Participating in team sports helps to develop good character in Essay

Participating in team sports helps to develop good character in chidren - Essay Example Though the results from these studies are somehow conflicted, there is a solid argument that sports are influential in developing good character in children. Is character intrinsic in human beings? To comprehend this, one must understand the definition of character. The term â€Å"character† is employed to refer to an encompassment of qualities that make an individual distinguishable. These qualities are usually complex, which psychological and ethical influences shape an individual character. These definitions make it evident that character is not intrinsic. This is because of its psychological and ethical inclinations. These two factors are external and are influenced by an individual’s interaction with life. Good character may be defined as conducting oneself in a manner that is socially accepted. Therefore, for a child to have good character, it is imperative that they interact with the society in order to know what is accepted to be good and vice versa. Therefore, interactions such as sports may have a significant influence on character development in children that are positively viewed in the community. Children participation in team sports clearly has a consequence in the development of character in children. This is because sports make available an opportunity for children to learn qualities that entail good character. Some of these qualities include commitment, discipline, and teamwork among other qualities that are regarded as good character. Children, through sports, also understand better human relationships and how best to relate in society. The characters that are learned through sports influence the child’s life decisions in his or her lifetime (Dunlap, 2004). Character development in children is evident in sports through the development of principles. Principles depicted to be of good character include honesty, compassion, integrity, self-control, courage, hard work, etc.. These principles are learned in sports