I have been playing sports since I was in third grade. When I started, I had just moved here and didn’t know anyone. Now, I am still friends with the same people I met back then. In my opinion, sports help build relationships that can last a lifetime. They encourage communication, foster teamwork, and build confidence that you can’t find anywhere else.
A study conducted by Blast Motion says: “In terms of the effect of sport participation on shyness, a longitudinal study with measurement at baseline and one year later found that sport was positively associated with positive adjustment (e.g. social skills and self-esteem) and that sport played a uniquely protective role for shy children.”
Participating in sports allows students to become more social since they are being put in an environment that is unusual. If you aren’t social already then you will become social by playing sports.
Sports also build strong connections between teammates since you all have the same goal while playing, to win. It is very common for people to get along when they are fighting for the same thing. In third grade, me and one of my new friends were talking about how much we both wanted to win and that shared determination has kept us close to this day.
A Northwestern University engineer, Noshir Contractor, claims in his study about chemistry in team sports that “They found marked improvement across each sport when prior shared success was included with the team’s overall skill compared to accounting for team skills alone. The rate of correctly predicted games increased between 2 and 7 percent.” Sports allow people to fight for something together. These shared experiences, particularly victories, strengthen team connections and improve performance.
Additionally, sports help build confidence, which in turn enhances social skills. Someone with low confidence is often hesitant to speak up, while a confident person is much more likely to engage in conversations. Sports allow kids to get the confidence they need to interact with people.
When I first started playing sports I had no confidence in the world, then as I continued to keep playing sports my confidence grew a ton and it made me feel better about myself.
Dr Brian MacDonald , a private coach, says “that shy children who participated in sports over a year said they experienced a significant decrease in their anxiety about social situations. Although the difficult part might be convincing your shy child to participate in sport to begin with, they will eventually reap the rewards.”
Having at least one thing in common, which is that they play the same sport, is huge for shy kids. Their confidence increases and their anxiety decreases.
Overall, sports help students develop social skills, build confidence, and foster strong relationships with their peers, benefits that are crucial for personal growth and success.