More than a game: How sports cultivate character

By Jessica Gates

All across the globe, from small-town soccer fields to massive professional stadiums, sports play an essential role in communities and people’s lives. 

Sports help cultivate one’s character by developing a deep importance for health benefits, values and personal connections that can set athletes up for success.

Teamwork, problem solving abilities and learning lessons are all taught in athletics and are essential. Sports can boost both physical and mental health and promote positive routines. 

Team dynamics can prepare athletes for real-world situations and encourage self-discipline. Being on a team requires responsibility, especially being involved in collegiate athletics. 

Student-athletes can love their sport so much that they want to further their playing time into college while pursuing academics at the same time. They can sustain optimal physical health through the rigorous training practices that sports have to offer.

“So my work permits physical health for me personally because I wanna be the most in shape and fit that I can be to perform at my best,” said Kiley McQuillan , a senior on Flagler College women’s softball team.

Physical health is extremely important for student-athletes when competing in their sport. Additionally, collegiate athletics help them be accountable and goal-oriented to seek results.

“I know that when I train and then I see the results, that makes me happy so I think the more I see results the more I want to physically,” McQuillan said.

Sports not only helps boost physical health, it can also enhance emotional and mental well-being.

“For me when I have a bad day, I know that when I go to practice, my teammates will make it better and I’ll kind of forget about anything bad that happened, because they make me laugh and support me in that way,” McQuillan said.

Being a part of a team and working with other athletes towards the same goal prepares people for learning how to navigate friendships and connections. It can be extremely beneficial for health and happiness.

“Having a group of people that you know will have your back no matter what is so important. Personally from my team experience, I have about 55 girls I can call for anything,” said Emily Cutair, a junior on the Flagler College women’s lacrosse team.

Collegiate athletics help build bonds that can be life-changing and provide a substantial support system. Sports help illustrate how deep connections can be valuable. 

“I know I always have a support system and anything I might need I have a person that can help me navigate that. Being able to have people to talk to is super important for your mental health and I’m glad that I have great teammates that are always there for me,” Cutair said.

Collegiate sports support both mental and physical health, but also can provide long-lasting and impactful techniques and skills. 

“As a former athlete and now a coach, running has taught me a lot. It didn’t just make me stronger physically, it helped me develop real life skills. Running taught me discipline, the ability to stick to a routine, and the importance of showing up even on the days when I didn’t feel like it,” Flagler College men’s/women’s assistant cross-country coach Enola Savel said.

Savel said running taught her that success is built through perseverance, which is a highly applicable skill in life.

“It gave me a lot of confidence and I realized that I was capable of hard things,” Savel said.

Collegiate athletics can teach athletes more than just the rules of the game.

“I’ve learned to make certain sacrifices in certain areas to pursue what I want to pursue and I’ve definitely learned how to place value on certain things over others, definitely time management,” said Tabitha Hanley, a senior on the Flagler College women’s golf team.

Hanley said golf ultimately shaped who she was as a person and helped her become who she is today. 

“Just because of how golf can be, I’ve had to balance golf, school [and] socials basically right when I started playing,” Hanley said.

Sports cultivate a person’s character and boost both the mind and body to create a path for success in the long run. Collegiate athletics can help a person develop in more ways than one and foster positive attributes.