Imagine attending a church with a large number of engineers. Represented are many different types of engineers, some men, some women, with differing educational backgrounds and histories. But they all share certain qualities as part of the sub-culture “engineer”: a love of details, high math capacity, projects with beginnings and endings, etc.
Athletes form a subculture of their own--they play different sports, come from different backgrounds, but nevertheless share certain characteristics common to those who make up the athletic sub-culture. While each athlete is unique in their God-given personality, history, temperament, etc., certain qualities are shared (though not always) among the sub-culture called “athlete.”
Carl Spackler, the groundskeeper of the Bushwood Country Club in the movie Caddyshack, offers this bit of advice for gopher-hunters: “My enemy, my foe, is an animal. In order to conquer the animal, I have to learn to think like an animal. And, whenever possible, to look like one. I've gotta get inside this guy's pelt and crawl around for a few days.” Grasping the athletic mindset will help you anticipate ministry paths for transformation. If you want to connect, you’d be wise to absorb these characteristics of the athletic psyche into your system.
10 Things the Athlete Would Like You to Know But May Never Tell You
1. “If I don’t play well or get to play at all, I’ll let everyone down. People-pleasing and meeting others (and my own) expectations drives my life.”
Pressure to please: Must please coaches, teammates, family, friends, professors, high school friends/teachers, media, and themselves. Belonging to the team demands being accepted by the team; being accepted by the team, in the average athletes mind, demands being one of the best performers on the team.
2. “How I feel about myself and my place in the world is directly tied to my performance. All of life is a stage and I am constantly on it.”
Pressure to perform: Athletes constantly grapple with performing under pressure-- mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, social. Their value and worth are tied to position, playing time, statistics, W/L record, 40-times, skills related to other players. They tend to carry this pressure into every area of life, including the spiritual area.
3. “Sports are my life, and if they are taken away, I’m not sure what I’d do. Behind the appearance of invincibility, I’m constantly dealing with a low-grade sense of fear.”
Fear Factor: They exude confidence but mask a strong fear of failure; risk of injury; lack of approval from others; loss of position; loss of finances/scholarship; not measuring up; not considered the best by media/fans. They have a strong fear of failure and yet an uncanny belief in their own abilities. The fear comes from the reality that at any time they could be “finished”: An injury, the whim of a coach, a teammate or the next “up and coming star” could replace them. But they have reached a high level because they believe in their own ability or they are out to prove that they have ability. Competitive life is a risk and played out in an arena beyond their control. They know it will one day end and that prospect scares them to death, especially as they near the end of their eligibility.
4. “Most people don’t understand me and what really drives me, nor do they care about me apart from my sport.”
Socially isolated/suspicious: Relationships limited to the “right” people. As is often the case with sub-cultures, they don’t mix easily with others outside the athletic bubble. They look for relationships with people they can trust who understand the stress but also understand the glory of training and competition. Add the “celebrity” factor to the equation, and it becomes difficult to find someone who not only understands but also genuinely cares for them apart from their sport.
5. “I have exactly 22 minutes of unscheduled time each day.”
Limited free time: Especially true at scholarship schools but increasingly true at every level of competition down to 12-year-old AAU leagues, the demands of participation controls their lives and how they spend their limited free time.
6. “I am important as an athlete, at least that’s what everyone has always told me.”
False pride: Because of the attention paid to athletes by surrounding culture, they probably think more highly of themselves than they ought. The world starts to revolve around them. Can border in some cases on narcissism.
7. “What else is there to life than practice and games and sports in general?”
Imbalanced life: Athletes can become so consumed with their sport that they neglect other important aspects of their lives, with little time to build a well-rounded life. The “dumb jock” stereotype is certainly not true across the board, but most athletes spend an inordinate amount of time playing, thinking, talking sports.
8. “I wish I had a friend who can talk about matters that go beneath the surface.”
Soul Cravings. All the while surrounded with people, their friendships tend toward superficiality and fail to satisfy at the core. Who can understand the pressure? Who will care for them in spite of performance? Who can answer life’s deeper questions? The default answer seems to be “no one”. Athletes are craving someone to be interested in their life wholistically. People have interest in them because of who they are or what they have achieved, but rarely can give spiritual, emotional direction.
9. “People are always giving me breaks and I’ve been able to avoid taking responsibility for many areas of my life.”
Privileged and spoiled: Often enjoy special privileges; used to being catered to and coddled, pampered by those off the field/court. Players may no longer be thankful to have earned their position, but often arrive expecting their “rights”.
10. “I need something to live for besides conference championships.”
Challenge oriented: They want something big enough to which they can give their all. Athletes are motivated by challenges. Though this motivation probably starts out as an unhealthy desire to perform/please, it nevertheless is an important part of their psychological make-up—give me something that gets me out of bed in the morning and demands my best.
