Participating in organized sports offers so many significant life lessons and values to those involved. I think I speak for everyone when saying that playing sports since I was little has taught me skills that I still use today. Certain attributes that come from participating in sports cannot be picked up anywhere else.

1. Discipline

One of the most important things in life is to learn how to train yourself to know your own limits and goals. Not only in sports, but also in life, having discipline helps you achieve success, better and faster. It also teaches you that not everything will be a victory and you have to work harder next time.

2. Respect

Having respect for your coaches in sports helps kids later on in life when dealing with adults or authoritative figures. Understanding that you, in fact, don’t know it all at a young age can help in the future when talking with or listening to those older and wiser than you.

3. Friendship

Some of the best friends come from playing sports together and this sort of bond helps young boys and girls prioritize the things that are most important to them. While growing up, your friends also help you establish who you are and how you are going to live your life.

4. Overcoming Adversity

Sports are not easy, all athletes are guaranteed to have a hard time at some point in their career. Going through a slump usually brings out the player’s true self. Dealing with your own personality when it comes to tough situations can help you improve yourself and cope better with adversity.

5. Leadership

Even if you were never captain of the football or baseball team, leadership skills are always implemented in athlete’s brains. It is always encouraged to strive to be the best that you can be, acting as a role model to people around you.

6. Resilience

Like overcoming adversity, resilience teaches you that you can't always win. However, it also teaches you to get back up and keep going; to not let anything or anyone stand in your way. Getting past your fear and leaping into uncertain situations is a skill that can incessantly be applied to real life.

7. Teamwork

Realizing that a team's success is not solely on your shoulders is a lesson largely applied to sports. This also carries over to the real world because working well with people will always be a factor when trying to get a job. Adjusting to people you don't necessarily like is also a skill picked up from sports. As the old saying goes, "there is no I in teamwork."