10 Ways Sport Will Help Your Career

You don't have to dream of being an Olympian, an AFL player, or a personal trainer to play sports. In fact, besides physical fitness and recreation, there are actually a tonne of benefits that you can bring from sport to your professional life as well. 

Here's your sign to join a netball team, go to yoga classes or just play tennis with your mates. For real, it'll help your career in the long run. 

1. Discipline 

Being active requires discipline and dedication. The consistent effort and practice in achieving a goal, whether it's to win a footy match, be able to kickflip on a skateboard, or run 10km, builds your discipline and trust in yourself.

Consequently, you'll be a lord at self-motivation, setting and achieving goals, and just getting the job done in a professional setting as well. 

2. Teamwork

There's no better way to learn teamwork than on the field or court. Collaborating to achieve a common goal, communicating effectively, and working out how you can help is an invaluable soft skill for any workplace!

3. Leadership

Whether it's leading a team or taking charge during a game, knowing how to motivate others, inspire confidence, and make tough decisions will help you climb up to that leadership role quicksmart.

4. Perseverance

In sports, failure is inevitable. But it's how you respond to that failure that determines your success.

Persevering, even when you're being flogged or the constant underdog, learning from mistakes, and pushing forward builds resilience. In the workplace, you'll be more accustomed to facing challenges and setbacks.

5. Time management

Juggling sports, school, work, and other responsibilities will teach you the ins and outs of time management. You'll be able to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines in your professional life.

6. Communication

If you can't communicate, work gets pretty tricky. Lucky for you, team sports require a heck tonne of communication, whether it's verbal or nonverbal, with teammates and coaches. You'll be a lord at getting ideas, feedback, and opinions across in no time. 

7. Competitive spirit

The feeling of winning is addictive. It'll instill a competitive spirit in you which will drive you to work harder and strive for excellence in your career.

8. Goal-setting

Learning how to set realistic and achievable goals for yourself and your team will make you a go-getter in the workplace. You'll know step by step how to go for what you want in your professional life.

9. Networking

If you're looking for new mates, join a team! Not to mention, you're meeting new people that could open the right door for your career! Everything is a potential networking event so bring ya business cards and claim it all on tax (this is not financial advice 😂).

10. Work-life balance

Playing sports will teach you the importance of work-life balance - prioritising your personal and professional life is a lesson we all need to have down pat.

Not letting the pendulum swing too much one way or the other is key to a happy life, and sports will remind you of that every time you play!

So what are you waiting for? Join a sports team now!