I wasted my sport.

I am an athlete. I have grown up in a world of sport. I’ve played soccer, softball, basketball, and tennis. I’ve done countless 5k races and competed in triathlons. I’ve played in organized sport leagues since I was four years old. I stopped playing at 22 when I graduated from college. However, I will never be out of the world of organized sports. I will coach, lead leagues, and hopefully be a parent of an athlete. 

Almost everyone at some point has participated in some sort of sport. From a pick-up neighborhood game to becoming an NCAA athlete we have all become wrapped up in the thrill and excitement of “the game.” 

Athletes and fans alike get caught up in the intensity of sports. We want to win. We want to succeed. We do whatever it takes. We let a loss put us in a bad mood. We let a win make us cocky. Our nights can be changed by the outcome of a simple game. We sulk. We cry. I’ve been there. I’m guilty of all of the above, and I am not proud. 

Not until my senior year of college did I get a wake up call. A slap in the face. I read a book called “Don’t Waste Your Sports” for a class, and it changed my outlook on everything I had known since I was four years old. I realized I had wasted my sport, my talent, my gift from God. I was guilty of being someone who had placed sports on a pedestal. I would let a loss put me down, I would be jealous when my roommates had more playing time in a game, I thought practice was a waste of time. I had let sports become one of the most important things in my life. I had put it before God. 

After reading DWYS I realized I had taken so much for granted. Sports had been all about me. I had trophies on trophies lining the shelves of my room. MY accomplishments were what mattered. I won’t lie. I was uncomfortable reading DWYS. It struck a nerve when I realized I could have spent those 16 years playing competitive sports as a platform to further the Kingdom but I hadn’t.

My senior year of college was by far the best season I had ever experienced. Did we win every game? Not a chance. Did I get upset over playing time? Only once. Were losses hard? Yes, especially the very last game I ever played. Did I cry? Oh yeah, like a baby the night we lost to Campbellsville University and I took my Union uniform off for the last time. Did I get hot headed in the heat of a game? A few times. I wasn’t perfect. I had spent 16 years playing one way. However, my senior year I did everything I could to play for God. Soccer was no longer about me. Practices and games were a time to worship my Savior. I dedicated my senior year to serving my God while I played. The author of DWYS uses 1 Corinthians 10:31 as how we should look at playing our sports. So my last season as a player that is what I did. I played my heart out, but not for me. I didn’t want to take anything for granted. My God had given me a talent and I wanted to use it to the best of my ability. My whole attitude was different. It was the best season of my life. 

I learned more about myself in one season than I had in 16 because I stepped aside and played for the glory of God and not for the glory of Elizabeth. 

As athletes, fans, and coaches I challenge you to quit “wasting your sport.” It can be the greatest witness if you just let it. So next time you’re yelling at a ref, cursing your fantasy receiver for dropping a catch, crying over a loss, or gloating over a win take a step back. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter. Trust me it isn’t easy, but realizing you’ve “wasted your sport” can be life changing.