GREG TORNGA: The main benefits of team sports vs. individual sports are teamwork and building relationships with teammates. These benefits transfer from sports and apply to other life situations. Social benefits include making friends and developing relationships. In fact, some children view the sport more as a social activity than a sporting activity! Waiting in line for their turn in a drill or spending time on the bench gives them a good opportunity to chitchat with teammates and develop friendships. Calling others by a nickname, giving teammates a “high five” after a good play, cheering on the team and celebrating victories are all part of the camaraderie that is enjoyed by teammates. That camaraderie can be just as fun, if not more fun, than the sport itself. Relationships developed on the playing field are often solid and long lasting because sports-minded children have a lot in common, like being athletic and competitive. Some of my best friends during my childhood and adolescent years were made on the baseball field.

Playing on a team vs. competing alone brings its own risks and rewards. When you perform well, you have the opportunity of being a hero for your team. Getting congratulated by teammates for making a good play or hugged at home plate after hitting a home run is a great feeling. Doing your part in contributing toward the common goal of winning also is very rewarding when accomplished and celebrated as a team. On the flip side, if you fail in an individual sport you are letting yourself down but in a team sport you are letting yourself and your teammates down. Some kids thrive on this type of peer pressure, while others can get upset and emotional if they don’t perform.

When playing on a team you must rely on others to do their part. Although you may do your job well, it can be frustrating when others don’t perform. Some children don’t like to be in a situation where the team’s performance is out of their control. The benefit is that when you are having an off day, you have teammates who can pick up the slack and make up for it. If you are having a tough time emotionally, your teammates can help lift you up and get your spirits high.

All of these lessons transfer over into life situations. When working for a company, you work for a team and the same situations arise—mainly the fact that you must rely on others to do their part in reaching a common goal. The relationship building and social skills children learn in sports are valuable in careers and life in general. And the challenge of performing under pressure among peers, whether you succeed or not, certainly builds character.

LES ARMSTRONG: The benefits of team sports include both physical fitness and an enhanced opportunity to develop mental, social and leadership strengths. Cooperation with peers and authority figures, teamwork, interpersonal communication skills, responsibility, social skills and other personal developments are all by-products for children and teens who participate in team sports.

A well-defined youth sports program like Sereno Soccer Club focuses on a multitude of areas to develop the young athlete in a team environment. Sereno’s mission is to develop well-balanced, successful student athletes in a team environment through instruction of the technical, tactical, physical and psychological aspects of soccer. Competitive teams typically train three days a week. Older teams receive mental skills support and nutrition instruction on a periodic basis. High school players receive additional sessions offering, among other things, life-skills training, SAT/ACT preparation and college recruitment preparation.

Sereno uses the ABSSS [Agility, Balance, Speed, Strength and Stamina] program to develop players to their highest level of physical ability. The program is designed to prevent injuries and progressively peak the team at correct times to give us the best chances for success. Sereno also has developed a Next Level Performance Program to assist high school players in preparing for college life. Finally, a unique aspect of Sereno soccer club is its mental skills training program, in which all of our competitive players participate. The program focuses on teaching skills that will optimize each player’s development and performance in soccer and, more importantly, in all aspects of life. rak