{"id":32884,"date":"2022-09-10T16:26:56","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:26:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/march-mildness-americans-say-sports-isnt-all-about-winning\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:26:56","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:26:56","slug":"march-mildness-americans-say-sports-isnt-all-about-winning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/march-mildness-americans-say-sports-isnt-all-about-winning\/","title":{"rendered":"March Mildness? Americans Say Sports Isn\u2019t All About Winning"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/div>\n

By Aaron Earls<\/em><\/p>\n

Thanks to wild buzzer beaters and unbelievable upsets, the NCAA men\u2019s basketball tournament has become known as March Madness. For most Americans, however, their attitude toward sports is more mild than mad.<\/p>\n

A new study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research found 52 percent of Americans describe their philosophy of sports by saying, \u201cIt\u2019s not whether you win or lose\u2014it\u2019s how you play the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMost Americans want players to play the game \u2018the right way\u2019 and not potentially endanger others simply for the sake of winning,\u201d said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. \u201cFor example, with growing worries about concussions in football, safety concerns have caused many to reconsider their attitude toward sports.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another 40 percent of Americans go beyond sportsmanship within the game to place sports in a broader perspective. They say, \u201cIt\u2019s only a game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor more than 9 in 10 Americans, winning takes a back seat,\u201d said McConnell. \u201cThey believe there\u2019s more to sports and more to life than achieving victory on the field or court.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The Lifeway Research survey asked 1,000 Americans to choose which statement best describes their philosophy of sports:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Winning isn\u2019t everything\u2014it\u2019s the only thing.<\/li>\n
  • If you ain\u2019t cheatin\u2019, you ain\u2019t trying.<\/li>\n
  • It\u2019s not whether you win or lose\u2014it\u2019s how you play the game.<\/li>\n
  • It\u2019s only a game.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Relatively few Americans say their sports philosophy is focused on winning. Only 7 percent follow the sentiments popularized by legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, \u201cWinning isn\u2019t everything\u2014it\u2019s the only thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Fewer than 1 percent say when it comes to sports, \u201cif you ain\u2019t cheatin\u2019, you ain\u2019t trying.\u201d<\/p>\n

    McConnell said the win-at-all-costs attitude doesn\u2019t resonate with most. \u201cAmericans see sports as a way to develop character,\u201d he said. \u201cThey want children and young players to gain something from athletics beyond merely a drive to win.\u201d<\/p>\n

    While most seem to want good sportsmanship between competitors, half of the country doesn\u2019t see it take place.<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

    According to another part of the Lifeway Research study, the nation is evenly split on whether good sportsmanship is rarely exhibited in American sports today: 50 percent agree and 50 percent disagree.<\/p>\n

    \u201cOur culture sends a mixed message with sports. We say we want good sportsmanship, but our attitudes and actions don\u2019t always reflect that,\u201d said McConnell. \u201cWe may recognize the player who was a great teammate and good sport, but we revere the player who wins.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Young adults don\u2019t want participation trophies <\/strong><\/p>\n

    While millennials are often noted for growing up in a time when everyone is recognized for effort and not for achievement, young adults are most likely to reject that mindset. Among adults 18-34, 15 percent say, \u201cWinning isn\u2019t everything\u2014it\u2019s the only thing.\u201d That\u2019s more than three times as many as adults 35 and older (4 percent). \u201cEveryone has probably heard that phrase,\u201d said McConnell, \u201cbut millennials are most likely to believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n

    He also noted adults in that age range are more likely to still be actively participating in sports, which may influence their drive to win. \u201cWhile only 7 percent of the country believes winning is the most important thing, that number would probably be higher if you asked those in the heat of the competition,\u201d said McConnell.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    \n
    See also  U.S. Pastors Identify Their Greatest Needs<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    Younger millennials are also least likely to say good sportsmanship is rare today. Only 37 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds believe sportsmanship is missing compared to 51 percent of all other Americans.<\/p>\n

    Region and religion are also factors<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The South is one of the most competitive regions in the country. While 58 percent of those in the West say, \u201cIt\u2019s not whether you win or lose\u2014it\u2019s how you play the game,\u201d 50 percent of Southerners agree.<\/p>\n

    Those in the South (11 percent) are also more likely to say, \u201cWinning isn\u2019t everything\u2014it\u2019s the only thing,\u201d than those in the Midwest (5 percent) and West (5 percent).<\/p>\n

    \u201cWith the prominence of sports in general, it\u2019s not surprising to see some say winning is the only thing that matters,\u201d said McConnell. \u201cWhen your personal identity is wrapped up in your team, you may want to win at all costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Religious identification, beliefs and practice also provide different viewpoints on athletics. The nonreligious (46 percent) are more likely than Christians (37 percent) to say, \u201cIt\u2019s only a game.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Those with evangelical beliefs, as defined by the Lifeway Research and National Association of Evangelicals\u2019 four-part definition, are less likely to believe \u201cit\u2019s only a game\u201d (32 percent) than those without evangelical beliefs (42 percent).<\/p>\n

    Those who attend religious services once a month or more (59 percent) are more likely to say how the game is played is more important than those who attend less than once a month (49 percent).<\/p>\n

    Frequent church attenders (33 percent) are also less likely to think sports are \u201conly a game,\u201d compared to those who attend less frequently (44 percent).<\/p>\n

    \u201cThose who push back against the culturally accepted idea of religious identification and church attendance also have a tendency to push back against the American obsession with sports,\u201d said McConnell.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    \n

    Aaron Earls<\/h2>\n

    @WardrobeDoor<\/p>\n

    \n

    Aaron is a writer for LifewayResearch.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n