Organized Sports

The Lessons They Can Provide to our Youth

by Alex Cole

Organized sports are something that a lot of us have participated in. Whether you played youth hockey, soccer, football, or even baseball, the experience of being a part of a team has probably stuck with you. As someone who is now in their ninth season of playing organized hockey for a local team in Pierrefonds, I can say that I have learned a lot of lessons in that time that have helped shape me into the person I am today.

One of the first lessons I learned was the importance of teamwork and how crucial it is to understand that life does not revolve around one individual, but rather the collective of multiple individuals. Being the goalie of my team, I was taught that each goal against was because the team as a whole wasn’t performing and that plays in a game cannot be blamed on one individual. This idea was not something exclusive to hockey. I quickly figured out that school projects and other aspects of life in which we have to work with other people can adopt the same principle. As a result of my experiences in hockey, I have developed a better understanding of working in teams and how to accommodate others.

Youth sports can also teach us to become dedicated and disciplined. Most of us who have played any kind of organized sport probably remember those early morning practices on Saturday or Sunday morning. Even though we would have preferred sleeping in and watching cartoons, we got up anyway out of passion for what we were doing. Learning to be disciplined like that is such a crucial part of life. It teaches us that even though some things can be difficult, it is still important to do them. It teaches us to stay committed which is a skill many of us need when we venture into the workforce.

The most important skill organized sports teaches us though is that of hard work. From a young age, athletes are shown how hard work and determination can lead to success no matter what level you play. This is something that everybody could learn as it is applicable in school and just life in general. The feeling you get after being successful at something due to hard work is unbeatable.

Youth sports is a place where many kids end up making friends, learn great life skills, and overall just have a good time. For many people such as myself, organized sports has been a platform for me to let out my frustrations and forget about the hardships in life. It may not seem like it, but sports can be the saving grace for many young people, and that’s an incredible thing