Sports and Personality

Many people associate sports with benefits like improved physical fitness and more attractive physiques but that’s not all a sport can offer. Not only can a sport help you develop physically, it can also help build your personality.

Many Top Athletes have a Similar Personality:

It is observed that many elite athletes have similar personality traits or behaviors. That’s not to say they are without their own identity, but they do have many identical characteristics that make them great. According to the International Journal of Physical Education, Sports, and Health, there exists a Personality Performance Athletic Pyramid that represents how athletes are found to have increasingly similar personalities the more advanced they are. Many people classified as beginners come from all walks of life and have just dipped their toes into a sport. This group is very diverse but as some of them advance up the pyramid to join teams and complete, they will be further integrating themselves into the athletic lifestyle. This similar lifestyle starts to bring them all together personality-wise. The more they dive into this path, the more they will find themselves doing the same things to improve such as sleeping more, eating better, and practicing.

Sport on Personality Development:

Participating in a sport won’t change who you are at heart, but it can shape you into a better, more productive person. As you delve deeper into a sport, you’ll start to pick up more and more skills, habits, and experiences that will help shape your personality. Sport participation can especially influence growing kids. Training for a sport and practicing consistently teaches a person to be diligent and persevering. Waking up early every day to grind – constantly pushing past physical and mental limits – will aid in developing a strong, persistent mentality that will be valued in any area of life. Being on a sports team also provides valuable experiences in learning to cooperate with others for a greater purpose besides personal victory. Team sports are a great way for anyone to gain leadership, cooperation, and essential social skills.

Author’s First-Person Account:

The grind mindset obtained from a sport is a valuable trait that can completely change a person. For instance, a cross country teammate I run with used to be a lethargic and stationary person who didn’t care much about his health. He didn’t care about his body and his mental health was also in poor condition – procrastinating on work and prioritizing gaming. After joining the team, he’s been transformed and is now completely different than before. He can wake up at 6 am and run 8 miles without a single complaint of it being fatiguing. He even motivates and leads his group of runners on runs when they are slacking. He went from just caring about having short dopamine hits through gaming to being an amazing athlete who inspires his teammates to improve alongside him.

Conclusion:

As you practice and gain greater athletic ability, your mentality will also improve. Participation in sports leads to a host of mental benefits such as increased focus, self-confidence, and mood. These come from the habits you gain as you strive to become a better athlete.

Sources:

Media. “The Relationship Between Personality and Sports.” Personal Trainer Certification, Nutrition Courses, Fitness Education, 23 Oct. 2019, https://www.nestacertified.com/the-relationship-between-personality-and-sports/.

“PDF General Psychological Factors Affecting Physical Performance and Sports.” ResearchGate, www.researchgate.net/publication/308331648_General_Psychological_Factors_Affecting_Physical_Performance_and_Sports. ‌

Shuai, Ying, et al. “The Influence of the Five-Factor Model of Personality on Performance in Competitive Sports: A Review.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 14, 14 Dec. 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10756238/. ‌

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