Spirituality of Siblings in Sports

Today my mom reminded me—again— that she has already made a reservation for brunch on Mother's Day. This is not a day to miss....or else. In the United States both Mother's and Father's Day have cultural weight and I appreciate that it does. On the other hand, I was unsure of the significance of National Siblings' Day—that is, until I visited the National Day Calendar—a fun and festive resource. I found this day's history to be quite meaningful.

National Siblings Day was founded by native New Yorker, Claudia Evart in 1995 to honor and celebrate siblings.  After losing her two siblings early in life in separate accidents, she knew how important siblings could be in our lives. 

Good, bad or otherwise, this is so true! There is a spirituality of siblings; I have not thought enough about what that might be. Our brother(s) and sister(s) are sometimes our best friends or our worst enemies. At times, siblings will provide us with our biggest competition, strongest encouragement and remind us of our most embarrassing moments. No wonder sports is a paradigm where we can learn about, celebrate and appreciate siblings. 

Sports—every one of them—is peppered with stories of siblings to play against and with one another. Male or female, older and younger, twins, even mirror twins color the wide world of sport. Many athletes credit their success to the role their sibling has played in their life. I have often wondered if you have Serena without Venus and vice versa.

The National Day Calendar post offered creative ways to observe this non-holiday. It said,  "Spend some time with your sibling(s). Enjoy looking at photos and videos of time spent with them. Use #NationalSiblingsDay to post on social media." And if I can throw in my two cents, I would say teach about great ones in the history of the Church, the United States and sports. As a teacher, I figured why not bring the topic of siblings into the curriculum. No better place for that than in Sports and Spirituality.

Reggie and Cheryl Miller

Upon completing my lesson on "Biographical Theology: how God works through Humanity," I put the challenge toward my students to make a case for a dynamic duo: siblings in sports. Their presentation would be judged on 

1. creativity 
2. uniqueness of personal story
3. degree of cultural and athletic significance

This criteria eliminated likely suspects including the Peyton and Eli Manning and Venus and Serena Williams. A number of other duos were considered—Jim and John Harbaugh, JJ, Derek and TJ Watt but the following six groupings were featured.

• Reggie and Cheryl Miller
• Lyle and Miles Thompson
• Kevin Price and Jerome Boatang
• Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin
• The Morris Twins: Markieff and Marcus
• Aaron and Jordan Rodgers

Although my personal preference was for the brother and sister combo of Reggie and Cheryl Miller, the Rodgers emerged as the winners. I think they excelled in the creative category.

Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin

Catholic Social Teaching proclaims the value of the human family. The "Call to Family Community and Participation" states

The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society—in economics  and politics, in law and policy—directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community.  Marriage and the family are the central  social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We  believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking  together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and  vulnerable.   

I truly believe this key principle ought to name and recognize the significance of siblings and their measure on family life. Each one is a blessing. Many children do not have siblings; they are not to be taken for granted. The death of a sibling, at any age is a profound loss for they share so much more than a common gene pool. Each one is a reflection of the majesty of God's creation—both sacred and social.

Lyle and Miles Thompson

I hope to expand on this lesson next April when I will celebrate National Siblings Day with appreciation, gusto....a little sport and a lot of spirituality.

Photo Credits
Rodgers
Griffins
Thompson
Millers