The Super Bowl and spiritual capacities

Originally appeared on spirituality.com

Not everyone in the US watches the Super Bowl. But on February 6, there could be well over a hundred million people worldwide in front of televisions to see the National Football League’s final two teams battle it out for this season’s championship. In fact, last year’s Super Bowl was watched by over 106 million people, making it the most-watched program in US television history! So it’s a big day for athletes and the fans. But is it more than just an event where one team slugs it out to beat another?

From my own experience as an athlete, I like to think that athletics can be a proving ground for growth in spirituality. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Mental, even spiritual, factors are important to the world’s top athletes. How an athlete’s thought governs his or her actions—especially when that thought is imbued by the power of prayer—can be inspiring to watch.

In baseball’s last World Series, for instance, viewers couldn’t help but be aware of one particular player for the Detroit Tigers, Sean Casey. I had the privilege of attending Game Four in person. I watched him play an outstanding game. He got three hits, including a home run. He seemed to be head and shoulders above the pressure that many of the other players were feeling.

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