Sport, Human Flourishing and the Common Good: A Jesuit Perspective

The author interprets humanist and early Jesuit education inspired by the Spiritual Exercises through the lens of the flow psychology theory of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to highlight that they bring about differentiation – the development of the different interests, skills, dimensions of the person – and integration – in a way that is connected to community and fosters the common good. The inclusion of physical education and sports in the humanist and early Jesuit schools – the first instance of it in Catholic schools – was influenced by longer traditions which emphasized the unity of the person and a “play ethic”, but can also be understood as bringing a new level of attention to embodied life and its role in human and ethical development, including in relation to communal living. In the latter part of the article, the author shows how playing on teams in Catholic schools today provides young people an experience where they can develop their unique personality and skills (differentiation) in such a way that they work together with those of their teammates toward a common goal (integration). This kind of experience can prepare them to lead in the future in such a way that fosters unity in diversity in their families, the workplace and their communities and to work for the common good more generally. It can prepare those who are Christian, too, to take up their own distinctive role as members of the Body of Christ.