Giving the best of Yourself
In the Jesuit principle and foundation of holistic formation, Sports and Games play an important role. It is not only to build up an effective team spirit but also it is an opportunity to give the best of yourself. You learn from others, especially when others perform better than you do, and subsequently you are inspired to excel in your own performance.
Sports and games might look like a field of competition. Of course, the winner is awarded. But you need not compete with others. When you compete with others, at times you feel diffident and you might even feel discouraged. But you need to compete with yourself – Then there is no feeling of defeat. Of course, you can learn from others to do better but you apply to yourself how to upskill yourself and how to make use of successful tips to excel in your endeavours. Winning on the sports track is surely important; but what is more important is winning in your life track. You might also remember that the winner stands alone – Not only the winner stands above others but also very often the winner would feel lonely. You need to remember that winning the track is good but winning friends would be better. If your winning focus is on the success, then you might feel lonely as you would stand alone on the victory stand; but if your winning focus is the good of all around you, then you would stand tall among your friends and well-wishers. And you would be radiating success and confidence.
Sports teaches us, among many things, that we should keep moving. Martin Luther King Jr said: “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward”. Keep moving onward and forward whether on the games field or sports track or in life. Keep going, rain or shine. Then, you would be optimistic as well as happy and healthy.
In its first ever official document on sports published on 01Jun2018, the Vatican calls sports as “an arena of human activity where the virtue of temperance, humility, courage, patience can be fostered and encounters with beauty, goodness, truth; and joy can be witnessed.” In other words sports is giving the best of yourself. Pope Francis has in his letter to Cardinal Kevin Farrell, written as an introduction to the above mentioned document, appreciates sports as “a meeting place where people of all levels and social conditions come together to reach a common aim” and also he recognized sports as a ‘formative vehicle’ which serves the integral development of the human person, especially the youth.
As you are here on the field of competition, have healthy competition and at the same time let us build up team spirit. Wish you all the very best in whatever you strive for.
Francis P Xavier SJ
29Apr2022