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October 09, 2012
Set:
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.
December 14, 2013
Set:
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.
December 12, 2012
Set:
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.
November 17, 2013
Set:
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.
January 10, 2013
Set:
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.
April 28, 2010
Set:
There are times in baseball when it seems like nothing goes right. You drop a fly ball, you strike out, you ground into a double play, your team gives up a bunch of runs. . . None of those are very encouraging, and people usually get mad and throw fits in those cases. You see this in the pros all the time. Managers especially can throw some of the biggest fits if an umpire doesn't make the call that they want. You would think that adults wouldn't throw fits!
Athletes and coaches often think that winning is everything, but truthfully, it is not. A person's attitude--win or lose--helps determine true winners and losers.
June 14, 2013
Set:
Last night, when my two year old stood on his bed in a playful mood, I encouraged him to jump to me; but did not put my hands out . . . yet. His face went from joy to fear as he looked at the elements. The bed was high—the floor was low.
As an athlete, we can be filled with indecision at times. We want to step up to help the team, but fear and doubt hold us back. In basketball, a coach will put a player on the floor to shoot, but if he or she hesitates, the opportunity passes away. Why do we fear and doubt when the coach has confidence we can do the job?
August 12, 2013
Set:
NBA Player, Chauncey Billups, said, “To be a good leader, at some point you have to be a good follower. I was always a good follower. I always followed the right people and listened to the right things.
Those helped shape me as a leader.” So, are you a good follower?
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard “Are you a leader or a follower?” when I was growing up. A subtle principle was communicated through that question: “be a leader not a follower!”
December 29, 2011
Set:
Recently while reading a book, I was reminded of the parable of the hidden treasure. This lesson from Matthew 13:44 offers a powerful message in just a single verse of Scripture. The beginning of Matthew 13 says that Jesus had been standing in a boat, teaching a crowd on the shore. Then, in verse 36, we are told that He left the crowd and went inside a house. When they were inside, the disciples asked Him to explain one of the parables He’d used, and once He’d finished that explanation, He offered another two-sentence parable.
June 29, 2013
Set:
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.
August 25, 2013
Set:
This can’t be happening, I thought. Not with only three and a half weeks to go! But as hard as I tried, I couldn’t deny the worsening pain in my right shin. As soon as I got home from my 12-mile run, I collapsed into a chair and cried. Three months of marathon training were headed down the drain.
Following the advice of my running peers, I didn’t run for two days. I was going crazy. A friend noticed my distress and offered a challenge. She encouraged me to pray during the time I would have been running. “Don’t get out of the daily training habit, just train a different way,” she said.
June 19, 2012
Set:
A few days ago, I went out for a long training run. It wasn't a particularly pretty day, and I wasn't exactly looking forward to the run ahead of me. About four miles in, it started to drizzle. A mile later, it was raining. I found myself looking around realizing that I was the only one out there running in the weather. My mind started to harp on how miserable it was, how much longer I had to go, and how I could probably just take a shortcut and go home. Then I felt God speak to me.
May 16, 2012
Set:
Football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning means you're willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else.” That's so true. To be a winner you must make a commitment to sticking with a task and following through with it. We all want to be winners, but many things, including the many temptations to make bad choices, stand in our way. Those choices often keep potential winners on the sidelines.
Life is full of trade-offs. The bad choices you make today are the down payments on your problems tomorrow. It's all a part of living under God's law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:8).
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: You take the time to lace up the skates just right. You got the good stick with the perfect curve. You have the essential pads and you’re set to go. You spring off the bench and over the boards and then just coast around. Is it too much work to skate hard? Well then what’s the point of coming to the game if you didn’t come to play to win? Is someone else suppose to pick up the puck and score the goals? You need to play to win.
March 22, 2013
Set:
“That’s never been done here before.” “We’ve never been to the state playoffs.” “We’ve never beaten them before.” How many times have athletes looked at past seasons as the standard for the current season? The past can be a great thing when kept in perspective.
April 24, 2013
Set:
In Matthew 8:19-22, it would seem that Jesus was heartless and uncaring with the disciple. The reality was that Jesus had need of him at that moment, but the young man’s current condition or situation kept him from committing to God. What present situations or conditions keep us from God? What will we miss by not following Him today? What have we already missed by not choosing Him before?
