The 7 personalities that exist on every kids' sporting team.

If you have kids that love to play sport, you will know there is a lot of standing around in all-weather making small talk and trying to focus on who just scored what.

Of course, there are also the other parents on the sidelines who quickly become your friends, the promise of an incomparable sausage sizzle, and the sense of community you build - but one aspect I find endlessly fascinating is the different personalities on the team. 

While I watch my son Toby and his friends play weekend sport, I can always spot them. 

So here is my definitive list of the seven personalities that exist on every kids’ sporting team, that maybe you recognise from your Saturday morning session.

The have-a-go-hero

Perhaps a little scrappy when it comes to skill, the have-a-go hero does not care. He or she is always the first one to touch the ball and enthusiastically put their hand up for any position. They are often covered in mud and will bravely take a hit before leaping back up to carry on playing. 

The have-a-go-hero is a happy, energetic kid who is there for the friendship, the sport and the fun times. A true team player who massively improves their skill over the course of a season as well as being the poster child for resilience.

The all-star

The effortless grace and skill of the all-star can be a bit bewildering to some of their team mates, but for us parents they are a joy to watch as they slay the competition in jaw-dropping style. The all-star has all the right moves, the right kit and the right hair style. Possibly born into a sporting family of all-stars, this star player lives and breathes sport and will likely keep playing long after the rest of the team moves onto teen romance and TikTok. 

The shoe-gazer

Possibly encouraged onto a team by an enthusiastic parent, the shoe-gazer is more interested in staring up at the sky, down at their shoes or waving at the cute dog on the sidelines. They are not necessarily unhappy to be there but rather than chasing down the ball, they are more likely to be chatting or play-wrestling any other shoe-gazers a little way back from the action. The shoe-gazer is helpful for reminding some parents that team sport isn’t always about winning, but taking part and showing up! 

The quiet achiever

 A bit shy of too much banter or conflict, the quiet achiever is more likely to hang back and let his or her teammates shine. But don’t let that fool you, the quiet achiever is exactly that, and when they get their moment with the ball you can feel all the parents willing them on. Lacking in confidence but trying their best to take part, being part of a supportive team is probably a great thing for this quiet kid with bags of potential. 

The heckler

Every team has a heckler; the kid that is so filled with confidence they will happily question the teenage ref while stomping and throwing their head back in disbelief if questioned. 

This kid is loud and ultra-competitive and super annoying when on the other team, but they LOVE sport and their strong sense of justice might be good for team spirit if they can refrain from turning nasty. Like the quiet achiever, a heckler benefits from being in a team but for different reasons - tough life lessons are hard to swallow and learning about losing is never a bad thing for this kid! 

The ball of emotion

Some of us are just more emotional than others and the ball of emotion wears their heart on their sleeve. Watching them play sport is a rollercoaster – not just for their parents but for any parent. The highs are super high and the lows well, you know exactly what I mean. The ball of emotion brings the high drama as well as some entertainment and will likely need extra encouragement and high fives at the end of each game. 

Everyone’s bestie

This kid is a dream team member that kids and parents alike adore. From thanking the coach and saying supportive things like ‘great shot!’ or ‘good try mate!’ when his or her overly emotional teammate misses their one chance at goal, this kid is so level-headed and diplomatic that you know he is bound for political office. 

Whatever your child’s personality type, team sport is an awesome way for them to get fit, have loads of fun and make friends. 

Which personality type is your child?

Find out more about rugby league teams in your area here.