Growing up as a child playing and watching many sports, the benefit of hindsight has made me realise that my competitiveness led to a very narrow-minded view of sports. I always had the notion that children only played sport to train and compete. They would climb the ranks and eventually play the sport professionally if they were ever good enough. If not, they would just quit and leave sport altogether. That was it. However, there is one aspect that I completely ignored as a child but have grown to appreciate and cherish as an adult. That is, the people you meet in sport will be one of the best experiences you get out of it.
Young Children
Young children usually start out in local sport clubs by playing together in a weekly Saturday afternoon match. Children in this group generally require the support of a parent or guardian to pay for their sport participation as well as chauffeur them to matches every weekend. Therefore, by extension, friendships made in this age group will also involve guidance from the adult. If you’re one of these adults, it is important to recognise when your child already has a school friend who plays a particular sport and to offer the opportunity for your child to try out that sport if he has expressed interest. It is normal for young children to be hesitant or nervous about participating in a new sport so having a friend who already plays that sport is enormous encouragement for your child and a great opportunity for him to join a new sport. Furthermore, this will only strengthen the friendship that the children have already developed in school.
Young adulthood
If you are in young adulthood then you would know it comes with more independence. This also means more freedom in choosing your own sport along with your own experiences. If the people you meet in sport is ranked number one then rank number two is having the privilege of travelling with them as part of a team. Wins and championships are a sweet feeling but the friendships you build in sport are the ones to be cherished. They are the ones who will be there for support and motivation. They are the ones that will keep pushing you to be your best because as the saying goes, “you don’t want to let the team down.” Sport also provides opportunities for you to travel interstate and overseas with your friends to compete while also having a lot of fun (after the competition is over, of course). It also provides opportunities to meet people from around the world who you would otherwise have never met. These are the memories that you will look back with a smile.
Parents
For the parents, it is understandable that you put your child ahead of yourself, after all, it is the child who is playing the sport. But this does not mean you have to just sit and watch. There are not only opportunities for you to be involved in your child’s sport but it is also highly appreciated from all the coaches and officials. It can be helping out as the scorer in his basketball match, volunteering at an event he is competing in or simply cutting up the oranges for the team’s half time snack in his soccer match. As you meet the other parents through these opportunities it really enhances the experience of being involved in your child’s sport. From local sport clubs through to national sport organisations, parents who help out really exemplifies the community spirit in sport. After all, this is what sport is meant to be, a community of people first and foremost.