I was listening to a youth ministry podcast that was supposed to talk about the clash between youth groups and youth sports. The two typically compete for students’ time and youth groups usually lose. I was hoping for some insight, to hear something I hadn’t thought of that would help me navigate a very real problem in youth ministry. It was the most disappointing podcast I’ve ever heard. The podcasters told me to remember the pressure coaches are under and to be more sympathetic to their situation and needs. I learned that one of the podcasters played elite soccer when she was in high school and rarely went to church. My takeaway? I was supposed to support the coaches and hope that I could catch some of these kids after graduation. It’s something you can get around to “later.”
Simone Biles showed us what “later” looks like. At a time and place she didn’t choose, her mental and emotional health demanded she stop what she was doing and focus on it. What drove her to it was the effect her interior life had on her athletic performance. Most of my social media world supports Simone’s decision – and I do, too. I think there are a lot of people out there who know exactly what Simone is going through, because they’ve been there. We’re giving another look to Kerri Strug’s famous vault on an injured ankle. It doesn’t seem as heroic as it used to. Now it seems like it was motivated by a desire to win at all costs, with little thought given to the athlete.
The NPR headline read, “Simone Biles Now Realizes She’s More Than Her Gymnastics Accomplishments.” Four weeks earlier, I preached that exact message to a group of 9-12th graders at a church summer camp. I told them God loves you regardless of how well you do in a sport or a performance. Any competent youth leader could have – and would have – told Simone Biles that years ago, if her training schedule allowed some church time. I spend a lot of time telling teenagers there are more important things than money, fame, and power, especially if those things cost you a piece of your soul. Maybe that soul work in youth ministry matters after all.
I knew a young lady who was a very talented track and field athlete. I never saw her compete, but I heard from other sources she was Olympics material. Then one day she injured herself during a meet. Badly. “You may never compete again” badly. As you can imagine, this was devastating news. She was angry at the world and began to put up barriers between herself and others. She had been an athlete for so long. Who was she now? She was fortunate. She got some great medical care and the doctors were able to restore her to the point she could compete again. I don’t know if she got back to that same competitive level or not. But she and her family were grateful she was able to compete again.
I am grateful there are doctors who can restore broken bodies. I am grateful this young lady had the determination and the discipline to come back from a severe injury. Recovery is hard, painful work and I am proud of her for what she accomplished. But I wasn’t sure she ever dealt with the question, “Who am I without sports?” The purpose of her recovery may have been only to take her back to the way things were before. I know you’re supposed to get back on the horse after it throws you, but before getting back on, it would be good to ask yourself why you’re on the horse.
“If you do not make time for your wellness, you will be forced to take time for your illness.” I don’t know who said it, but it’s been proven again. I am grateful that Simone Biles put soul care ahead of athletic performance, even if failures in her athletic performance drove her to it. I hope she looks upon soul care as more than a way of restoring her gymnastic skills. I hope she gets in touch with The One who has always loved her, who sees her as a precious gift, and doesn’t measure her worth in Olympic medals.
Maybe Simone Biles can make a podcast that will tell coaches to support youth ministry and that important work goes on there, so that together we can raise up complete human beings, body and soul together.
The Feral Deacon 