The majority of moral challenges we face on a daily basis, both in football and in life, lie in complex shades of grey, colored oftentimes by our position, our life experiences, and the circumstances of the situation. Black and white decisions are rarely relevant in daily moral life because when they do crop up, it is not difficult to discern right from wrong. The stark nature of their moral value clearly indicates which path we ought to take.
It is the grey areas in which our moral fiber is truly tested, and in which we spend most of our lives.
What was Suarez thinking when he bit Chiellini in the Uruguay vs. Italy World Cup match? None of us can say, but I do think that most of us can agree that this is a pretty clear black and white situation. My honest assessment of the situation is that there is something mental that happens with players like him and Pepe in their moments of insanity that for some reason paints that decision grey instead of black. We also saw it with the Alex Song punch in the back. The rush and intensity of competition can be like a narcotic; it can overpower and let loose the deepest corners of our personality. It is for this reason that sport can be such a powerful crucible for personal change; because the normal inhibitions and rational processes that usually dictate our behavior can be overridden by the powerful waves of passion and desire for expression, for victory.
Both deep beauty and deep ugliness can come out in sports, as Suarez showed in his three biting incidents, and as these softball players did when their opponent injured herself in the waning moments of the game.
The relevant takeaway for the Catholic athlete is that we can make a conscious decision to look at our sports as more than just a game. By realizing the deep moral context of our sporting actions, we can turn the game we love into something even more than it already is - we can turn it into a powerful mirror for reflecting our character. If we begin to look at the beautiful game (and ourselves) this way, then we can take that information and use it to cut away at our weaknesses and replace them with strengths. Instead of just a hobby that we happen to be passionate about, football can also become a crucible for purging us of our weaknesses and forging in us ever stronger virtues.
We’ll later begin a series of examinations on practical and functional ways to improve specific character traits through the practice of soccer. Some early topics will include:
Mental fortitude - the ability to react positively to adversity and still summon your best.
Temperance - the ability to feel your passions deeply and tap into their power, but also to understand them, control them, and rule over them.
Confidence - freedom from fear and doubt. The ability to think fast, unencumbered by these burdens, and take risks. Confidence also leads to mental fortitude, as it allows you to brush off failures and defeats without letting them affect your psyche.
What has your experience with soccer taught you about yourself? How would you like it to help shape you into a better and stronger person?
