Getting Frustrated with Sports at all levels & Proud of St. Pius’ Athletes!

Although getting frustrated with sports, I go to Spurs games occasionally, but usually go to the local hockey or baseball games.  Frustrated with the high prices and immaturity of the athletes and owners.  I watch some football on TV, but again much of the fun has been taken out of the sport.

It is hard for me to reconcile the amount of work I do daily to try and pay teachers a sub standard wage, when athletes make more in a game than my entire annual budget for a church and school.

I have come to enjoy middle school sports.  Kids pouring their heart in to a team and a sport and being happy with just doing there best.  And, YES, we keep score.

We almost didn’t have a girls volleyball team until I asked, how could we not have girl’s volleyball.  (that was lesson one in, new pastors have to be very careful stating wishes as they easily can be seen as commands.

Are girls had a late start and didn’t win and didn’t win.  I showed up at a game across town.  Traffic had held me up, but I pushed on and got there at the end of the 2nd game.  They were down and about to loose another match in two games.  This team never gave up ever and this time they won.  There was so much happiness, it was like winning the Olympic Gold and it was just one game.  The one a match later in the season as they constantly got better.  They taught the spectators about heart, drive and what sports should really be about.  I feel like the luckiest Pastor in the world.

I’ll save football coach cursing for the end…

Basketball has started and I am not liking what I see.  Our kids are playing with integrity and doing their best to follow the rules.  We have been hit, banged and beaten over a game.  Tonight one girl took a head to the face and I was so proud of everyone, they played as professionals should play and they clobbered the other team.  Boys being boys had a tougher time!  In the end they kept their heads in the game and let the bad call or two go and focused on playing as a team and in turn, winning.

In short:

This is a Catholic league.  I am proud my students took the high ground.  It was a credit to our coaches, teachers and most importantly parents.  We will continue to rise above this nonsense, but it is a bit much to ask of middle school kids.

Not wonder professional sports is such a mess.  We are training them young, that winning at all costs, mouthing off to officials and when all else fails, cause an injury is how the games are played.  Of course at one game coaches yelled obscenities at a drum line that was too loud.  That was the game I needed to be held back.  It was hard to watch.

If we want more from our kids, we have to model the behavior and actions we want from them in all that we do.  Yes, even driving!