For those who've heard, there was a brawl during an Agape Cup match last Sunday at the Hiding Place after a bad challenge. It's not important who the teams were, but that the substitutes ran onto the field to join the players in an all-out melee, causing hurt to one another. This resulted in 4 red cards, and later these 4 players being banned from the tournament. Even in the single match that both the Pandas and Panthers have played, I've heard comments about some reckless challenges, play-acting and even arrogant taunting after scoring goals. Any of these could warrant a retaliation in the 'heat of the moment'. I'm thankful that none of us have lost our cool and pray that we don't during the course of the tournament. This paragraph from Tomkins' article sums up why we shouldn't:
"Players may get sent off (although rarely under Rafa), but 99.9% of the time they keep their heads; we see personal responsibility mixed with a team ethic. It's no coincidence, no accident... It doesn't mean that they are all therefore inhuman or robotic, or that they won't err in some way, but there is a basic honesty to their football, for each other, and on behalf of the fans."
The key traits that could benefit us are clear -
- Personal responsibility
- Team ethic
- Honesty to our football
- For each other
- On behalf our fans (or in our case, on behalf of our church, PMC)
"The right attitude is at the heart of it all. We all have choices relating to how to view a challenge or a setback. We all decide how to face up to bad luck, or an unfortunate situation. We can bemoan our luck, but self-pity is no help; we have to move past that, and be constructive."
Enough said. Let's be constructive, help one another along and be a team that builds up and not pulls down one another. With reference to Adrian's comment from Pandas' match report against COA, let's "correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction." 2 Timothy 4:2.
To read Paul Tomkins' full article, please click on the graphic below. Comments welcomed as always.
3 comments:
Given that we all 'lose it' (meaning our temper) at times- i think the current AGAPE cup gives us even more opportunities to display and be trained on being a GOOD witness for God.
Doesnt mean we play whoosie football, but we play to win, and play hard at the same time. Lose or win, the same attitude must be mantained. That of encouraging one another, playing for each other, and playing 100% till the end.
At least when other teams walk off, they remember us for having been Christlike. If we stoop to the level of some of the other teams and their behaviour, then it makes no difference who we are...
Given this mornings UCL Semi Clash between Barca and Chelsea, what best do you remember it for?
For Chelsea losing? For Barca fighting on despite being 1 man down? Or for the scant dis-respect shown by Chelsea players in M Ballack and D Drogba in Extra time and at the end of the game respectively?
What kind of legacy do we want to leave behind as we play? To be the Champions regardless? Or to lose and carry oneselve with Grace and Dignity always? Or be a whining sore loser when things dont go our way?
Thats legacy, and thats for us to choose.
No 3.
Excellent points raised. As with sports, not everyone who takes part will end up as champions, even if we train hard wanting to be champions. But when it comes to good character (not necessarily just be winning the fair play award), everyone can be a champion, even the last-placed team in the league.
Yes, we will continue to work hard, try our best to win the matches, but at the end of the day, that is not the 'be all and end all'. Our goal is to build community and character in all that we do.
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