It’s a difficult time for anyone who loves playing team sports at the moment, with a great deal of uncertainty about when activities will be able to resume more normally. For students getting ready to go to university in September, this is also the case for student societies and sports teams.
The Guardian recently reported that many students’ unions around the UK are confident that they can replicate the experience of joining a team or club in person with online activities. There are many benefits to playing team sports, however, which should not be overlooked.
Speaking to the newspaper, sports professor at Abertay University David Lavallee commented: “Our research has shown the transferable skills learned through sport, including communication and leadership, can make students more employable.”
He added that, following the Covid-19 pandemic, these skills, alongside collaboration, will be especially important for those looking for work in the near future.
But as research from the University of British Columbia in Canada revealed last year, students who took part in team sports and other team-based extra-curricular activities reported stronger mental health indicators in many areas.
The study revealed that the actual activity wasn’t as important as the participation in a team for bringing these benefits to young people.
Team sports are certainly a lot of fun for youngsters too, which is why it’s such a great way to get them to be more active and help them to form new friendships. You could encourage your children to get involved with Putney netball lessons to start having fun on the court and making new friends in the process.
Instilling a love of team sports in your kids from a young age will also mean they’re more likely to continue practicing them as they get older, and therefore they’ll continue to enjoy all the benefits these activities bring.