Athletics can do more than just give you a college opportunity and keep your body in shape. The life skills and lessons you learn on the field will translate to the workplace and help you succeed in your career.
Participating in sports, particularly team sports, will teach you invaluable soft skills that are in high demand by employers. Athletics teaches you:
Hard Work and Discipline
Participating in sports is hard work, both physically and mentally. You hustle at practice to make sure you’re on point when it’s game time. But even in between formal practices and games, you hit the gym and practice on your own time.
Dedicated athletes set themselves up for career success because they have the discipline, work ethic and drive to climb their way to the top of the corporate ladder.
Teamwork
Participating in team sports teaches you how to be a team player. In the workplace, this is an invaluable skill. With every practice and game, you learn the strengths and weaknesses of your fellow teammates. You learn how to leverage those strengths and weaknesses to work together and accomplish your goal (literally and figuratively).
Knowing how to get along and work well with others is crucial in the workplace. To succeed, you must be able to work with your co-workers to meet deadlines and accomplish other goals.
Participating in athletics is the ideal way to learn and master teamwork skills before you enter the workplace.
Accountability
As an athlete, your team depends on you. If you don’t show up or you show up late for practice or games, it reflects poorly on you and hurts your team’s performance. Participating in sports teaches you accountability and the importance of being on time.
But to succeed in sports, you have to do more than just show up. You have be there. You have to bring you’re A-game.
These same rules apply to the workplace. Sure, showing up on time is important. Your team depends on you and your employer depends on you to keep operations running smoothly. But if your goal is to get a promotion and progress in your career, you have to be there. You have to bring your A-game to the office.
Humility
In sports, sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. Being faced with both outcomes builds character and humility. So, you won a game. Great! But what could you have done better? What mistakes did you make? How can you play better next time?
Even in victory, athletes analyze their performance and recognize that there is always room for improvement.
Humility can go a long way in helping you succeed in the workplace. Finding ways to improve your efficiency and performance will ultimately help your work team succeed. Even when a project is a success, you don’t take those victories for granted and look for ways to improve for the next project.
Adaptability
The outcome of a game can change at the drop of a hat. The opposing team can come back from behind and win. Strategies change, morale fluctuates and sometimes, you have to step in as a leader to change the course of the game.
Adaptability will help you succeed in your career. If deadlines change, the strategy shifts or your workload changes, you can confidently dive in and feel comfortable going with the flow.
Participating in sports will give you tools and skills that will help you succeed in the workplace and in life. Athletes know all about hard work, teamwork, adaptability, reaching goals and humility. These skills translate into the professional world, helping you progress in your career and personal relationships.
