You Are Here > Alphabetical / Alphabetical / Alphabetical
How many times have you heard it said that an athlete is “in the zone”? You know exactly what that means. Every athlete wants to get in that zone. When we’re there, we don’t feel any pain. We don’t feel exhaustion. We feel pretty close to unbeatable.
Whether gliding gracefully across the cavernous outfield of PNC Park or sprinting between bases to avoid a sweeping tag, Pittsburgh Pirate Andrew McCutchen’s game is predicated upon his ability to move quickly from one place to another.
If someone walked up to you and asked, “What does it mean to play ‘in the zone’?” how would you respond? What professional athlete comes to your mind when you think about playing in the zone? As an athlete, you have certainly been in the zone at least once. To play in the zone means that you are unstoppable. You are the “go to.” You can’t miss. I think you get the point—when you are in the zone, it is an awesome experience.
What does in the zone mean if you relate it to your spiritual life instead of your sports experience? Have you ever been in the zone spiritually? What does it take to get in the zone? Let’s dig deeper with a few questions based on Ephesians 5:1-10.
It’s rare, but, when it happens, people take notice. Every pass is complete, every drive ends with six, and everyone knows they’re witnessing greatness.
We talked to some of the top college football players in the country, beginning with USC’s Matt Barkley, about what it looks like to be “in the zone” spiritually.
The artist, Inside Joke - created a rap song for the 2012 camp theme - In The Zone. Enjoy this free download.
When a player gets double teamed up against the boards they know their in trouble. As they battle for the puck, they’ll often hear a familiar voice of someone on their team calling out instructions on a safe place to pass it. They would stay in trouble and lose the puck if someone didn’t call out to them.
As coaches, we have the opportunity to exert a powerful influence on the young people we coach. This influence is partly related to our coaching style and personalities. It is also related to the role we play in the lives of student athletes. We determine whether or not a young person will make the team and be a significant contributor.
We have all witnessed “in your face” coaches whose intensity rises to the level of demeaning individual athletes. The “in your face” style works on occasion if it’s used to challenge young athletes to improve their skills. However, when it is carried to extremes, it causes much more harm than good. No one wants to be humiliated by someone they respect and who determines their success on the team.
In the sixth game of the 1998 NBA finals between the Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls, Scottie Pippen was suffering great pain in his lower back as a result of taking charges in game three. The Bulls medical staff worked on Pippen during halftime so he felt well enough to start the second half. Michael Jordan commented about Pippen, “We knew Scottie was hurting, and just his presence gave us a lift, offensively, defensively, and emotionally.” What a testimony of one player’s influence on his team. Of course, the Bulls won the game and the 1998 NBA title.
In today’s world of sports, it seems that anything done for an advantage is fair game—as long as you don’t get caught.
As a Major League pitcher, I have seen it all. Managers who spend their entire careers stealing the signs of other coaches from the dugouts and down the baselines. Players who reach base do the same thing. Pitchers are supposed to throw a clean, unscratched ball, but you can do some pretty cool things with a scuffed baseball.
Ministry
Sport
Book of the Bible
FCA Bible Topic