At times parents get so caught up with their kids' academic progress that they fail to realize the benefits of other activities such as sports. Playing sports and especially team sports teaches kids the importance of living up to their responsibilities towards others and enjoying the warmth of camaraderie.

This is why it is of utmost importance that you not only support your child’s academic endeavors but encourage them to participate in team building activities for kids in the sports arena as well. Playing sports inculcates numerous positive attributes in teen personalities, such as discipline, teamwork, resilience and a hunger for winning at whatever they do. These qualities are good for not only their lives as students, but also helps them achieve professional and social success in all aspects of their lives. 

According the Josephson Institute's Center for Youth Ethics, six basic characteristics set young people apart from the rest of their peers, which are respect, trustworthiness, sense of responsibility, fairness of judgment, caring attitude and progressive citizenship. These characteristics are not inborn and every child needs to understand the importance of these qualities to learn and implement them in their routine lives. Most of these qualities are constantly in demand on the playing field. 

Challenges of Character Development

Character building activities related to sports can be of assistance to kids from various back grounds. For instance more and more women are now brining up kids on their own. Without casting the slightest doubt over the parenting skills of single mothers, it is important to remember that teenage boys who step into the world without any male role models to look up to, can get embroiled in troubles of many kinds and jeopardize their futures. Fathersunited.com recently reveled that according to data, the chances of a without any male role models is 63% likely to run away and 37% likely to abuse drugs than boys who have fathers or male role models in their lives. Teens who get involved in sports acquire not just father figure but a lot of support from their team members as well, which helps them stay on the straight and narrow.

Opportunities for Character Development

The emphasis on sportsmanship and the balancing of seriousness and playfulness teaches students to live up to their end of the deal but not get carried away with the severity of life. It teaches them to be competitive but with compassion, aggressive but fair, and excited about life in general, but not reckless and irresponsible.

Positive reinforcement through praise, opportunities to play more and enjoying the limelight of success as a team are also things which help teens understand the benefits of working together towards a goal as a team. Understanding the fact that no matter how good you may be at what you do, substantial success is a always a team effort.