Women who play sports tend to do better in the business world. This could be for non-athletic reasons; parents who enrol their kids in sports come from better-connected, wealthier backgrounds, but there are benefits to the sport itself. Girls who play sports have greater social and economic mobility and perform better in school. Sports teach girls to relish wins and get over losses, creating a resiliency needed for business. Here are some of the leadership and business lessons that women can learn through sports.

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Never Quit

Playing sports, especially team sports teaches perseverance. Young women who take sports seriously don’t quit. Instead, they look for ways to get better and improve their skills. Whether they experience a loss or an injury, they get back on the horse and keep working. 

This mindset works well for business too. In the business world, there will always be setbacks, especially for startups and entrepreneurs. If you’re going to succeed, you need to know how to recover from these setbacks and persevere. Take inspiration from ‘Players to look out for in 2021: Heather Knight’, who has worked hard to get where she is. 

Team Work

Whatever you race, religion, or economic background, you can play sports. The effort that you put into developing as an athlete and practising with your team will directly impact the results of the game. See business in the same way. The way you play and train for work will directly influence the results you get. 

In sports, and in the world of business, teams are made up of people who are different from you. Walk into meetings like you would work onto the playing field; confident, poised, and knowing that no matter what your background us, the work that you in is what lets you contribute to the team. 

As an athlete, there are a lot of lessons to learn, not least how to interact with people from all walks of life. 

Look After Yourself

Sports are physically demanding. If you don’t take proper care of yourself as an athlete, you’ll end up injured, burnt out, and exhausted. Athletes put a lot of focus into their diet, exercise routines, and also know how important it is to give themselves enough time to rest and recover. 

While business isn’t physically demanding, it can be draining and exhausting. If you’re doing to do well, you need to take care of yourself. Like an athlete, make sure you fuel your mind and body with a healthy diet, so have the energy to handle a demanding schedule. 

Remember to give yourself a break sometimes, or you’re more likely to experience burn-out. Be careful to maintain a good sleep schedule, take proper lunch breaks, and use your annual leave. If you work too hard, you’ll be drained and less able to perform well, just as athletes can succeed if they push too hard and get injured. 

There are a lot of lessons that can be learned from sports, whether by playing yourself or taking inspiration from female sports stars.