Fast Company
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Becoming an athlete helped this blind baseball player amplify her creativity
The FIFA World Cup highlighted the importance of creative players who generate and exploit opportunities. This raises the question of whether sports, particularly team sports, can cultivate creativity in other life areas. Athletes must solve problems, collaborate, and control their bodies within defined constraints, all of which positively influence creativity.Matt Bowers, a sports management expert, notes that the scientific exploration of this link is ongoing, but patterns can be inferred. Engaging in new sports forces the brain and body into novel coordination, potentially enhancing cognitive function. Kiana Glanton, who took up blind baseball after losing her vision, found that her progress as an athlete fostered a belief in her own possibilities.Her experience demonstrates how finding solutions to constraints, both real and perceived, is a form of creativity. Glanton’s daily life, like getting dressed without sight, requires constant creative problem-solving. Adaptive athletics, like blind baseball, further develops this mental muscle.She had to devise communication strategies with teammates to navigate the field safely, turning a limitation into an opportunity for innovation. Glanton emphasizes that overcoming these challenges allows athletes to focus on the competition rather than the impediment. Variety and exploration also fuel creativity, whether through different sports styles, movement forms, or unstructured play.Structured, competitive youth sports in the US often limit unstructured play, which is crucial for creativity development. Research suggests a balance between organized and unstructured sports experiences benefits children. Adults can gain similar benefits by varying their sports activities, which cognitively prepares them to navigate ambiguity. Exposure to diverse situations through sports can lead to more diverse solutions.Glanton’s athletic journey has inspired her to explore other activities like modeling and kayaking, showing how sports can open up new possibilities. She firmly believes sports and movement empower individuals, especially those facing traditional barriers, to overcome perceived limitations. Encouraging people to try diverse athletic pursuits can unleash their creative potential and reveal the vastness of what is possible.