Team sports are so important, especially in middle school and high school. It allows your child to become more social and learn how to work together with people. Team sports also teach your child how to take the blame when something is their fault, but also to learn that it isn’t always their fault. They build trust in others, as well as the understanding of how to think as one with other people.
Growing up I played primarily individual sports. Sure, I did soccer for a year or two, but for the majority of my childhood I did gymnastics, which is 100% an individual sport. Individual sports teach you very much that when you mess up it is your fault, and no one else’s. I mean there is no one else to blame it on. When I got to high school, I continued with individual sports, the biggest one being track, between hurdles and pole vault I was primarily competing alone. I did the occasional relay, which is somewhat a team sport, but there are really only three other people so you don’t get the full effect.
This past year of high school, my junior year (yes, that does mean I am now a senior, woo!), I joined my school cheer team. I never saw myself as a cheerleader. You think of them as being peppy and cute, I am not always that way. I get very down on myself when I lose. I did it primarily because a lot of my friends were on the team and I missed tumbling, and because let’s be real we all want to be a flyer. I ended up falling in love with it. I will admit it, I never considered cheerleading a sport and, believe me, it is. But that is a different topic for another time.
I learned so much this year when I finally did a real team sport. It was difficult at first, the thought of actually having other people to blame is definitely a big thing to grasp, and not constantly blame others.