March 2006 Rec Connection
It's a Competitive World
You’d have to have been living in a cave for most of 2005 to not know about the misadventures of T.O. or the minor altercation involving Detroit Pistons fans and Ron Artest. And you don’t have to be a SportsCenter junkie to hear about professional athletes trade demands, contract negotiations, steroids, or rap sheets. Let's be fair and say upfront that professional athletics is full of truly outstanding people who do a lot of good for their community. But it’s also full of a lot of self-serving individuals who can never stay out of trouble. And maybe it’s the same reason we slow down to check out a car wreck, but the bad news seems to always get more attention. I am constantly amazed at the behavior of some professional athletes today. Keeping a degree of perspective, pro sports has always had their fair share of bad apples, technology has only made the light brighter and the coverage more complete. But nevertheless I wonder, is society mirroring the actions of professional athletes? Or have these athletes grown up in a system that has taught them to behave this way? I wish I could give you an answer, but I don’t have one. I do know that this trend will continue unchecked unless there is a fundamental shift in the way we view sports.
As you might expect, I am around sports quite a bit. And it's safe to say I see a lot of competition, and isn’t that what sports is all about? If you're a frequent reader of the Rec Connection then you know better than to commit to an answer right away! But this time I'm going to take the hard line and say no, sports are not all about competition. I am a firm believer that sports can teach a variety of lessons, lessons that can be learned at any age. How to compete is only one.
• Lesson number 1: Work ethic. As in life, if we are to succeed in anything we must prepare. Those who run the farthest, get up the earliest, and study the hardest will often have a better chance at success than those who "just wing it." As one who often "wings it" I can attest to the monumental failures it can produce!
• Lesson number 2: Group dynamics. Society is nothing more than a large group trying to live, work, and play together. Learning to successfully function within that group is crucial to the success of the individual. Learning to work within a team is great practice for the family, business, and society in general.
• Lesson number 3: Taking and giving direction. Sometimes we're the boss and sometimes we're not. In preparation for the game, the coach is in charge, but on the field of play leaders and followers will emerge, often changing from game to game. Life is much the same. Sometimes we are called to lead and sometimes we are called to follow. We must know how to do both.
• Lesson number 4: Competition. There is no doubt about it, we live in a competitive world. Survival of the fittest. A tried and true axiom whose roots are in the basis of competition. You’ve just read that I believe sports is about building character, developing team skills, and learning lessons about life. And here is where it gets tricky. Life is all about competition. Do not be fooled. The days of competing for food and shelter are still here, we just use laptops, sales meetings, and cell phones instead of clubs and spears. The goal will always be success, sports or life, we play to win; dealing with the result leads us into lesson number 5.
• Lesson number 5: How to Win and How to Lose. This is the big one. We compete for one purpose, to win. Be it church league softball or The Battle of the Bulge, we all want to win. It’s ingrained in us, it’s something primal that has carried over from the hunter and gatherer and is searching for an outlet. The major lesson here is what to do with victory, and what to do with loss. Problems arise when people build their self image around the results of a game and focus solely on winning, neglecting the other lessons that can be learned. We must learn to look beyond the scoreboard and see sports as a tool to build better people.
I leave you with the words of Paul written in Colossians 3: 15 - 17
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Chris Jones
Director of Recreational Ministries