"I jump into a sand pit for a living"
Friendship challenged
Ask any ex-player what they miss most in retirement and you are likely to be told, the friendship and the banter. Through sport we make friends for life. There are however situations which stretch friendship to the limit. Competition within the club is just as real as competition with the opposition.
You and your best mate can be competing to be the first choice goalkeeper. Each week one of you will be disappointed. Yet Paul challenges us to act in a Christlike way in this situation.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Romans 12:15
If you are on the bench, half of you would like your team to score and win. The other half of us can't help thinking that if the opposition score, it will increase your chance of getting on the pitch. Can you genuinely say "all the best" to the player playing in your position before she goes out to play the game? If she goes down with an injury do you feel any sense of pity or is it all about you getting your chance now?
How do you love your team mate as yourself, if she has just taken your place in the team for the cup final? Loving your team mates can be difficult. Yet as sportspeople our sports team is the natural place to model what we've learnt in the Christian community. Our role in the team should be to bring the qualities of Christ into the team.
When we are called to "love our team mate as ourselves" one aspect of this is serving them. We are to use our abilities to the full as an act of worship to the God who gave them to us and in the service of our "neighbours" in the squad. I should not be drawn first of all to my needs as a result of my performance in a match.
While we have focused primarily on the player this week, the principle applies equally to all aspects of sport. Administrators, physios will also we passed over, not taken on the prestigious tour and have to smile and say well done to the "arguably" less well qualified colleague who has got the nod and have to rejoice as they do it!