One of my favorite childhood memories came on my eleventh birthday, March 15, 1972. I received a gift that would set me head and shoulders above everyone else in the neighborhood. It was something that would make me the envy of all my friends. I received the coolest bicycle in the world—a real “big boy” bike. I’m telling you, it was so shiny and bright! It had a white frame with a blue glitter banana  seat, blue glitter handles, and tassels. It was indeed the envy of all my friends. To top it off, it had blue tires. That  bike made me the coolest kid in the neighborhood.

The coolest thing about the blue tires was that it made me the only kid in town who could lay blue streaks on the sidewalk. The other kids could only lay black. We’d all line up together, race down the sidewalk, and then slam on our brakes to see who could leave the longest mark. Mine was always blue. If there was a blue treak on the sidewalk, you’d know I had been there. I had left my mark, and everybody knew whose it was.

As Christian coaches, God calls us to leave marks on the places that we’ve been. We are called to influence others for Christ. Whether it is at work, at home, or around the neighborhood, God calls us to live a life that reaches out to others and glorifies Him. We are called to “leave our marks” on our athletes, and that mark needs to look as much like Christ as possible. So today, ask yourself, what kind of mark are you leaving?