“What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player.”
John Wooden, Coach
Advantages & Disadvantages of Basketball
Basketball is one of the most popular sports on our planet, especially in the United States.
Millions of people play basketball on a regular basis.
Although there are many advantages to basketball, playing basketball also implies some issues.
In this article, the pros and cons of playing basketball are examined.
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Contents
Advantages of Playing Basketball
- Fitness improvements
- Basketball as team sport
- You can start without too much equipment
- Plenty of opportunities to play basketball
- Your overall health level might improve
- You can find new friends
- College scholarships
- Basketball is a rather affordable hobby
- Basketball as serious profession
- Boost in confidence levels
- You learn how to deal with competition
- You can have a leading role
- Reduction in stress levels
- You can unplug and free your mind
Fitness improvements
One crucial advantage of playing basketball is that you can significantly improve your overall fitness level.
Basketball is a sport that is physically demanding and by playing it on a regular basis, you will soon realize how much fitter you will be in several parts of your daily life.
Our fitness is quite important to succeed in life since with a higher fitness level, we will be able to work harder and if we work harder and get more things done, the chances for a higher salary and promotions also increase significantly.
Therefore, higher fitness levels related to playing basketball are not only beneficial for your health, they also give us the opportunities to progress faster towards our goals in life.
Basketball as team sport
Since basketball is a team sport, it will also teach you how to work in a team and that everyone has to contribute his or her parts for the goal of winning the game.
This is a quite important lesson, not only in basketball but also in several other parts of your life.
We need teamwork in order to get demanding projects done in time.
Thus, your experience in basketball may also help you to use this knowledge in the corporate world.
You can start without too much equipment
Basketball is also a sport that does not require too much equipment. You only have to get a ball and you are good to go.
Of course, sooner or later, you might want to get some basketball shoes, shorts and so on.
But for the beginning, you can try if basketball is fun for you with pretty basic equipment.
This is also the reason why basketball is so popular.
You don’t have much money to play it, everyone can engage in this sport.
Plenty of opportunities to play basketball
In many countries all over the world, there are plenty of basketball courts where you can play basketball.
Most of them are even free and there will be plenty of opportunities for you to play basketball after school or also after work.
Therefore, if you live in one of those countries where there are plenty of opportunities to play basketball, you will not have to take great efforts to find a court and there will often be other people whom you can join playing.
Your overall health level might improve
Since your physical fitness level tends to improve by playing basketball, also your overall health level will likely improve since exercising is crucial to stay healthy, both in a physical as well as in a mental manner.
Hence, you can reduce the risk of serious diseases by playing basketball on a regular basis and keep yourself healthy in the long run.
You can find new friends
Since basketball is a team sport, you will also be able to make many new friends over time.
You can find new connections by joining a basketball club or simply by playing on your local courts since you will meet and play against many new opponents on a constant basis.
Thus, especially if you are an introvert and have problems with finding new friends, basketball may be a great sport for you since it makes finding new friends quite easily.
College scholarships
If you get really good at it, playing basketball can also be a way to get scholarships for college.
The tuition for going to college is usually quite expensive and if you are able to save this money thanks to scholarships, you can do yourself a huge favor since you will not have too much student debt afterward.
Hence, basketball may also give you the chance to play for your college team without having to pay tuition for going to college.
Basketball is a rather affordable hobby
Since you do not need plenty of equipment and most of the equipment for basketball is pretty basic, you don’t have to spend plenty of money on it.
Especially if you have a court in your neighborhood that is free to use, there are no costs at all related to basketball after you got your initial equipment.
Basketball as serious profession
There are also professional basketball players out there who make a fortune by playing in the NBA.
If you are really talented and are willing to work hard on your skills every day, you can earn really good money from playing basketball.
However, keep in mind that the chances to get to this level are minimal and most people will fail trying to do so.
Thus, make sure to have a backup plan in place in case your basketball career will not be successful.
Boost in confidence levels
Playing basketball can also boost your overall confidence level.
Your teammates will encourage you to work hard on your skills and when all the hard work pays off in winning games, chances are that you will grow in character.
You learn how to deal with competition
Even though many of us are not told this by our parents, life is one big competition and you have to learn to compete in order to be successful in various parts of your future life.
Basketball can teach you how to deal with competition and how to win games.
Hence, by playing basketball, you may also be able to learn important life lessons.
You can have a leading role
If you want to be successful in the corporate world, you also have to learn how to lead people.
Basketball can give you an opportunity to learn this important skill as a captain of the team.
Thus, by having a leading role in a basketball team, you can learn in a playful manner how to guide people without too many negative consequences in case you might fail.
Reduction in stress levels
Playing basketball can also help you lower your stress levels.
If you work in a demanding job for quite long hours, chances are that you feel stressed on a continuous basis.
However, excessive stress levels are not good for our health and can lead to serious mental and physical health problems in the long run.
Consequently, by playing basketball, you can lower your stress level since it had been shown by many studies that physical activities can lower stress significantly.
You can unplug and free your mind
While playing basketball, you will also be able to unplug from your daily life since you will not be able to make phone calls.
