Florida State head football coach Bobby Bowden shares his whit and wisdom regarding his more than 50 years of coaching college football.
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The Calling
Set:
Many times on the Christian journey, we sense God calling us to do something. Sometimes, though, the task seems too great or our resources seem too small. Other times, God’s call can feel overwhelming and cause us to doubt whether we really heard Him at all. Thankfully, He has given us His Scriptures to speak directly to our fears and doubts when it comes to matters related to His call.
One in Spirit
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Common interests, passions, experiences, and skills naturally draw people together. We all enjoy partnering with others with whom we can identify. When someone says, “I know how you feel,” and you believe that he really does, a bond is formed. David and Jonathan are examples of two men who experienced that deeper connection; they were, “one in spirit,” drawn together by a shared faith (1 Sm 14; 17). Both men trusted God when no one else did, and as a result, David and Jonathan were key in God’s plan to defeat the dreaded Philistines. Both men trusted God even though the odds were not in their favor.
Weakness Leads to Strength
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Many of us learned the “Jesus Loves Me” song as children, but the last part always bothered me: ”Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; They are weak but He is strong.” To me, displaying weakness seemed to contradict the very goal of competition.
As I was learning to compete in athletics, the idea of embracing weakness seemed ridiculous. I thought that I had to renounce all that I had learned in the gym in order to become weak. I mean, who has ever been chosen for a team for being the weakest player? Who breaks into a starting lineup because she is weaker than her teammates? I wanted to be strong and display that power for anyone who cared to watch.
Walkitude
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"Tell me something good!" he would say when I saw him. "I'm doing great!" he would say when I would ask him how he was doing. The late Coach Randy Walker had an infectious attitude in life. He was one of the most positive men I have ever been around. This attitude is something I now refer to as a "walkitude." A walkitude is an overwhelming positive view of life that is lived out in everyday actions and attitudes. He lived his life just that way.
God's Fearless Warrior
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One of my favorite Bible stories is David versus Goliath. David was small, weaker than most his age and, by the world’s standards, not prepared to play in the “big game” against the Philistines. If we had read the pregame report for this battle, David would not have been on the roster. But David surprised everyone. He was empowered by his belief in a God who could overcome any obstacle or challenge—even a Philistine giant!
#64 - StVRP - Glen Coffee, Justin Griffith, Chris Spielman, Les Steckel
Alabama running back Glen Coffee, Oakland Raiders fullback Justin Griffith, college football analyst Chris Spielman and FCA President Les Steckel.
Freedom and Mercy
As many as 10 million females and one million males in the United States struggle with a life-threatening eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia - a number equivalent to the combined population of New York City and Los Angeles. Of the number of men and women who struggle with eating disorders, 95 percent are between the ages of 12 and 25.
Further revealing the severity of the situation are stats from the Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders. They claim that the mortality rate associated with anorexia is 12 times higher than the death rate of all causes of death for females ages 12-24. It is estimated that 480,000 people die every year from complications related to eating disorders.
Eat what you CRAVE…Again!
So should we really give in and eat the things we crave? Or is there a better way?
Who's Yours?
Set:
Summer is flying by so fast! This revelation hit my oldest son the other day when he realized that he hadn't spent much time with his father in the past few months. So, I took him to lunch. He was full of information and wanted to tell me everything at once. During the conversation, however, he got quiet and thoughtful for a second and his normal sports questions stopped. "Daddy," he asked, "who is your role model?" I didn't have to think long. That was an easy one.
#35 - StVRP - Drew Neitzel, Jimmy Page and Sal Bando
Michigan State basketball star Drew Neitzel, Executive Director of FCA Health and Fitness Jimmy Page, Sal Bando, FCA President Les Steckel
Focus
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Homecoming week can strike fear into the heart of a coach. There’s the dance, the pep assembly, the class competitions and, of course, the game, which is often the last to be mentioned. Although our players know better, all the festivities can distract them. It’s a challenge to help them stay focused and arrive at the game ready to play. I admit, some seasons it causes me not to see straight.
Fit 4 Ever: Nutrition and Training
Preparation is one of the most important aspects of our spiritual lives. In fact, knowing how you will respond when faced with various situations or temptations will often determine your ability to stand firm in your faith.
Preparation is also one of the most important aspects of training for competition on the athletic field. The quality of our nutrition before practice or training can have a profound effect on our ability to get the most out of our workouts and get ready for competition.
The Plan
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How many of us have ever started a practice, game or even a season without a plan? To me, that idea doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. As coaches, we have plans coming out our ears! As a coach, I started working on next season just as soon as the current one was over. After all, I had to recruit in-coming freshman and encourage the returning athletes to come back. The last thing I wanted was for them to lose interest in being part of the team.
I’m such a pack rat. Over the years I’ve saved so many coaching plans, even ones for sports I’ve never coached. You never know when you’ll be the head coach of a new sport someday, right? You just have to be ready at a moment’s notice.
Alvin Battle with Ron Brown 2
Alvin Battle, a member of the 1983 North Carolina State college basketball championship team, talks about how his church is bridging the gap between races in their communinity.
Giving Back
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He may not have been the biggest, fastest or strongest man in the NFL, but that didn't keep Warrick Dunn from being selected as the 2004 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. The award, which recognizes a player who excels on the field and in community service, couldn't have a more worthy recipient than Dunn. Inspired by his mother, who never got to realize her dream of owning a home, he has helped 52 single moms become first-time home owners through his "Home for the Holidays" program. Said Dunn, "People say I'm giving back, but I think I'm getting a lot more than what I put in."
Fit4Ever:
Deuteronomy 5 gives the account of Moses receiving the 10 Commandments from God. At the time, the commandments were given to protect God’s chosen people and bring life to the community, but, ultimately, all of the law was given to expose human sin and our need for a Savior.
The Perfect Play Call
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All coaches want to make that perfect play call. That play that will be a guaranteed score. The play that there is just no stopping. And every athlete wants to be the one who runs the perfect play.
As athletes, your coach may tell you to visualize running every play perfectly. You might spend those pre-game moments alone in a quiet area just watching the game play out in your mind. And every one of us sees the same game play through our heads. . . The game is tied, and it is up to us to make the winning shot. We have the ball at the end of the game, and only the perfect play will win it all. Well, we all know that there is no perfect play. Things come up. Things usually don't go exactly how we planned.
The Right Spot
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The Boston Red Sox saw little potential in their 24-year-old pitcher. He’d had a couple of decent years, but he had showed little sign of improvement. Eventually, the team traded him to the New York Yankees, who decided to move him to the outfield to utilize his strong arm. The Yankees also believed that he could become a good hitter. They were right. Years later, few people remember that Babe Ruth began his career as a mediocre pitcher in Boston!
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