lessons learned from the world of sports here in central indiana
It has always been my belief that sports, done the right way and with the proper perspective, can teach us many valuable lessons about life. When it's not done the right way, and we lose our perspective, sports can be quite damaging, but we can still learn from the experience. Let me share some examples with you from right here in Central Indiana.
My 2nd grade son plays in a church basketball league. The games have refs, but they don't keep score, and the coaches are required to play each kid the same number of minutes. My son's coach told us (parents and players) at the first practice that he had 3 goals--help each player to improve their basketball skills, have fun while working diligently to accomplish the first goal, and (most importantly) to play and practice in such a way as to bring glory to God. Halfway through each practice they take a 15 minute break to read Scripture. Games start with prayer. At halftime, the players go to a quiet room to read Scripture, and then to discuss second-half strategy. The parents stay in the gym and listen to the church's youth minister read that day's Bible passage, give a "mini-sermon", and then we join together in prayer. After the games, each player is given an award by the coach--best offensive player, best defensive player, the hustle award, and most Christ-like. Multiple players win each award, the awards rotate from week to week, and the coach praises each player as he hands out the awards. It just doesn't get any better than that in the world of youth sports!
Last Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI, defeating the Chicago Bears 29-17. During the 2-week "Hype-Hype-Hype Bowl" lead-up to the real game, Colts coach Tony Dungy was asked, perhaps a million times, how he felt as one of the first two black head coaches to ever coach in a Super Bowl (along with Bear's coach Lovie Smith). Over and over again, Dungy told reporters that, yes, that was significant and that he was proud, but that it wasn't as important or meaningful as the fact that both Super Bowl coaches were devout Christians. Dungy continually remarked about how good he felt about the fact that he and Lovie Smith were able to show the world that "coaching God's way" leads to success. Over and over again, Dungy praised God, and used the unique platform afforded him in Miami to bring glory to God. After the Colts won, in the locker room, Dungy stopped the post-game celebrating momentarily to tell his players that they had one piece of unfinished business. When the room became still and the TV cameras were turned off, Dungy and his team dropped to their knees and gave thanks to God for their continued health, and for the strength God had given them during the previous year. Dungy then led his team as, in unison, they prayed together the Lord's Prayer. Look at www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/colts/2007-02-05-prayer_x.htm
and also look at all of the Colts-related cartoons (scroll down for all of them) at http://blogs.indystar.com/varvelblog/index.html
The post-game celebration "back home again in Indiana" was also a testament to "sports done the right way." How often do you see drunk and lawless revelers, in the wake of a major sports victory, use the victory as an excuse to riot, destroy property, loot and ransack businesses, and to assault other revelers? You didn't see any of that Sunday night in Indy! There was no violence, no looting, no fires (How can you celebrate without torching something?, Detroit asks). Two nights later, over 50,000 peaceful fans (including my son and I) gathered inside the RCA Dome, and many thousands more gathered peacefully along the city streets in the sub-zero temps (how 'bout that global warming, algore!) to watch the Colts victory parade and the post-parade rally in the Dome. Again, no violence, no crime, no nothing except good-old-fashioned joy done the right way. Inside the Dome, the loudest cheers were for the Christian coach, who told the 50,000 about how the Colts players had won with class and grace, and about how all 53 players were men that Central Indiana parents could rightfully hope that their own kids grew up to be like. Sports done the right way!
Several blocks to the east, as Colts fans were celebrating, the Pacers basketball team was getting destroyed at Conseco Fieldhouse by the Golden State Warriors. Only 12,000 fans attended. The Pacers are next to last in the NBA in home attendance because Central Indiana simply won't support a team that is lazy, disinterested in playing good fundamental basketball, and which has criminals on the roster. You may recall that, earlier in the season, 3 Pacers players were involved in an assault outside an Indy strip club, and that ex-Pacer Steven Jackson actually fired a gun in the air during that incident. Tuesday night, after the Golden State game, Jamaal Tinsley and Marquis Daniels, 2 of the players who were involved in the Club Rio escapade, got involved in another assault at another Indy nightclub. Allegedly, Tinsley thretened to kill the bar manager. Look at www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SPORTS04
for details and commentary.
BIG LESSON---Any team will be a reflection of their coaching and front office leadership. With the Colts, Tony Dungy made it clear from his first day on the job that he was not interested in coaching "bad actors." He wanted to win a Super Bowl, and win the right way with the right kind of people playing for him. As the Colts front office (owner Jim Irsay and Pres./GM Bill Polian) got on the same page with Dungy, the Colts coach fulfilled Jesus' command to be "salt of the earth" and a "light to the world." He witnessed by example, and many Colts player came to Christ. Even the owner, Jim Irsay, came to Christ! That's no small accomplishment for a now-recovering alcoholic/cocaine addict/prescription drug addict/60's era "wild child" like Irsay! Twenty years ago, I sat in a bar and watched Jim Irsay, in a coke-induced frenzy, "preach" to the multitudes about how he would bring a Super Bowl trophy to Indy. I didn't think he had a chance to live more than 5 or 10 more years! Last Sunday, I saw a sober Irsay on international TV tell the multitudes that, before he could celebrate the win, he felt that he must ask for prayers for the tornado victims of central Florida. Only God can change a heart, but God used Tony Dungy as His tool to help change a whole lot of hearts in that Colts organization.
The Pacers? Their leadership is concerned with nothing but wins. They truly don't care what crimes their players commit, so long as they "just win, baby!" Not surprisingly, the Pacers don't win very often, and the fans despise them. Maybe Dungy can start his prison ministry (a long-professed goal) with the Pacers!
