Team sports and individual sports while similar have many key differences which make their impact on the character of an athlete very different. “Not all sports, however, impact mental health in the same way. A significant difference between team sports and individual sports is psychological skills and motivation of athletic success” (Emily Pluhar). Both types of sports push kids physically, but the big key difference comes in the mental portion. Team sports instill different values in you than individual sports, and because of this young kids who grow up playing either sport will have a different mindset. Team sports impact a child's character better than individual sports as they teach selflessness, dependability, and communication. 

Team sports impact a child's character better than individual sports as they teach selflessness. When playing a team sport, you are forced for once in your life to not be fully worried about yourself. “No matter your talent level in a team sport, you must rely on your teammates.” (Trine University) Part of playing a team sport is being a good teammate, worrying about others, and putting the team before yourself. This teaches kids to be selfless in their everyday life because they have grown up with these values instilled in them from playing team sports. When you play an individual sport, you lose this part of the game. “Individual sport athletes miss out on the unselfish and self-sacrificing ways that team sport athletes must have.” (Emily Pluhar) Being a good teammate and worrying about others is not as important in individual sports. Instead, it's more focused on making yourself the best. Individual sports athletes are taught to rely on and focus on themselves as they have no one else to. In effect, this can make young kids who grow up with those habits more self-absorbed and less caring for others. 

Another reason why team sports impact a child's character better than individual sports is that team sports teach dependability. Being part of a team means pulling your own weight and being responsible for your part. If you don't pull your weight your team may not respect you as a result. “ Playing team sports means contributing your part, or the whole team loses.” (Trine University) This pushes you to be dependable in your sport from a young age which will help you in many aspects of life later in the real world. In individual sports when you don't pull your weight you're not disappointing anyone besides yourself. This can lead to a lack of dependability as well as overwhelming anxiety as all the pressure is on you instead of being distributed among a team. “But with individual sports, you can’t rely on teammates. Success and failure are yours alone to bear.” (Trine University) 

Lastly, team sports impact a child's character better than individual sports because they teach communication skills. Team sports run on communication and connection between teammates, and you can't win games without it. “The most essential skill to team sports is communication – which will always be a key factor to success in a game.” (Greta Santunlli) As an adolescent who has grown up playing team sports, I have learned how to communicate effectively with others without being too pushy or aggressive. This skill is key to building connections with others and makes life easier. (Kids learn lots of skills from playing team sports, one of them being communication. This will benefit them greatly when they need to find a job in the real world.” (Emily Pluhar) You miss out on the social part of individual sports. This can cause kids to feel lonely, anxious, and sad. You benefit so much from playing a sport with your peers outside of social growth. “Kids playing sports with friends is a healthy way to positively impact their character in the long run.” (Greta Santunili) You can meet people who understand the stress that being a student-athlete brings, and you may meet some of your best friends there. The lack of social interaction and communication with your peers is a key reason why individual sports impact your character worse than team sports. 

Overall individual and team sports will benefit you physically in the long run. On the mental side team sports impact a child's character better than individual sports as they teach selflessness, dependability, and communication. Growing up with these values present in your everyday life makes adjusting to the outside world so much easier!