Sports On Sunday
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Family on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 7:00 AM
Remember the story of Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner of Chariots of Fire fame? He once refused to run an Olympic race he was favored to win because it was scheduled on a Sunday. The King of England begged him to run, yet he refused to violate the Sabbath.
Our family’s been spared any Sunday sports obligations so far, but as our kids grow, the prospect of Sunday games looms in both CYO and community leagues. So I wanted to pursue a comment left in Lisa’s post about keeping Sunday special. Tracy writes:
One thing I have to say that really, really irritates me is ALL of these kids activities that happen on Sundays. It’s bad enough that secular leagues fall into this routine, but when things that are affiliated with the Catholic Church (Scouts or CYO for example) ONLY meet on Sundays, EVERY Sunday, that really frustrates me. It’s family time, and sometimes, even these affiliations don’t respect this.
First of all, is this tension true for you? Do your parish organizations routinely schedule events on Sunday?
If they do, what do you think about it? Is this cutting corners on keeping the Lord’s Day?
Years ago I helped the Nashville Dominicans shuttle the 6th grade class of their fledgling local school to a local amusement park. One of the sisters thanked me profusely for making the outing possible in words I’ve never forgotten. In her broad Tennessee drawl she said,
Oh, Rebecca, thank you! It is so important we show these kids they can have fun without sin!
Of course, this didn’t happen on a Sunday, but the principle stuck in my mind.
In my neck of the woods, parish life competes with a thousand other things, so Sunday meetings are seen as a way to maximize participation, and it must be said in their defense that CYO, Scouts and youth clubs contribute to family life overall (modeling virtues, building character in kids and providing opportunities for families to mingle in wholesome activities). For many sports-loving families, playing and cheering each other on in games is family time. For those who support their kids but aren’t that interested in sports, the experience is quite different.
What do you think—are Sunday activities a blessing or nuisance? And how are you handling them in your home?
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