You Are Here > Popular content / Popular content
As coaches we want players who are “on fire” for our team. We want players who “live” our sport and don’t just “play” from time to time. As athletes we should want to excel to the highest level possible. We should not be satisfied with less than our total “sold out” effort. That is exactly what God wants from us.
During a recent Monday Night Football game, I watched as two future Hall of Fame coaches took the field. The TV announcers shared how they had talked with a player who had played for both coaches in the past. They asked him what was the different in coaching styles. He said that one coached by fear, the other by love. When asked what the player preferred, he shared that both can be effective, but that love lasts forever.
About 13 years ago during college I started running as a way of staying in shape. Over the years, I’ve come to love the sport, and because of that, the verse above caught my attention, and I have continued to meditate on it.
I recently read a research article about the physical size of a person’s heart muscle. The research noted that the size of a runner’s heart was measurably larger than the size of an ordinary person’s heart. As the runner trains on a regular basis, the heart begins to pump blood with more volume and with more power, causing the heart muscle to strengthen and increase in size. Doesn’t that sound a lot like Psalm 119:32? I believe this concept can help our hearts grow spiritually as well.
What are fantasies? They are usually a big waste of time and, as stated above, they lack sense. Fantasies are different than dreams. Dreams have the potential to come from God and, therefore, can be instrumental in bringing working direction to our daily lives. The right dream can bring foundational vision to what we do.
Here are some examples of potentially good dreams: striving for a high GPA, shooting to make all-league at shortstop, helping a friend become a Christian.
I remember those games when I was a child where captains were appointed and then all waited to see who was picked by whom and when. Nobody wanted the distinction of being picked last. It was a horrible feeling, and I experienced it on a number of occasions.
How wonderful it feels to be wanted. Many times, people fall into bad relationships or immorality just because they desperately want to be wanted by someone, anyone.
Basketball has brought me so much in my life, and I have such a passion for the game. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned through it is one that I learned during my college career. I learned that my love and passion for the game does not come from my own ability but from the love that Jesus has for me. It is the gift He’s given me that brings out joy when I compete on the court.
When it came time to choose a career, I knew that I wanted to teach the game of basketball and develop athletes not only as players but as people. So, what profession do you think I went into after graduation? The wonderful world of collegiate coaching, of course!
Baltimore Orioles’ second baseman and leadoff hitter Brian Roberts knows what it means to trust the Lord amidst injury and trials. The 12-year Major League Baseball veteran has spent the last year battling through a myriad of injuries making him dig deep with his faith and trust the Lord with the results.
When asked what God has taught him through his experience battling injury, he explained how it has produced spiritual growth and ultimate trust in the Lord, “If we never went through trials we would never grow. If I just hit .300 every year and everything went smooth, I wouldn’t ever grow in my faith. I would never have to rely on Him or trust in Him for everything.”
Weight training is a must for athletes in order to prepare their bodies for practice and competition. The benefits of weight training and conditioning are increased muscle size, increased strength and the power to maximize their abilities. Weight training also reduces the number and severity of injuries. It overloads the muscles and breaks down muscle fibers. The muscle then recovers, becoming bigger and stronger.
As I reflect on my career, my most defining moment came in the spring of 2002. I was beginning my sixth season as a varsity softball coach, and I had been struggling in my relationship with God. Some very special young women changed all that.
Coaches often travel the country recruiting future players, selling their programs, and hoping that future stars will pick their particular school. Blue-chip recruits are in high demand, and every coach is inwardly crying, “Pick me! Pick me!” This is a great analogy for choosing godly wisdom, as illustrated in Proverbs.
In chapter 8, wisdom calls out to us and pleads her case about why we should pick her. Choosing wisdom is invaluable. It is better than the best thing we could ever want. Why? As the writer says at the end of the chapter, whoever finds wisdom finds happiness and life, and obtains favor from the Lord.
Many endurance athletes measure their level of effort during workouts or competitions by monitoring their percent of maximum heart rate. They identify their "max HR" by using a specific testing method either in the lab or real-life settings such as a track. Then, based on that number, they can review future performances in the context of that maximum effort data. While specific interpretation of the data varies based on a coach, the sport and the athlete, it can be quite beneficial in determining the actual effort put forth in a specific setting.
Whenever I have an upcoming race, especially a marathon, I spend a lot of time training. People often ask me, "Where do you find the time?" But I think the real question on their minds is, "Why are you CHOOSING to spend your time doing that?"
When I began running marathons in 2009 my life and my pursuits were out of balance. I knew the training process would instill characteristics such as discipline, accountability and goal-setting. What I later realized was that running would also allow me plenty of time alone with my thoughts and time alone with God. Now I no longer have to justify my reason for doing marathons. People realize it has changed me for the better.
