When I was younger, I distinctly remember myself being the embodiment of the popular idiom “There is no ‘I’ in team.” I never really wanted to work with anyone else, never mind be part of a team. But little did I know that being on a sports team can be very rewarding and can help you become, as cheesy as it is to say, a better person.
I started playing on a competitive volleyball team last year and have continued into this year. I can proudly say that I have had some really wonderful experiences because I have been on a team. There’s something so cliché about saying how having the opportunity to be a team member can be so impactful, but I think it just must be stated.
There shouldn’t be anyone who can’t say that being on a team doesn’t help you develop the obvious: teamwork and collaboration skills. By having the opportunity to work with different people with different attitudes, you learn how to better deal with people who have different ideals than you and how to have better people skills. The ability to work cooperatively with others is an irrefutable life skill that will never fail to serve you later in life.
Being part of a team is like having a second family. You have another external support system in place. And just like all other families, you have your fights and problems but there is always resolution. The bonds you can create with teammates because of your experience working together are something that no one can question.
You are also able to learn about what it takes to win and how to deal with losing. The work that you do as an individual affects your team and if you have no work ethic, it will have an impact on your team and you will be able to see what you’ve done wrong. When it comes to losing, you have people there in the exact same situation and you can deal with is as a collectivity who are there to support each other and figure out how you need to improve.
All in all, if you ever have the chance to become part of a sports team, be that competitive or not, I highly recommend not letting that chance pass. Even if you aren’t much of an athlete, it will most certainly be an impactful choice. The skills you can learn and the relationships that you get to develop are something that even the best piece of writing couldn’t do justice to.