Written by: Jenny Young
Women's basketball is being changed, shaped and even transformed through the play of Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever) and other athletes. This past week I attended an Indiana Fever WNBA game. I was 15 rows from the top, surrounded by fans young and old, with a few empty seats in the 17,200 arena. It was truly a site to behold with the atmosphere being so electric! I have not been part of anything to that level of interest in women's sports in my life. I am grateful for how this is engaging others that may have not been involved with women’s basketball in recent years.
The Fever are fun to watch and yes, the logo 3's are real! Sitting beside me was a dad of two younger teens to my right, and a young gal, her boyfriend and family to my left. The young gal was really into the game, closed off to talking to her boyfriend and seemed stressed the entire game. You could feel the tension she felt watching! As I sat there, I wondered what she was thinking and/or feeling, though I didn't ask which would have been a good opportunity to engage in that way. It was like she was captivated by the game and everything else around her seemed not to matter.
The Fever lost the game that night. You would never know they lost from where I sat because fans stayed until the end. They were dedicated, entranced with the players and atmosphere. I was reminded of the effect sports have on us and yet, how the effect can be even life-transforming through the Gospel. God helps us to overcome the god of this world, of our idol of sports, by redeeming it to become a bridge to reach and redeem the people of this world. We know the Gospel changes us from the inside out. God transforms! We get to be partners with Him as co-laborers for the gospel as we engage relationally with people. We can help develop others into disciples from the deepest parts of their hearts and into every arena of life.
As you see the impact of sports in the life of people, consider: How are you using sports–whether by playing, coaching, leading, or watching–to help others be transformed by the Gospel?