How far would you go to win?
I recently read an article about a Pops Warner league (Youth ages 10-14) football team. Apparently, the coaches of this football team paid their players to hit opponents harder than usual. Does this sound a lot like what happened in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints? It’s almost the exact same thing. These coaches were paying their players $20 for the hardest hit in the game.
Now obviously, winning become more important at every level, but when does it start? I think it’s terrible that these youth coaches paid players to hit harder. I feel like it’s a dirty way to play, and as a Christian, it’s really dirty. There’s nothing wrong with a little competition, but when winning becomes so important that you start playing dirty, then you know you’ve gone too far.
If this is happening to you, take a step back from everything and ask yourself, “What will this all mean in 10 years?” If your answer is nothing, then stop taking the game so seriously. There will always be a winner and a loser, but the key is accepting both roles gracefully.
Do you have any stories of people playing dirty?
