What would life be like, as we know it, without any form of sport and sport entertainment? Before we begin to answer that question, it might be an idea to consider the positives of sport.
For young children, sports is the first arena in their lives where they are given the rudiments of working together to achieve a common result. It is also the first place for many, where they are given an opportunity to experience a sense of team spirit, a camaraderie in which they feel a very special part.
Moreover, for many it is the first time they get to wear a unique uniform that belongs exclusively to that group of people – albeit small people.
In addition, it may be the first time in their lives when they experience a group loss. They have gone on to the field of play – whether it be netball, hockey, soccer, softball or whatever, and they've done their best, yet still lost.
If anything, this gives these youngsters their possibly first sense of community in winning and losing, being part of a team and being in a contest.
Then consider these same young children as they grow into adolescence, then as young people and following this, young adults.
Through sports they can discover some very important things about themselves and others. These are all 'personal development aids' as they grow and mature personally and a citizens of their team, suburb, city, state and nation.
They become aware that losing a sports match is not the end of the world, but they also become aware that winning has only a fleeting sense of empowerment.
In my doctoral work on sports chaplaincy, I discovered Australian historians have suggested sport in Australia became the dynamic focus of energies as opposed to Europeans where war took up this energy century after century. Little wonder Australian and New Zealand elite athletes with such small populations complete with such dynamism at international level.
Memories become important as each person visualise their particular feat on the sporting pitch – a memory which may last a life time - but one in which is entirely in their own heart and more than likely, exclusive to them.
Experiences
I can recall such an event in my own mind's eye for which I've enjoyed over and over again as I have relived that particular sporting moment. I was captaining the Illawarra Men's Representative Hockey Team and we played Goulburn in Goulburn (Goulburn is a massive hockey town) and we managed a draw, which was unheard of in the annuls of such representative contests.
As captain that day, I played a blinder, and had two of their defenders marking me throughout the match leaving them short in attack. No one else would have that memory, but it is precious to me as it was the first time I led the representative team. That was one of the days a State selector was watching and invited me to join the NSW training squad.
This is typical in sports experiences for all athletes and whatever sport, some special achievement that only they can recall with such pleasure. This is the norm.
Youngsters participating in sport also develop a sense of their own worth. I recall a teenage girl who had a sense of self worthlessness until she discovered she was rather good at the trampoline. It changed her entire life. She began feeling positive about herself, and liked the sense of empowerment within her, especially when others noticed her trampoline excellence. (The same applies if you show a proclivity at science or maths or music or writing ... whatever).
Stories such as this are legion, as are young people enjoying sport, even if it is only for the physical exercise. The Apostle Paul did say that sport profited a little and it does. It is not the whole of the story of life, but it does profit a little to our lives. If there is one positive thing about the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, it's people coming together from the nations – this discovery is amazing - people are people wherever they come from.
On the other hand
But there are also downsides to sport. Sport can become the all and end all of life and that leads to disaster.
The Australian Institute of Sport have recognised this and ensure their athletes have access to respite along with education and social development. Football clubs of all varieties engage in this, the Sydney Swans for example has the Basil Sellers Centre with IT training for their charges.
Sport that turns someone into an aggressive spirit is harmful, along with sport becoming a means to make financial windfalls without due education and advice as to how to handle fast-income streams. So many in the past have lost their savings with ill advised investments. Likewise graft and deceit which we saw with international soccer's FIFA. Any employment that isolates itself from all else, destroys the person, and so too with sport.
Balance
Balance becomes an important issue – moderation is a good thing. Delma my wife of 39 years, speaks of balance in all things, as the key to living life to the Lord. Her common sense with a Biblical balanced emphasis has been a hallmark of her wisdom to me in our ministries.
So we return to our initial question – what would the world be without sports?
You decide !
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html