When Dordt University athletic director Ross Douma’s oldest son reached third grade‚ Douma signed him up to play club basketball. “We were young parents‚ and it was very enticing to play club and AAU [Amateur Athletic Union] at an early age‚” Douma said. “That’s just what folks were doing. It was the norm.” That’s increasingly true. From 2010 to 2017‚ the youth sports market grew by 55 percent. It’s now a nearly $20 billion market—even larger than the NFL. Club sports‚ which are more competitive and expensive than recreation leagues or school sports‚ typically start in early elementary school. Families spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours a year‚ often with the goal of their child getting into college or earning a scholarship. For four years‚ the Douma family spent weekends in gyms across Chicago and Des Moines. They liked the exposure to different communities and the higher level of play. But after a while‚ they began to wonder if it was worth it. Ross Douma / Courtesy of Dordt University “We realized our son was having good experiences and forming good friendships‚ but we were tired‚” Douma said. He was an assistant principal and men’s basketball coach at a Christian school‚ but he wasn’t showing up on Monday mornings refreshed from a Sunday of rest and worship. Sports began to eat up more and more time and attention until it felt all-consuming. Douma and his wife began to wonder if they were being foolish‚ or even idolatrous. “The benefits were not outweighing the things that were making life challenging for us‚” he said. “Our son was improving his skills to a degree‚ but we were compromising family time‚ schoolwork‚ and sometimes church activities. We said to ourselves‚ ‘This is not how we want to raise our children.’” So they quit. “We have not regretted it‚” said Douma‚ who has spent nearly 30 years coaching student athletes of all ages. Over the years‚ he hasn’t seen the promises of early participation—that your child will be a better athlete‚ leading to more opportunities and college scholarships—pan out. “I’m very passionate about youth sports‚” he said. “I believe they play a significant role in the development of young children. And I know young parents mean well and want to serve their children. But this is a path that doesn’t end well. A lot of times there is burnout‚ overuse injuries‚ and no substantial scholarship at the end of that road . . . . Ultimately‚ you are running the great race to nowhere.” I sit on the board at Dordt University‚ where Douma works. I asked him about the theology of club sports‚ whether kids will fall behind if they don’t play club‚ and what experience he prefers to see in an incoming college athlete. I know you love sports and believe exercise and athletics are great for kids. So how do you think club sports go too far? Sports and athletics are part of God’s creation. Like anything on this side of heaven‚ they can be used to really promote and glorify God‚ who made our bodies. They can also be a wonderful platform from which to share the gospel. But sports can also become an idol. When our love for and pursuit of athletic achievement becomes greater than our love for God‚ his church‚ and the families he’s given us‚ we start to make wrong choices about how to spend our time‚ energy‚ and money. Club sports can start off innocently‚ with a desire to use our bodies to glorify God. But over and over‚ I have seen it trap people in schedules they can’t get out of. I have seen their motivations change. Navigating that fine line between loving sports and idolizing sports is really hard‚ and that’s why we need Christian coaches and leaders to help educate families on moderation—on what is enough for their family. Certainly‚ we are getting no help from the culture on de-idolizing athletics‚ so we need to be intentional. We hear loud noises from the greater sports culture saying‚ “Indulge‚ indulge‚ indulge.” It’s important that we have educated leaders and coaches that help parents temper this. Lots of parents put their children in club sports because the child likes to play—and if your children don’t play club sports‚ they will probably fall behind their peers. Is that a valid concern? Because youngsters are starting earlier‚ they’re better at the age of 10 and 12 than they have ever been. Their skills are refined at an earlier age. But we also see them starting to leave sports at the ages of 12 and 13 because they’re burned out. Early specialization‚ too‚ leads to earlier burnout—and to more injuries and tired joints by the time they get to college. At the college level‚ we’re also seeing less of a competitive edge in our athletes. I think the reason is that teens used to play one or two games a week. Now‚ because of the club scenes‚ they’re playing two to three games a day. When you do that‚ losing isn’t a big deal because you still have two games scheduled later in the day. But when you play one game‚ you really pour yourself into it. As a result‚ today’s college