Triathlon Parenting » winning http://www.triathlonparenting.com Equipping and Encouraging Parents, One Step at at Time by Davi Nabors, M.Ed., LMHC, NCC Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:05:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 The Winning Team (written Fall ’09) http://www.triathlonparenting.com/the-winning-team-written-fall-09 http://www.triathlonparenting.com/the-winning-team-written-fall-09#comments Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:07:26 +0000 Davi Nabors http://www.triathlonparenting.com/?p=41
“GO TEAM!” I was born to be a cheerleader. Once I find a team or a cause to support, blood explodes through my veins, launching me into A-C-T-I-O-N! Next thing you know, the infectious enthusiasm touches fans around me. Smiles pop up on their faces and supportive cheers escape from their mouths. The fever spreads like electricity, and can energize all in its path. But what happens if the fever becomes destructive? What are the consequences of supporting “your” team by putting the other team down? I’m ashamed to admit it, but I can remember joining in to shoot insults at an opponent. Sometimes, the attacks seemed outright funny. But in hindsight, I knew they were mean. Which also made them wrong. In light of the presidential election, I discussed this difference with my sons. I asked them to imagine being on “The Purple Team” and hearing fans yell, “GO Purple!” Then I asked them to imagine the crowd chanting, ‘The Yellow Team stinks like rotten bananas!’ (Predictably, the boys began to chant too, triggering laughter among us). But when the chuckling subsided, I soberly asked, “How do you think the Yellow Team feels now?” OUCH! “And how do you think God feels about this?” Then, I reminded the boys that we are all on God’s Team. Through His Word, He coaches us to be kind and fair to each other. And no matter who wins the contest, Jesus will love every single one of us. The boys quickly got the point.
As football, soccer and election coverage fills the Fall air, emotionally charged opinions are heard on the fields, in homes, and on TV. Now is Prime Time to strike up a rich conversation with your kids. Help them identify examples of positive sportsmanship versus mean-spirited attacks. Teach them to empathize with both sides of the field. And ask them how they can be a Christ-like example to those around them while enthusiastically supporting their favorite team.
]]> http://www.triathlonparenting.com/the-winning-team-written-fall-09/feed 0