A football player, whose team is losing by three touchdowns, gets a break and sacks the opposing quarterback. He does a dance and engages in thirty seconds of self-congratulation. He protests the call, throws a temper tantrum, and is thrown out of the game. He is a hero to thousands of young people. All across America, there is a mean spirit invading our sports arenas and stadiums.
Sportsmanship is dismissed as unmanly.
No longer are sports fun, and the attitude seems to have filtered down into little leagues and even into our Christian school athletes. In the face of all this, it is difficult to find examples of Christian sportsmanship to instruct and inspire our Christian school students. Providentially, however, there are examples in history, current and past, that can be used to show our students what true sportsmanship is about. Essentially, Christians should be involved in sports for two reasons. Second, as part of an overall system of training for our young people.