5 Ways That Team Sports Can Improve Your Work Game

We’re the generation of digital gurus and smartphone enthusiasts; we’re the game changers, the ‘live’ reTweet sorts, living by a mantra that’s all about ‘working smart’. We’ve got the power to run our lives from the comfort of our smartphones, but are we really at the top of our game when it comes to work? We’ve got 5 ways to get you fit, focused and fully functioning at work by playing these popular team sports, and how to apply your court skills to your office routine.

It’s All About Teamwork

What makes the Golden State Warriors, LA Lakers or the Chicago Bulls the alpha dogs is their affinity to play as a team. Yes, you’ve got legends like Kobe, LeBron, Derrick Rose and the magnanimous Michael Jordan who are amazing as solo players, but it’s the team that wins the ultimate goal, breaks records and sets the bar for other players. Basketball is a one-of-a-kind team sport that teaches you how to co-ordinate, trust, cooperate and build a team. Plotting out strategies to dodge your opponents and scoring the hoop at the very end is not only rewarding but also gratifying.

Likewise, playing team sports can help you to delegate work to your team, set realistic goals and plot strategies to help the team grow.

Focus Is Key

We know it can be hard to focus sometimes, it happens to the best of us, especially when you’ve got back-to-back deadlines and endless emails rolling in. But what we can learn from CrossFit is that dedication and patience pay off. CrossFit centres on high-intensity workouts that gradually increase your fitness, core movements, strength and overall results in a set period of time.

The learnings from CrossFit are helpful for those who find it difficult to juggle meetings and approvals, delegation and prioritisation. This sport teaches you how to make the most of your time and constantly stay focused which will help to increase productivity overall.

Call The Shots

Serena Williams has won three Olympic gold medals in the women’s doubles – an all-time record shared with her sister Venus Williams. The camaraderie, friendship and loyalty that tennis builds in an individual will allow them to shine even when they’re all alone against their most fierce opponents.

Team sports not only help in boosting your confidence but also strengthen your self-esteem, which is never a bad thing when working with different personalities, working long hours when deadline time is looming, and keeping everything under wraps and working as efficiently as possible.

Put The Right Foot Forward

The feeling of meeting a deadline or nailing a client pitch is similar to the feeling you get when your favourite team scores – that all familiar mix of relief and elation. Football is one of the most popular team sports and no matter what position you play, there is a strong element of decision making involved – which is hugely valuable to the success of the team and this quick-decision making happens both on the pitch and off.  Famous football managers like Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Arsène Wenger are apostles of analysis and think on their feet about creative strategies and game play.

If you manage a full-blown team at work then we’d suggest that you too get on the pitch to learn more about real-time planning and speedy execution.

Eyes On The Prize

Hiking is a feel good team sport that aims to boost your mood by giving you the headspace and sense of freedom to combat everyday tensions, stresses and anxieties. Stacks of work files on your desk can easily get you worked up; we’ve all been there before. So to eradicate work pressure it’s always best to plan short hiking trips in and around the city to help you to overcome your fears and generally de-stress. From a physical standpoint, hiking strengthens your core muscles, has been linked to an improvement in sleep quality and it demands you to think on your feet and really take charge.

Try applying some of your sports skills and experiences to your work life, to see how they can be applied to create more structure and personal management of your day-to-day tasks. Get stocked up on all your sports gear right here at Sun & Sand Sports.

SHOP SPORTS