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John was a great miler who liked to take the lead early in the race and run to victory. His coach was concerned about an upcoming race. John’s top opponent liked to come from behind to win.
When the race started, John raced to the lead. His coach told him to move to the inside of lane one, but John ignored him. Laps two and three, his coach said the same thing, but John only grew upset with him. On lap four, his coach was insistent, but John stayed firm.
Ask a coach to list the qualities of a complete player and discipline is always in the list. A disciplined player has a work ethic that sets him or her apart. He or she makes a strong player, but not always a strong person. It’s amazing how many NFL players leave the league bankrupt, divorced, or addicted to alcohol or other drugs. While many NFL players show extreme discipline athletically, some show little discipline in their moral decisions and relationships. The quality they lack is self-control.
What does it mean to be sitting on the sidelines? It means we’re not in the game. In sports, there’s a limited amount of athletes who can be in a game at one time, and there are many reasons why certain ones have to sit out: they are injured, they aren’t starters, they’re lower on the depth chart, they don’t quite have the skills, or they’re just fans.
But what about those times when we are healthy, skilled and highly capable enough to be in the game, but we still choose not to go in? This is rare, but it does happen. Maybe we’re afraid, not comfortable with a situation, or that we’re losing and don’t want to be blamed for it.
One of LaDainian Tomlinson’s favorite verses is Luke 12:48: “...Much will be required of everyone who has been given much...” The passage, which is a direct quote from Jesus to His disciples, is one LT’s mother instilled in him when he was young and that now serves as one of his core life principles. It sits there, in the back of his mind, waiting to be recalled at any moment that he might need to explain just why he is so generous with his time and resources.
1 – Today’s competition will require a tremendous amount of leadership for us to be victorious. It will require a unique type of leadership.
2 – This kind of leadership is best described in Mark 10:42-45 (read the text aloud).
Wildfires aren’t typically associated with Hawaii, but that may be about to change—just don’t expect to see actual flames consuming the palm trees and pineapples. This fire is spiritual, and it’s one that is being used by God to spread His Word across the islands, specifically through FCA and the student-athletes at the University of Hawaii.
One of the biggest hindrances to an athlete's performance is doubt. Wondering whether or not he or she is capable of doing the job. From the hitting drills of football to individual at-bats of baseball to the weight lifting of everyone, a major factor of success is being confident in the ability to do something.
One of the common elements in all levels of football from peewee to pro is the playbook. It contains the game plan each team uses to try to overcome its opponent. Without the playbook teams and players would be in a state of confusion not knowing what to do or where to go. On the other hand, no matter how good the playbook is, it’s absolutely useless if the players don’t study and apply it.
We can all recall a time when we’ve competed to the point of total exhaustion, our bodies, minds, and souls fully spent in pursuit of a victory. How does one continue to compete at the point of physical breakdown and total collapse?
The writer of this psalm knew what it was for his flesh and heart to fail. He had totally exhausted the capacity of his body to fight, but had lived on. He had been to the very end of his heart’s ability to love, but found renewed strength of soul.
At the end of a body’s natural ability to compete, God is a limitless source of strength. When our hearts are poured out like much water, God is a river of life to the soul.
As a coach, it’s hard to make athletes understand that improvement takes place in the off-season. I would always get the same excuse about needing time off after a hard season. Work ethic is a big deal to a coach. Athletes who put in the work are always better off in the end.
A while ago I had the incredible opportunity to go on a cross-country trip with my family. We spent some time driving through Arches National Park in Utah, and at one point decided to take a break to get out and stretch our legs.
The park itself includes thousands of acres of desolate land with countless geographic features to hike and explore. We didn’t have a whole lot of time, but we decided to see the arch aptly named “Delicate Arch.” Because of our schedule, we set out to explore the arch from the more distant, lower view. From the parking lot to the viewing area was about a half a mile on an uphill, rocky, dusty trail. Mixed with the elevation and heat, it wasn't a simple walk to the overlook. You had to really want to see it.
Let’s consider who has had the biggest influence on our athletic careers. Has there been more than one person who has made a significant impact on our abilities as athletes? First Corinthians 3:6 speaks about compounded influence.
In Paul’s first letter to his friends in Corinth, he used a familiar farming illustration. Let’s turn Paul’s farming comparison into a sports analogy.
Growing an athlete is like growing crops. There’s obvious collaboration among those who plant, cultivate, irrigate, and harvest. In the same way, growing a champion involves the compounding influences of parents, coaches, teammates, opponents, and so on.
