“The purpose of this Christian high school football team is to glorify God.” So began the new coach’s talk to the players and their parents. The coach outlined his coaching philosophy and football theory, and it was full of Scripture texts. I had to give him credit – he was trying to integrate football and Scripture. But within five minutes of his opening statement, the coach was explaining why he loved football. “When I was in high school, I loved to hit people. The football field is one place where it’s legal to hit people. If you hit people in other places, you can get thrown in jail. But on the football field, you get to hit people, and I loved to hit people.”
No one, besides me, smiled at the irony. Maybe I was the only one who caught it, but I had to hold back a laugh. I thought to myself, “Let’s clarify that opening statement. ‘The purpose of this Christian high school football team is to glorify God… by hitting people.’” Is that possible?
Those comments from the coach highlight a conversation I’ve been wanting to have for a long time, but I have found very few willing to take the other side of the conversation. The question to consider is this: Given the violent nature of the game, is it appropriate (right, ethical, acceptable) for a Christian school to have a football team? (I’m leaving aside the question whether it is appropriate for any Christian to play football – just talking big picture here.) Just this summer, a third Christian school with which I’ve had a connection has added football to its sports programming. In each case, the schools never invited a dialogue with the constituency about whether or not a football team is appropriate. I’ve wanted to ask the simple, theological, ethical question – is it appropriate for a Christian school to have a football team – but no one at any of the schools has been interested in asking that question.
I have had a couple of conversations with Christians who played football, who ask if I’ve ever played football, and when I say ‘No,’ simply roll their eyes and say, “Then you wouldn’t understand it.” While that may be true, that non-answer makes it tough to do theology.
Here’s how I usually frame the question. Nearly everyone would agree that there is no problem for a Christian school to have a golf team, and nearly everyone would agree that it would be inappropriate for a Christian school to have a Fight Club or MMA team. Somewhere between those extremes of total non-contact and brutal beatings, there is a line between what is appropriate and what is inappropriate for a Christian school. I think that the violent nature of football places it close to that line. I don’t know which side of the line it is on, and that’s the question I’d like to pursue. Is it appropriate for a Christian school to have a football team, or is football, in its very nature, too violent to be appropriate? Is it possible to set this mission before a football team: “The purpose of this Christian high school football team is to glorify God by hitting people”?
In Part Two, I’ll consider one argument I’ve heard regarding violence in football and other sports.
9 comments:
Sorry to be a comment hog. Don't we have to differentiate between what football has become and the game itself? Football is not about violence... it's not about "hitting people"... it's about tackling people, running, catching, blocking... There is a difference. Just like there is a difference between pitching and throwing. I did play football, and the coach I played for emphasized tackling... wrapping the legs and driving through. He would get angry if we "hit people"... hitting people doesn't necessarily tackle them. What I believe Christians should oppose is the machismo culture that has developed in football, but also in other sports.
PJ,
Thanks for inviting me to view your blog. I have to protest your statement in your introductory post that stated that the school administration would not dialogue about the philosophical / theological aspects of football. You and I had several conversations about this as we made those long Saturday morning marathon training runs. Don't you remember? And as for the board not taking this decision to add football to the constituents, they did not have to. They were elected by the society to make decisions for them. And they did not make this decision lightly. I have told countless people that the longest board meeting in my five years as PCHS principal was the night we discussed and the decided (unanimous vote) to add football to our extra curricular program. At the time I wrote a Christian philosophy of football that I will paste below. The basic premise is that there is a right way and wrong way to play any sport and Christians need to make sure we always are striving to do it the right way. Enjoy!
A Christian Philosophy of Football
A very big question that needs to answered is whether or not a Christian school can compete in a sport such as football in such a way as to fit into the mission of the school and in a manner that is pleasing to, and brings honor to God.
Football has been called many things throughout the years. A contact sport, a violent sport, a collision sport, a “man’s” game, just to name a few. What needs to be remembered is that it is a sport. It is a game. Like most other sports and games, how they are played and the manner in which the game is taught are the keys to the appropriateness for involvement by Christians.
Our world belongs to God and everything that exists today is under the Lordship of Christ. This includes sports. We have been called to participate in the redemption of our fallen world and when Christian become involved in human activity we must make every effort to dispel the evils of such activities and propagate the good.
