Fun and games

Canadians have sports on the brain. There’s a good reason for it, with Vancouver hosting the Winter Olympics.

The obsession with games and races on ice and snow extends to Mennonite magazines. Canadian Mennonite’s Jan. 25 cover features Michael Lee-Poy, a member of Erb Street Mennonite Church in Waterloo, Ont., carrying the Olympic torch.

The Mennonite Brethren Herald February issue's main image is two hockey players facing off. Among other articles on sports, Jack Reimer analyzes the pros and cons of competition. Discipline, self-sacrifice and concentrated effort are on the positive side.

The point I found most interesting was a negative one. Researchers, Reimer says, “have clearly demonstrated that involvement in sports lowers one’s moral reasoning.”

We engage in high-level moral reasoning, he explains, when we include others in our considerations. But when low-order reasoning takes over, we primarily focus on our own interests.

I suppose there’s a lot of evidence for this. Athletes and spectators too often embarrass themselves with boorish behavior. I always feel sorry for coaches who look like all the fun has been sucked out of their job. Competition does sometimes bring out the worst.

But, for every out-of-control outburst in the heat of athletic battle, I’ll bet you can find dozens of acts of respect — and countless moments that add joy to life in the games so many of us can’t imagine living without.

Now, I wonder if Cindy Klassen can win another speedskating medal this year. — Paul Schrag