Character Comes
From Within
By Rolando Lamb
It’s easy to see that sports dominate
our culture. Have you ever stopped
to ask yourself why? Why do sports
dominate culture to the point of
idolatry? Why do we take them so
seriously? I am reminded of a field
goal kicker who missed the goal at
the end of the game only to receive
death threats later on. You know as
well as I do that this should not be.
It’s not the right response to a player
in a game.
Here are a few reasons sports
dominate our culture:
• Sports are the creativity of God
expressed through man.
• Ever y person identifies with
competition.
• Athletes pursue their dreams.
• Athletes are disciplined.
• Athletes get the immediate results
of winning.
I’ve played sports, mainly basketball,
all my life, and now I have a son in
the NBA that I trained from the time
he was a child. I’ve come to believe
that sports tend to build characters
more than they do character! A myth
has become deeply rooted in our
society: It’s that when a player dives
for a loose ball, fights to come back
after being down and almost out, or
hits the winning shot under pressure,
he or she is manifesting superior
character. Is that character? Not
necessarily.
Does sports build character? It can,
but not without guidance.
We have watched some of the most
determined and talented athletes
through the years reach the pinnacle
of success only to fall hard to the
temptations that accompany being
on top.
When you evaluate someone’s
character, you must look at the
choices they make and the actions
they take regularly, not just on the
court. I realize from working with
athletes across the country they
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