Parents! Encourage children's sports for PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

The dominant belief is that the benefits of playing sports and games are limited to boosting fitness, strength and stamina. But that's one side of the coin. On playing fields, children also develop leadership, teamwork and resilience — invaluable personality traits for success in industry and the professions

- KIRAN BALIMANE & CYNTHIA JOHN

“Sports teaches you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose — it teaches you about life” — Billie Jean King, American tennis legend and winner of a record 39 Grand Slam titles

Sportspersons, great and not-so-great all vouch that playing formal sports teaches valuable life skills, develops character, resilience, and leadership, among other capabilities. Not just sportspersons, political, military and corporate leaders attribute some of their success to lessons learned on playing fields.

The Duke of Wellington famously attributed his victory in the Battle of Waterloo to lessons he learned on “the playing fields of Eton”. Playing sports and games at this vintage British boarding school, he developed the qualities of leadership, discipline, teamwork, and resilience — vital for military success.

In India, parents tend to be over-focused on children's academic learning outcomes. The dominant belief is that the benefits of playing sports and games are limited to boosting physical fitness, strength and stamina. But that's one side of the coin. On playing fields, children also develop leadership, teamwork and resilience — invaluable personality traits for success in industry and the professions.