PCHS certainly sees value in athletics. If we did not, we wouldn’t have an athletic program. In all of the current sports and other extra-curricular activities we allow our students to be involved in we must stress the values and motivation for such involvement.
Many CSI schools have had football as part of their athletic program for many years. These schools would be valuable resources to us were we to begin football here at PCHS.
Vital to the implementation of the appropriate philosophy and ultimately the manner in which our students would participate is leadership. Finding and maintaining the best possible coaching staff is paramount. Without the proper leadership in any sport or activity at PCHS, we face the very real danger of losing our “distinctiveness.”
Football should not be viewed differently than other sports or activities other than for certain logistical differences (cost, facilities, etc.). It is an activity that allows students to develop and use their God-given gifts and abilities. It is a sport (like the others we currently offer) that can help those involved develop important character traits such as hard-work, teamwork, cooperation, self-discipline, perseverance, humility in victory and defeat, responsibility, and the list goes on and on. One of the big differences between football and the other sports we offer is that football provides opportunity to more students. Especially students who simply don’t have the opportunity to participate in the faster, fine-motor skill sports we currently offer.
Football certainly can and must be played from a distinctively Christian perspective. Our football philosophy should naturally flow out of our current philosophy that we use for all that we do here at Pella Christian High School. Let’s not give football more concern than it deserves or needs.
Thanks, Darryl. I made an editorial change to reflect that we did have conversations on the topic. Thanks, too, for the "Christian Philosophy of Football." The "football question" still remans, however. Is there a point on the continuum of sports violence that is inappropriate/wrong for a Christian sports program to cross? If so, where is football in relation to that point?
Thanks, Jason. You're right, there is a difference. But it is still more violent in nature than other games (like golf). How violent is too violent? Maybe Part 2 will help clarify what I mean.
Define violence... Is it violent to wrestle around with my son on the floor? Is it violent to throw high and tight to a hitter who's crowding the plate? Is it violent to post up? Is all physical contact neccessarily violence? Or do we have to take intent into consideration?
My Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines "violent" as "marked by extreme force or sudden intense activity." I've been in family wrestling matches that used "extreme force" and evidenced "sudden intense activity" - they were lacking a lot of "fun." And there is certainly a difference in violence between a high-tight fastball and a purpose pitch. Still, there can be little doubt that the force used in football is more extreme and intense than that used in basketball (while it is less extreme and intense than a Fight Club match). That's my point -- is there a distinction between what is (too) violent and what is not? Intent is certainly a factor, and a good coach (like the one you described earlier) can curtail some intent, but tackling a running back is still more violent than posting up in basketball, no?
I would say tackling a running back is more physical then posting up... it can be more violent. I think there is more to defining violence then has been mentioned. I had a political science prof in college who was a pacifist... yet he unashamedly loved college wrestling. College wrestling is very physical, but does that necessarily make it violent? I would argue that any definition of violence includes "an act of aggression". In this context, tackling a running back is not necessarily violence. Football may create conditions where violence can more easily manifest itself... but that doesn't mean the essence of the game itself is violence.
At what point did football become to violent for you? My sisters son plays for the pc eagles. she told me to check out your comments. she said you were the announcer for games for a couple of years, so did that mean you endorsed it then but now you don't because you're son chose not to play this year? somethings wrong here.
Hi Don,
Thanks for the comment. I was first vividly aware of the violent nature of football in junior high when I watched the quarterback of my favorite NFL team get sacked and lay on the field, twitching. The violence/danger is what kept me from playing in junior high & high school.
Yes, I was the announcer for the PC Eagles football team. I did it because I wanted to see, from as close a vantage point as I could get, how a Christian football program would be run.
My son decided, on his own, not to go out for football this year, and since I wouldn't have any boys out for football for at least 5 years, I decided to free up my schedule by not announcing the games.
I don't know that I've ever endorsed, or not endorsed, football at a Christian school. I just wish that this theological question had been raised at the two Christian high schools with which I've been involved before the decision to begin the program was made. As you can see from my third post in this series, I think it could be appropriate to have a football team at a Christian high school, but that it would be very challenging to keep the program from moving from "physical" to "violent."
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