A Team sport is any game in which a group of people compete with each other while working together. This is in contrast to sports like gymnastics and wrestling where the participants work individually to perform a routine or technique. There are many advantages to participating in Team sport as a student or adult. These benefits range from fostering a sense of community to increasing a person’s social skills.
The most distinct attribute of a team sport is the simultaneous presence of competition and cooperation. For example, a basketball team’s 12 members simultaneously compete with one another for starting status and playing time while cooperating in coordinating their activities in the pursuit of performance success. Successful coaches foster both competition and cooperation, with the goal of enabling players to push themselves toward higher levels of excellence.
Another distinction of team sport is the presence of a constant roster size as specified by league rules and/or regulations. For example, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) stipulates the maximum number of athletes on an intercollegiate athletic team and regulates when a team may begin practicing and the minimum number of games it must play.
Participating in a team sport also teaches a person to understand and appreciate the contribution of each individual to the success of the team. During practices and games, teammates communicate their thoughts through verbal and nonverbal cues and listen to and pick up on each other’s feedback. In addition, a person develops communication skills that can benefit him or her in the classroom and other aspects of life.