During the Christmas season there seems to be a more evident and fresh feeling of hope in the air. There is extended time with family, presents to give and receive, more gifts and money given to those in need, cheerful music and so on. Most of us look forward to these things all year.
As a coach, I also notice this hope-filled feeling in our team right before each game. Leading up to the game we have practiced hard and prepared, and now the score’s 0-0. We have the hope of playing well and getting a victory.
When I was 12, I was playing second base for an all-star team. I still remember dropping that pop fly that ended up, in part, costing us the win. I made excuses—blaming the rain and even the lights (it was a night game). At the time, I didn’t think I was making excuses; I just didn’t want the loss to be my fault.
Excuses spread like a virus. We blame the refs, our teammates and even the weather! We make excuses for why we’re late to practice, why we didn’t work out, why we missed a shot—you name it. When we justify why we didn’t do what we should’ve, it’s easier to make excuses the next time.
“Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure” (Don Wilder).
If you haven’t caught Lin-Sanity yet, you should probably turn on ESPN. Well, turn on any channel for that matter. It’s been featured on more than just the sports stations, even infiltrating the national news based on his incredibly fast rise to sports fame.
His name is Jeremy Lin, and he is now the starting point guard for the New York Knicks. Since he took over the starting position, the Knicks have been on fire, and Lin himself has gone crazy on the scoring end amassing a total of 146 points in just six games. His popularity has skyrocketed so high that you can’t even access the Knicks’ homepage without first going through a big banner of Lin-Sanity.
All this from a second-year kid from Harvard? Yep!
After playing in and coaching thousands of games, I have found that I struggle with one main issue: Whose team is God on—my team or the other team? How can God pick sides? If He does pick sides, how does He decide which side to be on? If there are Christians on both teams, then how can God be on both teams? These questions challenge us as athletes and coaches.
“You have no wall.” The cardboard sign tacked to the telephone pole couldn’t have appeared at a better time. As I pushed my legs up the hill of mile 10 in the local half marathon, I knew this would be the toughest part of the race. During training, mile 10 had always been the hardest both mentally and physically—and now it was uphill.
“You have no wall.” It was like God’s voice resonating in my mind as I pushed my legs a little harder, trying to crest the incline as fast as I could. And just then it hit me—I had no wall. I had trained hard enough to make it through mile 10 and finish the race well.
Sports today have almost consumed our society. Who can even imagine a world before Sports Center? It seems everyone lives their lives through other athletes and coaches—their successes and their failures.
In this highly competitive world, the approval of fans and media can be very appealing, just as their disapproval can be very discouraging. As a Division I basketball coach, my teams and I are often the subject of lavish praise or severe criticism. I constantly struggle with the “approval syndrome”—the need for the approval of others. If I strive for man’s approval, I become elated with success and despondent with failure.
Basketball in March — it's really good. I was thinking yesterday about what drives us to "madness" in March. I'll tell you the secret (hardly) … it's because everything is on the line. From high school playoffs to the NCAA Tournament, it's "do or die" for every team. Win and move on — lose and be done. The season is at stake with no second chances. This inescapable fact loads every game weight and consequence. Everyone gives it all they've got, lest it be their last chance.
I grew up in a Christian family in Peterborough, Ontario. As a young athlete, I did my best to balance my hockey career with the faith I had embraced as a six-year-old boy. My parents were great examples of what it looks like to trust Jesus. I can remember coming downstairs before school every day and seeing my mom reading her Bible and praying.
The gym was packed with screaming fans. You could cut the tension with a knife. It was late in the fourth quarter and Luke had just come into the game—his first game as a varsity player. With time slowly ticking away, the ball was passed to him. He began to dribble toward the basket and . . . bounced the ball off of his foot and out of bounds. I am so out of place, Luke thought. Why did Coach put me in the game?
In all my years of watching sports I’ve seen quite a few game plans. There have been trick plays, last-minutes heroics and the tremendous execution of skills in amazing victories.
Sometimes I believe English is the first spoken language in America, and “dishonesty” a close second. I often hear people say, “To be honest with you . . .” Does that mean that in previous conversations, they were not telling the truth? To have a successful team, to be a champion on and off the court, honesty must exist!
David experienced some very low times in his life. During one of these times, Absalom, his son, had taken over the capitol city, and David had to run to the hills for his life. During his hasty retreat, David encountered a man named Shimei, who was walking on a hillside. From where he stood, Shimei began to curse David and throw stones and dirt at him. David was flanked on the right and left by loyal members of his administration, and they were getting hit with stones as well.
Ministry
Sport
Book of the Bible
FCA Bible Topic