Going All Out

I don't typically get in altercations with other players, but I see it happen with other people all the time.

Playing sports can get a little rough at times. If I'm trying to win and your trying to win, then there is going to be some incidental contact. I for one happen to love it. There aren't too many times in life where you are aloud to push someone around a little and they can push right back, and then you can step out of the game and have a very casual conversation. When I play basketball I kind of like playing against someone who is a little bit bigger than me. I know that I am going to have to toughen up a little bit in order to contain him. It's kinda fun.

Having said that, I hate playing against someone who is intentionally doing illegal things in order to beat me. I love playing in a really physical match-up. I hate playing against cheaters. There is a fine line between these two types of players, but it means a world of difference to your opponent. I believe that people who cheat have humility issues, and people who play hard have competitiveness issues. The person who cheats doesn't want to beat you. Rather, they just want the recognition for themselves. The person who plays hard just wants to beat you fair and square.

It's okay to be competitive. But what if I'm playing competitively and he is cheating? What should the right response be? The response should not be to cheat right back. If you hit him/her back harder, then you've already escalated the situations. An eye for an eye will not help you resolve the situation. It will actually make it worse. You are no longer there to have fun playing a sport that you love. You are now there for your own pride.

My solution is to just smile. I don't really have to force myself to smile, I just simply think that it is funny that someone needs to cheat in order to prove themselves. It is not secret that this guy is cheating. Everyone else on the floor and in the stands can see it. Just because your opponent is ruining their reputation, that doesn't mean that you should ruin yours.

As Christians we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard and not treat sports as a part of life that is completely separate from the Christian life. You should be the same person on the floor as you are off the floor. People should be able to tell that you are a Christian in day-to-day life, and the same should be true when you step our onto the court or field. It's fun to be competitive with other people and to give it your all, but it must be done in the context of the Christian life.