Sports in this world have many pros, but one of the most important aspects is the family-like environment and the impact that it can have on a team as a whole, or for each athlete individually. Having that tight bond with your teammates can bring you so many opportunities in sports and life outside of sports. A sports team with that family- like bond is what separates one team from another. The chemistry and everyone’s love for one another is what can get the team through obstacles that would be more difficult to overcome without having a tighter bond with your teammates. The overall impact of having a family-like environment provides a different viewpoint on sports and shows its true importance.

The creation of an outlet

Athletes on every sports team come from different backgrounds and cultures and when they join a team, they all mix together. All of those dynamics combine to become one team. Sports are not the only thing that athletes have to endure. They have experiences that have shaped the way that they are. People endure trauma and look for outlets. One of those outlets is sports. Playing a team sport players a key part to that. Sports become a safe place for people of all ages, and it gives them the time to get their mind off of what issues they are currently enduring or have endured. According to Dan Brennan, being in team sports can boost a person’s mental health. For example, women who played tennis or netball in clubs, had better mental health than those who exercised alone, like walking or working out at a gym. Having a team creates that outlet for the athletes to get away from their everyday pain. Having good mental health is one of the most important priorities of people of all ages and sports have brought that to them and have had an immense impact. According to the Child Development Institute, “ Getting your teen into a sport gives them an opportunity to go out and socialize. They will learn how to interact and work as a team; something they’ll find useful later in life.

Importance of team bonding

Team bonding is what builds the family-like atmosphere for athletic teams. Once the foundation is built then it makes everything easier for a team to adjust to. Sports are games that are full of adversity and they can test a team in multiple ways. The teams that can move past it together as one will achieve the highest goals, but teams without that bond will reach short of what they are attempting to obtain. According to Reggie Baker, by building trust and fostering communication and collaboration, team bonding creates an environment in which teams can thrive. When teams are able to thrive, then they are able to accomplish great things. The results are what makes everything worth it. Athletes put in endless hours of work into their craft. They sacrifice many different opportunities to be with their teams and the end result is what makes everything worth its while.

How to encourage team bonding

1. Social activities are fun, enjoying yourself and others.

2. Team-building exercises create friendships while building trust.

3. Group meals are casual fun to better relationships.

Importance of using team building skills outside of sports

One great thing about sports is that the skills that you use there are transferable in other aspects of your life that can have the same or a larger impact on your life. In a brightnetwork.com article, seven skills that are used in sports that can also benefit your work career are teamwork, leadership, time management, competition and sportsmanship, handling pressure, management and responsibility, and commitment. In today’s working world there is an increasing amount of work where you need to collaborate with a partner or group members and being in sports helps you develop some of those qualities. Using those seven skills are important because high level jobs look for those qualities in their employees and future employees. Being able to perform at a high level suing those skills that have helped you reach far distances in sports can significantly increase your chances of being successful in your field of work. Also, the great part about being a good teammate and having those team building skills is that there are such a wide variety of jobs that need employees that know how to manage their time, problem solve, etc. It gives you the best chance to be successful because everyone cannot make it to the NFL, WNBA, or any professional sport. It is best for athletes to use these skills for their future careers. This can put you ahead of other contestants that don’t have any prior sports experiences. Being in a sport and going through the experiences that athletes go through with their teammates are unexplainably different from a person that has not been a part of sports at any level.

The creation of a support system

One of the most important aspects about having a family-like atmosphere within a sports system is the creation of a support system. As teammates become closer together, they begin to support each other in every way possible. Having those strong connections with teammates is why sports is bigger than the game itself. Everyone that is apart of sports has their own story that makes them the person that they are. The support system that is created within sports helps athletes and other people that are having a rough time feel free to open up and speak about their problems to teammates. Not everyone wants to speak to their families about their problems, and having the support from one of your teammates can be crucial and help solve many problems. The great thing is that the support isn’t only when you are going through tough times, it is to celebrate your success, being in attendance at sports games, and etc. That is what a family does.