Sports are more than just a game, and have deeper understandings you may not pay attention to. Sports originated back tens of thousands years ago, and according to research, began with wrestling in France. The first few sports came from many locations on earth, became altered with different rules overtime, and spread globally as civilizations became more advanced.  New sports were created by unique minds and some became well known, giving everyone a large variety of options of active play. 

Different Sports for Different People

Sports come in all shapes and sizes, such as individual and team sports.  Individual sports are based on independent play, and players can only depend on themselves to win. But team sports are almost the opposite. Team sports require several players to have to cooperate with one another, trust each other, and play as a whole. But with a team, players can have conflicts with others, which may lead to poorer efforts and skill due to the distraction. In individual sports, players can mentally “beat themselves up” by doubting their ability to play and assuming they can’t succeed. But with the abundance of people that are unique in their own way, it may be confusing or challenging to find the right sport for them..

The Truth of Sports

Active play can be hurtful not only to your physical body but also to your mental state. It can have big impacts on players which may change them for the better, or for the worse. But on the other hand, they can teach us about ourselves and our world. We learn how to negotiate plans, settle disagreements, and how to monitor our attitude. The skills we learn by playing can be applied to school and work. Not only sports but also games contribute to our creativity and mindset.  We use language during play to solve problems, we use thinking when we follow directions to a game, and we use math skills to recognize the possible results of each sport we play.

The Main Value of Sports

In a perfect world, everyone would have fun playing sports and not have to worry. But that isn’t always the case. Playing sports can lead to bruises, cuts, and broken bones. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, self doubt and doubting others is what can lead us down the wrong path. But making sure to be supportive and to believe in yourself will get you great results for the future. 

Making Sports Work for Us

Playing sports doesn’t mean you have to play on the best of the best team. Nor does it mean that you have to be the best player. People who are sports coaches decided to pursue that career for a reason! They found what they enjoyed and what they did well and put it together for their future. Just like your teachers, parents, etc. Some sports are not meant for us, and that’s okay! When we explore and try new things we can find what we love to do, and it not only helps us with life, but also helps us to figure out who we are and who we want to be.