How to Attack Arousing Anger in Athletes

A soft answer… Arousing Anger

As fans, as players, as coaches arousing anger is usually in correlation with sports. Football is probably the worst, but let’s face it anger can be a huge problem with sports and life.
What does God have to say about anger in sports and also in life? Well in Proverbs the Bible states, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1.

I’m guilty of this where I want to return harsh with harsh, or as the Bible says eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. But God wants to respond to anger with gentleness not more anger.

The Bible also says, “Be angry and do not sin,” in Ephesians 4:26. There is a difference between having a thought which isn’t sin, but then acting on that thought and committing sin. A coach thinking about chewing his players out and actually going through with it are two totally different things.

Men and Anger Arousing Anger

Unfortunately, men tend to struggle the most with anger. Especially in playing or watching sports. Sports can bring out the worst in us. Because it is unpredictable and we get so tied up in the sport we’re watching we can take it personally when our team is losing or does something stupid.

Isn’t life kind of like that? It’s so unpredictable and we get so tied up with what we’re dealing with we just kind of explode. One way that might help you with the anger is to just walk away. Before you say anything, you might regret, just walk away and cool down.

This is definitely easier said than done especially when in sports you can get so caught up in the emotion of the moment. Imagine the damage that can be done in one moment that you will regret for a very long time and could estrange you from people.

Coaches are at fault too

Now that we touched on fans what about coaches? Again, in the heat of the moment it’s really hard to guard your tongue or how you respond to a certain situation. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord,” Ephesians 6:4.

This says Fathers, but could also apply to coaches as well. Often times coaches will provoke their players to anger because of the harsh things they do or say. Many athletes under coaches who are “hot heads” can take it personally and can damage the player emotionally.

Instead of yelling or cursing at your players maybe use a tough love where you can be firm, but also be encouraging. A movie I saw more recently called “Going to the Mat,” there was a blind wrestler. While the coach was still tough with him and the other players, he also was encouraging especially to the boy who was blind.

Angry Athletes Arousing Anger

Finally, athletes are also prone to get angry, especially in contact sports. A more recent example of probably one of the most brutal plays in recent NFL history was when Miles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns ripped off Mason Rudolph’s helmet of the Pittsburgh Steelers swung and hit Mason Rudolph in the head.

That is what happens in the heat of the moment. This taints Miles Garrett’s legacy. It also is a bad look on the franchise and is something they will be remembered by. While the situation could’ve been much worse (Rudolph getting very injured or worse…). It still is something Garrett’s family will probably be ashamed of for life and something he’ll have to live with as well.

Anger in Life Arousing Anger

While fans, coaches, and players all deal with anger in sports, anger is something everybody deals with every day. Whether you’re stuck in traffic and somebody cuts you off, someone says something that’s offensive, or maybe you blow up at work because a co worker said something rude. The list goes on and on.

What is easy to do is make excuses like, they deserved it or that’s just who I am. However, the Bible says something completely different, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” Ephesians 4:31.

Excuses excuses…

So, don’t use the excuse of “I’m just an angry person, “because God despises anger. I’d be a hypocrite if I say I don’t struggle with anger because I do. I am working on it, I’m better than I was, but I want to get to a point where it’s almost non-existent. (Where I deal with it better)

That’s where we want to be where we fight sin and don’t live in it. We sin, but we’re not happy or content in our sin. We want to battle against it and go against it with everything we have. All in all, anger is a hard sin to deal with, but it is necessary to try to be more like Christ and put to death our sin. Will you join my in killing sin along with anger? Please comment and like if you agree. Thank you.

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