Those few magical moments
By Erin Hussey
On the first day in my theology of marriage class, we began discussing the what we thought the definition of "marriage" was. Ideas such as "a promise," "a legal union," and "a sacrament" were offered, but the one that I underlined in my notes was "an unconditional, life-long commitment." The phrase sparked my interest not only because I agree with it, but because it also made me think of sports.
As my professor explained, "marriage is the joining of complementaries in a perfect union." We look for someone who cannot only help fill the holes we have in our hearts and lives but also someone who can push us to places where wouldn't necessarily want to go. The same is true for athletics.
Whether you are the top runner or the closing pitcher or the second-string goalie, sports have a unique way of fulfilling hallows in people's lives as well as challenging them harder than they thought they could handle.
Like human relationships, the relationship between athlete and sport is give and take, bitter and sweet. As the saying goes, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. But like love, it takes practice, patience and endurance. It's not easy and you have to work at it. But what happens when you hit a lull or simply fall out of love?
I'm sure everyone has experienced that plateau feeling whether it be in a relationship or in sports. Without really knowing how it really happens, you start going through the motions. You show up to practice in a weird sort of haze. No matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to shed that extra second, hit the home run, or learn the play correctly.
But, because of your commitment, you don't. And then one day, out of the blue, you experience the magic again. The almost transcendent feeling that made you fall in love in the first place.
You hit the sweet spot, you find that groove or you make a new personal record. Suddenly, you're back. You want to go to practice. You want to be pushed further. And you want to give as much as receive in the relationship.
Truly loving a sport is not easy. Giving 99 percent will work, but that's just not good enough. You have to give more. You have to commit yourself unconditionally. It's painful giving 110 percent and you probably won't like it. But, just like the perfect Hollywood kiss, the rare, magical moments in athletics transform sports from a mere game into love.
* Contact Erin Hussey at (408) 551-1918 or ehussey@scu.edu