Pigskin Crossing Pattern

By Peter Stockland with Rodd Sawatzky

August 31, 2018

As the Calgary Stampeders prepare for their annual Labour Day Classic against their CFL rivals from Edmonton, team chaplain Rodd Sawatzky’s role is to help the team’s strong cohort of Christian players remember true victory is in Christ. The director of pro ministries for Athletes in Action spoke recently with Convivium’s Peter Stockland.

When I'm dealing with the spiritual things, what happens is because I was an athlete, because I am a coach, because I love people and I'm clear on the critical Christian mindset character, what Christ called us to be and live and understand and hold to be true, all of that melds into conversations that start to address what you're asking about PS: So it makes a huge difference to athletes, even professional athletes, to be able to see themselves as the image of God, carried in the world? It makes a difference to their ability to let go of the pressure? PS: So how do you help them strike a balance between that naturally healthy competitive sense of “I can do this, I got this,” – the willingness to make the physical sacrifices you alluded to – but also an immersion in the greatest sacrifice of all: the sacrifice of our Lord's life for us as sinners How are you a team if you don’t work together as a community does? As Christian community, how do we love on each other and play our role in the church? So football becomes the perfect microcosm of Christian culture You want to be like Christ, so you sacrifice for your teammates First of all, the greatest way to be humble, which we're called to, is to just have a clear picture of who God is and quite frankly what Christ has done for you And when your body is in motion and you've been gifted to do it, I do think you have a deep sense of God, that this physical joy leads you to worship I think there is something about being physically, emotionally, mentally focused on whatever it is that you're doing

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