Sport (and business) often require their participants to manage or deal with fear as part of reaching for achievement and success. That tension – and the adrenalin that goes with it – is part of operating on the edge of your skill set. We all know the No Fear T-Shirts with great sayings on them extolling the virtues of extreme sports and ‘fear’ itself as almost healthy !

The company behind the shirts (and an energy drink) was founded in 1999 in the USA with roots in Moto-X scene and extensive sponsorship there and in the mixed martial arts, cage fighting scenes.
These are both games where ‘no fear’ really is an asset !
Unfortunately for the Simo brothers who founded the company behind the T-Shirts it went into Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in February 2011 and they lost control when deals were done in June & August 2011 for new ownership to rescue the business and move it forward. Hopefully the brothers look back and feel comfortable with their ‘no fear’ attitude in business !

Gavin Peacock (a professional football player who played for Newcastle United, Chelsea and QPR currently serving as Home Missionary Pastor at a church in Calgary, Canada) made the following comments in a blog.

“When I played professional football for 18 years I saw and experienced the futility of man’s achievements. The day’s headlines and victory was fish and chip paper the next. Trophies and medals are nothing, sportsmen and women!

Be good at what you do. In fact do all to the glory of God, even drinking a cup of water. Jesus said, “ Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also ” (Matt. 6:19-21).

Professional sportspeople live on fear. Fear of losing ; Losing the game, losing their fitness, fear of losing their place in the team or rankings or their livelihood.

So Christians in sport, work hard to win, play for the prize but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven where the real prize lies and which no-one can take from you. Then when your heart is where it should be, you can really play your sport with no fear!”