As the football season winds up and summer sports begin to get underway, now is a great time to consider the benefits of sport.

• 1. Exercise. This one is a no brainer, really, but sports are a fun way to get active and fit. The great thing about the sort of exercise you get playing sport is that it is very functional. While using a weights machine at the gym might isolate one muscle, playing a sport helps you train groups of muscles in a much more natural, practical way.
• 2. Camaraderie. Team sports are an excellent way to get out and meet new people and find new friends. This kind of positive support is very important for your mental health, especially when you are feeling a bit down.
• 3. Overcoming adversity. Sport is a great teacher. There are always challenges along the way whether it be a particular opponent, a nagging injury or a technical flaw you need to iron out. You will learn tools on the sporting field that you can use in all aspects of your life, from your job to your diet.
• 4. Leadership. Sports teams are a great place to develop leadership skills. No matter what your position on the team, there is always an opportunity to show leadership and to help out your fellow team mates. Once again these skills have lots of benefits when transferred to your everyday life.
• 5. Stress relief. Sure a tight match can be stressful at times, but it is a much different sort of stress from your everyday life. Sport played in the right spirit can be a great opportunity to forget about the stress of your daily life and think about something totally different.
• 6. Teamwork. Successful teams always have one trait in common: teamwork. Learning to work as part of a larger team is a skill well worth developing.
• 7. Networking. You will be amazed at how many business opportunities start on the sporting field. I actually met one of my former bosses at an Australian Rules Football training in Sydney of all places.
• 8. Reward for effort. Sport is great at teaching you life lessons. One famous sporting quote is "the harder I train, the luckier I get". This lesson applies equally to your health, your work life and your relationships. 
• 9. Nature. Sport allows you to get outdoors. Getting out in the fresh air and especially the sunlight are very important for your health and wellbeing. 
• 10.  Me time. For those of you with busy work and family lives, sport allows you to have some time just for you. Time to do what you enjoy with a group of people you choose to play with, and a break from the monotony of daily life.

So why not sign up for a sporting team? It doesn't need to be too serious. It might be a lunchtime kick of soccer with some workmates or a Sunday game of touch. Just find a sport that you enjoy doing and a group of people you enjoy playing with. Your life will be all the better for it.