Baseball is known as the national pastime in the United States, but it's also quite popular throughout Asia, North America, Central America and Australia. It is a sport that is passed along from generation to generation by families who play, watch and love the game. It can provide enjoyment, excitement and exercise.
Confidence
Playing baseball is not easy. When you are at bat, you are trying to hit a round ball with a round bat squarely. Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams, often recognized as the best pure hitter in the game's history, called hitting a baseball the toughest thing to do in sports. To learn to hit takes great hand-eye coordination. When somebody picks up a bat for the first time, it will likely result in failure. However, when you stick with it and keep practicing, you can have success. Hitting a baseball builds confidence.
Work Ethic
The baseball season is the longest of all major sports. At the Major League level, there are 162 games to decide the results of the regular season. It's not about getting off to a hot start and winning your first games of the season and building an early lead: It's about playing the best and most consistent baseball over a full season. It takes hard work and consistent achievement. You need a work ethic to become a championship team. This holds true at all levels of the game and is something that sticks with players in other areas of their life. They can learn about the importance of work ethic while playing baseball.
Conditioning
Playing baseball will get players outside and running around. This is vital for youngsters to learn about the importance of exercise and getting in shape. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity tripled in the United States between 1978 and 2008. Playing baseball takes youngsters off the couch and gets them outside the house and getting exercise.
Friendship
Baseball players can build strong friendships. Unlike sports like football, soccer, basketball and ice hockey, there is a lot of down time in baseball. When your team is up to bat, you might spend 20 minutes on the bench talking to a teammate. You have time between innings to get to know your teammates. When you go through a shared experience like playing on a baseball team, you can establish the basis of a friendship that lasts for many years.
References
- "The Science of Hitting"; Ted Williams and John Underwood; 1986
- CDC: Childhood Obesity
Member Comments