Sports, physical games, physical challenge whatever you want to call them always have been and always will be an important and vital part of developing as a man. This isn’t to say if one hasn’t played sports they can’t be a man or anything like that. Simply that the development of one’s mind, body, and competitive spirit through physical games has always been an important part of male’s development in any healthy society.
Also by sport let me make it crystal clear that I do not mean sports fandom but the participation in the sport. I’m not talking about father’s taking their children to take other men compete in physical endeavors and I’m certainly not talking about males watching other males compete while wearing their names on their backs and drinking estrogenic drinks. I’m not talking about capitalist or even nationalist sports culture but rather the actual doing of the sport.
Whether it’s games of tag or hide and go seek when one is young in one form or even (though this is towards the lower end) games of T-ball or soccer when one is a kid to the training of the youths of the Agoge (obvious towards the highest end) physical training and competition is essential to the development of man. But with that being said not all physical training is created equal or produces the same fruit.
Any Sport Is Better Than None
But before we get into the importance of sports and their higher and lower “versions” let’s first talk about how any sport is better than none. Even a kid sitting on the bench in T-ball is going to be getting development of some kind. Even though he may not participate in the games he is still learning how to move one’s body through time and space (and yes this is obviously important) as well as how to work with others and one’s team.
How to find and fight for one’s place in a group and then how to work together with that group to accomplish larger goals. Obviously this isn’t something he will be conscious of at such a young age but it is skills that are being developed none-the-less. Now is this child going through the same level of development that say a high school wrestler competing at state is? Of course not but development is still there.
I know some parents force their kids to play certain sports. Fathers often the sport they played (or didn’t and have shame for) and mothers sports that shy away from violence (which is the highest version of sport and in many ways almost the entire point). But when all is said and done a kid (or adult) who has played any sport will be further developed then one who has not in certain key areas.
The Purpose Of Sport
So like I was saying there are many aspects of sport that fully develop males into men (and one can be a male at any age, and many go to their graves never developing into full men). At it’s truest and highest level sport is about developing survival and combat skills. It’s this play that translates to the real world and real combat. Whether of the physical or mental nature or more likely the combination of both.
Sports develops one’s physical movement yes, it produces strength, agility, and the like. But it is far more than just that. Team sports produce the ability to work with a group to accomplish a larger goal, to fight for one’s place in a group, to outwit and outfight another competitive group. Individual sports teach one self-confidence and reliance on oneself, personal development, and staying calm under pressure. Of course there are overlapping traits between the two.
Even in individual sports you still work with a team and develop those areas and in team sports you still learn to be cool under pressure and develop confidence in oneself as well as overcoming obstacles. Sports in their purest and highest form are training for life. They also have the added bonus of developing one’s body and in the higher sports one’s mind and competitive/survival instincts as well.
The Hierarchy Of Sports
With that being said not all sports are created equal. Now I’ll be the first to admit that I have person biases here and that I’m sure there will be plenty of disagreement with what I say. Though I have played most sports I have not delved into them all at the same depth and like I said any sport where you compete is going to be better than doing no sports at all. They all have at least something to offer.
I’ll start by saying that sports with violence are superior to those without violence. As far as development for males go, the Creator provided violence to tame that which is base within man. Though a basketball player or a weight lifter may go around having his ego stroked at every turn a boxer or even football player will have his ego and self tested more strongly. Violence is pure and violence provides instruction. Violence is superior to none.
To make things simply I’ll divide sports into three levels. We’ll call them bronze, silver, and gold because it fits. The bronze level sports are sports that offer physical development but not a great much else things like long distance running, weight lifting, and the like. Yes, there is obviously a mental component to all of these but it’s not the highest if we’re being honest.
Next at the silver level would be the team sports soccer, baseball, basketball, and the like. Team sports with aspects of violence like football and hockey could be in the gold level. Gold level sports (and I’m biased I’ll admit) are those that were often held in high esteem by the Greeks and ancient people like boxing, wrestling, and the violent team sports.
Obviously there are gaps here but that’s a broad overview.
Make Sport A Part Of Your Life
Running on the treadmill or pumping iron in an air conditioned gym will never offer you what participating on a team or pitting yourself in violent competition with another trained competitor will…ever. But regardless finding something that you like or those under your care like and will try is important and better than nothing.
It’s also good to try different things and see how you like them. Especially if like 99% of us you’ll never compete at the highest levels but are doing it for the physical, mental, and even spiritual development that these things provides. Man was made for sport and vice versa. Sure not all are created equal but they are provide development of some sort.
If anything I said here interests you I’d highly recommend you check out The Ultimate Alpha Collection which is a compilation of 16 of my books for the price of 5. It covers everything from being a man to making money to getting the right mindset to getting girls to fighting and more and is a resource no man should be without. Pick up your copy today!
-Charles Sledge
