What does it mean to love a sport that’s only played with teams, for instance, volleyball, soccer, basketball and more? Even if the athlete just likes the mechanics of the sport, like a basketball or soccer player who only likes shooting the ball or a volleyball player who only enjoys passing, the athlete must know how to work with a team to do these things, which is a whole other skill on top of the technical aspect of whatever sport it is.
To be on a sports team is to take teamwork seriously, because that’s the only way everyone can meet their goal. One selfish move by one player could jeopardize the team for everybody, and that means that every member of the team has to take their role seriously.
This becomes difficult when athletes join the team for reasons other than their love of the sport. Take kids who play to please their parents and not because they genuinely love the sport. Now, there’s a chance for frustration and resentment to build between everyone involved as no one is happy, and the harmony of the team is jeopardized.
Some sport-loving parents don’t realize that putting your kid in a sport without seriously considering if they want to play said sport could potentially ruin the kid’s relationship with their teammates who are relying on them to care about the team’s goals. The positives of being on a winning team only matter when the athletes themselves want to be on that team because they’re the ones putting in the work. Just like you can’t make someone passionate about art or school, you can’t make an athlete out of someone who doesn’t want to be, as it might do more harm than good overall.
