I simply love sport. As an avid fan who has participated, coached, and observed numerous athletic events, I can safely say that nothing creates a stir within a school community or a family quicker than athletics. I can also say that nothing hijacks a Christian schools’ and families' testimony quicker than athletics as well. The “dog eat dog” mentality that so often encompasses the sporting world certainly touches down in Christian homes as well. Emotions get the best of people, perspectives are not Christ-driven, and competition is deemed as a vehicle to vaunt self. I would love to share that my Christian testimony has never been compromised due to becoming overly competitive - However, I simply would not be telling the truth. How then should Christian families (and schools) examine our approach to athletics to ensure that we are truly striving to use athletics as a venue to teach Christlikeness rather than work against it? Here are five “traffic lights” to ensure that we are leading our sons/daughters to a healthy view of athletics and ultimately one that can be used by the Lord to grow us to be like Him.

1. If sport increases your lack of concern for the well-being of others - STOP. We do not take a vacation from the Lord’s command to love Him with everything we are and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39.) The moment we view our opponents as ones who are meaningless or minimize their value because of their ability, we are allowing the world to shape our definition of competition. A competitive arena should not minimize our concern for those we compete against. Rather, we use the arena to grow ourselves and to grow those against whom we compete. 
2. If sport stretches you to be more than what you were before you began - GO. The Christian life in all facets is meant to be about growth. Participation in a sport should grow you as a person as it is a controlled adversarial environment. We can learn much of ourselves when things are not going according to plan or when we come against obstacles that are greater than our initial abilities. Striving for excellence and learning how to exhibit the beatitudes when things are hard is a life-long skill - not just intended for the competition floor.
3. If sport becomes your God - STOP. Not much else is needed to be shared here. We all have encountered families who turn sport into an idol. We worship what we serve with our time, talent, and treasure, and when sport has become our family’s priority above seeking to honor Christ - we have gone too far. Attributes learned on the playing field and all that surrounds it are great tools to grow your family closer to Jesus, not further from. If that is not the case - hard stop immediately.
4. If sport teaches you humility - GO. Athletics too often are incubators of arrogance. Compete fiercely, but do so humbly. Exuberant celebration is fun - taunting is not. Elevation of self above team simply has no place in Christian athletics. Christ was King of Kings and Lord of Lords yet you do not see Him vaunting Himself up at the expense of others. I have a hard time imagining Christ staring down an opponent after a windmill dunk. A humble athlete can take pride in performance and enjoy the moment without self-promotion. 
5. If you can’t keep yourself together when your child is competing - STOP. There will never be a greater example to your son/daughter than the one who raises them. Your son/daughter will most definitely learn to emulate your behavior towards officials, opponents, and teammates. Strive to show temperance. Strive to cheer positively. Strive to focus on that which is within your control. In so doing, you are setting a Christ-honoring example for which your son/daughter can follow.

Athletics can and should be used to teach our children how to glorify God in everything. Nothing brings out an emotional response quicker than an athletic contest. Candidly, I have learned more through the crucible of sport than perhaps any other venue. The Lord has used the lessons learned through competition numerous times in my walk with Him. The key is that we demonstrate how a new creation in Christ Jesus walks through the competitive arena rather than returning to the operating system of our flesh from which we have been redeemed.