Any time there’s an opportunity to teach children vital skills early on in their life, we should all leap at the chance. Learning the benefits of being part of a team is one of the best ways children can develop a raft of skills they can carry through their teenage years and into adulthood. From speaking and listening to encouraging and embracing a healthy lifestyle, here are five key skills your child can develop through teamwork.
- Communication: Team sports are all about people talking and listening to each other. Children instinctively want to get their point across immediately, and often struggle to listen. However, listening skills are essential in a team environment, and they’ll quickly learn that.
They’ll also quickly learn that identifying when to listen and when to speak up helps get the results they’re looking for – this is something they can carry with them into all aspects of their adult life. - Develop compassion: Another great benefit of playing and working in a team environment is that it gives children a chance to develop empathy and compassion. Being able to identify someone who is finding something challenging and provide encouragement is something that will equip your child well throughout his or her life. It’ll help them build relationships and develop an understanding of others’ needs.
- Collaboration: Being part of a team requires everyone to work together – a vital skill that children can certainly take into their working lives. The earlier they learn the benefits of collaboration, from pulling together as a unit to knowing when and who to delegate certain tasks to, the better equipped they will be.
Learning collaborative techniques in straightforward team settings such as easy cricket games will help them to apply and advance these skills as they go. - Confidence: Playing a role in a team can help children build a sense of identity and belonging. Collaborative team environments also make it ok for kids to make mistakes, and show them that this is how we learn and improve ourselves.
This combination can lead to huge leaps in self-confidence. It can give children the room to become more sure of themselves in a variety of settings and situations, just like they’ll find in later life. - Healthy lifestyle: Taking part in team sports in childhood encourages children to pursue a healthier way of life, rather than being sedentary. Running, jumping, throwing, catching etc. are all great exercise, and good coaches will also relay the positive messages about eating well too.
Children are often more motivated to take part in healthy activities as part of a team. That’s because they get to spend time with their peers and reap the rewards collectively. In turn, this helps to keep them coming back for more, and a healthy lifestyle becomes second nature.
There you have it, five key skills that will equip your children with some of the tools they’ll need to succeed in life. Whilst your child might find easy cricket games simple after a while, they’ll remember what it was like when they first started. Get them involved early, encourage, and enjoy watching them grow!
Author bio:
Eleanor is a freelance writer specialising in parenting, travel and sports. She enjoys helping fellow parents find ways to encourage their children to be active, healthy and team players. She is also a lifelong cricket fan, thanks to her brother!