What the Spurs Have Taught Me About Catholicism

I absolutely love the San Antonio Spurs. I have been following them since their NBA championship in 2005, and it is absolutely amazing to see what a good team they are.

No, I am not just saying that as a biased fan.

Although I probably am….

But if you follow the world of sports, you hear nothing but compliments about this team. The way they work together is incredible. You watch them and know it is a team effort. Most teams will have their star players, which the Spurs certainly do, but they still share the glory. I have very rarely ever seen a team with such an even point distribution. I even remember watching one game where they scored over 100 as a team, but the lead scorer had less than 25 points.

Now based on their game play, I can be certain about a few things. While I do not have a behind the scenes perspective of Spurs basketball (anybody want to change that please?), I can be certain that their Coach does not tell them just to go practice whenever they feel like it. There is no way he gives them a book of plays and drills and has them do it on their own time. If that were the case, this fluid ball play would NEVER be possible. No. He tells them to be at the gym at a specific time, and then they go through drills together. He gives them high points, low points, and makes each and every player better.

That is the same thing God, and by extension the Church, does for us as Catholics. There are many things we can learn from sports, but this specific example shows us three things: humility, time management, and community.

Humility: the same way the Spurs players would NEVER have scored that basket if they had kept the ball for themselves, we will never be able to live out God’s plan if we are proud. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, and many scholars say it was the first sin committed by humanity. It implies that we know better than God, the Church, and maybe even others. There is certainly an attention seeking aspect to pride, but maybe at times you are supposed to be in the spotlight. Maybe you are called to be like Saint Pope John Paul II, who was very much in the public light. However we may be called to be a St. Therese of Lisieux, who was tucked away yet still managed to change the world and become one of the more well-known Saints.

Time Management: I’m thinking specifically with prayer here. I already wrote an article “Having an Agenda”, but I want to emphasize this concept again: athletes put aside time to practice. We’re called to do the same to strengthen our ties with God.

Community: We cannot do this alone, which is why we were given a Church. The best example I have to give is the Holy Mass. The same way the coach calls his team together for practice, we are called to our churches to celebrate together. There we are nourished with the very Body of Christ. We hear the scriptures, and the priest goes in depth during his homily. Sometimes we may not like what he has to tell us, but you do not become a championship team by ignoring your coach (see humility again). Plus, Mass helps give us a sense of community. We are all present together, saying the same prayers together. We are gathering together, growing together, and having coffee and donuts together. Hopefully because of this we’re there for our brothers and sisters with an assist when they need it.