More than thirty years later there is still evidence that my front tooth took a chunk of wood out of my mom’s furniture. When my two older brothers and I were kids, we invented a game called “Walkie-Talkie.” I know a walkie-talkie is a portable, handheld communication device, but we hijacked the name because it perfectly fit our game. When I think back on it, I’m pretty sure it was really just a game that allowed my brothers to inflict bodily harm on me, but I wasn’t smart enough to figure that out. I was just thankful they wanted to do something with their youngest brother. (Do I hear an “Amen!” from all the youngest kids out there?)
Success in Football
• Name the two most important things in order to succeed in football as a player or team. (Impossible to answer, use as icebreaker with team….
• What are do you as a team want to succeed in this year? I will use this time for captains to cover major goals –
o (7 shutouts, no region losses, region champions, state playoffs etc.. Should be specific for your team..)
• As team I remind them of the quote “if you don’t know where you are going you will likely end up somewhere else – (John Maxwell)
Vince Lombardi – The only place success comes before hard work is in the dictionary
Fifteen girls sat throughout the locker room avoiding eye contact with their coach. They had lost previous games but none this badly. Coach paced the quiet room finding his words. “What happened to this team?” Each word grew louder, leading into the speech the girls had heard before. “Three years ago we won state, now we can’t even win one game! I have never coached a team with less …” His words droned on, drowning the girls in further defeat.
As a coach in a low-income school, I see my players go through very difficult times. Many have no father at home, and they endure a mediocre educational system in a drug-infested neighborhood. These kids have to work twice as hard just to break even. It is hard not to internalize the problems of our players. Because the environment in which they live provides little or no hope, we find ourselves wanting to step in to solve their problems. However, we typically find ourselves feeling helpless. From time to time coaches find themselves serving as father, mother, lawyer, mediator, and mentor to their players, surrogate roles that press down with lots of pressure and responsibility.
Guests include Chadron State University running back Danny Woodhead,former NFL linebacker Mike Singletary, former American soccer star Kyle Rote, Jr. and FCA’s President Les Steckel
As the second-year head football coach at Clemson University, Dabo Swinney is hoping to lead the Tigers to their first ACC Championship in 19 years. After accepting Christ through FCA in high school, the Alabama native (with one of the most memorable names in college football) is focused not only on making a positive impact on the school’s record books, but also on the lives of his players and staff.
If you are reading this, it is likely that you are a coach. However, whether you are a coach, a parent, or an athlete, you are involved in relationships. One of the most encouraging aspects of relationships is the exchange of compliments—genuine, from-the-heart compliments that don’t patronize, but let someone know that he or she is valued. Coaches sometimes neglect to show their appreciation for the players who sit on the bench. We get so wrapped up with the starters that we fail to let those less talented or less experienced know just how much we’re thankful that they’re on the team.
In lacrosse, there are many essential pieces of equipment: gloves, elbow pads, shoulder pads and, most important, helmets.
After mentally preparing myself for my final collegiate game, I started getting ready physically. I put on my game shorts, then my shoulder and arm pads. I laced up my cleats. All that was left was my helmet. I reached into my bag and found gloves, some tape, socks, a few lacrosse balls, but no helmet. I looked around thinking someone might be playing a prank on me, but this was no joke. I had left the most important piece of equipment three hours west in my locker.
University of Oklahoma Women's Basketball Coach Sherri Coale tells how being a part of her team is bigger than just the player's role on the court.
Two summers ago I was working at a regular Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) residence camp at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss. It was the first day, and I was excited to be there. Everyone was getting to know each other, and we were all preparing for what the week would hold.
Christian coaches are called to use their gifts for the glory of God and His kingdom. When we are generous with our talent and work to set an example of faithful stewardship, we allow our team to witness God at work in our lives. As coaches it is important that we make a point of guiding our teams away from the turmoil that comes through envy and selfish ambition.
Into the first 10 years of my pro golf career, my spiritual life could be described as “just going through the motions.” I went to church growing up and knew all the right things to say, but I didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. That all changed in 1985.
What athlete does not want to be in a Hall of Fame? What little kid playing T-ball doesn’t dream of hitting the winning home run in the World Series? What sixth grader playing touch football at recess doesn’t dream of playing in the Super Bowl? It is in our nature to be driven competitors.
Our society has special places of honor for those who are above average. Whether it is dreaming of being inducted in Canton, Ohio, as a gridiron great or making it to Cooperstown, New York, as a hero of the diamond, everybody wants to be the best. The thing some athletes don’t realize is that they are already in God’s Hall of Fame.
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