Sitting at my high school brother's football camp and reflecting on my first year of playing a division one college sport, the memories began to surface of my childhood. Since I can remember, sports have always been a big part of my life. From the pee-wee soccer days, to traveling for soccer and lacrosse, to the recruitment process, to walking into my first day of college lacrosse practice, I have seen both the positives and negatives of playing. Although it is evident through studies and research that sports carry great physical benefits, many do not focus on the mental and social benefits that are equally as significant.
First and foremost, sports can act as an escape from reality for most people. It is a time to forget about conflicts that are going on in their life, outside stresses, or even that big exam in two hours. As an athlete, you're trained to step on the field, block everything out, and focus solely on the sport you love. This method of focusing on the task at hand not only assists in sports, but is a great skill to have in other areas of life such as in school, and in the workforce.
Playing relieves stress.Whether you're running, lifting, or in a drill — moving your body around physically, relieves stress. It is especially beneficial when you've been sitting in the library all day and then go to practice to release all of that built up energy.
Socially, growing up around sports can greatly increase your societal skills. As a youth, you get thrown into a social group of no one that you may know but who are all there for the same purpose: to play. You grow up with all kinds of people, with different interests, different lifestyles, but when you all step out on the field, you are there together. You may be with people who you would never go out of your way to get to know if it weren't for sports. The field, the sport and the experiences connect you with your teammates. You all will always have a connection to the game with the unique group of people that you've gone through the experience with.
Team chemistry is a vital characteristic for a successful program. One of the most unique aspects of sports is that you truly have to get to know your teammates fully. You need to have a grounded understanding of who they are, what sets them off, what encourages them, their style of play and even what occurs in their personal life. The more you know about your teammates, the greater chance of success your team will have. This social part of sports help individuals gain personable skills as they have to engage with different personalities and characteristics of others. As they do so, teamwork skills are developed which is an essential skill to have in life. The ability to get along with a multitude of individuals, recognize others' strengths and weaknesses and work effectively with peers, are skills that are essential in life after college and beyond.
Although many parents raise their kids playing sports in order to keep them in shape and active, they should also keep them involved for the evident mental and social benefits. As a college athlete that is fortunate to be playing at this level, I would encourage those of all ages to stay in sports for as long as they can because they not only keep you healthy physically, but also, mentally and socially.
