the right thing to do. These habits and respect for others has transferred into my everyday life.

                Being a part of a team brings people together.  It unites a group of strangers and makes them believe that they are a part of something bigger than just themselves.  This idea of uniting as a group is apparent throughout your entire life.  From work, to school, to a group of friends, I believe that participating in sports has helped people to succeed in their endeavors in life.