“WHY is the other team so aggressive? THIS IS A CHRISTIAN LEAGUE.”
“I CAN’T DO THIS. I MAKE CRAFTS AND PLAY MUSIC.”
“SORRY I LOST THE BALL! AGAIN. I’m sorry. Sorry!”
These are some classic lines you would’ve heard me mutter (or wail, really) if you had ever been near me on the court during a game at Pentasport. From trembling and nausea caused by sports anxiety (see Tiff’s too true blog post from Oct 14), to actually secretly loving it when my team passes me the ball after I fearfully tell them not to, to frustration with sportsmanship issues of those around me, to being in the midst of corporate prayer, fruitful fellowship, and a beautiful tapestry of worship with the same strangers turned friends, and to now having the gift to serve on the committee of this blessed ministry in which I was once nervous and unfamiliar, my journey with Pentasport has been one full of humble lessons, beginnings, and opportunities. Here are three things Pentasport has been and continues to be for me:
1. Space to practice GRACE.
I don’t exactly remember what my expectations were for this “Christian church league” when I first joined in season 1, but I definitely was not expecting the level of competition that came about over the seasons – both from the other teams as well as my own! I found myself getting frustrated quickly from both internal and external reasons (as in, “Man, I messed up again!” as well as “They’re playing so hard, they need to let up… We need to win!” kind of thoughts), and I suppose it’s really true when they say that sports sometimes don’t bring out the best in people. But what does this mean in the context of showing Christ-like love to one another, so that sports can be redeemed to be a place where the best are encouraged out of people? I am challenged and reminded to show grace to my opponents when they seem to be playing overly aggressive (because sports in many ways can be an unfiltered expression of how one could simply be feeling that day), grace for my team when we at times had put too much emphasis on winning, and grace for myself when I fear of letting my team down. It’s not an easy thing when our surroundings get us overly competitive, or when the other team seems to be unreasonable and harsh, or when we feel the pressure from our own team and ourselves to succeed, but grace does its job when we are able to say in the end, “Win or lose, it’s going to be alright – showing sacrificial love supersedes how my competitiveness will make me feel in the next 25 minutes on the court.”
2. Space to gain SELF-CONFIDENCE.
Before Pentasport, I had never been involved in an organized athletic team of any kind outside of mandatory P.E. in school. So much so that I found it so cute (and super exciting) whenever we huddled, or shared high-fives as a team, or hip-hip-hooray’d the other team corporately. Oh, and also the two teams’ lines of Good Game handshakes at the end of a game. Best part. Super cute. See, for someone who has only watched such team routines and practices from the bleachers all her life, I find it a blessing that I finally get to participate in them. Through Pentasport, I was able to come as I am, play as I am able with my inexperience and limited athletic skills, and be part of a team in an environment where there is grace and encouragement for those who may be more like stationary artists and musicians, and less like agile athletes. Pentasport gave me a means to try new things, meet and be in fellowship with new people, and ultimately explore different ways where I could gain confidence in areas I feared I would fail.
3. Space to participate in COMMUNITY.
Just as it is a space to show love to others and to oneself in a fun and active environment, Pentasport personally serves as a platform on which I am able to partake in a community beyond the confines of my church walls. Through this ministry I have been able to meet, play with and against, and serve alongside new and old friends whom I value in my life today. It is our sincerest hope as the committee that when you think of Pentasport, you think of Community – the big C Church. That you’re able to see the coming together of who would’ve otherwise been strangers from this and that church (or even from the same church in some cases!), and in the end be able to see unity and fellowship through sport. We also hope that you, as a participant of Pentasport, are able to think of times when you have experienced this sense of community on and off the court. Pentasport is meant to point to something greater than itself. It is meant to encourage relationship-building and bonding over something and Someone bigger than sports.
So, thank you everyone for making what Pentasport is today. Thank you for your presence and enthusiasm, and for choosing to be active and social on a Tuesday night instead of staying home to binge watch Netflix with a bag of chips (there are, of course, 6 other nights for that). Even after all the groaning and the insecurities I’ve had to get over to actually participate in formal team sports, I value Pentasport as a God-given gift. I have been able to learn so much about myself and the new church communities I’ve had the privilege to meet, and I genuinely hope you are able to say the same.
Let this be your invitation to come to our year-end social to celebrate the Pentasport season and to honour one another! Come out to Lords Love Church on Tuesday December 13th! There will be food, photobooth, worship, and prizes – tickets are $10 from any league rep.
Play Hard. Laugh Harder. Shine Brighter.
About the Author
Jasiel, whose name rhymes with facial, spatial, racial, and glacial, serves as a league rep and committee member. She enjoys dumplings, trees, and doodling, and suffers from a crippling fear of sharks. She is humbled to be a part of this ministry and looks forward to when the Bingo Bongos can make a return for the trophy.