While I was away recently I visited the ancient Mayan city of Copan and the ruins there. Our guide shared a story I heard before about a sport played that must have required elite level strength, skill, and strategy.
It was played on a long rectangular field with rock walls on either side with intricate carvings and designs. Circular hoops made of rock jutted out from the walls at specific distances. The aim was to throw or kick a ball through the holes to score points.
Spectators ranging from the ruling elite to the commoners all sat in the stadium-like surroundings to watch and cheer.
Doesn’t seem too different from todays stadium sports. Except that while the winners were celebrated, the losers were sacrificed to some god. In fact, some accounts have the winners sacrificed as a high honour.
Yikes! Talk about a short career if you are any good at it.
A way of being not too dissimilar to that of many other cultures over the ages. But one that eventually gave way to evolved forms of sport and away from human sacrifice.
I wonder how that shift happened and over what period of time?
It’s yet another example of overcoming a generational curse. One that any sane person of today would think was absolutely crazy.
It reminded me of a powerful concept I first learned from a former coach and mentor of mine years ago. It’s something as valid today as it was then. Kind of a universal truth that, when embraced, has the power to change the world for the better.
I imagine that in ancient times it took several generations and maybe many iterations or steps before “curses” like the one I described above were shifted… evolved.
That lesson I learned goes something like this…
