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As athletes and coaches, we spend a lot of time at practice. As an endurance athlete, when I’d train for marathons, I’d spend a minimum of two hours a day training for it. While that may seem like a lot, I remember back to my college days when we’d spend up to six hours a day training for football. As part of a team, though, I wasn’t alone for all those hours. I was on the field, in the meeting room, in the weight room and in school with nearly 100 other guys.
In 1954, a World War II veteran turned college coach named Don McClanen sat across the table from Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Branch Rickey. The meeting was the result of a letter-writing campaign in which McClanen was seeking face-to-face encounters with Christian athletes—the people he considered to be heroes.
The five-minute meeting between the two men dragged on for several hours and eventually birthed a revolutionary organization called the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Rickey lent his name to fund-raising efforts while McClanen oversaw administrative efforts to get the ministry off the ground.
A wide receiver or running back must make crisp cuts when running a route or hitting the hole. A soccer player needs to make crisp cuts when passing or dribbling. Basketball players must make quick, sure, crisp cuts when running plays or making moves to the hoop.
The word “crisp” has been defined as “notably sharp and clean-cut.” Should these athletes round their cuts, they would lose the ability to apply a successful move on their opponent.
Lately, it seems like there has been a proliferation of sports scandals at the amateur and professional levels. In most, if not all of the situations, there was a key moment of decision when the allegations surfaced. The choice was between character and reputation.
What are athletes without goals? Goals are obstacles that help us reach higher levels of ability. In Philippians 3:14, Paul says we should keep running for the goal God has for us. In doing this, we all have to lean on the Lord to know where we are going.
Have you ever been a part of a team that had a break-through year? In my own experiences as both a player and a coach, I find that those moments happen after a great deal of planning and training. Usually those “miracle” seasons don’t just happen; they are the result of hard work and effort. But one thing they do have in common is a big dream.
Several years ago, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University smacked her first home run in her college career with two runners on base in a playoff game against Central Washington University. While rounding the bases, she missed first base. As she started back to tag it, she collapsed with a knee injury. All she could do was crawl back to first, and if her teammates helped her, she would be called out.
Central Washington first baseman Mallory Holtman reportedly asked the umpire if she and her teammates could help Tucholsky. The umpire said yes, so Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace put their arms under Tucholsky’s legs, and Tucholsky put her arms over their shoulders. The three rounded the bases, stopping only to let Tucholsky touch each bag with her uninjured leg.
A while back, a friend of mine gave me a small book called "Overcoming Intimidation" by Keith Shealy. After reading the first chapter, I found a new mantra: “Run toward the roar.” This phrase has changed my entire mindset, especially when it comes to my sport of running.
Whenever I am in training for a race, I often experience pre-run anxiety regarding a variety of things—whether or not I'll finish, if I'll have enough energy, if there will be a treadmill available, if there will be rain/wind/snow, if I'll have the speed I need, if I'll get hurt, etc.
The story of Joseph from the Old Testament is fairly familiar to most of us. We may recall that he was the 11th son of Jacob, who was sold by his brothers into slavery and wound up as a steward over the household of an official named Potiphar. Joseph eventually winds up attracting attention from Potiphar’s wife, and when he refuses her, she has him imprisoned.
As I was recruiting this past winter and helping our staff assemble a basketball team for this upcoming season, I was struck by the thought of how a basketball team has distinct similarities to our churches and communities. In order to be successful, our basketball team must be made up of athletes with diverse talents. If we put a team of all post players or point guards on the court, we would have a tough time winning.
And in addition to having a variety of talents, it is also important for the team to be made up of athletes who understand their roles on the floor. It will not do our 5-10 point guard much good to play the post, nor will it serve our team well if our 6-7 post player decides to handle the ball and shoot three-pointers.
How many times do we see football players cross the goal line and do some sort of celebration? Either they try to bring attention to themselves through some crazy stunt, or they point to the sky in order to bring attention to someone else. In those situations, we Christians get all excited and say, “Look! They are giving God the glory.” Maybe they are, and maybe they’re not. The only person who knows for sure is the one with his finger in the air.
These days it seems like even humble acts are brought under the microscope. Even players who seem humble, or intend to be, wind up diving into pride. It’s hard to be humble when everybody around you is feeding your ego.
Just give up. There is incredible power in giving up. In fact, it should become a daily practice for all of us. If more athletes and coaches would give up, the sports world would be better off.
OK, maybe you don’t agree with me so far. You probably think I’m crazy. But I’m not talking about giving up as in quitting. I’m talking about giving up our rights and control and surrendering them to the Lord. You see, God hates the “quitting-giving-up,” but He loves the “surrender-giving-up.” What does God truly want most from us? For us to give up our lives for the sake of His Kingdom. Our whole life, we are taught to hold on tight to what we have earned, to protect and defend what is ours and not let people take advantage of us.
The Major League Baseball season is in full swing. Already, some ballplayers have started off with extremely high batting averages, and others have started off rather slowly. Only time will tell whether those hot hitters will taper off or if the slow starters will elevate their averages as the season progresses, but either way, it is likely that at some point during the season, they all will experience a slump.
