Youth sports in general can be extremely beneficial in the development of children’s lives regardless of the level of competition they are involved in. Basketball, football, baseball, and more each come with an array of benefits that can contribute to key growth and development in younger individuals.
Even so much as having past experience in team sports listed on one’s resume can speak volumes to a potential employer. The traits that often come with this background are very easily translatable to the business world, including those like leadership, communication, working collaboratively, and a higher level of confidence. Many business owners and employers have come to expect these characteristics in qualified candidates, but few embrace them as well as past athletes.
Several studies have been conducted connecting youth sports with positive characteristics later in life, suggesting that networking is not the only way to effectively market yourself in today’s business world. For example, Kevin Kniffin of Cornell Dyson School of Business found that a majority of adults perceived past student athletes as having excellent leadership skills, self-confidence, and self-respect, thus making them highly sought after candidates in their given career fields.
Another positive trait stemming from years of competitive sports is strategic development and sterling organizational skills. Teamwork and the ability to communicate can only be done correctly when there is strategy behind it. Every sport involves developing a game plan with the ultimate goal of winning being kept in mind at all times. In an office setting, leaders with this type of experience are able to do away with unnecessary meetings that draw away from the task at hand.
The ability to practice great self-discipline comes with years of playing sports as well; a characteristic that can translate to perseverance in one’s career and personal life. Understanding that there is always room to improve, along with understanding that it takes time and patience to do just that is an invaluable business skill. Leaders are not perfect, and to hold one’s self to that standard would only lead to disappointment. It requires hard work and dedication to see improvement.
Student athletes and children involved in youth sports at any age are setting themselves up for potentially huge levels of success later in life. No matter their role on their respective teams, whether starting quarterback, point guard, or pitcher, young sports enthusiasts alike gain the necessary skills they need to effectively navigate the complex nature that is today’s business world.