The sweet reality is that God knows us and is well acquainted with our circumstances and conditions. If we always waited for the most appropriate time to come to God, we may never come at all.
June 06, 2013
Set:
Baseball is often a game of controlled failure. Failing 7 out of 10 times can be considered a success. Unfortunately, this isn’t the same in our relationships.
In a large local tournament, one of our top players chose to play with a stronger team—a choice he was allowed to make. I was glad for him because he made a decision and stuck with it. Some families were offended because they felt we could win the tournament if we had him with us.
October 13, 2013
Set:
He had to make a choice. After the big win, all of his teammates were going out partying and drinking. How would he choose? Sound familiar? What about Noah?
“Lord, You want me to do what? Build what? An ark? And all those animals will listen to me? Right . . .” Noah had to make a choice. Build a big boat and obey, or don’t and tread water for a long time. He counted the cost and made the right decision. Noah did not choose what the crowd or his friends wanted him to do, but was loyal and obedient to God. We can be encouraged by Noah to take a stand and not be afraid to do something against the grain. The words “everyone is doing it” must not keep us from obeying God!
November 15, 2012
Set:
Louis Garza moved into our neighborhood when he was in the sixth grade. He was big, strong, fast, . . . and humble. He was easily the best athlete in our whole group, and we had a lot of really good athletes. But Louis was different; he willingly did anything for the good of the team.
It’s always tough trying to fit into a new group, but Louis slipped into ours easily. He didn’t demand anything. As a matter of fact, Louis was so humble that he always tried to get his weaker teammates to experience the more glamorous positions. He wanted others to feel special and succeed.
January 24, 2013
Set:
Whether it’s grading films, evaluating staff, or being evaluated by a superior, we’re all familiar with some standard of measurement—systems by which we determine how things are going. God has a system too. His system is called the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20. If we have broken even one of these commandments, the Bible says we’re guilty of breaking them all (Jms 2:10).
November 23, 2010
Set:
As Thanksgiving comes around, I am getting so ready to go home and be with family. I am excited for turkey, football, and, of course, sleeping. But with all these activities I tend to rely on them to refuel me over the school break. I find myself thinking that if I can just get through this week then I will have rest and fun with my family.
When I step back, I realize that I have started trusting in my activities to get me through this grueling week rather than relying on the Lord. I am trusting in my family, food, football and fellowship more than I am trusting in God. But God is a jealous God and wants our full attention and for us to completely trust in Him—to understand that He alone can bring meaning to our life.
September 28, 2011
Set:
Friday night at a high school football game, I saw something that doesn’t happen very often: an offense had a first-and-goal opportunity at the one-yard line and they failed to score. The opposing defense came up big and made a huge stand to prevent the touchdown that probably would have lost them the game.
In life, how often do we feel like we're down-and-out, like Satan and his team have marched the ball straight down the field until they're standing with first-and-goal on our one-yard line just about ready to punch it in and score? Often, when we're at our weakest, winning seems impossible. The devil attacks hoping for the easy kill.
August 17, 2013
Set:
In the movie Invincible, the story of Philadelphia Eagles fan-turned-NFL-pro Vince Papale plays out on the big screen. After losing his job and wife, he was told he would never amount to anything, that he wouldn’t make any money, and wasn’t going anywhere.
Some of us have experienced a coach saying, “You’re not talented enough. You won’t make it.” Possibly a coworker, spouse, friend, or parent has caused doubt.
February 23, 2013
Set:
One day, the team was practicing when their coach had to leave for a minute. Once the coach was out of sight, the team started acting up and shooting half-court shots. Suddenly, out of nowhere they heard a voice say, ”I saw that.” One player made the comment, “Man, Coach must have eyes everywhere.” In sports, the eyes of a coach are always watching even when no one thinks they are looking.
March 26, 2013
Set:
As a high school basketball coach, I often notice that my players are influenced by the past. After a winning streak, they can begin to believe that they are better than they actually are. Such overconfidence often leads to deflating defeats. Of course, the same deflation typically occurs after a losing streak because the team loses confidence.
In order to avoid either extreme—overconfidence or none at all—many coaches encourage the team members to stay focused. In our program, we remind our players to focus on what lies ahead rather than on the past. After each game, we say, “The season starts tomorrow.” This helps us remember all we can achieve as a team.
