There are two things that can make my sports viewing experience turn negative in a heartbeat. The first is wokeness (more on that in a future column), and the second is extreme vanity being displayed by an athlete, which sadly is very common.
My favourite virtue to witness in sports is humility, which is not always easy to find. You are far more likely to see a National Football League player doing an embarrassing dance after scoring a touchdown or a National Basketball Association player standing over an opponent flexing his muscles after completing a slam dunk. How about a Major League Baseball player doing a bat flip after hitting a home run or a soccer player ripping his shirt off after scoring.
The definition of humility is “being aware that God is the author of all good … and we are not God.” We have just come through the beauty of the Christmas story where our Lord Jesus, Son of God, was born in the humblest of conditions. During his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem before his Passion, he rode in on a donkey. On the cross he was stripped of the last possession he had, his cloak. If ever there was a human who could brag, it would be Jesus, but he came to serve and not to be served. Jesus showed us the way to live in humility.
Why are many (not all) athletes increasingly congratulating themselves? One factor may be the enormous amounts of money they make, often at a very young age. If they are not surrounded by good people who help give them perspective in their lives, then it is easy to see an athlete eventually believing that they are better than other people. Another reason could be that leagues and associations are pushing the self-hype that we so often see for marketing reasons. They believe it sells.
Take, for example, Mike Trout, who a couple of years ago was considered the best player in baseball. He was also a very humble, quiet individual, and this apparently did not sit well with the MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, who stated, “Mike Trout is a great player and a very nice person, but we could help make his brand really big. But he has to make a decision that he is prepared to engage in that area.”
Being the best and nice doesn’t appear to cut it anymore. “This is a world where remarkable but quiet people are being questioned or diminished for being true to their reserved nature,” the author Tom Yorton explained on LinkedIn.
When speaking about humility, St. Josemaria Escriva listed 17 points that would indicate a lack of humility in an individual and how that person could improve. Here are a few of his points that relate to sports.
* Being ashamed of not having certain possessions (athletes often want bigger contracts than other players, even though they are already making lots of money).
* Refusing to carry out menial tasks (some players cannot accept backup roles).
* Making excuses (the athlete cannot accept that they were not good enough: there has to be another reason for losing).
* Not being willing to acknowledge that one is unworthy (the athlete doesn’t give credit for their successes to coaches or teammates).
* Being upset that others are more esteemed than oneself (an athlete who believes he should have won the award rather than another player).
There are three Catholic athletes that come to mind as being great examples of humility, considering the success they have achieved, these being Roger Federer, Trevor Linden, and Jordan Speith.
Federer is arguably the best tennis player in history, yet he is usually very reserved in his victories, and he is known for being complimentary of opponents. In recent years some of his many records have been broken, but he gives credit to those passing him. He makes time for lower-level players and does projects for those in need.
In Vancouver, sports fans are aware of the deep contributions that Trevor Linden has made not only to the Vancouver Canuck franchise but also to the community at large. As a 19-year-old captain, as a National Hockey League all-star, and even right through to his days as president of the Canucks, Linden has always been a quiet-spoken leader who cares about others and has played a big role in the growth of Canuck Place for sick children. He has never seen himself as above others.
Three-time Professional Golf Association major winner Jordan Spieth has always kept his success in perspective despite being the number one player in the world for a period of time. He has often mentioned that his inspiration comes from his disabled younger sister Ellie. He has created The Spieth Family Foundation, which assists special needs children, military families, junior golf, and pediatric cancer patients.
There are practical benefits to humility as well. The moment an athlete believes they are far superior to others there is a risk that he or she will stop paying attention to the details or working hard. Often this results in taking opponents lightly, resulting in a loss. “Humility is the recognition of your limitations, and it is from this understanding that the drive comes to work hard in overcoming them,” say Rafael Nadal and John Carlin.
Also, St. Josemaria Escriva writes, “Humility helps you find inner peace. Where there is humility there is wisdom.”
I turn to another great saint, Pope John Paul II: “Humility is the proper attitude towards all true greatness, including one’s own, especially the greatness that is beyond oneself.”
Former MLB catcher and current coach Rich Donnelly once said after suffering through personal tragedy, “In sports and in life you are either humble or you will be humbled.”
As the saying goes in relation to humility, take joy in being like the stone block in the foundation of the house that nobody sees but because of which the house will not fall. Pray the litany of humility regularly. Parents, emphasize the wonderful virtue of humility in the raising of your children in their sports and in all other aspects of their life.