As an athlete, I believe discipline is necessary when it comes to playing a sport. Discipline that is taught in sports will carry on in personal experiences later on in life.

Being apart of a team that doesn’t necessarily enforce discipline has really opened my eyes. I watch and observe others who don’t have the respect or work ethic that was expected of them at the beginning, because they are able to get away with it and they are okay with getting away with it.

I’m definitely not perfect myself, I admit that I do take advantage of the leeway the team is given. I don’t always make it a habit to be on time and I catch myself not being a leader when I should be. But I have recently realized that the lack of discipline has affected the team dynamic in a negative way.

Working together as a team rarely ever happens because we don’t respect each other. When people don’t follow the rules and the rules aren’t enforced, that's when the team starts to become lazy causing the team to not work as hard as we could. Because of this we have fallen behind and aren’t at the level we are expected to be by this point in the season.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have as much freedom as we do but it won’t ideal to lose in the end knowing we didn’t try our hardest and that we could’ve done better, but we all as a team didn’t have enough self-discipline to reach our goal that we had set almost a year ago. Holding ourselves and each other accountable is a huge struggle.    

Discipline coming from coaches should be used to set an expectation. It teaches respect, consistency, hard work ethic, and structure in ones life.

It starts with the coach. They can display what discipline looks like and eventually teach the athlete the benefits of self discipline. When a coach is able to enforce a disciplined routine they can influence an athlete in a positive way.

Coaches are one of many people who are able to teach discipline and good behavior. This can also be taught by teachers, parents, other family members etc. but I believe coaches are one of the main people who can teach the values of complete focus, continuous effort, and following directions.  

“Persons in high authority must demonstrate high levels of restraint constantly; they cannot just speak however they see fit. A smart leader knows when to hold his tongue and when to speak. Discipline helps to train a person’s mind and character, building a sense of self-control and the practice of obedience.”

With discipline, there aren’t always quick results. So some people may be hesitant to the idea, but with consistency, it can cause the child or person to reach set goals. They then see the positives of having discipline and are encouraged to use it to reach their next goal.

“67 percent of kids learn to be a team player.” and “Forty-two percent develop discipline.” 

Without discipline, the athlete is able to do what they please and come and go as they please, which doesn’t motivate them to work hard to be successful in the end. If they don’t have self discipline they won’t feel motivated to push themselves to work harder to improve, eventually wasting their time.

When things get hard people with no discipline will typically choose to give up. Athletes with discipline have been taught no matter what happens they are strong enough to push through, In the end it will lead them to success and the increase of self esteem.

The #1 reason why kids play sports is because they are passionate about it and want to have fun. In no way does “discipline” mean “strict”. There is a way to have fun during practice while still setting the expectations for the team and enforcing those expectations. It is an opportunity to shape these athletes into hard working, respectful leaders while they are also doing something they love.

“We will create an experience that fully engages children, keeps them playing for a long time, helps them develop vital skills in the game and beyond, and still achieves our adult-imposed goals on the whole thing. That is a win-win for everyone. They would play more, play longer, and play better if we only made it about fun.”