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played in a fair and good spirit?
Even the Olympic Games seem
entangled with politics, and Olym–
pic hopefuls with illega1 sport ing
practices.
To Win at Any Cost
Winning, it would seem, is all that
matters. Money going mainly to
the winner is too strong an element
to allow much time or thought to
being fair. Yet, to win is often the
difference of only one stroke, one
point, one second or one goal.
Coaches know only too well that
all the world !oves a winner and that
no one seems interested in who
comes second. They know the a11-
but-impossible task of psyching up a
team that knows it has no chance of
making the finals.
With this pressure on professional
sports it's little wonder that children
and teenagers emulate adults the
same way. The tragic eruption of
violence plagues underage sporting
events. We have a generation that
mimics the brats of tennis, the mug–
gers of British football , the belliger–
ent of cricket-yes, and even mimic
the drug-takers that are coming to
light in many sports today.
Oh yes, sorne few individuals do
take a stand against obnoxious
players. And sorne efforts are also
made by sporting bodies to promote
decent play. Credit should be given
them.
Administrators and officials and
the majority of athletes
are
con–
cerned about violence in sports.
They express a loss at how to go
about cleani ng up the mayhem. But
journalists report that increasing
numbers of spectators want to see
blood, to see violence happen, to see
a fiery crash at motor sports.
And so, in the confusion, the
motivation to win at any cost is too
strong for most sports to change
today.
So what can you do to help pro–
mote good sportsmanship? Whether
participant or spectator, refuse to
give in to temper, anger and the
human desire to punch or hit back at
another. Develop greater skills, if
you are a player, to keep out of dan–
ger. Win by talent and abi lity-not
by unfair tactics. As a sporting man
or woman, be known for your fair
play and self-control. Be a good
sport!
Don't buy the concept that
winning is everything!
True, winning is important in life.
It is a goal to st rive for. Do try your
best. But
only
winning is not what's
most important. Equally important
is to be able to hold your head up in
defeat.
Why be sour faced and crestfallen
at losing when often such loss was
only by a few points and the game
could have gone either way? Some–
one must win-and no one is at his
or her best all the time. Don' t be
overcome by whimsical defeat.
It
is
after all, just a game.
lt is unlikely for the present that
we can expect trends other than
more obnoxious behavior, more dis–
respect for authorities and more vio–
lence. Watch for the unthinkable to
happen- actual fisticuffs on the ten–
oís court and golftee! Until the heart
changes, practice won
' t.
To change the heart takes a
change of spirit and character. It
takes character to keep a tight rein
on your emotions when you are pro–
voked.
lt
takes character to lift up
your head when an opponent rubs it
in about a thrashing and when the
newspapers criticize your team.
lt 's How You Play the Game
But character will become the new
trend that one day will permeate all
sports. And that same character
built in sports will hold you in good
stead for the game of life.
Did you know that one biblical
writer, the apost le Paul, wrote of
character in a sporting analogy? He
observed the techniques of athletic
training. He explained that charac–
ter is keeping control of your emo–
tions and temper. He described
how he kept himself in check:
"Do you not know that those who
run in a race all run, but one receives
the prize? Run in such a way that
you may obtain it. And everyone
who competes for the prize is tem–
perate in all things. Now they do it to
obtain a perishable crown, but we for
an imperishable crown. Therefore I
run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus-
1 fight: not as one who beats the ai r
[like a shadowboxer or a contestant
who misses the chin of an opponent] .
But 1discipline my body and bring it
into subjection ... "(1Cor. 9:24-27,
Revised Authorized Version). Paul
strove to be a disciplined person who
could take defeat as gracefully as
receiving the glory for winning.
Enjoy sport, but play it fai r.
It
will do more for your character and
produce a happier attitude. Fina11y,
there is a lot of truth in the old–
fashioned saying:
"It
isn't whether
~
you win or lose, but how you play
lil
the game. "
§
If
you can't play sports fairly and
~
in a good spirit, what will be your
e
approach to playing the more impor-
~
tant game of life?
o
..