Hockey and Theosophy?
by Pete Stieler
Recently, while in Pasadena, California, I watched a hockey game on television with other theosophists. I’ve been enjoying hockey for most of my adult life. There we were, watching bone-crushing checks into the boards, occasional swearing matches...even a short fight. I could see the others grimace as they watched.
It got me thinking. We see the action, (the hits, the swearing, the fights, etc.) but what’s beyond that? I’m not here to defend competitive sports, but amid all this brutality, there are qualities about this sport and its players that many people might not recognize.
First, I’m a Detroit Red Wings fan. Anyone who knows hockey, knows that the Detroit Red Wings have a unique hockey club for some very particular reasons. For the last 15 years, the Red Wings have been progressing because of one man, the captain, Steve Yserman. As a leader, Steve Yserman has a great sense of dedication to playing his very best. Every time he hits the ice, he shows how not to give up. He plays at such a high level that his team mates have no choice but to catch up. He helps bring out the best from his team mates not just on the ice but off the ice as well. He’s creating a team in the truest sense...not just a bunch of self-centered players on one ice surface wearing the same sweaters. Steve Yserman understands his duty very clearly and conducts himself accordingly.
I know hockey is not Arjuna and Krishna of the Bhagavad Gita by a long shot but these professional players have a duty like everyone else on this earth. It might be easy for someone to say that Arjuna was just another warrior if all they saw was the battle and the blood. But Arjuna had many questions and concerns about the battle he was going to fight. So do some hockey players.
The Red Wings have consciously developed an ethic that includes overcoming their own selfish needs, sacrificing personal statistics for the good of the team. They know they must “do the right thing”. This unselfish style of play is now the paradigm for the rest of the league. They are realizing that to give up their personal statistics for the good of the team and doing the right thing will not only win games but help to strengthen the bonds between players as well.
I find this very refreshing considering how popular it is these days for management to buy “superstars”...attractions that generate lots of box office revenue. These superstars are usually “bad as they want to be” and answer to no one. Very few of them become leaders. For the money spent on such attractions, you’d think they’d get a person who conducts himself as a leader...a motivator. But as much as they bring talent to the arena, they usually bring troubles and they’re often traded because of the ultimate chaos they create.
Most professional sports are starting to recognize that this is a flawed trend. For the money garnered from such attractions, the ultimate costs are astounding in terms of loss of morale, comraderie and overall performance. Eventually, superstars will be the exception to the rule. With this trend, we’ll see better plays from better players. Not because the players are bigger and stronger, but because they know how to be team players in the truest sense.
So, what’s going on in the minds and hearts of professional athletes when they go to the arena (the battle)? Obviously much more than meets the eye. It seems to me that our neighborhood is a lot like the sports arena because the battle is really any action we take. Hockey players make choices as to how they’ll conduct themselves and so do we...every day. We might not be hockey players but, hey...we all have to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. We all have duty of some sort. Are we going to serve our own selfish needs? Or will we strive to do what’s best for everyone? We’re conscious individuals...the choice is ours.