Being a team player

I played sports throughout middle school and high school. I ran cross country, played volleyball, and ran track. Ultimately, I received a scholarship to play volleyball at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It’s safe to say that sports has played a major role in my life. It’s even safer to say that my life would not be the same without having played sports.

And it turns out that I’m not alone:

• 66% of Fortune 500 CEOs played college sports.
• 88% of business leaders believe that skills learned through sports can easily be transferred to the boardroom.
• 94% of C-suite women played sports at some level.

What is there about sports that leads participants to future success?

Here are a few of the things we know to be true about students who participate in school-based athletics… They develop discipline, grit, and persistence. Sports requires participants to have a growth, rather than fixed, mindset. Athletes learn to communicate effectively with peers and adults. They also develop the pride in accomplishment that comes from working together toward a common goal. All of these things translate well into life after competitive sports.

When kids play school sports, they get a chance to compete with their school’s name on their uniform. They learn that the same adults who care about them during the school day will cheer for them at their sports competitions after school. They also understand that they must meet certain academic and attendance standards in order to participate.

RPS 205 offers sports at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. For the 2023-2024 school year, our athletes experienced success at both the conference and state playoff series levels. The district had 12 team-sport conference championships, 79 individual-sport conference championships, nine NIC-10 MVPs, and eight NIC-10 Coaches of the Year. Additionally, RPS 205 had 56 individual-sport state qualifiers, nine team-sport state qualifiers, and three state champions. School athletic programs give students the opportunity to experience success and so much more.

Five skills that translate to the workplace

1. Adaptability. Athletes learn to be open to multiple roles within a team construct and embrace whatever role will most benefit the team. For example, a superstar basketball player might be asked to take on a leadership role. And yet that same player might not be a starter on the volleyball team and must cede leadership to a teammate. Additionally, the fast-paced nature of sports requires players to make quick decisions and pivot as conditions change.
2. Collaboration. Inherent in collaboration is trusting that the other folks on the team will do their part. Athletes learn that if everyone works hard and does their best, even as each person performs a different function on the team, then the team will be successful. All roles on the team are important and the different roles are vital to the team’s success. We can’t have an entire team of quarterbacks.
3. Emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize, understand, use, and manage emotions, both your own and those of others. Athletes with high EI can communicate effectively, stay focused under pressure, and maintain resilience in the face of setbacks. They learn to keep a positive outlook and impact those around them, coaches and teammates alike.
4. Problem-solving. At the heart of athletics is a problem to solve, and that problem is the opponent. Part of solving the problem is preparation, part of it is following the coach’s game plan, and part of it is assessing what is and is not working during the competition itself. Players must consider all of this while keeping the lines of communication open with teammates and coaches.
5. Strong work ethic. The successful athlete will enjoy working hard, which means consistent effort, abundant energy, and continuous improvement. Since no one works in a vacuum, effort is what we give of ourselves, energy is what we give to the team, and improvement is the outcome of staying true to that hard work ethos.

The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce.