Churches Need to Minister to the Unskilled Athletes.  Churches should join hands with school and community recreation agencies in making special efforts to meet the skill development needs of these unskilled sports enthusiasts.

In thinking about sports and games, church folk need to consider this question: Is winning our sole motivation for sports participation? It has been said:

To be victorious in a game of competition is a hope and even a yearning dream because it means that «me is best.

In any contest there will be a winner, and there will be a loser. No one who has any competitive spirit wants to end up in the loser's position.

The purpose of participating in a game is to see who is the best.

Trying to win and the will to win: are most important.  Competing to the highest possible level in every contest of life, whether it be in sports, personal goals, or the Christian life is a must, else we become failures to our own selves.

All people, and especially young people, need to develop the attitude of winning. Some church leaders have wrongly taught and continue to teach the halfhearted philosophy "Give it a try, but if you do not win, so what?"

The experience of life, like athletics, is certainly not a nice bed of roses -. Life is tough, fierce, and even cruel at times. When one "suits up" for a sports contest, he knows there is going to be competition, rugged and hard. Every day of life God gives one to live, he will face similar obstacles. The world is not just a pansy; it is competition.

Always Strive for the Best.  The Bible teaches that the disciples, apostles, and especially Jesus himself played every moment in the contest of life with all that they had to the best of their abilities. They were determined, strong-willed individuals who fought off discouragement with words like, "I can do all things in him [Christ] who strengthens me" (Phil. 4: 13, RSV). ¹¹

Playing the Game to the Best of Our Ability, striving to win without winnings becoming the sole motivation of our participation - this is a good approach. Thus, the giving of one's best effort will become the motivating factor of competition. This will be true whether the contest be on the playing court or in the daily living of life. ¹²

The Objectives of Participation in a Church-Sponsored, Christ-centered sports program will include for the individual an opportunity to give or receive a positive Christian witness. Opportunities for joyous Christian fellowship will also abound. With a view to building strong, Christian character, each individual participant will have continuing opportunity to develop the personal qualities of honesty, dependability, patience, self-control, perseverance, courage, responsibility, sportsmanship, and teamwork.

The Following Statement Provides Added Insight To This Philosophy:

Under good leadership, promotion, and conduct, many opportunities exist to influence the development of desirable qualities in the individual. They may also contribute to his role in society and the part he is to play in the life of the community in which he lives. Leaders should review the following objectives when considering the organization, promotion, and conduct of games, sports, and athletic programs:

·        Wholesome fun and relaxation

·        Sociability and fellowship

·        Social adjustment in attitudes and behavior

·        Improvements in playing skills in specific sports

·        Participation in a wide variety of games, sports, and athletics

·        Practice in leadership and cooperative enterprises

·        Freedom in choice of an activity·

·        The practice of good physical and mental health habits

^·          The learning of fundamental motor skills.¹³

"Churches Must Maintain A Recreation Attitude Toward All Sports Activities.  Sharing the objective of the program with the players and coaches and gaining their support is vital if this is to be achieved. Providing adequate opportunities for those who wish to play 'just for the fun of it' is vital.

"The Benefits of Sports Programs to Individuals and to Churches are many and varied, and the road to success is rough.  If (church) recreation programs are going to be responsive to the needs of the people, quality sports programs must be provided.  Continuous evaluation of these programs will insure consistent progress toward the development of 'the whole man’^”14

In addition to the traditional organized sports activities normally included in a church's sports program, There are some unique program ideas and games for consideration.

For a complete list of the training tool available in Youth and Recreation go to
Youth and Recreation Helps