How sports helps kids to build strong character that supports them to face challenges in adulthood? – by Elizabeth Kosareva & Cécile Lammer

How sports helps kids to build strong character that supports them to face challenges in adulthood?

It is well known that sports activities are recommended for good health and positive psychological outcomes. Exercising creates a chemical reaction like endorphins and serotonin that help to improve the mood by releasing a “feeling good emotion”. This allows them to build resilience and control emotions. Practising sports early age participates in building a strong personality by facing physical and emotional challenges.

Humans are social animals; they feel the need to build connections with others. Being exposed younger to others in the context of sports teams or activities teaches teamwork and problem-solving skills.

When supporting Elizaveta Kosareva in her journey building up Kosandra Sports Academy in Hong Kong, even though it is known from studies, we quickly realized the benefits to kids. How sport brings new perspectives to them? In a different context, some kids can act differently. They may be shy and discrete at school and become leaders, encouraging their teammates and supporting their success.

There are 7 advantages to joining team sports:

• Grow in self-confidence
• Teach respect and fair play
• Improve the willpower to achieve greatness
• Develop social skills and critical thinking
• Accepting defeat leads to perseverance
• Build leadership skills
• Discipline

Cecile Lammer believes for a football team to succeed, not only does the best have to be reunited but great unity between players has to be foreplayed. To create unity, it is essential to learn to encourage others, learn to take turns, feel safe asking for help, accept differences, create loyalty, be open to constructive criticism for continuous improvement, compromise and put forward conflict resolution. The same logic applies to companies.

How can your company or teams excel if there’s no harmony or unity to move toward the same goal? It is crucial to remember what are your long terms goals, what values are essential to your company. Does everyone feel in the same boat and included to reach the goals?

Consider your company is like a team, much bigger than a football or basketball team however same criteria apply.

“As a Founder Elisabeth’s goal is to attract more kids in Hong Kong to do sports, help them to have a healthy mindset, teach healthy habits, be open to make new friends, let them grow in a healthy environment, build strong character to face difficulties, offer them support allowing making mistakes, build self-confidence to chase their dreams and most important to be happy!”

Elizabeth started learning figure skating when she was 3 years old in her mother Irina Kosareva’s figure skating school. Irina (Ирина Косарева) is a famous figure skating coach who has taught and guided many young figure skating champions. Growing up in such an environment with her mom as her mentor, Elizabeth also learned how to train young and teenage skaters to succeed in competitions. And, when she started her teaching, many of her students became medal winners of numerous national competitions, which made her realise that she was born to coach and was passionate about it.

Ceicia wishes to emphasize how harmony and unity in an organization can bring quickly a powerful sense of belonging as well as create dedication from employees. Those two factors bring successful results to companies. Many talents want to feel they wake up to engage in meaningful daily tasks, they want to feel appreciated.

What actions are you taking within your organization to achieve your goals? Do you use fear and threats or do you value a more human approach?

Ceicia publishes one article per month, related to different subjects. Stay tuned.

Ceicia’s founder