During this turbulent time in the world, we have seen the world of North American sports become dominated by social issues in a way and at a level never been seen before.
My intention in this column is not to delve into the specific issues that are being presented but to look in general at whether athletes should be making political statements and what Catholic athletes including ourselves could be saying.
When I refer to athletes, it isn’t necessarily just world-class athletes I am speaking about. Among those who may read this column will be many local high-performance athletes and coaches.
Today Catholics are often told to keep our beliefs within the walls of our church or our home but not to dare bring them to the workplace. Of course, if our faith truly means anything to us, we would find this idea not only ridiculous but discriminatory. Who we are is greatly shaped by our Catholic identity and values, and this should impact how we go about our day and the decisions we make.
So are the protests south of the border in line with this thinking? It is absolutely fine for athletes express their opinions on social issues or any topic affecting society. In fact, it’s commendable.
It is different, though, when the entire sport becomes one big political statement. If athletes want to lend their voice to a cause and make a difference, they should do that. But I have trouble with a league forcing the issue on every fan at every moment of the game. Many spectators look at sporting events to get away from politics. By actually immersing them in it, the leagues take the risk of pushing them away and losing them out of resentment.
I have always admired athletes who have the courage to discuss their Catholic or Christian beliefs (Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro) in an era when Western society is very hostile toward Christianity. I feel real joy and encouragement when I see an athlete being pro-life, protesting abortion and euthanasia (Tim Tebow, Philip Rivers, Ben Watson, Matt Birk, Mike Sweeney).
Certainly, having an athlete speak against racism is wonderful. Having a prominent sports figure speak against human rights abuses in other countries is encouraging. All of us should be aware of the suffering of our brothers and sisters around the world, and many athletes work to alleviate poverty in their communities, which is admirable.
However, as much as I strongly agree with these views, I don’t believe they should become front and centre on every broadcast. As a Catholic, I want to be allowed to let my faith guide my actions and decisions, but I wouldn’t force my faith on everyone in the workplace. Instead, God wants us to practise an apostolate of friendship.
For ourselves as coaches and young athletes, we should be willing to talk to our teammates, who are our friends, about the faith that inspires our being. If we spend any amount of time together, there will be plenty of opportunity to also get into the important topics of the day. This always involves a heavy dose of listening to find out where our friends are coming from on the issue. Find a way to be gentle and compassionate, knowing that you and your friend may agree to disagree at least for the time being.
Remember, however, that when the game is on, we compete in a way that God will approve of and that allows us to pursue victory. This is different from what we currently are experiencing in professional sports, where we are being force-fed a narrative at all times, even when the action is taking place.