There are plenty of benefits to having kids participate in sports, but we should also teach them that it's OK to stop

Getty Images

In addition to academics, athletics are a major nexus for teaching resilience, in schools and out. In the United States, 60 million children and teenagers participate in organized sports every year, and when they do, they are immersed in cultures of resilience as mental toughness, grit, personal growth, high performance, and winning.