You are here

Home ›

Count the hours you spend each week on sports, and be honest...

by David and Tim Bayly on March 30, 2011 - 9:17am

(Tim) "The sociologist Ahmet Talimciler, the author of a book on Turkish soccer fanaticism, recently asked fifteen hundred Turkish fans how important their team was to them. For sixty-two per cent of respondents, the team came 'only after family and nation'; for a full thirty per cent, it was 'more important than anything else' in life.'" ("Letter from Turkey: View from the Stands," The New Yorker, March 7, 2011; p. 60.)

Tags: 
Worship & idolatry
Sports

Permalink

Comments

Submitted by Brandon Pickett on March 30, 2011 - 6:01pm

Depends on the time of year. During the football season, we're probably talking about 12-15 hours a week. Right now, in the lull between football and baseball, maybe 4.

Submitted by Ruth Mann on March 30, 2011 - 6:50pm

We did wrestling this year for Peter (12) and Micah (10). I know a lot of people write off sports as an exercise in self-glorification, but we have found it to be character-building in ways we had not been able to achieve. I have been troubled by a work ethic problem in Peter. I have seen God do a work in his heart that I could not do. He refused to run at the beginning of the season. So the coach made everybody run. So everybody was mad at Peter. So Peter changed his attitude. Now he is willing to work to improve, and cares about improving his skill. Micah has developed a thicker skin. He used to cry about little collisions with Peter. Now he takes it in stride. These are just a few examples of how we've seen God work in their hearts. Boys need to WORK, be it through physical labor or sports. I told someone the other day I hope they can bale hay when they get older because it's hard work. Sports may not appear to be spiritual on the exterior, but everything is spiritual.

Submitted by Ruth Mann on March 30, 2011 - 6:54pm

I meant the coach made everybody run MORE.

Submitted by bert perry on March 31, 2011 - 5:06am

Just 169 hours a week. Why do you ask? :^) (and then another 170 hours per week on video games?)

Actually, except for reading the sports page--about an hour a week--and wrestling with my kids, I don't do much with sports at all. My step-brother-in-law (my step-sister's husband) helped me reduce my sports watching immensely by helping Lilly develop "Cialis." No kidding--there are some concepts, which I won't elaborate on here, which I'm not ready to explain to my daughters yet. And since the commercials are ubiquitous on football games....

Submitted by Scott Hatkow on March 31, 2011 - 6:15am

About 3-4 hours skating each week. More people would be in better shape if they would play a sport rather than just sitting and watching it, boring. Get movin'!

Submitted by ChuckP on March 31, 2011 - 1:37pm

Let me throw out a question, what about sports on Sunday. I have noticed more children playing sports on Sunday morning as I travel about. My children don't play competitive sports yet and I was just wondering how folks handle this. Thanks

Submitted by Archie on April 1, 2011 - 6:22am

Chuck,

As a long time former athlete myself with athletic children that are growing into this age, my wife and I have done a good bit of thinking and praying about this. What we have come to is that our lives should be ordered by Christ and His church, not by athletics and all of the VERY good fruits of them. I fully agree that there are massive benefits to boys playing sports in today's society. I know for a fact that playing sports was instrumental in my character formation. The problem becomes when these sports take over the role of character formation from the church of Christ. Do I believe that my sons will receive greater spiritual benefit from being in church on a Sunday morning and missing a championship game? Yes, I do, by faith. If nothing else, it will illustrate to them that their first commitment in life is the be to Christ and His church, and not to their teammates, wife, children, families or anything else.

Submitted by Ruth Mann on April 2, 2011 - 5:26am

I need to add another comment to my above comments because I don't want to sound like I'm negating the post at all. For many it is an idol, and that is the extreme on one end--that we rightly call out. So many Christians respond by swinging to the other extreme and banning all sports from their lives. I am reading Voddie Baucham's Family Driven Faith in which he refers to research done at UNC Chapel Hill studying teen religion. He quotes them,

"Our research suggests that religious congregations are losing out to school and the media for the time and attention of youth. When it comes to the formation of the lives of youth, viewed sociologically, faith communities typically get a very small seat at the end of the table for a very limited period of time. The youth-formation table is dominated structurally by more powerful and vocal actors. Hence...most teens know details about television characters and pop stars, but many are quite vague about Moses and Jesus. Most youth are well versed about the dangers of drunk driving, AIDS, and drugs, but many haven't a clue about their own tradition's core ideas. Many parents also clearly prioritize homework and sports over church or youth group attendance."

That's from a secular university.

For us sports is not the end; it's the means to an end considering what we are trying accomplish in the hearts of our little (and young) men.

Submitted by Ruth Mann on April 2, 2011 - 5:41am

One more thing I forgot and then I promise to be quiet. Our involvement in wrestling has opened up a platform for us to raise issues related to men's and women's roles in life and what is expected in our personal lives. What do I mean? We've been quite vocal in the wrestling community about our position with regards to boys and girls wrestling one another and why. For many, they have never thought about it. And many of them are so ingrained with a PC mindset that it seems scandalous until they think about it. I am thankful for the opportunity to bring the issue to the table (and even more thankful our sons have not been forced to forfeit). But I feel that the moment they choose to walk away from a match with a girl will be a climactic moment in their lives, and much of our teaching is brought to the test at that moment. (There was one meet where we thought Peter was going to be matched with a girl, and Chris was right there to back him up if he had to forfeit.)

Submitted by steveprost on April 3, 2011 - 2:09pm

today's opiate of the masses

Add new comment

2013 Clearnote Summer Conference
Man vs. Lust
Sexual by Design
 
 

Recent Comments

more
Subscribe to Recent Comments