A team sport involves a fixed number of players on a sports team competing against each other in a game or match that is dependent upon teamwork, cooperation, and strategy. Generally speaking, teams in a team sport compete for points and championship standings. Some examples of team sports include baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, water polo, cricket, and handball.
There are many pedagogical benefits to children participating in team sports, including social skills, self confidence, communication and unwavering determination. It also fosters good sportsmanship, teaching kids to appreciate their teammates’ abilities and to put winning into perspective, as well as understanding that losing is part of the game.
Some team sports have both individual and team aspects, such as synchronized swimming or doubles tennis. However, there are some sports that are considered to be exclusively team sports, such as rowing and dragon boat racing. In these, there are between two and nine people in a boat working together to perform a coordinated routine.
Another example of a team sport is running relay races, where four athletes on a team each run a separate leg of the race. The success of the entire race depends on everyone in the team performing at their best. In some cases, team members may be substituted during competition matches to make tactical changes or address injuries. This type of flexibility is unique to team sports and not usually found in individual or solo sports.