Starting Seven: October 5, 2026
Welcome to Starting Seven, The Pillar’s daily newsletter.
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Athletic competition can cultivate virtue and communal solidarity
Yes. Athletic competition can form virtue and strengthen solidarity when it is practiced with fair play and respect. Competitors are not enemies to be defeated at any cost: by accepting shared rules and striving together for excellence, they can learn responsibility, perseverance, justice, loyalty, and self-control.
It can also build community among teammates and beyond the team. Christian solidarity includes helping an injured or struggling opponent, while sport can bring people together across cultural and social differences.
These benefits are not automatic: cheating, contempt for opponents, or making victory the measure of a person undermines sport’s formative purpose. Properly lived, competition becomes more than winning—it can help athletes grow in character and serve the common good.