Teaching Teamwork Skills in Youth Sports
By Emilee Bounds and Tim Baghurst, TrueSport
Youth sports allow young people to learn teamwork at an early age and experience succeed-or-fail situations in a safe environment. With each failure comes a lesson, and with every success comes confidence.
The ability to function and collaborate within a team setting requires a multidimensional skill set that is beneficial at all stages of life. Therefore, teaching teamwork to young people can help them develop skills at an early age that they will use forever.
Youth sports provide the perfect opportunities for young people to acquire and develop these skills.
SIX WAYS TO DEVELOP TEAMWORK SKILLS IN YOUTH SPORTS
Cohesion is a term often used to describe how a group bonds together toward a common goal. But it requires more than just glue for a group to stick. Skills like leadership, hard work, communication, conflict resolution, self-discipline, and accountability are also necessary for a group to work together successfully.
Here are a few pointers on how to encourage teamwork with your athlete or team:
- Leadership means learning to lead others as well as learning to follow those who lead. While a team may have a well-defined captain, leadership roles should be fluid with players stepping in and out of them depending on the game situation.
- Hard work is essential to the success of the group. While performance may vary, effort should remain constant. Remember that there is no such thing as giving 110%. Everyone giving 100% would be more than enough!
Read more at SportsEngine and TrueSport
