Sport opens up an entire world of valuable skills that, when learned, can help mould wonderful people. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Sport opens up an entire world of valuable skills that, when learned, can help mould wonderful people. Photo / Peter de Graaf
OPINION
ChildFund Rugby is a programme using rugby to teach life skills and is the charity partner of the women's Rugby World Cup, which kicks off on October 8.
ChildFund New Zealand CEO Mark Collins says the upcoming tournament is a great reminder of the social and emotional skills that sport can teach children.
While having an English soccer-mad father meant I was never destined to play on the rugby field, growing up in New Zealand meant I knew about rugby and was an avid All Blacks supporter from a young age.
My family was glued to the television, along with the rest of the country, when the All Blacks took on France in the 1987 Rugby World Cup final at Eden Park - back when international matches were still played during the day.
We are very lucky to live in an amazing country that has a proud sporting focus and history.
ChildFund New Zealand CEO Mark Collins. Photo / Supplied
It's interesting to think that while the physical skills learnt in sport are valuable, the real power comes from the mental, social and emotional skills required to take part.
As adults, we often take for granted the things that shaped us. We chalk them down to common sense that we've accumulated from our experiences and our values.
But if you look a bit closer, many of those lessons have come from participating in sport.
Participating in sport as a youth definitely helped to shape me into the person I am today. Sport teaches us so many valuable, non-physical skills that can be carried across all parts of life.
Goal setting is crucial in sport, after all, no child sets foot on a sports field with the intention of losing or playing badly. You learn how to overcome obstacles through sport, because no game goes exactly to plan - therefore resilience and grit are required to achieve your goal.
Equally, we have all suffered the bitterness of defeat in sport, even when we have tried our best, and so we have to learn emotional management, which is a hugely valuable skill for young people.
Also, most sports require you to work with others, so you learn and experience teamwork, both the rewards and challenges. Leadership is another valuable skill born through sport and people learn the ability to inspire others on and off the field.
So many of the skills we need in life can be found through sports. As we approach the women's Rugby World Cup, let's recognise the important role that sport plays in the development of great humans, and the power of sports to provide learnings for young people to tackle some of the most pressing challenges around the world – sport can be bigger than the game itself.
