In the last two months, youth sports have surged back to life. Parents have started their yearly tradition of driving kids to and from practices, games, and meetings. They are constantly asking questions, “When is the next practice?” “Why isn’t my son getting more playing time?” “What field is my daughter’s game at?” These questions come fast and hard and many parents need to take the time to slow down and consider another group of questions that all Christian parents should ask when navigating the world of youth sports.
Question #1) How will youth sports affect our family? It has become common for families to have multiple children in different sports, which means they are constantly on the go. If you find yourself driving frantically from practice to practice, eating fast food in the car, and microwaving pop-tarts to save time, then as the comedian Brian Reagan says, “You might need to loosen up your schedule!”
Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers do not provoke your children to anger.” It is very likely that your children will become tired, irritable, and be tempted to be disobedient if they are not getting time to sleep well, do their homework, and have one-on-one time with their parents. Parents can make the mistake of thinking their kids will be angry if they don’t constantly do sports, but the reality is they may become frustrated by doing too many sports.
Question #2) Will this sport have any games or practices on Sundays? My wife and I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the spiritual growth of our children is always more important than their athletic development. The Bible makes it clear that the purpose of parenting is to raise their children in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4 ESV) This means Sunday mornings are reserved for spiritual training with our church family and we often find the rest of each Sunday is a great time to rest and reconnect with the family.
Question #3) Will this sport become an idol for me, my wife, or my children? The apostle John’s closing words in his first letter are surprisingly simple, “My little children, keep yourself from idols.” An idol is anything that takes the place of worshipping God. Jesus told us the greatest commandment is to “Love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your might, and with all your strength and a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:38-39) This means that everything in life needs to be considered through the grid of whether it is adding to our love for God or distracting from it.
Question #4) What is motivating you as a parent to place your child in sports? Is it because all his friends are in sports? Is it because you want him to get a college scholarship? Is it because you want bragging rights with your friends? God’s word tells us, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) This is a good time for believers to think carefully about youth sports. We need to take a step back and realize that the rat race of the business world has infiltrated youth sports. There is money to be made in the world of sports and many of those pushing sports in the culture have motives and goals that are in opposition to glorifying God and living according to God’s word.
Each family has to decide how to use the precious time given by God to raise their children. There is freedom to invest in different ways in youth sports, but each parent is responsible to ask Godly questions in order to raise their children in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
Photo credit: Edward N. Johnson www.flickr.com/photos/usaghumphreys/6205493855