athletes are more athletic and skilled but don’t have as much competitiveness and grit as college athletes used to. For us‚ at a small college‚ the ideal student athlete has played two to three sports in high school and no—or very little—club sports. If they do that‚ they don’t have wear and tear on their body and are really just falling in love with their sport more and more as they go through high school. I’m not the only one saying this. There are mountains of research proving that starting early is more likely to wreck than to jump-start a professional career or Division 1 scholarship. But what about scholarships? College is expensive‚ and some parents are hoping an athletic scholarship could help with the cost. Over and over‚ I have observed young parents exhausting themselves and compromising their family schedules in the name of trying to pursue a college scholarship. The truth is‚ most college athletic scholarships only cover part of the tuition. If you took the money you’re spending on travel and training sessions and invested it well‚ you’d almost certainly have more money for college than a sports scholarship will earn. So club sports might not be as promising as they sound‚ but are they actually harmful? If kids play sports too early and too often‚ it can be harmful physically‚ emotionally‚ and spiritually. For example‚ we are now seeing more Tommy John surgeries among Little Leaguers than among professionals. ACL surgeries are also up‚ as are all stress fractures and all types of worn-out joints. When our first child played on several club teams‚ our family seldom had time at the dinner table together or did family activities. We couldn’t go on vacation because he always had a game. Sunday was not a day of rest. With our younger children‚ we had our weekends back. Our family could spend time together‚ go on vacation together‚ and be at church more. It was a very healthy thing for all of us. So if you don’t advocate for club sports‚ what should our kids be doing instead? If the danger on one side is too much organized sports‚ the danger on the other is inactivity. Over the years‚ we’ve seen an increase in screen time correlate with a decrease in organic‚ recreational play—and not just for kids but also for adults. Participation is down for adult sports leagues from flag football to basketball to softball. There is also some correlation between screen time and lack of competitive fire and creativity. So first‚ we should encourage kids to put down their screens. Decades ago‚ young people would go out and formulate games and scrimmages on their own or spend time teaching themselves how to play. I’m a proponent of that kind of organic and grassroots athletics—I hope that’s not a bygone era‚ where kids can generate and schedule activity on their own by going to a park or playground to play. In the same vein‚ I encourage student athletes to play multiple sports and to make sure they have an offseason‚ so they can enjoy play overall. What advice do you have for the parents of student athletes? Sometimes parents put expectations on themselves—they think if their child is a great student‚ performs well in theater‚ and performs well in the athletic arena‚ then that reflects good parenting. But I’m more interested in how a child treats his teammates or respects his teachers. To me‚ that’s a better reflection of good parenting. Our priorities for our children should be spiritual ones. It’s also a better indication to me of how long their athletic careers will last. When prospective student athletes at Dordt are curious about their teammates or wondering about their majors‚ those are good indications to me they will play for all four years. If they’re narrowly focused on playing time or depth charts‚ there’s a good chance they’ll experience burnout. You can also make sure your child doesn’t specialize too early and takes regular‚ substantial breaks from organized play. Check in regularly to make sure your child still wants to play—if not‚ look for other sports or physical activities she can get involved with. I was a basketball player‚ but one of my kids turned out to be a golfer and another is a runner. Do your research and pray before you make decisions. Think about what is important to your family and for the overall health and well-being of your child. I know all of this is hard for parents. I wish I could give them a 30‚000-foot view of what is going on. When you’re in the weeds of day-to-day living‚ it’s difficult to see clearly. That’s why parents need assistance from local school administrators‚ coaches‚ and even more experienced parents to help them see through the facade of youth sports. Remember‚ this is a billion-dollar industry. While many clubs really do have the best interests of their players at heart‚ there are many children playing sports who are being used as commodities. As Christians‚ we must keep speaking into it‚ knowing that there are benefits associated with youth sports but pitfalls as well.

