Building Character through Sports

I feel it is important for a person to make at least one sport a part of their life. This is because sports not only keep us healthy physically and mentally but also help to build a person’s character. No matter which sport a person takes up, it helps that person develop perseverance, patience, and humility. If it is a team sports like hockey or basketball, the person will learn to be a team player as well. Sports have a positive effect on your character.

Some traits of a good character are honesty, patience, courage, compassion, humility, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, perseverance, and prudence. With all these positive traits comes principles. These principles become characteristics in which people practice that are the role sports play. A sport provides a setting for children and adults to practice principles that help develop traits in a fun controlled environment. (1) There is a lot of pressure away from sportsmanship in various sports at all levels from youth sports up to elite level.

It is ultimately up to us on whether or not we become closer to reaching the potential of sports building character but proper coaching can help you gang the characteristics you receive through sports. The best way to promote what is best about sports with young athletes is to engage in these kinds of practical activities that encourage sportsmanship and other virtues. (2) Playing team sports can build character because sports help bring the team together. It also, offers participants the exacts tools to help drive them to success physically, mentally, and Roddy 2 academically.

When playing sports you gain wisdom and encouragement, love and appreciation to one another, relationships and friendships, healthy mind and body, leadership, management with anxiety and stress, a competitive edge, working with others, having good sportsmanship and respect. (3) When a person is new to a sport, he/she has to work hard to improve their proficiency at it. This takes time and patience as one cannot achieve milestones overnight. Depending on their ability, they may take weeks, or even months just to hit a ball correctly or run a certain distance successfully.

To achieve a certain standard at a sport, the person has to practice repeatedly over a period of time. This takes a great amount of perseverance, otherwise they will simply give up trying. Unconsciously, the person is building up their perseverance level and they are not likely to quit in life when the going gets tough. A person achieves proficiency at a sport faster if they consult others who engage in the same sport. To admit that they are not the best requires humility. To be able to ask for advice requires even more humility.

Hence, as a person goes through the process of improving themselves, he becomes humbler and more likely, a better person. If it is a team sport in which a person is participating, they have to learn to discard any notions of personal glory and cannot be self- centered. They need to be a team player to play a game like basketball well. In time, the person will learn how to be a team player in life as well, be it at school or at work. Hence, in conclusion, sports do build a positive character.