Guest post by Ryan Borowicz
I’m fascinated by the diversity God created in men and women. Genetically, we’re nearly identical…separated merely by an X and a Y chromosome. But in so many other ways…we are SOOOOO different! One of my favorite authors on this subject, or any other for that matter, is John Eldredge. I’m currently reading the book he co-wrote with his wife called “Love and War.” He talks about marriage and how we are so different as men and women, and yet when we get married and move in together, we expect to live harmoniously till death do us part?!? It’s sure not that easy…but well worth it.
So, what in the world does this have to do with Sports Ministry??? One word…REGISTRATIONS! When we do a camp, league, or event that involves kids or women, 98.3% of all of the registrations are done by women…on time…and as we asked. If the event or league is geared towards men, we get…well…just the opposite!! In fact, last summer, two minutes before the end of the basketball season tournament game was about to start, I had an adult male player walk up to me and say, “Yo man, I got your money.” I looked at him a little confused, but then remembered that his captain had still not gotten everyone to pay! Keep in mind also, that every other team paid by credit card through our online registration system (or at least was supposed to) prior to the league starting…two and a half months prior!!! So this dude walks out of the lay up line, digs into his basketball shorts pockets, and hands me a wad of wrinkled up bills and some change! CHANGE for goodness sakes!! I have this mess in my hands for no more than one second and he looks at me and says, “We good?” Are you kidding me??? If it wasn’t so funny, I think I would have thrown it right back in his face! But then, I didn’t want pennies and nickels all over the court 20 seconds before the game was to start. So I simply replied, “Yeah…we’re good.” I walked over to the scorer’s table, counted up what he had handed me, minus the lint and gum wrapper, and it added up to $27.36. Each guy owed his captain $35, which should have been done in May (it was mid-August), and this guy hands me $27.36. Now…you tell me…would a woman have ever done this??? I think I know your answer.
So the question is, what can we take away from this episode? And though this was my experience, I’m sure you have had one similar. What I took away is that no matter how “by the book” I want to do registrations, and how much easier it makes my life, sometimes we just have to learn to roll with it, especially if we are reaching out to people outside of our church walls, and outside of the realm of online registrations through www.appletonalliance.org!
