Jason Stevens: NRL Enigma
It is rare in sports to find someone who’s played more at the highest rung than at the next step down. But Rugby League’s Jason Stevens is one, having played seven Origin games for NSW compared with 16 international outings for Australia. A variety of factors impact upon such a statistic (the 1997 Super League stand-off, for example) but it is also testament to Stevens’ determination to be playing his best at the serious end of the season. That’s generally when Australian teams are selected and grand finals are played.
But at 31, a National Rugby League (NRL) grand final win is the one trophy missing from his shelf. “I’d like to win a premiership,” Stevens reflects in understatement. “I’ve played in one State of Origin series, and I’ve played around Australia, and that’s the only thing I would imagine I haven’t done.”
Obviously, it’s a team goal too, one that is his highest priority. Signed by Cronulla Sharks at the height of the Super League war, the southern Sydney club has now become a second family to him. And, according to Stevens, the most rewarding aspect of football time spent as a team.
“The highlight has been times at training with my best mates,” he comments. “Doing the hard stuff with them and having a laugh. It’s such fun; it’s like school—and the great thing is you’re getting paid to do it.”
size—and hard work
In hindsight, it almost seems natural that Jason Stevens would play Rugby League, but it wasn’t something he’d seriously considered as a youngster. “I was always a big boy, but I loved tennis and soccer,” he recalls. “But the school that I went to was a predominantly league school, so I sort of fell into it.”
After completing high school, Stevens completed a commerce degree at the University of NSW while playing lower-grade games with St George. The “big kid” grew to 110 kilograms (about 17.5 stone) and 193 centimetres (6’4”) tall. “The way it was back then, you were going to maybe play and have a job, because it wasn’t professional,” says Stevens, “so I never really thought about it as full-time. When money came into the game and it became more professional, I probably never even sat down and thought about that. I was talented in it, I played it, and I studied hard. It unfolded without my setting specific goals. I worked hard—don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t by chance. But I never said ‘One day I’m going to do this.’ Whatever I was given to do, I just tried to do well.”
And life as a professional footballer continues to be hard work. “It’s like a normal job,” Stevens explains. “We get four, sometimes five, weeks off a year. And then we’re full-time: training nine-to-three in the off-season, and then nine-to-four during the playing season.”
beyond football
A veteran with two years remaining on his contract with Cronulla, Stevens has a wide range of interests beyond football. Once a month, he co-hosts ABC TV’s sports chat show The Fat and regularly appears on Channel Nine’s Sydney Footy Show. “I love the entertainment side of things. I’m open to whatever comes along. I’m an accountant—but I’m definitely not going back to that,” he adds with a chuckle.
But Stevens is also an author, publishing his book Worth the Wait in 2001. The book is a reflection of his personal experience with sexuality and his commitment to abstain from sex until marriage. He is working on a video based on the book and has spoken at schools and youth groups on the topic. His concerns on this topic reflect a larger focus to his life—and a significant turnaround.
it makes a difference
“I was leading a lifestyle that was based on ignorance—one based on what feels good—on what everyone else does is OK,” Stevens recalls. “It was a socially acceptable thing.”
But there was a tension in his life. “I had a strong church background, and I definitely had a belief in God. I was a regular churchgoer,” says Stevens, “but it didn’t really reflect in my lifestyle. Then it was explained to me that one needed to go beyond ‘believing’ to ‘belonging’ to God.”
So does his faith make a difference to Jason Stevens on the football field?
“It affects every facet of your life,” he responds. “It may not affect it straight away, but God works on different areas of our life. Initially it probably didn’t reflect in my football in terms of my temper and aggression, but as I’ve matured—and I’m not saying I’m complete in that area—I’ve made changes. I’ve also become a more encouraging player to the people around me.”
In addition, Stevens suggests this broader focus helps his motivation to work so hard at the game. “I’ve been in Rugby League for 10 years and that’s a big effort,” he reflects. “I find that just being continually refreshed by God really helps me stay focused and keep the fire burning. But understanding as well that it’s just part of the picture; it’s not the main picture, as it once was.
“I’ve had a lot of grace from Christians, which have been really encouraging. In times when I’ve messed up, I’ve had a lot of support from the Christian community.”
worth the wait
Stevens’s renewed faith commitment has also had a profound effect on his relationships. “I found God helped me make some really good changes in that area,” he says. “I got that aspect of my life sorted out.”
His commitment to Worth the Wait was not realised until a journalist asked him about his personal life. “I told him how I was ‘waiting.’ The whole thing started from there,” he says. “I became spokesperson for the Worth the Wait movement. And from that came the book. The response has been overwhelming. Lives have changed through God using the book.
“It’s been interesting if you take the media coverage on the stance I’ve taken. I think they’re looking for answers to our 50 per cent divorce rate, to the brokenness that people are experiencing.”
While Worth the Wait approaches issues of sex and relationships from a Christian perspective, Stevens is quick to point out it isn’t limited to Christians. “It’s in everyday language. I’ve had more feedback from people who aren’t in churches than Christians.”
His motivation is simple. “I want to make young people aware of the many good reasons to regard purity as something smart, something respectful and romantic, something to be proud of,” Stevens enthuses. “I also want to give them ideas to combat the pressures that surround us to become sexually active. They deserve the best—to experience true love and romance that lasts.”
the continuing challenges
So while the challenge of an NRL premiership remains, Stevens’s life also has a broader focus.
“The biggest challenge has been to continue to get my security, my fulfilment from God and Him alone,” he comments. “I have a lot of fun on TV, and I think my life speaks for itself. I don’t always have to preach. When people see me on TV, the feedback is that ‘Your laugh is contagious . . .’ and ‘You really enjoy yourself.’ Me being myself is important, as is me being who God created me to be, which is a well-balanced person.”
what jason says
Sex is one of the best things ever, says Stevens—even better than footy, chocolate or a no-limit credit card. But, he poses, if it’s that good, why wait? His book is based on personal experiences—his own and others. He gives many reasons why sex is “worth the wait.” Following are just five:
1. waiting is the gift of a lifetime
If you had a million dollars to give away, who would you give it to? Family? Friends? Or someone you just met? I think you’d try and give it to someone who’d really value it. It’s the same with your body. Choosing to whom you will give it is important, and your choices will affect your present and future relationships. Remember, you are worth a lot, and you can only give away your virginity to one person. I believe a gift like that deserves the commitment of a lifelong partner.
2. waiting avoids emotional hurt
Whenever you sleep with someone, you give and bind a part of yourself to them. If the connection between you isn’t permanent, sex can really stir up and hurt your emotions and play with your mind and your memory. There is no such thing as “free” sex; there is always attachment. The sex may feel good, but it will only last a little while—the hurt of not being with that person may last forever.
3. waiting creates a better relationships
Sex at the wrong time can consume a relationship—I know, I’m a guy. Once I got a taste for the sex, the desire to know a girl and develop our friendship dwindled and, eventually, so did the relationship. I became more interested in exploring her body than her mind. I’m not saying every guy (or girl) is like that, but how often do you think this happens?
4. waiting
builds trust
Wouldn’t it be cool to walk down the aisle with someone that you know has learned to control their emotions and to guard their heart? You’ll know you can trust them a lot more than someone who hasn’t. If they were “easy” with you, how easy might they be with anybody else? Trust is the ground relationships are built on.
5. waiting avoids the risk of diseases
STDs are real. Some will go, some will stay, and some can kill you. Don’t be fooled that condoms work 100 per cent; studies show they don’t. If you want truly safe sex, then put a ring on your finger and go for it!
Adapted from
www.jasonstevens.com
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