Kids of STEEL — Running and Other Sports

To begin, it goes without saying that if you become a stronger runner, you reap the benefits of being a stronger athlete when it comes to cardiovascular strength and endurance. Whether you are skating in hockey, running in basketball, football or soccer or swimming, the cardiovascular strength and endurance that you build through running transfers to the sport you are playing. As a result, it is important to stay active throughout the year by running or participating in a sport. However, it is important to find a balance with your sport participation and training and rest/recovery. Too much sport and training and not enough rest could result in an injury.

Secondly, running can help you build mental strength. Playing and participating in any sport is not just physical but also mental. “Mental toughness” is a term that is frequently thrown around in the sport realm and refers to things such as resilience and grit.

Let’s face it, running is sometimes hard. By going through running workouts, running the hills of Western Pennsylvania and facing adversity, you are building mental strength or toughness. The best part about this is that mental strength is transferable to not only other sports but to all components of your life- friendships, school, family and beyond!

Finally, running helps you build confidence. There’s nothing better than crossing the finish line of a race, setting a new PR after a long training season or completing a difficult training cycle.

All of these things help you build confidence in yourself that directly transfer to other sports. Training for any event or track meet is a challenge and you will face many challenges in life. Building confidence will assist in meeting these challenges head on with a belief that you can overcome them. That is why sports and specifically running is so great!