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Showing posts with label lifestyle blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lifestyle blog. Show all posts

Friday, August 19, 2011

Recapturing the community through team spirit

Over the past few months, messages about new local social groups and clubs have been popping up a lot on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. It’s part of a trend that has steadily been gaining steam over the past few years – the “meet up” craze, where people with a shared interest get together to socialise and chat, and participate in whatever their chosen hobby is. However, it looks like the craze has got legs, as the popularity of these groups shows no sign of waning. But what is the secret of their appeal?

In my opinion, the blueprint for these groups’ success comes from the original “meet up” group – the sports team. You know the ones, perhaps you have seen the rowing club or running group in their matching personalised hoodies. Obviously, these teams present a great opportunity for you to meet people with the same interest – and of course you often necessarily need at least a few people to play a lot of sports – but these would be unlikely to last if there wasn’t that “x-factor” that makes you choose to spend your spare time at that particular place, with those particular people.

The answer lies, I believe, in the sense of community and “belonging” that the group environment creates. Science tells us that human beings have an innate compulsion to socialise, and to be able to socialise with people who share our common interests (as opposed to say, people you work with, who you may or may not necessarily choose to spend your time with normally), is the happiest realisation of this need. In sports groups, whether it’s a swimming team, local cricket club or even a fantasy football league, you’re working towards a common goal, which fosters a real sense of community and team spirit – you feel part of something. Plus, there is often the opportunity further develop this camaraderie off-pitch, as most sports teams will socialise even once the game is over. You can take your common interest, and build it into a friendship.

Joining a team can be a daunting experience, especially if you’re a beginner. But it’s invariably worth it, as it’s a chance to learn new skills in an encouraging and supportive environment. With the vast amount of choice out there, it’s easy to find a team or group that will suit your skill level, so you can learn together. And aside from the obvious health benefits of doing sports, there is even evidence to suggest that there are additional health benefits of taking exercise with others. Research has found that social contact can help reduce the risk of cancer, improve mental health and even reduce blood pressure.

Taking part in a team or group, whether sports-related or not, allows us to build up those close-knit social bonds that in today’s fragmented world are so much harder to cultivate in the natural course of your day-to-day life. It’s a need we must nurture – so I think the group phenomenon is here to stay.

About the Author- 

This article was written by Louise from HoodieTee, a supplier of personalised hoodies for clubs, schools and sports groups.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and they do not reflect in any way those of the Dispassionate Observer.

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