Enrichment

The bible is very clear that, in a way that is not greedy, we should enjoy our lives; it is a core theme throughout Eccliasties. Life is to be lived and it is a blessing to have moments of joy. However, pressure can take away the enjoyment, it can make us too competive, silly or selfish. At this point enjoyable things, such as a game of football, can become unenjoyable for the player or for the viewer. This is when we must be wise, disciplined, tollerant (unpick what these words mean). These moments are to be enjoyed but they are fleating; it is the memory that lasts and how we act during these moments will colour our memory. It is great to relax, but not to be foolish.

What’s going on?

The England football team have had great success in the ongoing European Championships football tournament and manager Gareth Southgate believes that the positivity surrounding the tournament could benefit the team and fans for many years to come. A 4-0 win against Ukraine in Rome on Saturday, in the quarter final, sent England through to the last four. They now return to Wembley to face Denmark this week for the semi-finals. If they win, it will see them reach the final of a major tournament for the first time since winning the 1966 World Cup!

Question:
What can we learn from football? Listen, think, share

• Look at the poster image and talk about what we can see. Do we know what football tournament is running at the moment? The European Championships football tournament, or the Euros as they are more commonly known. Have we watched any of the matches? Have we been following the progress of England and/or any of the other teams playing? Talk about how passionate some people become during football tournaments and in support of their team.

• Have you heard the song ‘Three Lions’ with the lyrics, ‘football’s coming home’? Have we heard this being sung at any recent matches? What do we think is meant by this phrase? This actually originally referred to the fact that when the song came out, England was hosting its first major tournament since the 1966 World Cup, but now it is a reference of hope to England winning and bringing home the trophy. Also, according to FIFA, football as we know it today was actually invented in England in 1863, so the feeling is it's coming back to where it was born. Can we think of any other times when songs have brought us together? Talk about how we feel when we sing with others.

• Reflection

  Football can evoke a range of feelings. Players, manager and the games themselves can unite people through shared pride, joy and even sadness. Through the sport, we can learn courage, resilience and teamwork.