Are Competitive Sports Harmful to the Soul?

[JDeL]

As a coach for the last 8 years, I have come across some of the best and worst of athletics.

I believe that it entirely depends on the sport. Some sports inherently promoting virtue and others inherently supporting vice. Some sports being somewhat neutral.

Some demands I would have if it were my child and these are things we do in our athletic program( I am a coach and athletic director) to keep the proper perspective:

1. Pray before every contest, not to win, but for both teams to give their absolute best effort and keep clear from injury
2. Center the program around Christ and be upfront in this before sign-ups
3. Delineate roles; for players,parents,and coaches.
4. Eliminate the Win at all costs attitude; no individual is more important than the team
5. Teach self-sacrifice and Christian work ethic that does strive for perfection, a mirror for their own spiritual life, which should also be striving for perfection.
6. Do not permit nicknames, logos with evil or diabolical overtones(we even have a cross or a Star in our logos), calling a team the Demons, Devils or Marauders or something of the like makes me sick.
7. Learning about the game is more important that winning all of them.
8. We thank the Lord each day for his plentiful gifts, like the opportunity to play in this program.
9. Go to Mass together as a team(actually this is the most rewarding part of coaching for me) on a road trip, even with the non-catholics on the team.

I think that if we center a team or athletic program around these aspects, sports can be a Christ-centered educational endeavor.

I also believe some sports have deteriorated(how the game is played) to what fans want. Just like God’s laws do not change with time or a new revolution or popularity, sports should be changed by the carnal desires of fans.

I would truly evaluate whether the sport inherently engenders vice or virtue. Not all sports are on the same moral plane. Some are an occasion of sin to those that watch, frankly. Having witnessed the clientele at particular high school events, it is very obvious why some students attend particular games/ matches. I would be wary of these sports.

JD

 

[mosher]

paramedicgirl:

No, I’m not kidding. I’m far too busy to waste time that way. The reason I ask this is because someone sent me an answer in another post about the church’s position on bodily health. Here it is:

CCC2289

2289 If morality requires respect for the life of the body, it does not make it an absolute value. It rejects a neo-pagan notion that tends to promote the cult of the body, to sacrifice everything for it’s sake, to idolize physical perfection and success at sports. By its selective preference of the strong over the weak, such a conception can lead to the perversion of human relationships.

Be careful not to read too far into this quote of the Catechism. It is best understood as not glorifying physical and competitive sports to the exclusion of everything else. Remember that to discern virtue and vice one must find the “golden mean” as virtue and vice are not two opposing poles.

 

[Genesis315]

Competitve athletics are great. We wouldn’t have a patron saint of athletes if they were bad:

Prayer to Saint Sebastian

Dear Commander at the Roman Emporer’s court, you chose to be also a soldier of Christ and dared to spread faith in the King of Kings - for which you were condemned to die. Your body, however, proved athletically strong and the executing arrows extremely weak. So another means to kill you was chosen and you gave your life to the Lord. May athletes be always as strong in their faith as their Patron Saint so clearly has been. Amen.

 

[batteddy]

For children, the sport teaches them discipline, respect, value of hard work, faith in themselves and in their teammates.

LOL!!

Maybe on the field, maybe.

But everybody knows that off the field, football players…and their coaches…are oftentimes total jerks. And chauvanistic, and the problem sector in American youth historically and today. I’m sorry, but as much as people always try to make football a “spiritual” thing (and I have read many articles that make that argument), I think America would be better off without it.

 

[Catholic90]

batteddy:

LOL!!

Maybe on the field, maybe.

But everybody knows that off the field, football players…and their coaches…are oftentimes total jerks. And chauvanistic, and the problem sector in American youth historically and today. I’m sorry, but as much as people always try to make football a “spiritual” thing (and I have read many articles that make that argument), I think America would be better off without it.

But everybody also knows that one doesn’t have to be a football player or coach to be total jerk!!

I know my husband really enjoys watching football. For him, it is relaxing and enjoyable. It is how he helps destress himself.

