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May 02, 2014
Set:
How often have we watched a football game in which one team is leading by six points with a few minutes left, and they decide to go into a “prevent defense”—allowing the other team to march down the field, throw short passes, and score a touchdown in the closing seconds? Or a basketball game in which they double-team the post player who has been scoring all the points, only to have that little point guard who hasn’t made anything all year, hit consecutive three-point shots and win the game? I call those unintended consequences or unexpected results.
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May 01, 2014
Set:
Most of the time as coaches we push, push, push! Our players know we are serious about getting better as a team. We even yell and scream to get the point across because we know that sometimes a nice calm, controlled request just doesn’t get the result we are looking for. Or we might hold an extended practice to work on a specific problem so we are better prepared. But how often do we push, push, push our own selves to get better? What do we do to improve?
If you watch ants, you can see that they work tirelessly. An ant knows its job and performs it with expertise, discipline, and focus—for the good of the whole colony. What are we doing that models this approach?
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April 30, 2014
Set:
Have you ever experienced a critical game situation in which your coach said, “We are going to win the game on this possession.” Maybe your basketball coach saw a mismatch in the post or your football coach was confident that a post pattern would score a touchdown. And, sure enough, your team runs the play, and the coach’s call works exactly as planned.
Most likely, your coach knew that the play was going to work for that moment. It wasn’t for later in the game or even later in the season, but for that exact time and situation. Each player left the huddle with the utmost belief that it was going to work. According to the coach, the timing was perfect. They think, “Coach said it’s going to work, so it HAS to work.”
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April 29, 2014
Set:
Back when I was a track athlete, I was blessed to have great coaches who taught me about the need for perseverance and patience throughout the track season. My high school coach used to tell me in meets early in the season, “Right now, you are racing against the clock. Try to be a step faster, and you’re winning. Remember, the race that matters most is the final in League Championships.” My coach understood the big picture and our goals for the season. He sought to build that same sense into me as well so that I could continue progressing, improving each day to reach the ultimate goal. Now that I’m a coach myself (women’s volleyball), I have reflected on this lesson often.
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April 28, 2014
Set:
As athletes and coaches, we spend a lot of time at practice. As an endurance athlete, when I’d train for marathons, I’d spend a minimum of two hours a day training for it. While that may seem like a lot, I remember back to my college days when we’d spend up to six hours a day training for football. As part of a team, though, I wasn’t alone for all those hours. I was on the field, in the meeting room, in the weight room and in school with nearly 100 other guys.
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April 27, 2014
Set:
Legendary University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball coach Pat Summitt was diagnosed with early onset dementia. The 59-year-old, winningest college basketball coach of all time, made the announcement and would attempt to continue coaching as long as she could.
It was a shocking announcement not only to UT fans, but to sports fans in general. Summitt had always seemed so indestructible. But even the strongest of men and women still face challenges in life that are common to everyone.
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April 26, 2014
Set:
Everyone has one at least one favorite game-changing sports moment. It’s that one play during a game that changes everything. In a single moment, momentum shifts, and it alters the outcome of the game. Sometimes, the play not only changes the game, but also an athlete’s entire career.
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April 25, 2014
Set:
"Whatever" has been a popular word, particularly among teens, for years. But did you know that this word is also found 173 times in Scripture? My personal favorite use of this word—and a use that has become important for my team—is in Philippians 1:27. Here, Paul instructs us that “whatever” happens, we should conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Wow. That makes the over-used word "whatever" seem a lot more serious.
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April 24, 2014
Set:
This past winter I was having the best wrestling season of my life. I was physically and mentally strong, and I was able to fight hard. In my excitement about wrestling, I started watching tons of wrestling videos and quite dramatically stopped reading my Bible and doing devotions every morning before school. My life flipped completely from God being No. 1 to wrestling being the only thing I cared about.
Over a period of 2.5 months, I wrestled every day, not missing any practice. Then, God started trying to wake me up to see what I was doing. I got really sick, and then I permanently hurt my back. Still, I wouldn't listen to God; I kept right on ignoring Him.
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April 23, 2014
Set:
The Major League Baseball season is in full swing. Already, some ballplayers have started off with extremely high batting averages, and others have started off rather slowly. Only time will tell whether those hot hitters will taper off or if the slow starters will elevate their averages as the season progresses, but either way, it is likely that at some point during the season, they all will experience a slump.
