Written by Bob Schindler, Executive Director of CEDE Partners – an Initiative of CEDE Sports
If you’re a coach, a pastor, or a sports minister, you have the tall order of shaping people’s worldview on competition and winning. I find that few have wrestled with this subject though. For example, do you have good answers for the following questions?
What does it mean to be a Christian athlete?
How do I play for the glory of God?
These are important questions to answer if you intend to saturate people under your influence with a Christian worldview. If you don’t, most likely people under your care will be shaped by the culture. Here’s what the culture says about winning and competition (as told by famous athletes):
“If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?” –Vince Lombardi
“The person that said winning isn’t everything, never won anything.” –Mia Hamm
“If money titles meant anything, I’d play more tournaments. The only thing that means a lot to me is winning. If I have more wins than anybody else and win more majors than anybody else in the same year, then it’s been a good year.” –Tiger Woods
“Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next.” –George Steinbrenner
“There is winning and there is misery.” –Bill Parcells
“I’m a mad dog whose only concern is winning.” –Charles Barkley
“Losing feels worse than winning feels good.” –Vin Scully
“Every time you win, you’re reborn; when you lose, you die a little.” –George Allen
“The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else.” –John Madden
If you’d like to know more about the Christian perspective on winning, watch the below 2 minute video:
