At The Gospel Coalition, “youth sports is one of the top concerns [expressed by] pastors and youth leaders: they can’t preach to, disciple, or encourage people who miss Sunday after Sunday for basketball or soccer or baseball.
“Youth sports in America has shifted over the last several decades. Instead of playing ball in the backyard with friends after school or on Saturday mornings, our kids climb into the minivan so we can drive them to practice, pay for uniforms and court fees, and pick up dinner from the concession stand….
We know sports is a good gift from God. He created our kids to run and jump and throw, and to delight in doing that with friends. Done well, those things honor him.
So how can we do them well?”
As the mom of former club and varsity athletes (as well as one accomplished ballet dancer who probably spent more hours in the studio than her brothers did on the practice field), and the grandmother of some very talented soccer players, I found this outstanding podcast by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, a sports mom herself, to examine the issue honestly. She offers discussion from coaches, parents, church leaders, and of course athletes-both student and professional. Without being didactic, she challenges Christian families to Biblically and realistically evaluate their participation in youth sports.
