My apologies for the Clint Eastwood reference, but as we approach the beginning of the basketball season I think the analogy fits. Athletics, at all levels, provides opportunities for good, bad and the downright ugly in both players and fans.
I wrote earlier that I love high school sports. Watching young men and women giving themselves for the pure thrill of competition always excites me. I know some of you will take issue with me on this but I rarely waste my time watching professional sports anymore. I get very disgusted with the pure commericalism of most professional sports. But, of course, that's just this guy's opinion. I went down and watched our guys and girls from ACS play in the state soccer and volleyball tournaments last week and it did my heart good to watch great young men and women from several schools go at it full tilt with nothing more at stake than a few trophies and state bragging rights. I coached high school and college basketball for over 15 years and high school golf for 7 years and high school sports is still the fuel that drives my love for athletics.
Now, basketball season is about to begin. Basketball is, by nature, a very emotional sport. I have stood in the Dean Dome watching the annual renewal of the Duke-UNC rivalry and I can tell you that basketball arouses emotions like no other sport I know. This is often where the line between the good is crossed into the dark world of the bad and ugly.
Over the years I have watched players and their parents lose sight of the true place sports should take in the life of the believer. It is often viewed as the most important thing in the world for them. As a result they come to games and lose control of themselves in ways that hurt the cause of Christ. All the comments like "I pay my money, I'll scream at the refs if I want" or "It's sports. This is normal behavior" cannot undo the damage that is done. As we move into this emotional season I want to implore you not to be guilty of these things:
1. Griping and complaining about the way an official calls a game. They are human. They are going to make mistakes. I can tell you that I was an emotional coach who hated to lose but I can also tell you that I made more coaching mistakes than all three officials ever did in any game I coached. I have been embarrassed as a coach and have seen my players embarrassed by a dad sitting up in the stand bellowing out about the officials so that everyone can hear his displeasure. Just consider this please. Many officials who call our games do not know Christ and your behavior, while it may not draw them TO Christ can certainly drive them away.
2. Screaming criticisms at your own child or another player on the court. Several years ago I watched a dad berate his own son for missing free throws until I wanted to go over and put a bag over his head. I felt terrible for the kid, who came to the bench in tears. This is often caused by parents who want to relive their lives through their children. They were either high school stars (or they wanted to be) and their kids are their hope for glory. So THEY are embarrassed because their sons or daughters can't live up to their expectations or fantasies.
3. Criticizing coaches publically. A few years ago I sat in the stands and listened to a mother make it known to all around her that she thought the coach was an idiot, was not playing her son enough and that she was going to the AD about him. You know, as parents, we are very protective of our kids but would it not be best to teach our children that life is not all about them and that life isn't fair. We have spoiled a generation of children by not teaching them these important life lessons.
The ability to enjoy or participate in sports is a wonderful gift from God and as Christians we need to keep it in its rightful place. The world will never be changed because we win or lose a game. Athletic competition is about striving to overcome opposition, not beating an enemy. It's about learning how to deal with adversity and become a better person because of it, not about strutting around screaming "we're number one"! It's about doing our very best, competiting like champions, giving it our all and walking off the field or court knowing we honored our Savior by the way we competed and behaved in the heat of that competition. God help us to make sure ours is the GOOD, not the BAD or UGLY!
Grace to you all!
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