"Sport is not the whole of life, but it ushers us into life's wholeness. Sport may not make one a better person, but by sharing much of what is best in us, it can help. It may not bring spiritual enlightenment, but it does display the spirit's dazzling glow," writes Andrew Cooper, a freelance writer and long-time practitioner of Buddhist meditation. Athletic endeavor through its unique mix of myth, drama, metaphor, and symbol draws out our yearnings for beauty, devotion, enthusiasm, excellence, and grace.
In his discussion of what it means to play in the zone, Cooper quotes athletes from different fields and comes up with the following aspects — deep concentration, highly efficient performance, emotional buoyancy, a lack of self-consciousness, and a heightened sense of mastery. Cooper presents a survey of some of the finest books on the spiritual dimensions of sports, including those by Michael Murphy, David Meggyesy, Michael Novak, George Leonard, Timothy Gallwey, Phil Jackson, and Paul Weiss. He also provides insightful comments on films such as Raging Bull, Cobb, Eight Men Out, and Bull Durham.