Shaming of theTrue 

A fresh and unique blending of two traditionally disconnected topics---spirituality and sports. Follow Sly Young as he attempts to accomplish the feat of playing professionally in the three major sports using positive character traits taught through scripture.

  

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Terms like kind(ly) (ness) are frequently associated, particularly with young folks, with some sort of weakness. The phrase, “Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness”, is born out of this misconception. This scripture is taken out of a series of progressions that the writer, Peter, felt was a list of actions for a person to grow in faith.

These traits don’t come automatically or appear on a to-do list where you cross them off when you complete them. You must continually improve all of them. Faith will produce a life of moral excellence. Moral excellence will help you to a greater knowledge of God and his will and or ways. Knowing God better establishes self-control and patience. Patient endurance creates a devotion to God and a zest to live by his standards. This is followed by our expressions of kindness which will lead to a genuine love for one another.

The kindness piece is a direct reflection of the true character of God’s children. We must all strive to be kind!! We must make every effort to develop this spirit of kindness, without the non-sense that perpetuates the stereotype of weakness. Men tend to teach young boys that the key to becoming a man is directly related to how strong he is. It is true that the opposite of strong is weak. All children (male and female) should definitely strive to be strong in mind, body and spirit. Strength and kindness are not mutually exclusive!! Too many folks have been taught that the two cannot co-exist. They truly believe that the two are somehow opposites when pertaining to character. The misinformed individual feels the need to choose between teaching one or the other and concludes that there is no question that the more admirably is strength. So the modeling of kindness takes a back seat. The parent, teacher or coach now appears to encourage and prefer the trait which is on the other end of the spectrum—meanness.

There are far too many young folks either choosing to be mean or trying to act mean. If kindness is a virtue that emulates God, then meanness, which is opposite, is a characteristic of you know who. Or maybe you don’t know who, IT IS THE DEVIL!! I will concede that the plan is not to produce little satanites, but if you are not careful that is precisely what you get. All young people in general, but young men in particular, sometimes tend to mock kindness. This is not some attitude that they were born with, but a spirit that has been taught and/or modeled by someone they love and respect. Please don’t be so misguided to think you can neglect promoting kindness and not open the heart for mean spirited behavior.

In the sports realm, sadly, there is an overabundance of parents, teachers and coaches who are just plain ignorant. In the well placed attempt to teach the importance of competing with toughness, aggressiveness and strength, they often times miss the mark. I can be tough without being mean and dirty. In basketball a player is frequently ask to play tough defense. It is a commendable thing to be able to defend another player with extreme toughness. It becomes mean when the objective is to injure or hurt the opponent. An example that comes to mind in baseball is the tough pitchers. The old school pitcher would throw pitches really close to the batter to establish respect. It was perfectly acceptable to hit a batter every now and then. It was also expected to possibly hit the batter who followed a home run hit by the preceding hitter. It is just plain mean to throw at a hitter’s head, but it would happen all the time. This “bean-balls” were also very dangerous. Tough equals pitching inside (brush-back), mean equals bean-ball. Football coaches are always looking for aggressive football players. The problem is when the players cross the line from aggressive to a-holes.

There is no room in any sporting contest for grabbing and twisting genitals, spitting on the other team or just plain name-calling. All of the above have been seemingly encouraged and at the very least tolerated by some coaches. This is just wrong and stems from the belief that this is somehow needed to win. The kind participant is not soft, passive or weak. He is benevolent (good and not bad), compassionate, polite, and shows great sportsmanship. It might take more time and effort to produce an athlete who is tough, aggressive and strong, while still embracing the accompanying traits that follow kindness. Kindness will lead to the greatest of all traits, according to God, LOVE! (1 Corinthians 13:13)

                                                                                               Fred Tudor

Fred Tudor is a twenty-two year employee of the Cincinnati Public Schools as a Health and Physical Education teacher. He has been coaching at the high school level in Greater Cincinnati since graduating from Wittenberg University in 1979. His coaching stints includes stops at his alma mater Walnut Hills High School, Hughes Center High School, and from 1990 until present coaches at Wyoming High School. His church home is Cincinnati Bibleway Church in Madisonville, Apostles James and Grace Blue Pastors. Contact Information: 513.328.2767 E-Mail: Info@CincySportsWorld.com