The fact that playing sports brings a number of benefits off the field or court is an oft-repeated refrain. Luckily for athletes everywhere, it is also true. Experience has long suggested that sports build character and lead to general success, and new research proves that this is unmistakably the case.

Recent research has shown that people who played sports as children went on to report more successful careers. The habits they picked up as athletes served them long after they’d hung up the cleats.

There are a number of specific benefits athletics have on a person’s life. Among the most notable is the ability to work with a group. Most sports involve cooperation with teammates, something that comes naturally to humans but nevertheless is a skill that needs to be developed. Athletes in team sports learn about self-sacrifice and the importance of accountability to the group. They also learn what it means to work towards a shared goal. These skills are of course just as useful in the “real world” as they are on the field or in the gym.

Athletes also develop a strong sense of self-discipline. To make themselves the best they can be, they know they must train day in and day out. They have to forego other fun activities to work out or practice with the team. They accept rigorous routines and grueling training regimens in the interest of self-improvement. This of course proves to be a useful habit to have developed later in life, as it creates a natural inclination to seek excellence by whatever means necessary.

By playing sports, young athletes are also filling up what is already a busy schedule. Between school, homework, other extra-curricular activities, and family obligations, kids have a lot going on before sports even enter the equation. By taking more on, they learn how to use their time wisely and manage a wide array of responsibilities and expectations. This will certainly come in handy later in life, with all the simultaneous tasks of adulthood.

Most athletes get involved with sports because they’re fun. Luckily, however, the entertainment value is far from athletics’ only benefit, as involvement in sports is also an unmistakable harbinger of overall success.