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25th August 2011 by Shandri Brown

I didn’t play team sports in high school. I did a lot of dance classes but lacked the commitment, coordination, confidence and skill required for what was considered real sport.

It wasn’t until years later when I started dating my boyfriend (now my very yummy hubby) that I thought it best to give team sports a go. I could get interested in his pastimes and get fit. Double win!! Our church had a soccer team at the time and although it was part of a Christian men’s competition, the rules allowed girls on the field. I took the open door.

After spending a year playing soccer with and against men twice my size, I had learnt the rules, discovered that the female change-rooms were never unlocked and I was surrounded by more swearing and aggression than I had ever thought possible. I learnt that referees are always against you, slide tackles are only wrong if you get caught and it’s hard to improve your skills if no one trusts you with the ball.

Here come the girls …

Next season our coach decided it was time to get a girls team together. I thought soccer was about to get very easy and less smelly (wrong on both accounts). I was captain for the girl’s soccer team for a few years and for someone who showed no interest in sport growing up, I was amazed at how quickly I could become a competitive little monster. Why is it that our Christianity is central to our life as long as we are not on a sports field?

Our team was entered in a Christian competition which often just means that you play on Saturdays rather than Sundays and you pray before the match. After the “amen” is said, anything goes. The rest of the week we Christians are all about putting others first, isn’t it only fair that sports days are our one chance to push to the top?

Some healthy competition …

I am not saying we became heathen barbarians every time we ran onto the field. No one lost their teeth and even the swearing was kept to a minimum. I did notice however that my desire to win meant that I didn’t mind getting a little pushy in order to get the ball and at times I didn’t view the opposing team as sisters in Christ. They were just obstacles to overcome.

Of course competitiveness plays a huge part in the success of any athlete or sports person. Can you imagine a State of Origin where NSW just keeps giving away wins in order to show kindness to Qld? Generous? Sure – but super annoying to watch. Sport wouldn’t work at all if we were about sharing the ball with everyone!

God doesn’t expect us to sit around giving group hugs to our sporting opponents. The Bible even advocates for chasing the win ... check out 1 Corinthians 9:24 if you want validation for a competitive spirit. The critical thing however, is that God remains number one. Even in our competitiveness (whether you are into rugby, netball or even games of monopoly) we need to do “everything for the glory of God” (1Corinthians 10:31).

Leaving God with the grannies …

Too often when I hit the sports field I make an unconscious decision to leave God on the sideline with the grandmas who are there to cheer me on rather than letting him be involved with winning the game. While I am sure God is happy sometimes to serve as a cheerleader, I think it would be better if I let him captain my movements as I play.

I reckon if all Christian competitions invited God into the mix instead of sidelining him, we would have sports comps where referees don’t get verbally abused for a bad call and players don’t take home any bitterness at a loss. Imagine never hearing the words “we were robbed” whined at you ever again! If we play competitively but gratefully and totally for the glory of God, I think that’s when God is happy to whip out his vuvuzela in support.

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