Athletics & Ministry

Athletics can be and are an integral part of a total Youth Ministry concept.

Young people are interested in athletics and readily come forth to participate. Athletics can be an effective influence in the formation of a Christian value system and life-style for an adolescent, or a detrimental force, dependent on the experience and the "key person" of the minister. In this case, the "minister" is the coach.

Bring the athlete to ministry and ministry to the athlete. Coaches are ministers to youth through athletics. We have a responsibility to create an atmosphere conducive to developing the total athlete - body, mind and spirit. Listed below are some of the major components involved in ministry to athletes.

ADVOCACY: Advocacy is defined as "listening, caring, interpreting - before the Church and secular community." A coach who cares about the members of his/her team, becomes the "significant other" in their lives. The Church has a mission, a responsibility to reach out to modern young people and show them the presence of God in their daily lives. The community of athletics gives all of us the opportunity to meet youth "where they are."

CREATING COMMUNITY: Athletics, by their very nature, create a strong bond of unity between the members of a team. Team members should care for one another, support one another, go through good times and bad, celebrate together, pray together, etc. Adult leaders must be examples of these qualities.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: The coach must know all his/her players and help them to develop their potential abilities and talents. The Christian coach teaches the values of competition and how to achieve a balance in their lives in order to attain what is "good and right and possible" in healthy competition. Athletics can give an arena for Christian values without the mentality that says "Win at all Cost" and "Survival of the Fittest."

GUIDANCE: The comments, words, and guidance of a coach can have a great deal of influence in the life of a young person than any other adult in his/her world at that particular time. The coach has the opportunity to help young people cope with failure, disappointments, hurt, unjust treatment during competition as a member of a team which also mirror life experiences.

JUSTICE AND SERVICE: Athletics has been a vehicle that has crossed over lines of race, ethnic background, economic level, geographic, local and other barriers to justice. A leader/coach/minister of a Catholic/Christian team calls the members of that community to the responsibility of the Church to extend the Kingdom of God in the world through service and action on behalf of justice.

WORD: Athletics can provide an effective approach to evangelization - the witness of an authentically Christian life. Game-like experiences are reflected in the Gospel values of how Jesus calls us to lead our lives.

WORSHIP: Prayer can be an integral part of every practice session and pre-game participation. The Prayer of a Sportsman can be recited by all the players or by a different player prior to each game. Encourage the team to attend liturgy as a community prior to the start of the season and possible on a monthly basis. It is important to reinforce the focus of athletics, in our relationship with God, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, during the program year.


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PRAYER OF A SPORTSMAN

Dear Lord, in the battle that goes on through life,
I ask but a field that is fair,
A chance that is equal with all in the strife
The courage to strive and to dare.
If I should win, let it be by the code,
With my faith and my honor held high.
If I should lose, let me stand by the road
And cheer as the winners go by.

(This page adapted from "Athletics - An Integral Part of Youth Ministry" by Irene Friend)