FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAN AND THE SPORT THROUGHOUT HISTORY
college, or university we attended, or possibly a team that has a favorite player on it. Maybe it’s just because we like the team’s name or logo. A SPORT MANTRA FOR ALL The Olympic motto is “Faster, Higher, Stronger—Together.” For centuries, the Olympic Games was a competition between amateur athletes of the world and the nations they represented. The Olympic movement’s creed was inspired in July 1908 and it reads, “The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.” Read those words: “The important thing in life is not the triumph…” and a few words later, “…but to have fought well.” How many times in life has losing led to poor sportsmanship and harmful behavior that hurts others? If you have ever watched the “Special Olympics” you have probably witnessed some of the best sportsmanship on display, by athletes with limited capacities and a true love of just being able to compete. The Olympic creed can be traced to I Corinthians 9-24-27: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” The creed and motto are meant for the athletes to embrace the Olympic spirit, because thousands of athletes will compete with the vast majority having no hope of winning. Most know they don’t have the strength or ability to win outright, but the desire to compete and be a part of it satisfies their inner desires. As we know, the Olympics now feature professional athletes along with those athletes that are competing just because they love the game. Whether professional or not, most people in any type of com- petition are in it for “The Love of The Game.” THE ATHLETE IN ALL OF US For most of us, the sport of dogs is one of great passion and dedication. Just like the athlete in all of us, we do it for the love of the game. For many, the most difficult part of any sport is when you realize that you can no longer compete because of a decline in physical or mental capacity. I know. I played church league softball and basket- ball until the age of 50, when mother nature simply said, “It’s time.” In the sport of purebred dogs, we have a unique opportunity to continue to compete at a high level for a very long time. We see people of all ages, and those with a variety of athletic abilities and limitations, being able to compete on a somewhat level playing field. We have folks in motorized wheelchairs showing dogs, as well as people with other disabilities, competing regularly. For some exhibitors, when the physical strain of running becomes a problem, they simply go to a smaller breed so that they can continue to do what they love. Many people get into the sport of purebred dogs a little later in life. Maybe the children have grown and left the nest, so they are looking for a venue in which to compete with their four-legged friends. The venues and possibilities are endless: Conformation, Obedience, Field Trials, Agility, Lure Coursing, Dock Diving, Scent Work, Barn Hunt, and so on. We have an area of competi- tion to fit everyone—and every age—who wishes to compete regu- larly or on a limited basis. We often hear the naysayers proclaim that our sport is dying. I don’t believe that. Does it need a little adjusting? Better Sports- manship? Absolutely! I believe that as long as Man and his Best Friend enjoy the competition, the sport will continue… simply because of our “Love of the Game.”
threatened to end the streak, the WKC found a way to move the date, and the site, in order to preserve the history and traditions of nearly 150 years. Bird Dog field trials trace back to Britain in 1866, with Amer- ica’s first recorded field trial being held in 1874 near Memphis, Tennessee. In the early years, field trials were under the auspices of “The American Field.” SPORT: LIFE’S GREAT DIVERSION Most people have, at some point in their life, played a sport or became involved in something that kindled the competitive juices inside all of us. T-Ball grows into little league, high school, and possibly college ball, maybe the minor leagues, or in the rare instance, a major league career. For some who continue to love the game, there is slow pitch softball, fast pitch softball, men’s, women’s, and even co-ed leagues where one can continue to com- pete until they finally can no longer physically compete or choose to stop. The same is true in golf, basketball, and to a lesser degree, in football and some other sports. The number of events and competitions that are available to people today is mind-boggling. In addition to all the major sports, there are numerous games, cheer and dance competitions, and even a variety of hobbies that allow each of us to compete on some level for as long as we can. Most of these competitions give us a great opportunity to take our minds off work and other issues, giv- ing us a form of relaxation. Many people play golf and tennis well into their 80s and beyond. Man’s love of sport is universal and most of us have teams or individuals that we cheer for and attend games, or follow in many different ways. Our favorite team might be from the city where we grew up or currently reside. It could be the high school, THE CREED AND MOTTO ARE MEANT FOR THE ATHLETES TO EMBRACE THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT, BECAUSE THOUSANDS OF ATHLETES WILL COMPETE WITH THE VAST MAJORITY HAVING NO HOPE OF WINNING. MOST KNOW THEY DON’T HAVE THE STRENGTH OR ABILITY TO WIN OUTRIGHT, BUT THE DESIRE TO COMPETE AND BE A PART OF IT SATISFIES THEIR INNER DESIRES.
72 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2022
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