We get around eighty to one-hundred years on this planet. It feels like quite a long time during the boring days and the sadder moments, but it does actually go very quickly. Before you know it, you’ll be an elderly person wondering how it all managed to speed up.
Playing Sports Brings You Closer
We get one go at this life, and then we’re done. Sure, many of you may believe in rebirth or reincarnation, but all we know right now is what we’ve already discovered. You may also believe in the blissful and eternal afterlife in another place – that’s fine, but we’re talking strictly about the time we get on this planet right here, right now.
With that said, you’ll want to make sure you have the best possible time filled with joy and filled with love. When you have those around you all singing from the same hymn sheet and reciprocating the affection, then everything becomes a lot easier and more positive. Some people are pretty introverted and enjoy their own company, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to feel the closeness of others around them – quite the contrary actually; they would like more than they make out.
How can a group – say, a family or a cluster or friends – become even closer, then? Well, there are a bunch of ways. Everyone has their own preference, but something that really works for many is sports and similar such physical activities. Not everyone is a sports fan, and that’s okay. Growing up, sports tended to be for the jock-type kids and those with large personalities. It was seen as the popular thing to do and, if you weren’t into them, then you were part of a stranger fraternity of people. If you’re not a huge lover of sports due to a lack of interest and subsequent school experiences, then that’s totally natural.
They are good little hobbies to get involved in, however, and they’re fantastic for bringing people together. Families, friends, colleagues, and many kinds of groups can cement a tight bond by simply getting involved with these kinds of activities. The cool thing about the sporting world is that there are hundreds of sports to choose from – you wouldn’t just have to subject yourself to the more popular and televised kinds.
If you aren’t really convinced that these things can bring you closer with the people in your life, then the following points might be able to push you over the line. There are so many positives as to why this would be such a great idea. If you have some time, why not continue reading? Let’s get to it:
They’re Fun!
At the very base of all sports, and at the end of the day when all’s day and done, sports are played because they’re enjoyable. Nobody turns up to a field to kick a ball around because they have to, they do it because it makes them happy and makes them feel good. Meeting up with your friends or family members and getting a good bit of exercise in will not only make you feel good, but it will make everyone else feel good. This kind of positive effect will transcend the activity and allow you to take the smiles home with you. It’s all about making yourself and those around you more content, so you can be comfy and happy around each other.
They Build Confidence!
When someone is more confident in their own ability to do things (and in their own ability to live life in general), they’ll feel more comfortable with life. They’ll feel less like a burden or less closed off from society. They’ll want to interact and engage with the people in their life. Sports allow confidence to flow. Firstly, because the exercise allows endorphins to flow around the body. Secondly, because increasing one’s ability in any skill makes a person believe in him or herself. They’ll KNOW that they’re capable of reaching a higher level. If you’re more confident, then you’ll want to be around people more and more.
Blow Off Steam
It’s very easy for people to reach an awkward stage in their relationships. Even if you’ve been pals with someone for your entire life, it’s possible to reach a slight impasse. Tension can build, and tempers can flare in any situation – that’s just the way our brains seem to work. Getting out and hitting a punching bag or whacking a ball in some backyard batting cages can relieve a lot of stress and remove issues that are currently in the air.
Teamwork Is Needed In Many Sports
We have sports like golf, tennis, weightlifting, and many others that are based on a single person’s pursuit of victory. There are many, many team sports around, however, and everyone needs to pull together in order to get the win. Teamwork is a skill that needs to be honed and cultivated over a period of time – it doesn’t just come overnight. If you and your close ones gather and play for a team, it will only make things a lot better away from the game, too, as you’ll take those skills into other areas of life. The bonding goes beyond the activity and into real life.
They Help With All Kinds Of Anxieties
We talked about confidence, which is, of course, a hugely important aspect of life. Another similar talking point in regards to one’s mental state is the anxieties that they might have to live with day-in-day-out. Things like social anxiety can stop a person from going and visiting their closest family members. General anxiety disorders can cause a person to stop functioning completely, and to combust; to shrink into a shell. Sports can absolutely remove some of the burdens they feel and really bring them out of their shell again, meaning they can be close and around their loved ones once more.
It’s An Excuse To Meet Up
If you don’t really have much going on and feel as though you need somewhat of a buzz during your free time, then playing sports can fill that void. Simply putting on some sneakers, getting down to the local park, and throwing a ball to one another can do the job necessary to cure your boredom. Also, if you want to hang out with your pals and don’t know what to do, then it’s a good excuse to meet up with them. If you have no idea what to actually do, and you don’t want things to be boring and awkward, then sports can solve that problem.
They Can Create Goals For Everyone
Sports, for many, are just ways of passing the time before they eventually go back to the more important things in their lives. They can act as more than just a pastime for a lot of people, though. They can act as ways of boosting one’s career or their fitness goals. As a group, you could use this kind of activity as a way of improving your lives. Doing this kind of thing together would only strengthen your bond as you’d grow together and watch over each other’s progress.
You Could Create A Family Tradition Of Sorts
This doesn’t have to be an idea for every group of friends or every family, but it’s something that happens a lot. Once a year (or maybe even a few times a year), a family will get together and play a particular game they all enjoy. Family/friend traditions are great for reinforcing that kind of bond and trust together. It’s something to look forward to and can give an extra dimension or meaning to the group.
Many Sports Teach Discipline
When people struggle to get their heads in the right place, it can be a pretty bad time. When they’re not in the right frame of mind, it’s then easy to stay away from the people they care about. One of the reasons as to why they’re not quite in the place they’d like to be is down to their discipline. This is split into both self-discipline and in terms of behaving appropriately with others. Sports such as martial arts and rugby certainly need discipline in order to play, so these kinds of activities could be super useful. Once a little order is restored mentally, one could absolutely strike up a relationship once again with the ones they love.
Some Even Teach Valuable Life Lessons
Sports aren’t straightforward. The aim of the game is, but there are many obstacles in the way that impede you from getting to the finish line easily. This can harden you up for any difficulties you may face away from the sport you’re playing. Take, for instance, awkward and tense domestic issues. Going through different kinds of mental and physical struggles on the field might prepare you for more important dramas. You won’t lash out or make silly, impulsive choices like perhaps you might have before. When you are able to get through these kinds of issues, you’re then able to solve problems easier and relieve any tension you might have with the person you’re at odds with.