Thus, you can really relax and focus on your game, which also gives you the opportunity not to think about your job or about other problems anymore.
Disadvantages of Basketball
- Motivation may be a problem
- Potential injuries
- You need teammates to play with you
- Basketball on a higher level can be time-consuming
- Referees are needed for games
- You need a trainer
- Trouble amongst teammates
- You may burn out
- Playing basketball may conflict with your career
- You may feel high levels of pressure
- You may prefer other sports instead
- Talent is a huge factor
Motivation may be a problem
Apart from the various upsides related to playing basketball, there are also some problems related to it.
For instance, it might be hard for you to stay motivated and you may lose interest over time since you find new hobbies that better fit your preferences.
However, many of those positive effects mentioned above would be lost if you stop playing basketball.
Potential injuries
Playing basketball also implies the risk of serious injuries.
Since it can be a quite physical sport, it is not uncommon that basketball players, especially if they play on a higher level, suffer from injuries on a consistent basis.
Not only are those injuries quite annoying, but they might even end promising basketball careers just overnight.
You need teammates to play with you
Since basketball is a team sport, you will also need many other people to play it in a senseful manner. Sure, you could also improve your skills alone.
However, it is much more fun to play in a group of people and it is also easier to learn from each other.
Thus, if your friends do not have time to play basketball, you might not be able to practice this sport in a reasonable way.
Basketball on a higher level can be time-consuming
When you get older and aspire to a professional basketball career, playing basketball will become a major part of your life and you will not have too much time left for other things.
Hence, basketball on a professional level can eat up all your time and you might not have enough time to start a business career since you will focus all your time and effort on your basketball career instead.
Referees are needed for games
For official games against other teams, you will also need a referee.
However, this may imply some costs since many referees will not do their job for free.
You need a trainer
If you want to play basketball at a high level, you will also need a trainer who can teach and improve your overall skills.
Yet, those trainers, especially if you want to have a pretty good one, can be quite expensive.
Thus, while playing basketball on a recreational level is basically free, you might have to spend serious money if you aspire to a professional basketball career.
Trouble amongst teammates
It can also happen that you will have some trouble with your teammates.
Especially in times where the results are quite bad, the mood in the team might be quite bad and some teammates who are not able to deal with frustration may behave in a rather poor manner.
Hence, be prepared for some conflicts during your basketball career.
You may burn out
Some people really love playing basketball and plan to make a professional career out of it.
Yet, some people practice too hard and at one point in time, they might literally burn out and will have to take a break.
Thus, especially if you are one of those motivated athletes, make sure to practice hard but don’t take it too far in order to avoid burning out.
Playing basketball may conflict with your career
At one point in time, you will have to make a decision whether to stay a recreational player or to aspire to a professional basketball career.
If you decide to go the second path, you will likely not have time for anything else apart from playing basketball and you will not be able to work in a regular job in the corporate world.
In turn, this may lead to serious issues in case your basketball career doesn’t work out or you have to quit for some reason since your chance to end up in unemployment will be quite high.
You may feel high levels of pressure
Playing basketball on a professional level also implies significant levels of pressure.
You will be pushed by several people to work hard on your skills and every time you lose, you will get demotivated.
Therefore, you will need a pretty stable mindset to succeed with a professional basketball career and many people out there simply do not have this drive.
You may prefer other sports instead
Some people also simply do not like playing basketball. If you are one of those people and you soon realize that basketball is not for you, go for other sports instead!
Talent is a huge factor
Many people forget that hard work is only one side of the coin of being a successful basketball player.
The other side is simply talent.
You can work as hard as you want but if you do not have a certain level of talent, you will never become a world-class athlete.
Thus, always keep in mind how hard it really is to become a professional basketball player and have backup plans in case your dream will not become reality.
Top 10 Basketball Pros & Cons – Summary List
| Basketball Pros | Basketball Cons |
|---|---|
| Improvements in fitness levels | Motivation problems |
| Good for your health | May take plenty of time |
| You learn how to compete | May interfere with your business career |
| You may find new friends | You may need a trainer |
| Basketball may make you a leader | You may need a coach |
| You learn how to work in a team | Trouble with teammates |
| Playing basketball can boost your confidence | Unnecessary pressure |
| Stress reduction | Talent is a big factor |
| You can unplug while playing basketball | Some people don’t like basketball |
| Affordable hobby | Injuries are a problem |
Should You Play Basketball?
From the previous analysis, it becomes clear that playing basketball has many advantages.
However, there are also some downsides related to it.
Yet, I would suggest you just give it a try.
After all, what do you have to lose?
If you don’t like it, just go for another sport instead.
Make sure to get your basketball on Amazon right now!
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball
https://www.britannica.com/sports/basketball
https://www.yourschoolgames.com/taking-part/our-sports/basketball/
About the author
My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues.
As I went to university and got my Master’s degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics.
After finishing university, I traveled around the world. From this time on, I wanted to make a contribution to ensure a livable future for the next generations in every part of our beautiful planet.
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