A team sport is a sport in which the competitors are part of a group that is working toward a common goal. This common goal may be a victory in a competition or simply the development of a specific skill. Some examples of team sports include basketball, soccer, hockey, and baseball. While these are the most popular forms of team sport, there are many other types of team sport as well, such as synchronized swimming, bobsled racing, sailing, dragon boat racing, and track and field.
Research suggests that there are many benefits of participating in team sports during childhood and adolescence. One of the main advantages is the social support that team athletes receive. These supportive relationships have been shown to reduce stress levels and depression symptoms in adolescents. It is also possible that the social interactions in team sports help adolescents to cope with emotional problems and insecurities.
Another advantage of team sport is the ability to practice and compete under a set of clear and agreed-upon standards. For example, members of a team understand that they are expected to attend all practices and to work strenuously during those sessions. In addition, they agree to strive for excellence during competitions and to cooperate with teammates. These standards of effort and performance are a hallmark of team sport that distinguishes it from other types of physical activity.
A final benefit of team sport is that it gives young boys the opportunity to learn to cooperate with other men. This is important because it activates a primordial proclivity that was once necessary for survival in all-male hunting and fighting gangs. For this reason, many boys who play team sports prefer to do so because they enjoy the sense of cooperation and belonging that comes with it.
While it is not possible to know whether team sport really enhances positive life outcomes, research to date has linked it with better mental health, greater resilience to the stresses of modern living, and improved academic achievement at school. In fact, there is increased interest internationally in using sport to develop a range of “life skills” that improve learning and performance across the curriculum.
While some research supports the idea that kids who play team sports do better in school and at work, other studies have found no link between either of these outcomes and team sports participation. In addition, the evidence linking team sports to these improvements is based on correlations, rather than causality. Moreover, the link between team sport and positive life outcomes does not apply to children who are naturally attracted to these activities. Nevertheless, the many positive benefits of playing team sports in childhood and adolescence should be encouraged, especially since they are often available at little or no cost to participants. This is a key factor in increasing the accessibility of these benefits to all children. For these reasons, the government should provide funding for high quality community sporting facilities in order to encourage more young people to participate in team sport.