God, Family, Sports
My family has a saying: “God, family, sport—in that order.” Our three pillars which ground us and nourish the Va for a shared success beyond our own interest. Every Christmas in Tāmaki Makaurau, my uncle shares the same story.
As the sun descends, we young ones are called from the kitchen to listen to the well-known truth—Pacific Islanders (uncle did say Samoan, but you know what Samoans are like) have the best athletic genetics in the world. We erupt into laughter. My uncle meets our eyes; it's clear this is no joke. This is why the Americans annexed us and why the Germans invaded our homes, to breed us for the genetic advantages they desired to possess.
The facts may be dubious, but I believed it. I still do. How could I deny this advantage when the proof was looking me in the eyes? Uncle, a NZ Gridiron Player. His eldest brother, father to my two cousins who had represented NSW in State of Origin. Sitting alongside him was his Mr NZ Bodybuilder brother and netball playing baby sister. Tall and broad, strong but quick. Agile, tactical, and determined. You couldn’t deny the athletic power these towering 50-year-old brown men and women still possessed. I could see this power, and understood that this power also sat within me. It may be dubious, but I believed it. I still do.
Manti Teo, Notre Dame Linebacker, found his strength in his faith and for his family. In the much-publicised Netflix special Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist, Manti says “faith, family, football” are his Hawaiian ohana’s three pillars, characterising our shared values across the Pacific. Manti plays football in the same way I was taught to dominate the field: with a free, fast, and physical game, while remembering to pass the ball. To succeed as a unit, there is no room for your ego. Selfishness sticks out like a sore thumb on the field. When a few players prioritise their success over the team, it slows down plays, allows the other team’s defence to tighten, and causes injuries.
Manti describes these pillars as fundamental aspects of life which are born from discipline. Through discipline, we achieve and dominate. An interchangeable skill which leads to interdisciplinary success, whether it be in school, sport, conflict, or even the workplace. Discipline might be inherited through our genetics, but I suspect it’s our resilience and our ability to honour the needs of God and community before our own. We’re not only the perfect athletes, but the perfect team players.
These pillars may not apply for everyone, but they are a template for areas of strength we already possess. A performance on the field, as well as the stage, can be offered in glory to God. If you do not believe in God, that does not mean you live life without compassion and strength. We might not be the perfect Islanders in our parents' eyes, but we share their strength, their wisdom, and passion to achieve in our own way for them. Whether it be with sports or something else. These are your skills, and we give glory to those who passed them onto us. They are just as transferable as you are limitless. That is why they desire to be like you.