5 things students learn through sports
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The essence of a good education is the ability to learn from and work with others – not only teachers, professors, mentors, and counselors, but also peers. The essence of a great education is the ability to take what is learned in a classroom and apply it to situations beyond that designated learning space. Through participation in sports, students at any stage of their education – elementary schools, high school, and university – develop skills that enhance their academic experience and prepare them for their future in the career world, whatever path they choose to follow.
As EF Academy New York’s Deputy Head of Academics puts it: “Sports and school go together like a hand in a glove. Athletics offer friendship, shared wins and losses, strength and agility, competition, preparedness, and good habit.”
Here are five things that students learn as an athlete that benefit their education and help them succeed on and off the field.
Collaboration & Teamwork
These are arguably the most obvious skills a student develops as part of a sports team. Working together with others toward a shared goal is just as invaluable in the workplace as it is in the competition arena. Collaborating with teammates and leaders, listening to and sharing ideas, and making small sacrifices to accomplish goals is the way a group of people can work and succeed as one. This applies to a team of any kind – from two people working on a school project, to a team of 8 rolling out and marketing a brand new product.
Time Management
Ask any former collegiate athlete what the most important skill they learned was during their time as a student-athlete and chances are they will say “time management.” Involvement in sports in addition to taking a full load of classes requires the ability to organize. High school student-athletes are required to balance assignment deadlines, homework, and exams with games and practices. It’s no easy feat but the ones who learn how to do this in their early teenage years have more time to practice the art of time management before university and before it begins to play a crucial role in their job performance.
Leadership
Every team needs someone to guide them and lead them to success, to their goal. Participation in sports gives each athlete the chance to step up to the plate and lead. It could be lifting the team after a tough loss, setting a good example as a student who is at the top of their class, or remaining humble while being the team’s MVP. Leaders take many forms – one could argue that it’s not the act of being a leader that has the most impact on a student athlete’s experience, but rather the path they follow as they become one. That process of transforming into someone who is admired or regarded as a role model is a lasting experience and one that a student will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Goal Setting
As an individual or as a team, setting goals is a fundamental part of success. Involvement in sports is a good way to learn how to set goals because it’s easy to identify what you would like to accomplish – winning a tournament, sticking a landing, perfecting a move or breaking a personal best time. Sports offer the ideal practice for goal setting in other areas of your life and it encourages you to ask yourself, “What will it take?” High school students who set goals for themselves in athletics learn how to set goals they will need to meet to fulfill their academic ambitions, and further, down the line, goal setting skills will benefit their professional success too.
Respect
Anyone can get caught up in the excitement and emotion of a game or competition, especially the participants. And when the game is over, how they carry themselves whether they win or lose is a clear indication of their character. Sports teach us respect: respect for opponents, coaches, teammates, and most importantly, ourselves. Acting respectfully toward others is just as important in sports as it is in the classroom, the workplace, relationships, and friendships.
“Sports are at the core of an excellent education. They teach and transform us through their lessons and what we learn is both kept and shared,” Dr. Comas says.
What is the most valuable lesson or skill you learned as a student-athlete?
Students at our international boarding schools make life-long friends, experience the culture of their host country and find their passion in the sports, clubs and activities that inspire them most. Our student life program is powered by their engagement and school spirit.