Beyond the Bench
When you think of sports, what skills come to mind? What do athletics help us learn? Maybe you think of competition skills like sportsmanship, effort, or teamwork. Other examples include physical traits like the six skill-related components of fitness listed below!
- Agility
- Speed
- Power
- Balance
- Coordination
- Reaction Time
Beyond physical and competition skills, what lessons can we learn from sports? These types of skills may make you a better athlete, but sports help build character too. Building traits like the six pillars of character below can help you be an All-Star on and off the bench!
- Trustworthiness
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Fairness
- Caring
- Citizenship
You may show trustworthiness when being honest with a line judge when a ball lands out in a volleyball game. The hours you spend in practice to improve your skills show responsibility. Kneeling when a player on the other team is injured shows respect. Following the rules is a great way to practice fairness and citizenship. Best of all, being friendly to teammates, competitors and spectators is a great way to show caring and practice being a helpful smile!
All of these skills can be taught through sport but they will bring you success of the court for the rest of your life. This summer we encourage you to try a new sport or complete the Design Your Own Sport Challenge. Find one that speaks to you and start building character!
