If you play sports, you need an S&C program.
Playing sports is awesome. In my humble opinion, it is one of the best uses of one's time for so many reasons. Teamwork, mental resilience, physical health, competition, the list goes on and on.
Sports also involve some risk to your musculoskeletal system. The demands of cutting, sprinting, crashing into opponents, and competing for loose balls all impose demands on the athlete's body that are not commonplace in everyday life. Additionally, if you are playing sports frequently, your body adapts to the movements required of that sport and thus does not get exposed to all forms of natural humanm movement. For example, in a sport like rugby the athlete does not spend a ton of time with their arms overhead. If all the athlete did was play rugby, it is not crazy to think that their shoulders might be incompletely developed. The combination of the risk of accute injury as well as the repetitive nature of sports makes it obvious that to supplement the participation in sports, an athlete should be consistenly engaged with a properly instructed strength and conditioning program.
There are SO MANY benefits to consistently sticking with a fundamentally sound S&C program. Here are three:
Physical resliency. The athlete will develop durability in their joints and soft tissues that they simply cannot develop from sport alone. They will correct faulty motor patterns that can be injurious if left unaddresed.
Improved bodily function. If you practice sprinting at full speed, you'll be able to sprint faster on the field. If you practice loading your trunk and legs, you'll have more a more powerful base to play sports with. If you activate and mobilize muscles and joints that might be dormnant, you'll have those assets available to use in competition.
Increased confidence. No one has ever become mentally weaker from challenging themselves in the gym, improving their posture, and seeing their physical capabilities grow. The weight room has the power to change athletes from the inside out ESPECIALLY for young people and women.
As a strength and conditioning coach, I know I am biased. That said, I feel strongly that being on a comprehensive S&C program is an absolute no brainer if you play sports. One should be expected for participation in the other.
Best of luck with your training today!