My wife (I love her dearly, God bless her) says, “If nose-picking was a sport on TV, he’d watch it.”
It’s her way of describing how much of a sports fanatic I am.
I reflected on this at the recent Thanksgiving celebration with my family. The conversation turned eventually to what we’re all thankful for, and I thought about my career, my passion for sports and athletic competition, and the competitive spirit built into all of our personalities.
I’m thankful, I decided, for sports itself, and for how much they show us how to live a good life.
Yes, athletics have provided me with an opportunity to earn a modest living writing about sports, from the lively and competitive clubs at Sun City, to the more intense competition on high school playing fields and gyms.
But there’s more to it than just economic opportunity. I’m talking about sports on a broad scale, from t-ball little league to the World Series, from the dreary, broken down urban basketball courts to the NBA finals, from recreational frisbee-throwing and family touch football games to international marathons and Olympic gold medals, from YMCA pickup games to grinding rehab sessions in fitness centers, to the after-work run on the lakefront before dinner.
Sports are the highest level of professional competition all the way down to the workout in the bedroom before the end of the day. Sports are exercise, staying active, getting up off the couch, and moving your body around, like your doctor keeps urging you to do. It’s teamwork, cooperating for a common cause, trusting a teammate, learning how to overcome adversity, and how to win or lose with dignity, humility, and patience. In our schools and colleges, sports and athletics are much more than a gym class. Playing fields are classrooms just as much as science labs and lecture halls.
Yes, sports are often controversial and sometimes downright ugly. The press reminds us every day of drug abuse, work stoppages, criminal behavior, out-of-control egos, and the too-frequent hypocrisy in the definition of the difference between professional and amateur. This column recognizes the dark side, but we aren’t talking perfection here. Sports reflects society in many good and bad ways. That’s the nature of things.
Sports give us role models. It took me two minutes to jot down the names of 20 heroes to all of us – Walter Payton, Lou Gehrig, Hank Aaron, Chris Evert, Floyd Patterson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Ron Santo, Jesse Owens, Brooks Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Ryan Dempster, Michael Jordan, Gabby Douglas, Wayne Gretzky, Jack Nicklaus, Ara Parseghian, Herb Brooks, Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey, Arnold Palmer – talented, exciting athletes and entrepreneurs who graced the world of sport with class and dignity.
Sports are exercise, the most important factor leading to good physical and mental health. Sports teach us about teamwork and provide so many opportunities to learn to get along with others and work toward a common goal. I’ve lost count of the number of high school athletes who have said team sports taught them skills that helped them in their careers, marriages, families, and relationships.
Winning a championship is fun for a while, isn’t it? But taking that achievement with you into life’s challenges is even better and is the whole point.
Sports are about discipline and training, teaching us to be the best we can be in our homes, jobs, and communities.
At Sun City, sports are about aging residents like Pete Karembalas in softball, Richard Christie in tennis, and Wes Anderson in golf and bocce ball, overcoming their disabilities and ages, staying fit to make senior living enjoyable and inspirational to others, and truly living golden years. How? Through sports and friendly competition, as well as grandchildren and friends.
Yeah, I like sports. I feel infinitely blessed that, even though I’m not an athlete and can’t play the games anymore, I can write about them and mingle with those who compete.
God gave each of us a competitive urge, whether it’s for Parcheesi or the seventh game of the World Series.
The question is, how much do most of us get off the couch and, like Nike says, just do it?