My 2nd grade son plays in a church basketball league. The games have refs, but they don't keep score, and the coaches are required to play each kid the same number of minutes. My son's coach told us (parents and players) at the first practice that he had 3 goals--help each player to improve their basketball skills, have fun while working diligently to accomplish the first goal, and (most importantly) to play and practice in such a way as to bring glory to God. Halfway through each practice they take a 15 minute break to read Scripture. Games start with prayer. At halftime, the players go to a quiet room to read Scripture, and then to discuss second-half strategy. The parents stay in the gym and listen to the church's youth minister read that day's Bible passage, give a "mini-sermon", and then we join together in prayer. After the games, each player is given an award by the coach--best offensive player, best defensive player, the hustle award, and most Christ-like. Multiple players win each award, the awards rotate from week to week, and the coach praises each player as he hands out the awards. It just doesn't get any better than that in the world of youth sports!
Last Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI, defeating the Chicago Bears 29-17. During the 2-week "Hype-Hype-Hype Bowl" lead-up to the real game, Colts coach Tony Dungy was asked, perhaps a million times, how he felt as one of the first two black head coaches to ever coach in a Super Bowl (along with Bear's coach Lovie Smith). Over and over again, Dungy told reporters that, yes, that was significant and that he was proud, but that it wasn't as important or meaningful as the fact that both Super Bowl coaches were devout Christians. Dungy continually remarked about how good he felt about the fact that he and Lovie Smith were able to show the world that "coaching God's way" leads to success. Over and over again, Dungy praised God, and used the unique platform afforded him in Miami to bring glory to God. After the Colts won, in the locker room, Dungy stopped the post-game celebrating momentarily to tell his players that they had one piece of unfinished business. When the room became still and the TV cameras were turned off, Dungy and his team dropped to their knees and gave thanks to God for their continued health, and for the strength God had given them during the previous year. Dungy then led his team as, in unison, they prayed together the Lord's Prayer. Look at www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/colts/2007-02-05-prayer_x.htm
and also look at all of the Colts-related cartoons (scroll down for all of them) at http://blogs.indystar.com/varvelblog/index.html
The post-game celebration "back home again in Indiana" was also a testament to "sports done the right way." How often do you see drunk and lawless revelers, in the wake of a major sports victory, use the victory as an excuse to riot, destroy property, loot and ransack businesses, and to assault other revelers? You didn't see any of that Sunday night in Indy! There was no violence, no looting, no fires (How can you celebrate without torching something?, Detroit asks). Two nights later, over 50,000 peaceful fans (including my son and I) gathered inside the RCA Dome, and many thousands more gathered peacefully along the city streets in the sub-zero temps (how 'bout that global warming, algore!) to watch the Colts victory parade and the post-parade rally in the Dome. Again, no violence, no crime, no nothing except good-old-fashioned joy done the right way. Inside the Dome, the loudest cheers were for the Christian coach, who told the 50,000 about how the Colts players had won with class and grace, and about how all 53 players were men that Central Indiana parents could rightfully hope that their own kids grew up to be like. Sports done the right way!
Several blocks to the east, as Colts fans were celebrating, the Pacers basketball team was getting destroyed at Conseco Fieldhouse by the Golden State Warriors. Only 12,000 fans attended. The Pacers are next to last in the NBA in home attendance because Central Indiana simply won't support a team that is lazy, disinterested in playing good fundamental basketball, and which has criminals on the roster. You may recall that, earlier in the season, 3 Pacers players were involved in an assault outside an Indy strip club, and that ex-Pacer Steven Jackson actually fired a gun in the air during that incident. Tuesday night, after the Golden State game, Jamaal Tinsley and Marquis Daniels, 2 of the players who were involved in the Club Rio escapade, got involved in another assault at another Indy nightclub. Allegedly, Tinsley thretened to kill the bar manager. Look at www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SPORTS04
for details and commentary.
BIG LESSON---Any team will be a reflection of their coaching and front office leadership. With the Colts, Tony Dungy made it clear from his first day on the job that he was not interested in coaching "bad actors." He wanted to win a Super Bowl, and win the right way with the right kind of people playing for him. As the Colts front office (owner Jim Irsay and Pres./GM Bill Polian) got on the same page with Dungy, the Colts coach fulfilled Jesus' command to be "salt of the earth" and a "light to the world." He witnessed by example, and many Colts player came to Christ. Even the owner, Jim Irsay, came to Christ! That's no small accomplishment for a now-recovering alcoholic/cocaine addict/prescription drug addict/60's era "wild child" like Irsay! Twenty years ago, I sat in a bar and watched Jim Irsay, in a coke-induced frenzy, "preach" to the multitudes about how he would bring a Super Bowl trophy to Indy. I didn't think he had a chance to live more than 5 or 10 more years! Last Sunday, I saw a sober Irsay on international TV tell the multitudes that, before he could celebrate the win, he felt that he must ask for prayers for the tornado victims of central Florida. Only God can change a heart, but God used Tony Dungy as His tool to help change a whole lot of hearts in that Colts organization.
The Pacers? Their leadership is concerned with nothing but wins. They truly don't care what crimes their players commit, so long as they "just win, baby!" Not surprisingly, the Pacers don't win very often, and the fans despise them. Maybe Dungy can start his prison ministry (a long-professed goal) with the Pacers!
posted by hondo at 11:13 AM
1 Comments:
I played football back when we actually prayed at high school games (admittedly in the "Bible belt").
I think that perhaps football lends itself to decency more than most other sports. It is undeniably a team sport with not much room for grandstanding. Opposing players will help others up after a play. Intentional fouling is discouraged.
For all it's "violence," it seems to me to be a gentlemen's sport!
I accidently saw the last half of the Superbowl [I wasn't going to watch it, but my son called from on the road and asked for the score) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Go Colts!
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