Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Why High School Sports?
As a father of 3 teenage boys, I have been thinking a lot lately about that question: "Why high school sports?" And I know that there are many different reasons why people play high school sports. Some play because they want to compete with a team. Others simply want to win. And still others play because it could be good for the soul and the body. While those are not bad reasons, I have renewed in my mind three theological reasons one might play high school sports today. Because it seems that universally, coaching at the high school level tends to be unhealthy, one needs to be convinced of these truths to be willing to endure what I would call harmful coaches at best. First, the best reason to play high school sports for the believer would be to glorify God. I Corinthians 10:31 says "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." To use one's gifts to give glory to our creator is a great reason to play sports. A second reason to play high school sports would be to be a light in the midst of a mostly unbelieving world.(Matthew 5:14) In many high schools today, there is a void of Biblical Christians. The opportunity to use the platform of sports to communicate your faith not only is possible at the NFL level, but at the high school level as well. And the third reason one might play high school sports would be to become more like Jesus. Paul says in Philippians 1:6 "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." It would seem that most of our teens today are void of difficulties in their lives. But subjecting yourself to unhealthy coaching is just the thing that many Christian athletes might need. So, today I want to say thank you for the coaches who are unhealthy. You are doing our Christian kids a service by unknowingly pushing them to deal with issues that will make them more like Jesus. And you are giving them a great model for how not to coach! For those who are healthy coaches, thanks for using your platform to positively influence our youth!
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