 

[Forest-Pine]

batteddy:

LOL!!

Maybe on the field, maybe.

But everybody knows that off the field, football players…and their coaches…are oftentimes total jerks. And chauvanistic, and the problem sector in American youth historically and today. I’m sorry, but as much as people always try to make football a “spiritual” thing (and I have read many articles that make that argument), I think America would be better off without it.

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/18/18_1_101.gif
TOUCHDOWN BAT TEDDY!!
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_7_11.gif http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/18/18_1_107v.gif http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/18/18_1_35.gif

 

[soccerDad]

Thank you Batteddy,

I will also add that the “football” mentality has pervaded many other american sports and institutions.

At a recent party, I couldn’t keep the kids on my soccer team from tackling eachother. The big ones thought it was great fun. The little ones wandered away, hurt and ashamed.

Look at our institutions of higher learning. Many are known only for their football icons. Where I went to school, it was the centerpoint of campus. Brutality on the field, sex on the sidelines(cheerleading) and drunkenness in the stands and parking lots. I roomed with two of the players. Both took steroids. They said it was necessary for the pros. The bigger one made it. They were like the Greek Gods of campus.

My Dad was a running back in college. He had a metal kneecap and was fine with none of his kids playing football. It is an expensive, dangerous sport very few can participate in, and no-one can play later in life.

I pray someday football will be less important to america. There are other sports too, but this is one of the worst.

I know many folks will protest that the christian athlete still shines. It reminds me of saving Sodom for just one good soul.

 

[MommaKat]

I have a suggested read for people questioning sports.
“The Catholic Ideal: Exercise & Sports” By Rober Feeney. Available through Ignatius Press. It offers a sound philosophy of sports with insight from St. Thomas Aquinas on exercise. Also the Theology of the Body offers some points on these questions.

 

[jman507]

It must be kept in proper perspective. It cannot be an end to itself, but it must be a stepping stone to God. Sports are not sinful in themselves. While they might come off as sinful, I think anything you do can be made into an occiasion to sin, most pastimes & entertanment. Sports in not the fast track to sainthood, actually not many things are. Almost everything though, if done well and as ought can lead you on the slow, painful track to sainthood, the only track there is.

If you or your children want to participate in sports do it and do it well as you ought. Like anything in the world try to be a good witness, but always discern to if its hurting your faith.

 

[goravens]

I played basketball my whole life through the end of college. It was a lot of work between strength training, practices, shooting times, watching game film, travel to and from games, pre and post-season training, etc. etc. At times I thought that my talents might be best served doing other more “ministry-related” activities, particularly in college since basketball took up a huge chunk of my time and we had an awesome campus ministry program I could have participated in on different levels. But, I stuck with it and worked my tail off at it, and am continually struck by the lessons I’ve learned because of it. Even though I couldn’t be involved to the level I wanted to in campus ministry, I was able to minister to my teammates many of whom might never have had that opportunity otherwise. There were girls I could never have reached had I been involved solely as a campus minister. I was living my role as God called me in the body of Christ.

You learn teamwork, commitment, how to encourage and persevere, how to push yourself further than you thought yourself capable, how to work for a greater, common good - all attributes of the Christian life. My teammates and I prayed before every game and were very close. One of the girls went through the RCIA program and became Catholic my senior year; many randomly ended up on our team who were faithful or seeking Catholics. God’s grace and presence was absolutely there.

Sports are definitely an area where humility is needed. I consider that one of the greatest lessons learned. To let Christ work in me and for me to be a model of good sportsmanship, playing hard, and doing the little things to help my team - all the while realizing it’s only through God’s grace that I’m able to do this at all. I also let God take over and conquer a bad cussing habit that had previously come out during practices and games.

It took a lot of years to get to that point, but it absolutely can be cultivated and sports can be a great way of living and learning the faith. Back when I ran cross-country and track, I used to pray the rosary while doing my two-mile race.

The comptetion can be a good thing and sports are a positive outlet for it. There’s a good drive towards being better than you are and working to be a better person, cultivating the gifts God’s given you.