Girls’ Trip, Away Game
A wet and chilly week on the farm. Almost 1.5 inches of rain. I probably worked less this week than any week since back in January. I welcome both the rain and the slower pace.
Amy joined a few of her college friends in Tennessee for their annual girl’s weekend. If anyone deserved a weekend away, it was her. Dropping the kids off with her parents in Knoxville on her way, I had a quiet and peaceful weekend at home to myself. For the most part. With Amy away, I set up at the Abingdon Farmers Market. Though at times it was overwhelming, it was even more so gratifying to see the faces the fine folks in the area that continually go out of their way to shop and eat locally.
A few more new baby calves on the ground. Keeping the cows moving to fresh grass. There’s still plenty of forage, but they’re eating it down faster than it’s growing back. Feeding season will be around the corner. With several fields of stockpiled grass, we’ll see how far out we can extend our grazing season.
We filled orders and coolers, and I cut a little firewood, but that’s about it. Aside from farming, we started the Rich Valley Wrestling season back up for elementary and middle schoolers in the area. The sport of wrestling was a huge passion of part of my life through school. Now it remains a passion that fits well with the darker days of winter and the slower farming season.
With youth sports at the forefront of my mind, I’ve been listening to AWAY GAME: A CHRISTIAN PARENT’S GUIDE TO NAVIGATING YOUTH SPORTS by Brian Smith and Ed Uszynski.
Playing sports was a huge part of my life growing up. Football, baseball, basketball, wrestling — I loved to play whatever season it was. But the landscape of youth sports has changed drastically since I was a kid. With Hallie’s volleyball season wrapping up and Hasten’s wrestling season beginning, Amy and I have ongoing conversations and questions concerning the level of involvement we want our kids to have in sports as they grow. With multiple kids and living over a half an hour from anywhere, we know we can’t do it all. Which means our kids can’t do it all. So how much do we do? Or how much do we allow them to do, while also trying to maintain a high priority on family dinners and time at home?
“We just want the best for our kids, but these days, what does that even mean when it comes to youth sports? Deeper still, as Christians, how do we respond when it feels like the presiding values and world view embedded within the American youth sports system, often run contrary to that of our faith?”
I used to think that youth sports build good character, but AWAY GAME points out that’s not necessarily the case. Yes, sports can build good character, but they can also build bad character. Sports can teach sportsmanship, work ethic, discipline, humility, and respect. Or it can teach kids how to be sore losers and arrogant winners. It can teach them to blame refs, coaches, and fellow teammates. The reason youth sports had such a positive impact in my life was because I was blessed with good parents who maintained a bigger picture focus. I was blessed with good coaches who coached as much life into me as the sport. I was blessed with good teammates who were there for me, which made me all the more want to be there for them.
In short, it’s not simply the participation of the sport, it’s the culture of the sport in which they participate. More than just seeking out and finding the right culture, each athlete, parent, coach, and fan are responsible for creating and contributing to the culture of the sport.
“The problem is not the pursuit of winning or the pursuit of greatness. Rather, it’s pursuing both in ways that run contrary to the gospel and driving our kids toward something they’ve never communicated they really want. The problem is making winning into an idol and demanding every other motive for playing bow down to it.”
I love to play. And compete. And win. But I’m aware that sometimes we can be swept away by a current of good intentions that ends up pulling us away from things that are more important. Whether it’s through organized sports or a backyard game of volleyball or croquet, I pray we will maintain a focus on what’s important.
“This is a game we can win, provided our perspective on what constitutes winning extends beyond the scoreboard.”
Have a good week.
Will