Children who participate in youth sports learn much more than how to throw a ball or score a basket. They learn a series of invaluable and practical life skills.
Sabrina Hackendorn, one of three captains of Cabrini’s women’s basketball team, started playing sports at age 5. When she was young, she played basketball, softball, volleyball and track and field. She also participated in dance and cheerleading.
“I think sports have helped me learn how to communicate and connect with people, which are important qualities for leadership,” Hackendorn said. “By having good examples before me of coaches and captains, I’ve learned how to lead on the court as well.”
Mike Doyle, one of four captains of Cabrini’s men’s basketball team, started playing organized team sports at age 4; however, he says he has had a basketball in his hands ever since he was born.
The skills that athletes gain through participating in sports from a young age are transferable to many areas of life.
“The life lessons learned in youth sports are invaluable. Some of them are teamwork, time management, the importance of setting challenging goals and working tirelessly to achieve them,” 35-year coach Jim Conover said.
Setbacks on the field often allow athletes to better handle setbacks later in life. According to the Journal of Athletic Training, athletes found themselves to be 65 percent better at han
dling failure than nonathletes.
“I am a firm believer that youth sports help with learning traits and provide experiences while growing into adulthood. Winning or losing, they are still gaining knowledge they have no idea they are acquiring,” Paul Sparano, coach of a 13U boys Amateur Athletic Union baseball team, said.
Sparano has more than 20 years of coaching experience.
“While losing, you learn to push through adversity,” Sparano said. “It helps understand sometimes things are not always going to turn out they way you want. But that one moment does not define you in sports, just as that one moment in your life will not define you as a person.”
The ability to deal with setbacks allows athletes to be better leaders later in life. When things get hard, they are more likely to be able to solve the problem.
“The best leaders learn to handle failure as gracefully as they handle success. It’s important to expose future leaders to disappointment rather than protecting them from it,” Denise Savastano, Egg Harbor Township Youth Organization cheerleading coach, said. “Children need to learn how to handle the loss and move forward when the other team wins.”
Whether win or lose, athletes are also taught from an early age how to work together. This can help them with handling coworkers in their future careers.
“Most athletes learn to deal with failure and, hopefully, success, how to understand roles and the value of different types of contribution to team success, and how to problem solve quickly,” Nick Weisheipl, head baseball coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach at Cabrini University said.
These experiences can lead athletes to have faith in themselves and know they are able to handle these issues.
According to the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, compared to people who did not participate in youth sports as children, people who did reported a much higher level of self-confidence and had a higher level of career success throughout life.
This is often due to the role of coaches, who encourage and reward leadership skills in their players.
“I try to always point out character and sportsmanship, as first and foremost. I explain how not everyone is going to have a good day. At different moments there will be others who be called upon to pick each other up,” Sparano said. “They understand there are ones who play a big role on the team, but they need everyone who plays a role on the team. This helps them learn to appreciate each other, regardless of what position they are in on the team, or in adult life.”
Athletes take these lessons and apply them as they take on leadership roles in their own lives.
“My coaches showed me how leadership isn’t about dictating, but it’s about connecting your players and wanting what’s best for the people you’re leading, not just what’s best for you,” Hackendorn said.
Considering athletes often see their coaches as role models, it is important for coaches to be the type of person they would want their athletes to grow up to be.
“As a leader, you realize the importance of setting a good example for your team,” Savastano said. “By allowing my athletes to see how I balance my career, my personal life and being a volunteer cheerleading coach, I am hopeful these qualities will teach them accountability through effective leadership.”
Athletes often take this to heart and strive to be people that others can look up too just like they can look up to their coaches.“My dad was my coach in high school so he taught me a lot about leading and doing what needed to be done,” Doyle said. “The main message was always to lead by example and others will follow.”
Overall, coaches hope that in the future, they can see their efforts pay off.
“I have seen athletes grow from the age of 5 or 6 to 23. It is great to observe them in the sports environment, then later on in life, continuing to grow as a person,” Sparano said. “I see many of these young athletes as adults now and they still exhibit respect and manners they have kept since youth.”
Athletes as they get older and stick true to the values they have learned since childhood can see how they have truly been bettered as people.
“Playing sports has helped me find my voice and not be afraid to be the one people follow. On the court and off the court, I don’t mind if people turn to me in a tough spot,” Doyle said. “That started on the court but has carried off of it as well. Sports really prepared me for life in terms of leadership.”
