Team sport brings together individuals of all ages for competition and comradery. Many believe team sports teach life lessons that can carry far beyond the court or rink. Some of the most important lessons learned are communication and trust (in teammates) and perseverance and dedication to one’s cause.
Compared to traditional groups, sport teams differ in that members are committed to strict standards of effort and performance. They understand that they should regularly attend practice sessions, follow coaches’ instructions, and perform their best in tournaments. They also share a common purpose: to win.
Furthermore, club owners and leagues regulate the internal processes of team sports to a great extent. This includes the number of athletes a club can recruit and the amount of games it can play during a season. Furthermore, a team will often be more successful playing on its home field. Among other things, this is due to the familiarity with the local climate and lighting conditions; the fact that the team knows the idiosyncrasies of the field; and the presence of local fans that encourage place identification on the part of the players.
A recent study showed that sports teams are also social in nature and engage in a range of interpersonal interactions with fellow athletes, coaches, and opponents. In particular, the organizational structure of two Scandinavian handball clubs (one elite and one youth) offered a unique opportunity for young athletes to develop their social skills by practicing with members of both the junior and senior elite teams.