As a promising young artist‚ Lilias Trotter was offered the opportunity to go viral in Victorian England. Her exceptional talent caught the eye of a leading art critic who offered to catalyze her career. But Trotter rejected the proffered fame and instead moved to impoverished Algeria. There‚ the delicate English Lily served in a literal and spiritual desert for almost 40 years. I was first introduced to Trotter as a young college graduate through the documentary Many Beautiful Things. Her zest for life‚ pursuit of excellence in all things‚ and phenomenal work ethic captivated me. This woman saw the world as a place of wonder ruled by the marvelous Creator she ardently loved. Now‚ seven years into my overseas ministry‚ I continue to learn from Trotter’s life. I’ve been challenged to endure in faithful ministry through Miriam Huffman Rockness’s biography‚ A Passion for the Impossible: The Life of Lilias Trotter. Rockness vividly paints the image of a missionary woman who saw the world in vibrant hues and whose life and ministry chart a course for contemporary cross-cultural workers. Faithful in Singleness One of Trotter’s enduring legacies is her courage in setting out as a single woman to North Africa at the end of the 19th century. Serving as a foreign single woman in a culture that viewed women as dispensable objects wasn’t only difficult—it was dangerous. At times‚ she was forced to hire bodyguards to protect herself and the other female missionaries. But Trotter didn’t see singleness as an obstacle to ministry. Instead‚ she found ways to capitalize on her status‚ using her position to reach forgotten people‚ especially Muslim women. Trotter went door to door visiting these women who were often not allowed to leave their houses‚ talking her way into their homes and hearts. She embraced the opportunity to deepen her reliance on Christ and maximize her singleness for the glory of God. Respecting Locals Throughout her ministry‚ Trotter remained a humble learner and lover of Algerian culture‚ repeatedly adjusting her ministry to the context of the people she was serving. When a local colleague rightly insisted that costly color printing was necessary for Algerian evangelistic materials‚ Trotter made the unorthodox decision to invest in that expense. She helped local women learn traditional Algerian embroidery skills that gave them a measure of stability and self-sufficiency in the male-dominated Islamic world. In a time when some missionaries mixed imperialism with evangelism‚ this Victorian woman abandoned her cultural preferences to become “Lalla Lili” (as the Algerians affectionately called her) and serve the needs of her adopted people. Abide in Christ Rockness repeatedly brings us back to the secret of Trotter’s unbelievable endurance: “Quite simply‚ Lilias put the highest priority on spending time completely alone with God‚ studying His Word with a heart open and receptive to His voice” (187). Despite her frequent struggles with illness and a grueling schedule‚ Trotter consistently made time for delighting in God and enjoying his presence. Trotter’s sustainability in 40 years of difficult ministry grew from her daily investment in her relationship with God. One way she did this was by slowing down to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and to record it in sketches and paintings. Although Trotter sacrificed the opportunity to profit from her artistic talents‚ she continued to use those skills as an act of worship while she reflected on God’s goodness and creation. Rockness stresses that Trotter’s sustainability in 40 years of difficult ministry grew from her daily investment in her relationship with God. Count It All Joy Rockness records the many heartaches Trotter experienced: rejection by missions agencies‚ frequent illnesses‚ deaths of friends‚ betrayal‚ closed doors‚ persecution‚ and moral failures of converts and teammates. Yet nothing seemed to extinguish the light filling her. She walked in the joy of the Lord to the extent that when she spent one of the last years of her life bedridden‚ her summary was this: “I think it has been quite the happiest year of life!” (309). Trotter’s ability to abide allowed her to rejoice even in the worst situations. She saw barriers to ministry—including her own frailty—as platforms for the work of God. Trotter counted it a joy to serve as a jar of clay because the cracks in her life were outlets for the Living Water. Timeless Reminder To the end‚ Trotter was full of joy‚ bubbling with Christ’s presence and a vivacity in ministry that can only come from an intimate walk with him. She was a woman who endured faithfully‚ clinging relentlessly to God. Rockness’s biography unveils how this delicate English woman established a thriving ministry in a spiritual wasteland: Christ was the greatest love of Trotter’s life. He was the One who drew her to himself and drove her outward to serve others. Everything Trotter did sprouted from what Christ was continually doing in her. Everything Trotter did sprouted from what Christ was continually doing in her. A Passion for the Impossible reminds us that all our missions work must be an outpouring of what God is doing in us. Those of us in cross-cultural work face deserts: health challenges‚ cultural barriers‚ spiritual warfare‚ loss‚ and hardened hearts. But missions has always been the story of what our good God can do in the most barren fields through the most fragile vessels. Sometimes the hardships that seem likely to shatter us are the means God uses to serve and strengthen others. Trotter teaches us that our first task as missionaries is to draw near to God and be filled with Christ so he overflows from us‚ even when we suffer. May God raise up more lilies: more men and women so delighted by the beauty and glory of God that they become springs in the desert of hard-to-reach places.

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