Only 25% of today’s American adults play a sport of any kind. Given the well-documented benefits of participation in sports, it would be great to see this number increase.
The benefits of sport for physical health are obvious. However, there are less apparent advantages of playing sports which can be just as significant.
Read on to learn about what innovative entrepreneurs can gain from partaking in sports.
Innovative Entrepreneurs & Sports
Team Building
This is one of the most obvious benefits of sport.
Regardless of their own ability and drive, most entrepreneurs have to rely on others for many different things. Very few people build successful businesses without any help.
However, it can be difficult to trust others enough to delegate responsibility to them.
A team sport can give you a greater appreciation of the importance of teamwork. No matter how good you are or how hard you work, you’ll never win a game of soccer or basketball on your own.
Such sports can teach you how to use a team structure to your advantage.
Discipline
While the cooperative element of team sports is hugely valuable, individual sports present some opportunities that team sports do not.
Chief among these is the chance to become more disciplined.
When you compete alone, you take on the sole responsibility for your performance. You may have a coach, but your talent and skill are what will ultimately make the difference between winning and losing.
As any entrepreneur will tell you, there’s no better motivator than fear of failure. If you struggle with remaining disciplined, it might be an idea to take up a sport like tennis or golf.
People like Prabir Purohit show the benefits. Purohit is a successful banker, but also a well-ranked amateur tennis player.
Pursuit of Goals
Like business, sports are goal-oriented.
Some will tell you that it’s the taking part that counts, and that’s true to a degree. However, on some level, everybody wants to be a winner.
In sport, that can mean different things.
Do you want your team to top the league? Do you want to be top scorer this season? Do you want to beat one particularly tricky rival?
These questions will help you to focus your efforts. It’s the same in business.
Whether you want to increase profits, extend your reach, or make your business more sustainable, you’ll need to have the right processes in place. Learning to zero in on certain goals is therefore hugely important.
Active Leisure
One of the most important parts of sport for innovative entrepreneurs is the opportunity to unwind in a healthy way.
Getting physically active will allow to temporarily escape the stress of your job. However, unlike some other outlets (television, social media, comfort food), sports are good for you.
When you return to work after a game or training session, you’ll feel re-energized. This will make you more efficient when you’re putting in long hours in the office or in front of your laptop.
What Are You Waiting For?
The benefits of sport are far-reaching. For innovative entrepreneurs, the advantages may be even more significant than for others.
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out some of our others! We regularly post content on everything to do with sports.
