Children can reap numerous benefits from playing baseball. Aside from the physical activity it provides, baseball can help teach essential life skills that will serve them well in the future. In this article, Brendan Matarese will discuss some of the most important benefits children can gain from playing baseball. We hope you find this information helpful and encourage your child to start playing this wonderful sport!
Learning Important Life Skills
Playing baseball helps children develop the important life skills of teamwork and cooperation. They must work together with their teammates to be successful on the field. Communicating about plays while on the field, supporting someone up at-bat, and helping them deal with a strikeout are all part of the game. Supporting each other through training, especially on cold mornings and late nights, is how everyone gets through the season. Teamwork is a shared experience. Even young kids can be leaders in showing others how to communicate properly about how to support a teammate. This helps build camaraderie, shared goals, and valuable skills that will serve them well in their careers.
The other significant life skill that children can learn from playing baseball is how to handle disappointment and loss. Striking out, learning how to swing and actually hit the ball, and then seeing your double turn into a game loss because the batter behind you struck out can be frustrating. Baseball is not a high-scoring game, and everyone will undoubtedly experience defeat as the children play. Advancing to the finals and losing, or having a team that really cannot compete helps children find other reasons to like playing baseball. These reasons include learning a skill, meeting new friends, striving for a common goal, and learning that the process of getting to the goal — not just achieving. Teams and individuals learn to cope with these setbacks. Baseball teaches children how to deal with frustration in a healthy manner. They will need this skill as they get older and face more difficult challenges in life.
Staying Healthy and Active
Another great benefit of playing baseball is that it helps children stay healthy and active. They get to spend time outdoors and engage in physical activity, which is essential for their development. With the increase in computer related activities, it is more important than ever for children to be physically active, and baseball provides a fun way for them to do so. What is great about baseball is that children are outside for long periods. There are practices, games, and double headers. A day spent outside rather than just a few hours takes away the distractions of things that can be done at home.
Making New Friends
One of the best things about playing baseball is that it allows children to make friends with other kids who share their interests. When children are on the field together, they can build strong relationships that will last long into the future, says Brendan Matarese. These friendships often extend beyond just the game itself. Participants in youth baseball leagues often become lifelong friends. From experience, the baseball friends then became the winter basketball team allowing everyone to use different muscles. They also played a faster game, and got in that all-important cross-training that helps in sports and in life.
Increased Academic Performance
Studies have shown that children who play baseball have better academic performances than those who do not. This is likely because baseball requires a lot of discipline and focus — qualities that can also be found in successful students. It also requires structure, because you need to get the homework done either before you go to practices in the evenings and play on weekends, or late at night after returning from a 7 o’clock game that is generally the time you play when in high school. Working with a structure and deadlines and being able to manage them all benefit children academically down the road.
Increased Mental Toughness
One of the most valuable things children can learn from playing baseball is mental toughness. This refers to the ability to stay positive and focused, even when things are going against you. Baseball is a challenging sport, and players must learn how to deal with the difficulties of striking out, then being ahead and losing because the last batter hit a home run putting your opponent over the top, says Brendan Matarese. Those who can develop mental toughness will be better prepared for the challenges that life throws their ways.
Learning How to Win and Lose
Another important thing that children can learn from playing baseball is how to handle wins and losses. When children play a sport, they will undoubtedly experience both wins and losses, and they need to learn how to cope with them. Losing is an inevitable part of life, and children need to learn how to cope and move on from defeat. Likewise, learning how to win also has its benefits. It teaches children how to celebrate success and stay humble in the face of victory. It also teaches them that the win is a team effort. Even if they are the best or one of the best players, everyone on the field works together to make the win.
Learning About Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship refers to the qualities that make up a good character, such as honesty, respect, and integrity. Children learn to treat their opponents with dignity and respect as they play baseball. They also learn to work with their coach and to support the suggestions and counsel that the coach offers. Interacting with adults from an early age helps children build the ability to become their own advocates.
Conclusion
Children who play baseball learn about life in ways that cannot be taught in the classroom. Baseball is also a great way to keep children active and healthy, and it helps them learn the value of teamwork and friendship. Baseball is a great sport that provides many benefits for children, so encourage them to start playing today!
