Of competition and community

Young athletes talk about what it means to compete at sports at Mennonite institutions

October 10, 2012 | Young Voices
Aaron Epp | Special to Young Voices

Growing up playing sports, Brad Thiessen occasionally heard the stereotype that Christians are too meek to care about competing at a high level and winning games.

“I think [some] people view Christians as soft and not wanting to hurt others,” says the 26-year-old. “Maybe not as much today as they used to, but I’ve definitely heard that stereotype thrown around.” That assessment doesn’t ring true for Thiessen, who plays basketball for Columbia Bible College.

“Here at CBC, and as a Christian in general, I’m trying my best all the time,” he says. “I’m playing for God, and why not play to the best of my ability?” While some view competition as sinful, it’s unavoidable—in life, and in sports.

Clare Schellenberg, a volleyball player at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), says competing in sports at the school is less about beating the other team, and more about her team executing a plan to accomplish the goals they have set for themselves.

“Sport at CMU is really about finding unity as a team and celebrating the gifts of each player,” the 21-year-old says. “Rather than focusing so much on what the other team is doing, we focus on what we are doing as a team and how we can work to be the best we can be.”

Laura Tait, who plays basketball for CMU, agrees. Some of her favourite moments from last season were when the team focused on working together and playing to the best of their abilities.

“The goal is never to win in particular, but to execute the things we want to do well, to work together as a team and to always maintain a positive attitude,” the 20-year-old says. “Because if you don’t have a positive attitude, things will automatically fall apart and not go the way you want them to.”

Russell Willms, director of athletics at CMU, says that sports at the university are about much more than competition.

“We try to emphasize that the opportunity to play competitive sports is an opportunity not only to compete, but we try to look at is as, you have the opportunity to be part of a community,” he says.

That sense of community became real for Schellenberg over the past two years as she underwent two knee surgeries because of injuries she sustained while playing volleyball and riding her bike.

“Interestingly, these injuries have also opened me to my deepest questioning of faith,” she says. “Without the support and encouragement of my CMU teammates and my coach, I could not have come through these times with the strength and perspective they have given me. God seemed pretty distant at points, but I believe that without faith and my team community, these experiences would have been far different.”

Thiessen at CBC says that community is emphasized in student life at the college, and it’s a big part of why he enjoys playing sports for the school.

“I like that I get to be on a team and we get to do things together,” he says. “We get to win and lose together. Being on a basketball team allows me and my teammates to practice living in community and being in community with one another as Christian athletes. Not only do we get to enjoy athletics and playing, but we get to learn about each other spiritually. We spend a lot of time together and we get to grow in many different ways.”

Tait says she believes it is possible to be competitive in sport without making it “a violent competitiveness” where the goal is “to win at all costs.”

Schellenberg agrees. “[In the past] I’ve played for many coaches who emphasize the importance of winning,” she says. “In some ways these coaches and their expectations forced me into a love/ hate relationship with volleyball. Transitioning into playing volleyball at CMU, I gained a new love for the sport because even though we share a focus to win, our goal really is to play our best as a team through our ups and downs.”

“But,” she adds, “even though my major is Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies, I still love the competitive part and the adrenaline rush of absolutely crushing a ball!”

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