Playing sports has many different benefits, whether your main objective is purely for fitness, or you like the social aspect of being part of a team. Sport gives you so much more than just health benefits: it sets you up for life-long skills and improved confidence.

Employers see the benefits of employing people who participate in sports because of the transferrable skills they pick up along the way. The University of Denver highlights the following skills where you can use your sports experience to your advantage when it comes to writing your resume and applying for jobs:

• Time management skills – Ability to organize time as displayed by being able to plan for full time studying and the demands of training and sports fixtures.
• Team player – Focused on the overall objective of the team. Can see the benefits of working as a whole team rather than focusing on individual efforts alone.
• Leadership – Captaincy or leadership demonstrated through role in the team.
• Goal focused – Able to determine the end result and how to get there.
• Strong work ethic – Dedicated and committed to achieving success shown through persistence in sport.
• Loyalty – High levels of loyalty to the team demonstrated by belonging to a group who work for each other.

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These are just a selection of the skills that are evidenced by sports participation, but depending on the type of job you are looking for, there may be many more that you can apply. For example, if you are involved in fundraising or marketing for your team, you may be in charge of the creating and running of a Facebook page, or write sports related tweets in your free time. If you are looking to move into that type of industry, then you can include your marketing/social media skills on your resume, which could be the difference between you and another candidate.

Similarly, if you are involved in organizing fixtures, arranging facilities and equipment for training, or even organizing social events, these are all skills that businesses are looking for. Don’t sell yourself short by thinking people aren’t interested in what you have done for your sports team, because it could make a significant difference in your career.

Employers will also want to hire people that look after their health. The healthier the person, the less likely they are to take time off for illnesses. Sports participants are used to looking after their bodies and choosing healthier lifestyles, which will stand them in better stead in terms of their health.

If you are wondering whether to include your sports involvement on your resume, then you should definitely go for it. You can summarize in a few sentences the benefits that you have taken from your involvement, and the skills that you have built.