One of my favorite things to do is watch my boys play sports! I am “that” mom…you will always find me wearing their team colors and cheering from the stands! I volunteer as team mom or wherever else I am needed.
I require my boys to play sports, however it is always their choice as to what sport they choose. I have always made a point not to push them or force them to play a sport they do not enjoy. I believe team sports are very important in a child’s life. I encourage my boys to play sports for many reasons…
- Exercise – it helps to keep them active and healthy
. - Teamwork – they learn about themselves and how to work with others.
- Competition – they learn how to win and lose gracefully.
- Social – they always meet new friends while playing, some that may last a lifetime.
It is very important as Christians that we always show good sportsmanship. The Bible says…
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” -Philippians 2:3
Although this is not always easy, I try to set a good example from the sidelines and teach my boys to be good sports. Winning gracefully is just as important as losing gracefully.
It is important to keep things in perspective. More than likely, they will not grow up to be pro athletes and even if they do they must always remember why we are here.
1Timothy 4:8 says “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”
The most important thing you can do for your young athlete is to be an encourager, through the good and bad, always be their biggest fan! We need to encourage them to do their best in everything and to get up and try again when things don’t go their way.
Our Heavenly Father gave us this encouragement in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
I am and will always be my sons’ biggest fan!
Heidi, a contributing author here at Habits for a Happy Home, is a homeschooling mom to three boys, ages 9, 6 and 4. Find her sharing a mixture of couponing, cost savings strategies and more on her blog, Heidi’s Miscellany.
You and your boys are such good sports! Love the verses you point us to.
Great idea, Heidi! =) My middle girl showed an interest in ballet, so we enrolled her in lessons years ago. As a teenager, it is her main activity, and has taught her so much about discipline, commitment, sacrifice, and hard work. I also love the verses you put in there! Our girls’ is “Let them praise His name with the dance.”
=)
Love the dance verse, Kim!
Your sons are blessed to have you as their mom! 🙂 You’re right — it’s so good to teach them how to handle lose gracefully, the way God would want us to and to remind them of what is most important! Phil. 2:3 and 4:13 are two of my favorite verses!