Pros and Cons of Starting a Sports Team

By Marc Zabudsky







This article will briefly describe some of the important pros and cons that you should consider when starting a new sports team.

If you are planning on participating in a team sport, but are lacking a team, this guide will help you to decide whether starting a team is for you.

Benefits of Starting a Sports Team

If you are reading this article, the thought has crossed your mind about starting a team. Here is a summary of why you should consider starting a sport team:

Increased participation

Starting a team means you will get more involved with your sport. Some people can't get enough out of sports, and starting a team is a great way to spend your spare time.

Not only are you increasing your involvement, but all of the members of your team will be participating in the sport (if they are not already on a team).

Help to promote your sport

If you are an advocate for the benefits of your sport, starting a sports team is a great way to promote your sport first hand to your team members. If you have players new to the sport, they may become advocates themselves!

You get to Play

Are you unable to play your sport because you do not belong to a team? A perfect way to play your sport is to start your own team.

Health Benefits

We all know the health benefits that sports provide. Starting a team is a great way for you to share with others the benefits of excercise that your sport provides.

Network and Play

Starting a team is a great way to bring individuals together that share a common sporting interest. Whether you just moved to a new town, or you play with colleagues from work, starting a team is a great way to make new friends, and share in something other than the daily grind.

Sports is a Social Activity

Whether you bring new people to your team, or socialize with the teams you play, you will always be meeting new people.

Sports is a social activity, and helps bring together people with similar interests.

Lead the Team to Victory

Some people are leaders while others are followers. Starting a sports team is a great way to improve your leadership and interpersonal skills.

If you enjoy organizating activities and making decisions, then starting a team is a great way to help you improve your leadership skills. Depending on your line of work, team leadership looks great on a resume or college application.

Improve your People Skills

It takes a certain type of person to lead a group of people. If you are a type of person that shys away from the spotlight, then starting a team is an easy way to improve your social skills with others.

Even if it is only to organize weekly games and practices, your increased communication with others will help improve your people skills.

If you are the type who loves the spotlight, then starting a team is an excellent way to help you improve your personal development.

It's Very Rewarding

At the end of the day, if you are thinking about starting a team, then you should do it.

Whether your team is the best in the league, or your have created some long lasting friendships, stick with it, and you will be rewarded for your efforts.


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The Cons of Starting a Sports Team

Starting a team does have its drawbacks. When starting a sports team, you do need to have the dedication, perserverance, and patience to make your team happen.


As the Captain/Coach, your teammates depend on you as the driving force for your team, and you have to ensure you can step up to the plate and be able to meet their needs. Sometimes it may feel more like a job than something you would do for fun.


Other issues you do need to consider are:

Do you have enough players?

Over the years I have often tried to start a sports team, but couldn't because of a lack of players. If you don't have a strong network of people ready and able to join, you might not be able to get out of the starting gate.


Even if you don't have enough players, you still might be able to sign up to your league as individuals. If the league accepts individuals, you will most likely be able to play together, and if you are keen enough, you might be made captain.


Check out this chart that shows the average number of players per team. You can use this chart to see how many players you will need for your sport.

Having enough time and energy?

You have to carefully consider that you have enough time to make sure that everybody on the team knows exactly what's going on.

You need to be able to dedicate the time for the entire season to:

  • Ensure everybody knows when and where the games are
  • Ensure enough players will show up to the games
  • Make arrangements to schedule practices, and drills, etc.

All of these things probably won't take up much of your time, however it is your responsibility to ensure that all the players know what's going on, and that you are working to make your team happen.

Communication Problems

We all have the fear of one day showing up for a game only to realize somebody forgot to tell us it was cancelled.

Every person has their own way of communicating that works best for them. It's up to you to ensure that the way you use to communicate works for each player on your team. Sometimes you might have to incorporate a couple of methods (such as website, phone, etc.) that will satisfy everybody. You may get lucky and start a team website that has a posted schedule that everybody can view.

Poor communication with your team can lead to problems. It is up to you to identify the problem, and seek out solutions to improve communication with your team.

Prepare for the Worst

Nobody likes to lose. However when starting a new team, you have to prepare for the worst. For a variety of reasons your team can fail:

  • Personality Conflicts
  • Attendance Problems
  • Skill Level
  • Low Morale
  • Reasons beyond your control

If this does happen to you, there is almost always help available at the league, be sure to talk to your league conveniers and they should be able to help out. Remember it is in their best interest to help you and your team because they want your season to be successful just as much as you would like your team to be a success.

Am I the only one on this team?

Everybody has the best intentions when joining a team, however sometimes as the season progresses, interest seems to wane. Things happens, schedules change, people move on, all these are things that can affect turnout. If this happens to you, you could be on the brink of failure. Just keep a backup plan in mind if you find yourself needing extra players for your games. Do not be afraid to contact your league conveniers, as they may be able to help.

Conclusion

When I started this article, I knew there would be arguments for both sides of the coin. However looking back at the pros and cons, the benefits far outweigh the cons. We all know that everything you do includes some inherent risk. But if you are in a position of starting a sports team, it will most likely be a win-win situation for everybody involved.

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