Sport in the light of faith: influence in the field of education?

Abstract

Inspired by Pope Francis' view that sport is a metaphor for life,
the question arises: what are the relations between faith and sport?
Are there areas and limitations to this synergy? Sport can be crucial
to upbringing, because it enables the one who practices it, especially
to the young, but not only to the young, to open up to life, to
try to cross the limits, encountering the opponent at the same level,
giving more of himself, somehow opening up to transcendence. Sport
has the power to teach in positive values; it enriches life. Each of us
who play, teach, organize and support sport, can be transformed by
sport, and can transform others by sport. But, are there any conditions
to make it happen? Are the principles that we are inspired
by necessary? Can faith illuminate sport? What are the reflections
in the field of education? These issues can be discussed and witnessed
on numerous occasions: sport is ‘askesis’, ascetic experience,
i.e. the activity of body and spirit transformation; sport is ‘paideia’
or general education; sport is the way of education that is not based
on introduction, but on ex-ducere, extraction of what already exists
in a person; sport is a competition in which cum-patere means joint
search for a goal.