The allegorical nature of athletics

Stories that once existed as scattered pockets of revelation can exist in literary form. Men of humble disposition can portray a character of noble circumstance. After many weeks of conjuring up lessons and relaying my experiences, I have come to accept the fact that all good things come to an end.

I have been writing for The News-Letter for almost three years now. As I graduate, the end of my career as a columnist is swiftly approaching. After working for a while as a Staff Writer covering sports at Hopkins, I was given the chance to branch out and embrace my creative side through a weekly personal column.

I could not have asked for a better opportunity. This newfound freedom allowed me the chance to grapple with imagery, symbolism, values, central questions and the true meaning of what makes athletic competition so special. Because this is my final article, I want to take this time to enumerate some of the ways in which I (or any other former or current athlete) have experienced the magic that exists in sports.

I look at the realm of athletics as a parallel to some sort of allegorical novel. Take the novel Lord of the Flies for example. I always had a fascination with the references my friends made to this mysterious tale during high school but waited until this year to read it. Lord of the Flies is a book of simple structural setting but complex symbolism, allusion and meaning. The book bases itself around the dichotomous relationship between the central character, who represents civilization, and the antagonist, who represents chaos and unrestrained emotional sentiment.

The book is full of symbols and icons that represent life itself and the immeasurable amount of variables that play into existence. Through this book, a person can learn lessons of righteous indignation, morality, the balance between good and evil, competition and many other ideological dynamics that teach us the form of our true character.

I believe each and every sport that exists in the realm of athletic competition fits the mold of an allegorical novel. Each sport exists as a carefully constructed framework in which different people can discover their limits, harness their innermost emotions, test their perseverance, identify their resilience, understand how to act with careful pride, learn how to respect their enemies, break the bonds of social groupings, know how to revel in victory, discern how to be gracious in defeat and ascertain the significance of reverence in order to apply it to something greater than themselves.

These games teach us skills necessary and vital to our very existence. They teach us how to solve problems, how to think critically, how to survive a dreadful situation and how to harness our individuality and mold it into the overarching dynamic of a team.

According to Sigmund Freud, the social glue that binds us together comes from a powerful disposition towards external competition. I believe teamwork and dedicated effort are the very things that make us human. Both create a desire for people to belong to something that truly transcends themselves.

Athletic competition has had a profound impact on my life, and I’m eternally grateful to be able to share my experiences, opinions and viewpoints with all those who have taken the time to read what I have to say.