The Case for Play
The surprising benefits of engaging in play
Recently, the NCAA released the findings from its Coach Well-Being Study which received over 6,000 responses from assistant and head coaches from all divisions. One of the most noteworthy findings was that coaches are exhausted, particularly younger coaches. 46% of Gen Z and Millennial (42 years or younger) reported constant mental exhaustion. There is a lot more to unpack here. And a lot more support is required for coaches to meet the challenges they face. The next few weeks will be oriented toward helping you all be as well as you can until the support catches up.
In this week’s 3 Points, I’ll discuss play and how its surprising benefits could enhance coaches’ well-being and performance.
1. Of all of the data, this may be a weird place to start when it comes to coach well-being and performance. To me, it is pretty astounding that roughly 50% of all coaches are spending less time than they were pre-pandemic doing something they enjoy away from work. This is reasonable when you consider what coaches have faced since the pandemic, navigating bubbles and keeping their teams and family safe, and on top of that, the landscape of college athletics has changed significantly. One logical sacrifice at a time can lead to habits that no longer prioritize or incorporate hobbies, vacations, etc.
When I see this chart, I see low-hanging fruit. There is an opportunity here. What if I told you that taking a small time away from work to do things you enjoy, purely for enjoyment's sake, could have significant benefits to your well-being and performance?
We’re all striving to be productive and effective—as individuals, as teams, and through our organizations—and while productivity can seem like the holy grail, perhaps it’s as easy as injecting a bit more play into our work. Game on! - Dr. Tracy Brower
2. I am talking about play. Yes, play, and play for adults. What exactly is play?
According to Dr. Stuart Brown, researcher and the founder of The National Institute for Play,
“Play is state of mind that one has when absorbed in an activity that provides enjoyment and a suspension of sense of time. And play is self-motivated so you want to do it again and again.”
Essentially, anything you do for the sake of joy and excitement, is play. It could be sports, a hobby, puzzles, video games, or an activity with your kids; whatever style of play works for you, know that making time for it can have substantial benefits for your mental and physical well-being.
3. About those benefits, play helps:
Relieve stress.
Stimulate the mind and boost creativity and innovation.
Improve social skills and your connection to others.
Keep you feeling engaged and energetic.
Don’t take it from just me. Dr. Alex Auerbach is the Director of Wellness and Development for the Toronto Raptors:
So, my advice to you: go play. Carve out 30 minutes of play this week.