As the often sedentary winter ac­tivities make way for more sprightly summer events, young and old, but especially the young at heart, turn towards various recreational pursuits. We live in a society that maintains the one-inch-pinch test and promotes sports wear as the latest fashion.

Let's consider the extent of our in­volvement in what in our culture is "fashionable recreation;" soccer for the young, baseball for the "mature," golf for the less mobile, "weight watchers" for all ages, hockey for the rugged, basketball for the passionate, tennis anyone, and fitness classes year round. While outlining the relation­ship between play, sport and work, I shall attempt to formulate a suitable orientation in answering the question: how much participation should we and our children have in highly competitive community sport programs?

At Play⤒🔗

When we think of play we might picture the preschool child in the sand­box who with great concentration and enthusiasm manipulates his toys. A German philosopher has stated with reference to such a scene that "Der Mensch ist ganz Mensch, wenn er spielt" ("man is fully man when he plays"), highlighting that a person's personality, his character, is shown and developed when at play. Any mother knows that also in the sandbox when the children are playing, their natural inclination toward sin can be shown. For even with the little ones, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension and envy, the works of the flesh, are plain, thus showing our true character.

Play is defined, however, as a voluntary activity chosen for relaxa­tion and fun. It has even been described as the first poetry of life. It is an exhilarating moment associated with physical exertion experienced as a pleasure. Physically, play is asso­ciated with the adrenalin produced in a voluntary activity accomplished ef­fortlessly with great enthusiasm.

One might suggest wishfully, that work ought to be like play, an ex­hilarating pleasure, effortlessly ac­complished. However, in this world due to man's sin, man toils among thorns and thistles and "in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread." The enthusiasm and exhilarating enjoyment associated with play can, at best, be stimulation for obedient, diligent, pleasurable, work experience and effort.

What is Sport?←⤒🔗

Sport by definition includes com­petition versus distance, time, ob­stacles, physical difficulties, danger, animals, a single opponent, a team, or the participant himself. Accomplish­ments in sports require effort, training, practice, dedication, self-discipline and self-control in obtaining a goal. For these reasons sport is sometimes referred to as a character builder with a view toward equipping someone for work.

In the relationship between play and sport it may be pointed out that play does not include the obtaining of a specific goal and that the greatest satisfaction and delight, the highest sense of accomplishment is obtained when a sport is seen as play or as a game. If a sport is no longer play it can become an obsession, even an abhor­rence. When a game degenerates into winning at all cost without regard for self, others, and the rules of the game, it indeed becomes "disorderly conduct." The "game" should not be­come an escape from real life. Proper participation in sport promotes a healthy vitality and enthusiasm toward life and work, and promotes harmony and cooperation among participants. If used well, competition is a tool which facilitates the performance level of the participant in an activity. But the tool of competition has to be used for a proper purpose with restraint, control, and responsibility. Teachers, coaches and participants (including parents of the "little leaguer") need to take responsibility for the competitive situation they are facilitating or in which they participate.

Ethical Direction←⤒🔗

Competitiveness in play, sport and work pervades Western society. Evidence from the field of sport, business and warfare suggests that competition can in fact stimulate superlative achievement. Prof. J. Douma, however, in commenting on sport gives some ethical direction. Rules, regulations and conduct for or in a particular game or sport should not be in conflict with God's Word. Any recreational activity, including sport, is irresponsible and inap­propriate when it causes the participant or spectator to break God's law or remove himself from service to Him. Therefore a game or a sport should not be isolated or removed from every­thing else. One should not take on a different "personality," a "game face," on the ice, field, court or dia­mond and give full vent to one's own "sinful desires" and "be yourself." Also on the playing surface, Lord's Day 40 of the Heidelberg Catechism applies: show patience, peace, gentle­ness, mercy and friendliness and do not harm or recklessly endanger your­self. There is no place for gratuitous violence and abusive language in a game or anywhere else for that matter, however difficult that may be. Let's develop and maintain proper self-control.

Play and sport is also not given us to elevate "the game" and the enjoy­ment of competition and of physical exhilaration to the highest level, as if nothing else counts. For some the danger is real that a sport may not only become an escape but a self-gratifying narcistic ego trip. One can in fact worship "the game" and even one's own body. The activity itself, "the game" should not be elevated and given a status to which we become enslaved and to which we sacrifice all free time, exorbitant amounts of money and even limb, when playing injured. Do not endanger or "give up your daily job." "In short ... forsake all ... rather than do the least thing against His will" (Lord's Day 34, Heidelberg Catechism). "Remember also the Cre­ator in the days of your youth..." (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Note with Paul in 1 Timothy 4:7, 9:

Have nothing to do with godless and silly myths. Train yourself in godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds prom­ise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Professional Sport?←⤒🔗

As competitiveness increases, play decreases and sport becomes work, a job, and a very difficult job at that! The more "professional" the sport, the less dominant the element of play and the less educational and positive the activity becomes. Two kinds of sport can be identified:

1. a sport where the aspect of the game and play are emphasized and

2. sport where the element of work predominates. The latter is called professional sport.

For the Christian, sport ought to be defined as playing a game or par­ticipating in physical exercise, something one does in order to be more able to perform his daily task. Physical education in school ought to stimulate the student to learn health, recreation and discipline. Scripture despises laziness and apathy, we should never "flag in zeal" but as "able-bodied men" valiantly work toward maintaining body and soul with which both in life and death we belong to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

We are a body created in God's image not just in terms of flesh and blood but as temples of the Holy Spirit. Let the overemphasis in our culture on fitness, even health, or sports, including spectator sports, not become a rock that will make one of us fall. In Titus 2:6, the apostle Paul urges the younger men to control themselves. If we do not, God can give us up to the dishonoring of our bodies, Romans 1:24. Instead, let us be like the man in Psalm 104:23 who goes forth to his work and to his labor until the evening.