We are not afraid to admit it: we are a sports-loving family. We’re at a practice, game, or competition almost daily. We often eat dinners on the move to get the kids to their activities. And our conversations are frequently about strategy, mental preparation, and progress.

There’s some weird false dichotomy, sometimes, with people who misunderstand the goodness of athletics.

Sports are the enemy. They distract families from what really matters. People make them an idol.

And while that can be true for a few, that doesn’t mean that it’s true for all. (Don’t we often make the same argument for people resistant to joining the Catholic faith?! Don’t let bad representation convince you the Church is corrupt.)

Every time we come up to a big competition, we’re reminded of why we love sports and how fruitfully they support our family mission.

Supporting the Mission

This weekend, our oldest boys competed in the State Championship for jiu jitsu. And two important benefits of athletics stood out to us:

1. Learning the skill of facing your fears. Nerves, firstly, are not always a bad thing. They can be healthily mixed with excitement and motivation to perform well.

Our sons handle anxiety very differently. One gets quiet and a bit grouchy while he internally processed his feelings. He’s tempted to avoid the challenge. The other jabbers about everything and everything and asks 100 questions in order to feel as prepared and attempt to control as much of the challenge as possible.

Either way, they needed to accept that they were uncomfortable and push forward anyways. Nothing except doing the thing was going to relieve all of their fears.

2. The relationships that are formed and fostered through sports are unrepeatable. The camaraderie that naturally comes from doing hard things together creates a special bond that crosses age and status.

For example, a former athlete turned Army Ranger and dear friend spent half of his day off from training to support our sons. He understood, deeply, how much those moments mattered and his presence will leave a lasting impression on them.

We can only begin to imagine what kind of relationship is being started with brothers doing these tough things together.

Christ is Present

Sports can either be the cause of less family time, a source for wounds surrounding your self worth, and an unnecessary distraction from the sacredness of Sunday.

Or…it can be one of the best tools your family has for raising virtuous humans in your domestic church - where Christ is Incarnationally present.

Sports are more than just games and they’re less than life or death. Rightly ordered, athletics fuel excellence: proper preparation, physical health and well-being, handling pressure, working through anxieties, while simultaneously embracing magnanimity, humility, and grace.

They are not the enemy of family life. They help us to live life well.

Monica