It's almost too much to absorb:  Super Bowl Sunday and opening ceremonies for the Olympic Winter Games, all squished into one week.  I love to watch skilful athletes aiming for their best effort, so I will have spent the better part of three weeks glued to a TV when February ends this year.  In addition to entertainment, I find that sport offers substantial grist for reflection.  I am intrigued in particular by the unique blend of competitive opposition, team spirit, and good sportsmanship that arises when athletes align most truly with the traditions they represent.

Individual competition is always a factor when the best-of-the-best vie for world championship titles.  Even team sports note record-setting individual performance and name Most Valuable Players. The spirit of competition expands to include communities of support that form around athletic success.  We dress up in the colors of our favorite teams and make bets with supporters of the other side.  Governors square off, heads of state attend Opening Ceremonies, and medal counts lead off many an evening newscast.  As humans, our brains are wired to identify "us" vs "them" and to push one another out of the way in pursuit of conflicting interests.

Team spirit, while building on the opposition of my team vs yours, comes with the additional chemistry of cooperative effort.  Athletic teams demonstrate that success entails a large dose of interdependence.  While quarterbacks and captains draw individual acclaim for their leadership roles, they are quick to praise the efforts of others and to celebrate the accomplishments of the whole.  As humans, we are not only designed to compete but also to work together for common goals.

Finally, good sportsmanship--the depth of character that can lose with grace and respect--offers yet another view of the human spirit. Most competitors shake hands with opponents and sometimes they mumble, "good job."  Many athletes add a sincere embrace and an honest smile of respect for the one who outperformed them that day.  Last week we witnessed an even more moving example of grace in defeat, when winning cornerback Richard Sherman told his Superbowl story.  As he hobbled with a sprained ankle toward the post-game interview, he saw a hand reaching out toward his and heard losing quarterback Peyton Manning ask how he was doing, how he felt.  Sherman called that "one of the most incredible moments of my life."  Another deeply human trait is altruism, the ability to care for someone else even when we ourselves are hurting.

I enjoy athletics on all three levels:  I delight in the energy of competitive excellence tested on the field of play; I admire the power of teamwork when diverse talents contribute to a shared goal;  and I am inspired by the altruism of good sportsmanship, moved to tears when an athlete who loses the match can reach out with genuine concern for another who won.