What Do You Gain From Being Involved In Sports

Involvement in sports either as a spectator or participant offers a variety of benefits, both in a physical and mental sense, and is an enjoyable activity that can last a lifetime. While not everyone has the physical prowess to be an athlete, anyone can be a fan or supporter of their favorite team or participant, and enjoy the thrill of the competition as a spectator. In any instance, sports allows for friendships to form both on and off the field of battle, teaches compassion for an opponent, and gives a temporary respite from daily life to escape through recreation. Involvement in sports on any level of competition enables participants to sharpen physical and mental skills in an atmosphere that is unique, rewarding and just plain fun.

For an athlete, involvement in sports presents an opportunity to test one's physicality against an adversary with but one goal - victory. However, within the parameters of competition there are rules that must be followed in order to succeed, sportsmanship is critical, and there are penalties for unruly behavior. In this sense the concept of sport parallels life, in that there are repercussions for inappropriate actions. This is a valuable learning tool especially for young people, in understanding how appropriate behavior is generally rewarded within society. Sports teaches one how to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat, and the lesson of extending compassion to those once considered adversaries. Sports affords an opportunity to learn to define a specific goal, and then contribute all of our energies to achieving it. Win or lose we become better people for having attempted an endeavor that was larger than ourselves, and we are stronger for the participation in competition. Physically and mentally, our bodies and minds are sharper by involvement in sports, and problem resolution skills are improved drastically.

As a spectator of sports, we break away from the monotony of daily living, and for a few hours are able to focus solely on a single recreational activity. In individual circumstances we can support our friends or children that are participants merely by our presence at a sporting event. Relationships are formed with other "fans", and are able to show our pride in our local team and in our community. Spectators of sports become an extension of their team in terms of support, both economically and emotionally, and without them sports would most certainly lose a good bit of it's general appeal for participants on the field of play.