Team sport is a form of physical activity that requires a group of people to work together. It is a popular way for adults to stay active and have fun.
Team sports are also a great way for educators to teach kids important life lessons such as discipline, mental toughness and cooperation with others. They can also be used to help students develop personal goals and achieve success.
Many youth and high school students are interested in playing team sports. To ignore these interests would be a missed opportunity for many children and their communities.
SHAPE America believes that high school physical education should include opportunities for students to participate in team sports, along with outdoor pursuits, dance and individual sports. These are activities that will enhance students’ participation in active lifestyles and foster social connections with classmates, parents and coaches.
Athletes in team sports are expected to adhere to a specific set of standards and behaviors, including putting in strenuous effort during training sessions and competitions. They are also expected to contribute to team performance by working closely with teammates and coaches.
Tracking systems are available to help capture athlete performance during training and competition. Different tracking systems are appropriate to different sports and contexts.
Athletes can be measured using global positioning systems (GPS), local positioning systems (LPS), inertial measurement units (IMU) and optical tracking technology. These are all highly accurate and can provide detailed information about the athletes’ movement patterns. However, each system has its own strengths and limitations. The selection of the best system and derived metrics for a sport needs careful consideration by practitioners to ensure that these can be applied in an efficient manner and produce meaningful feedback to decision makers (e.g., coaches and performance staff) in a timely manner.