You play ball like a girl!

On April 7, 1993 one of the greatest sports movies of all time was released: The Sandlot!

This underdog story features Scotty Smalls, Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez, and their misfit friends. They form community, overcome adversity, and enjoy our national pastime.

But the scene from this movie that I want to focus on in this moment is an epic insult battle between Ham Porter (a member of the Sandlot) and Phillips (a member of a rival team).

Phillips rides in on his bicycle in order to stir the pot. This leads to insults back and forth between Ham and Phillips. Until Ham gives the greatest insult possible: "You play ball like a girl!"

Phillips is defeated. The children are speechless. *Mic Drop*

It was on.

Clearly, being described as a girl meant being "less than." But is this how we should view women? Is this how Jesus would view women?

I thought of this topic today because a wrestler on our team had to wrestle a girl today. I coach middle school wrestling. So of course the other boys try to make it as awkward and funny as possible for the kid who had to wrestle her.

It puts a young man (7th grader) in a tough spot. If he loses, well he lost to a girl! And if he won, well he just beat a girl!

I give this kid a lot of credit. He has a good family. He is taught to treat girls with respect and honor. But, of course, he isn't going to let him beat him right?

So, men/boys, put yourself in his shoes. What would you do? Wrestle? Don't try? Don't go out on the mat?

Women/girls, put yourself in her shoes. What would you want someone to do? You signed up for the sport. You want to win. But you don't want someone to let you win. You worked hard. You made weight and you want to win on your own merit.  Am I right?


What is the most respectful and honoring thing you can do to a girl that you are wrestling against? Win! Don't be dirty, don't be cheap. Score. Win. Go 100% like you would if you were wrestling a boy. Why? Because she wants to beat you when you are giving it 100%.

I have seen some girls wrestle and they are very good. And I have seen some wrestle that are terrible (same with boys!) In fact, this girl won 2 matches at the tournament today.

I told a simplified version of this to our wrestler today before he wrestled the girl and he won. (I think the score was 12-3...)

Okay, so most of us will not be wrestling or competing against a girl in a sporting competition in the following week. How is this relevant to you and me?


I believe this topic is important to consider because when we believe that only stereotypes are true we limit the potential we can learn from one another.

What if we believed "Only boys are good at math and science while girls are good at English and Writing?"

Perhaps that boy would have written a world changing novel because you encouraged him?

Perhaps,that girl would have cured cancer because you encouraged her love of science from a young age?


As a society, we can only gain by encouraging and being respectful to one another. How will you be challenged to look past your preconceived notions of the world so you can learn and grow?

I hope this blog gives you something to wrestle with (pun intended).

2018: What's your resolution?

As we enter into 2018, I want to remind you that you bring God great Joy. When he looks at you, He doesn't see a problem to be fixed but a child to be loved.

Saint Paul declared to the church in Ephesus that "God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure" (Ephesians 1:5). 

Should you change? Maybe. If your doctor tells you to stopping drinking so much beer.... well you probably should listen to him. If you are stressed all the time, maybe a discipline like mediation or prayer could be helpful.

But why change? Why are you making that resolution?

Are you changing so you can finally love yourself or think in making these changes you will be loved by others, by God.

This my friend is not true Love.

This might sound ridiculous but unconditional love comes without conditions.


If I love you, I do want the best for you, but I'm not waiting for you to change to start loving you.

This is what God did for us. If he said, "I'm going to wait to send Jesus into the world until you start having your act together" well then Jesus would have never been born to the Virgin Mary.

Love acts. Love went to the cross, "because no greater love than this to lay down your life for your friend" (Gospel of Saint John). 


Do I want my son, Neil, to crawl his whole life or do I want him to learn to walk? Silly Question, right? I love him and I know the best for him is not to be crawling when he is 12 years old.

But do I love him less because he is not walking? Of course not!

And neither does God. His love for you does not cease because you aren't where you expect yourself to be spiritually. He doesn't scream and get frustrated from Heaven, "WHY DON'T YOU PRAY MORE, LOVE MORE, ETC"


He looks at each moment of our lives with Joy and pleasure. I love that you are learning to walk. And one day you will even run! He is not impatient waiting for you to "get it." He loves the struggle because He knows what kind of person it is helping you become.

So should you make a resolution? Wrong question.

Do you know you are loved and bring great pleasure to God? I hope you do.
And I hope any decision to change is precipitated by the truth that you are adored by the God of Heaven.

So let's make a resolution declaration,

"I will remind myself daily that I belong to my Father in Heaven. He loves me completely and chose to adopt me into His family before the foundations of the earth. I bring him Joy. When I get frustrated with myself, He is patient, He is kind. He is always pulling me forward and pursuing me. And He never stops smiling over me, like a proud proud daddy"

Peace out! Stay Warm!