The Sporting Life: What Our Kids Have Learned From Sports

My children love sports. My son lives and breathes sports. At five-years-old, he has been involved in soccer, hockey, and baseball. He wants to play football. He also has had swimming lessons and gymnastics lessons. My three-year-old daughter is taking a gymnastics class and a ballet class. She says she wants to play hockey when she is old enough. Although we have not forced our children into sports, when they have shown an interest, we have encouraged their participation. And our children are learning some great lessons through sports. Here are some lessons we all have learned from the sporting life.

Discipline Sports require discipline. I watch my daughter do the same ballet routine weekly. My son runs the same skating drills in hockey. Success in the sport comes from discipline and  practicing the routine. The great sports professionals became great through discipline. What a great lesson to learn. Likewise, in our Christian walk, we are told to be disciplined. In 1 Timothy 4:7, we read, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.”

Perseverance In addition to discipline, my children are learning to persevere. Those skating drills make my son a better skater if he doesn’t give up. My daughter gains strength and agility as she practices skills over and over on a balance beam. And there are times when they fall, or get scored against. How they respond after these times is important. Will they get back up and get back in the game. That’s perseverance. The Christian walk is also one of persevering. In James 1:12 we read, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised for those who love him.”

Patience Along with perseverance, my children are learning patience. They are learning to be patient with their limited abilities. They also are learning to be patient with others. I am surprised how often my son or daughter, who both exhibit impatience with many things, will patiently wait for their turn to practice a routine. They may not have patience to wait for a desired toy, but they will not balk about waiting for a coach to instruct a teammate before addressing them. And similar to perseverance, I watch my children practice skills imperfectly now, knowing that they will develop these skills in time, with patience. The Christian walk calls for us to be patient with others, as Christ has been patient with us. In Colossians 3:12-13 we read, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another ...” In 1 Timothy 1:16 we read, “I received mercy for this reason, that in me … Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

Unity A team is successful if it is united. How often have we seen professional sport teams that do not have the most talented players win a championship because they were united? Our children are learning that one of the most important aspects of sportsmanship is supporting other team members. I was thrilled this past week to see my son, who is one of the more skilled players on his Tee-Ball team, cheer on and encourage some of the other players as they practiced batting and running. He may not always get along with all of his teammates, but I loved that he was encouraging them at the right time. In the Christian walk, we are instructed to be united under the Spirit. In Ephesians 4:1-3 we read, “I, therefore, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

            So while my children show interest in sports, we’ll allow them to participate. These times also give us the opportunity to speak some truths of Scripture into our children’s lives. It is fun to watch them grow in athletic ability and in the spiritual journey. Now, I need to go and register my son for Tiny Mite Football.

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