Sports are known for their benefits towards health, whether physical and mental, but each sport does it in its own way. For basketball, it is a bit different than other sports. No, your child will not instantly get a dose of growth hormones and grow to be taller than most people in the world, but they, and anybody who decides that basketball is a good hobby and sport, will get any of the following benefits, in no particular order.
Exercise – It Is As Simple as it Gets
Basketball requires one to run around, challenge other players, jump for the ball, jump to throw the ball, and many more physical things. This equals exercise. In a modern, digital world where a sedentary lifestyle brings an end to many people’s backs, hips, and joints, playing a sport like basketball is an amazing exercise. It gets the body moving, to remember that it can do more than sit still and look at a screen.
Social Benefits of Basketball – It is a Sport, After All
While one could go practice and shoot hoops on their own, they would most likely not have as much fun as they would playing against a friend or an entire team of friends. Being a team sport, basketball requires one to play with others and against others, meaning that they will get to socialize.
Organize a match with a couple of friends, and you will definitely meet more people. There are often double or even triple basketball courts outside, so you are likely to meet plenty of other people playing. New friends or rivals, what more could you ask for?
Hand-Eye Coordination and Spatial Awareness
When one spends far too much time sitting, they lose the ability to adapt to new surfaces. Basketball is a very mobile sport, with athletes running across a court, jumping, falling, and in general using their hands and feet to their best ability to score and remain injured at the end of the day.
Hand-eye coordination is necessary to play good basketball and simply by handling the ball, dribbling and throwing constantly, one will get better at it. Even catching the ball is an important feat in developing hand-eye coordination. Having the right spatial awareness is needed to be successful in basketball, to spot your teammates against the opposing ones, to pass the ball, and perform Jokic-like magic. That takes serious skill, however, but playing basketball is the way to get there.
Self Confidence and Stress Relief
Whether social or physical, the benefits of basketball are very obvious to most practitioners. What might not be as obvious are the psychological benefits. When one becomes better at basketball, they will most likely find their footing, literally and metaphorically, knowing what they bring to the team. This gives confidence, to play to the best of your ability, to know when to shoot and when to pass.
Any physical activity works well in reducing stress levels, but when you start adding team spirit to the mix, things become even better. Endorphins are released and the body feels pleasure on its own. This is especially helpful for those who spend most of their time being inactive.
Basketball, like most sports and physical activities, has plenty of benefits, some of which are highlighted here. The rest you can discover on the court.
