The Value of Group Sports

This afternoon we watched the movie "Slam Dunk". Besides the exciting offense and defense scenarios on the count and the delicate narrations of the relationship between family members, I have some new thoughts on sports and games.

People in East Asia traditionally believe that intellectual training is the essence of education. Compared with it, sports are more or less optional and subordinate in the educational system. P.E. classes are frequently occupied by language, Math, or science classes. In junior and senior school, I was a fan of ping-pong. It took most of my spare time and even in class to read books, and journals about it, and practice basic and complex skills. Thirty years later, I have to say the young me missed some essential parts of games. Besides strategies, tactics, and skills, games are more about communication and cooperation.

The basketball court is always full of physical contact, fierce confrontations, and even altercations and injuries. However, you must obey the rules, cooperate with every teammate, no matter like or dislike him personally, control emotions and impulses when things didn't go as you want, in many cases, admit failure elegantly, and study from them. Group sports provide opportunities to hone all these skills in people's early life, to be prepared for future professional careers and social life.

One day in senior school, I played basketball with some classmates on the court. A boy called Qiao pushed me when defending. I was provoked and quarreled with him. I always recall that scenario, because it reminds me how dumb I am in communication. I would (probably) keep cool and say "Hi dude, don't push me so hard" in that scenario today, because now I realize people are so different that what takes for granted for some, isn't for others, even we live in the same city, working in the same office, speak the same language, and share the same memory (not true, ironically).

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