Some Initial Tips on Engaging the Athletic Soul
1. Pressure to please
· Teach them about a God of grace and acceptance, not just a God that has more expectations of them.
· Make sure you aren’t putting a burden of expectation on them spiritually. It is easy to become another impossible expectation that must be met before they feel accepted. Delicate balance between setting some spiritual goals/having discipline and becoming another legalistic burden.
· Identity in Christ
· Bible passages: Romans 8:31-39; Ephesians 1:3-8; I Peter 2:9,10
2. Pressure to perform
Don’t reward them for performance—encourage them for faithfulness, obedience to God, taking steps forward
Help them understand God’s standard is faithfulness and obedience which involves sinning and repentance, not pitching the perfect game or always doing the right thing
Sport can be a worship experience—go over AIA Principles and encourage them to attend an AIA Summer Opportunity
Model unconditional love, unheard of concept for most athletes
Need for true concern and care when injured or otherwise.
One main need is to see that God is not like their fathers or their demanding coaches. Because of their performance orientation, they especially need to see the emphasis of God’s unconditional love and commitment to them.
If they’ve failed in their commitment to Christ, don’t get down on them. They need to know that you still love them and are committed to them. Model God’s grace to them, then talk through the situation and how to handle it better the next time. Help them to see their Christian growth as a process (Phil. 3:10-15).
Love and recognition for who they are as people apart from athletics
Bible passages: Romans 8:1-4, Ephesians 2:1-10, I Timothy 1:12-17
3. Fear Factor
Eternal perspective
Here for reasons other than performing, God is in control of all things
Certainty that there is life after competition and help making the transition
Bible passages: Luke 12:4,5; Deuteronomy 31:8; I Corinthians 9:24-27; II Corinthians 4:16-18
4. Socially isolated/suspicious
Need to relate outside of sport world because one day they will be a neighbor
Be concerned about all aspects of their life, sport and other, but perhaps emphasize the non-sport areas of life since that’s probably what’s most lacking
Help them develop relationships away from sports with people they can trust and talk to openly
Bible passages: 1 Corinthians 12:1-26; Matthew 5:14-16; Hebrews 10:25
5. Limited free time
Must make priority decisions with time
Don’t be offended or give up on them if they miss an appointment or cannot meet for an extended period of time
Teach them a biblical view of time, values, what matters to God, eternity
Teach them time-management principles so that they can be involved in ministry.
Bible passages: Psalm 90 (esp. v 12); Ephesians 5:15,16; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
6. False Pride
Not about you
Living in different time, place, era, wouldn’t be adored
Show them how God can use their platform as athletes
Let them know how they can be resources to other Christian groups on campus (ex: share testimony at a Christian meeting).
Bible passages: 1 Peter 5:6, Romans 12:3, Matthew 23:1-12, John 13:1-17, Philippians 2:1-11; Philippians 3:1-16
7. Imbalanced Life
Investing in what matters most in this life
Need for self-control and balance in academic, social, financial and family life
Teach them other life skills: finances, relationships, home skills, etc.
Help them understand their life is not their own but is on loan to them, a stewardship that goes beyond personal achievement
Bible passages: Luke 12:13-21; Ecclesiastes 2:4-11 & 3:1-8, Colossians 3:17, 23-24; Ephesians 5:15-16
8. Soul Cravings
Vulnerability with your own life helps create real connection
Show interest in their family and other areas of their life that are significant
What to look for in a safe person
Send letters/notes of encouragement
Bible passages: Isaiah 26:7-11; Psalm 42: 1,2; Isaiah 55:1-3; Revelation 21:1-8; John 4:1-26 & 6:35; Ephesians 3:14-21; II Peter 1:3
9. Privileged and spoiled
Do not be intimidated by them
Help them see their life is a gift/loan from God
Take them to volunteer in prison or underprivileged situations
Teach God’s heart for humility
Bible passages: Luke 12:41-48; II Corinthians 5:11-21 (esp. v15); Galatians 2:20; Job 1:21; James 2:1-4
10. Challenge oriented
Give them specific challenges to help them take the next step toward walking with God.
All of their lives, athletes have been motivated by the next level or the next challenge. Once you sense the athlete is ready, give them the next hurdle to leap. The more you expect, the more you will get. Help them put their sport in perspective. God’s #1 goal is for their characters to be transformed into the image of Christ. Sport is a vehicle God is using towards that end.
Bible passages: Philippians 1:15-27; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 9:23-25
The athlete also needs to understand how to apply Christ in every dimension of her life. Because Christian athletes are watched closely by their teammates, won’t get away with being or feeling like a hypocrite. If they obtain an integration of faith into life, they will more naturally share their faith openly with teammates and other people.