NFL coach-turned-analyst Herman Edwards calls it like it is. You may or may not agree with him, but you will certainly not be bored. He isn't afraid to be open and honest based on his years of experience as a player and coach, and he doesn’t beat around the bush.
When I was admitted into the hospital in 2006 and, after five days of testing, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I found myself asking the question, “Why me, God? I have served You all these years, even preached Your Word as a youth pastor. Why would You allow me to get this devastating disease?”
I began to let the adversary work in my mind telling me to give up, that my life was over. I began to think that maybe I wasn’t worthy of God’s protection over my health. This tortured me for a while like a slow drip of water on my forehead. As time went by I realized that I once stood strong and healthy, and now I battle to stand. I asked myself again, “Why?”
In the 2011 Stanley Cup finals it should have been a night of celebration. It was a great series between two excellent teams: the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks. Instead, the nation woke up the next morning to news about massive violence in Canada as a result of their team’s defeat.
What a great reminder of why we as Christians are called to bring Christ to the world of sports. It’s not called the “universal language” for nothing. Sports are a huge part of our culture, and they impact it in so many ways. Even a single game can impact an entire city like Vancouver and have results that ripple through the lives of both sports fans and bystanders.
The success of the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball program didn't happen overnight.
For centuries, mankind has debated this universal question: Are leaders born or are they made? In other words, do people come out of the womb with leadership skills built into their DNA? Or is it the process of life combined with the right environment and proper education and training that help people develop into leaders?
Depending on who is asked, the answer will likely be different, which most likely means that leaders arise in both ways. While some people are born with certain gifts and abilities that might give them an advantage when it comes to leadership, others are not so blessed at birth but instead work hard to overcome whatever obstacles and challenges stand in their way.
One of the most overlooked participants on a competitive cheer squad, especially when a routine is going well, is the athlete called the “base.” As a matter of fact, when a cheer squad is nailing their routine, the base will hardly be noticed at all. However, when a “flier” misses a landing or a base misses a catch, I guarantee the base will be noticed. You see, the base is the foundation; everything must be built upon and supported by a firm base.
It was my first trail race. I had run many road races, all on smoothly paved roads, but this was going to be different. The trail I would be running was notorious for its uneven terrain, rocks, downed trees, protruding roots and mud holes. Say to any trail runner, “Potowatami,” and immediately they start spewing advice.
Before the race, a running friend of mine suggested that I get a road bracelet. You know, the ones where you can have all of your emergency info engraved on a wrist band. “Great idea,” I thought. “Not only will I have my emergency info, but I can also include a Scripture verse to encourage me!”
Not sure of which verse to choose, I asked my pastor to suggest one. He immediately responded with Philippians 4:13. It was perfect!
How often have we watched a football game in which one team is leading by six points with a few minutes left, and they decide to go into a “prevent defense”—allowing the other team to march down the field, throw short passes, and score a touchdown in the closing seconds? Or a basketball game in which they double-team the post player who has been scoring all the points, only to have that little point guard who hasn’t made anything all year, hit consecutive three-point shots and win the game? I call those unintended consequences or unexpected results.
As a result of pride, athletes can easily live for their personal agenda. Pride can make players want to play more often, cause others to fall short of their talent, and lead some to take all the credit for a win. Pride prevents a team from reaching its maximum potential. Jesus laid down His agenda for us; in fact, He laid down His very life. Certainly on a much smaller scale, but true nevertheless, a team will never reach its goals unless its athletes lay down their personal agendas for the sake of the team as a whole.
Congratulations to Packers fans! You all certainly have reason to celebrate this morning after the great victory in last night’s Super Bowl. Wear the cheeseheads all day and enjoy the moment!
As I watched the post-game coverage on SportsCenter this morning, I saw tons of highlights from the winning team, but there was one thing in the bottom ticker that caught my attention. It was a comment from Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who said, “I feel like I let the city of Pittsburgh down and the fans and my coaches and my teammates, and it’s not a good feeling.”
Man, I feel for Big Ben. That has to be a tough spot. But, honestly, I can’t think of an athlete or coach who hasn’t experienced this feeling.
A successful partnership is a key in any sport, no matter how many athletes are playing at once. Let's think about basketball specifically. You start with a pick-up game of two-on-two. In that situation, you must work hand-in-hand with your teammate (partner), in order to prevent your two opponents from scoring, and you must find a way to score yourself. Usually, in order to become efficient partners, you have to play a few games together to figure it out. And the more you play together, the better your partnership becomes.
All through the NFL playoffs, I spent much time scanning the various channels and listening to the experts’ analytical approaches to each matchup: who was going to win, who should win, who won't win and why it was important to win at all. When it comes to what is truly important, I think of the FCA Coaches Mandate, which offers a different take on importance.
After reading this, the concept takes on a different meaning, depending on where you are in your life and your faith. Read it here.
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