Spirituality of Sport: Balancing Body and Soul

Whether you are a gifted athlete, a weekend warrior, or one who simply enjoys reading the Sunday Sports section, you will enjoy Spirituality of Sport: Balancing Body and Soul (St. Anthony Messenger Press, January 2004, paperback, 137 pages) by Dr. Susan Saint Sing. Saint Sing, a gifted athlete and inspirational coach, shares her own story of tests and triumphs as she shares her thoughts on the important connection between mind, body and soul inherent in all play. In this wonderful book, Saint Sing shares stories of heroism and championship - both her own and those of many other talented people. I loved this book for its emphasis on the fact that one's journey in life is to be fully embraced and revered - that the reward comes not from winning the medal or having the fastest time, but from that wonderful connection of spirit, soul and body that gives glory to our Creator through our every action. As a back of the pack jogger, I don't run the race to win - I run to give glory to God through my participation, counting the blessings that give me the good health to participate and to share the day with those around me. I was enthralled by Spirituality of Sport and would highly recommend it.

Though this is not an autobiography, Saint Sing's personal story ties together her strong belief in the mind-body-spirit connection and an integrated life made so through deep spirituality. Her commitment to the discipline required for peak performance as a runner and her participation in team sports carried her through the consequences of a life-changing injury suffered during a gymnastics exercise as a young adult. Throughout the book Saint Sing shares her own philosophy of sport: If you believe that the worlds of spirit and flesh are mysteriously unified through Christ's redemption, you don't have to be an athlete to appreciate the connection. "Body and soul is the lamination of the death and Resurrection of Christ, fully human and fully God," she writes. After her accident, Saint Sing, who holds a doctorate in sports history and philosophy, spent two years in Assisi, where she became a "spiritual athlete," continuing her recovery, working for room and board, and writing about St. Francis. When she returned to the U.S. her work as freelance writer led her to a position as coxswain for a collegiate crew she was assigned to write about. She discovered that she could complete "and I could at least be physically active and vital to a race without pulling one stroke." She later became head coach of men's and women's crew at Xavier University, and in 1993 was named manager of the U.S. National Team at the world rowing championships in the Czech Republic. Providing nutritious food in a country whose vegetables consisted of various colors of cabbage was a major challenge. In another example of the integrated life, Saint Sing drew on her kitchen experience in Assisi to set up a cafeteria and acquire the staples of a healthy diet through cooperation with other teams. Though athletes might be more likely than others to identify with some of Saint Sing's descriptions of physical challenges and their rewards, the main point is that spiritual development is accomplished best through attention to our bodies, minds, and souls.

Susan Saint Sing's new book, "Spirituality of Sport: Balancing Soul and Body," is an extraordinary weaving of personal experience and philosophical meditation. Using her own experience as athlete and coach and that of other athletes, Dr. Saint Sing both informs and inspires the reader to excel, to strive toward excellence as a way not only of balancing body and soul, but also as a way of breaking through to an experience of the Divine. This book would be an excellent adjunct text for college students and for high school students, as well. An extraordinary job of taking the reader on a journey through the inner world of the athlete whose determination and discipline allow him or her to break through the limitations of the body into the world of the soul where body and soul have become one. I highly recommend this book for athletes and everyone who is determined to pursue a goal greater than one's own perceived limitations. Murray Bodo