Popular content
October 07, 2005
Set:
I love baseball! It is an individual sport that relies on a team for a successful outcome. It also is the only American sport in which, during a stoppage in play, a manager or coach can approach an umpire to dispute a rule or argue a call. Unfortunately, we’ve all seen a manager throwing a tantrum, kicking dirt on the plate or verbally abusing an umpire. And we’ve also seen the umpire retaliating in anger and, sometimes, losing control. It’s hard to have someone yell at us or challenge our character in any setting, but especially in front of peers and spectators in a stadium.
February 07, 2013
Set:
What happens when we get asked a question we are not prepared to answer? If you are anything like me, one of two things happen. The first option could be your heart beats rapidly and you blabber incoherently for a few seconds in an effort to form an answer. The other option is to pause, take a deep breath, and calmly say what is on your heart. By the Lord's grace, I experienced the latter recently.
While preparing for an upcoming presentation on Leadership and Career Development to a group of aspiring young athletic professionals, I was blindsided by a question in a conference call with the symposium leader.
March 31, 2010
Set:
As March Madness winds down, we can clearly see the parity that exists at the highest level of college basketball. It’s been excited to watch the thrilling overtime victories and the games that have been decided by three points or less. Teams have matched up toe-to-toe, scraped, hustled and competed to extend their seasons for one more game. At the end of every game, one team has been left celebrating while the other has left empty-handed, perhaps stunned, that the game got away in the final ticks of the clock.
November 22, 2004
Set:
This November, thousands of college wrestlers throughout the country begin a four-month journey that will culminate with the 2005 NCAA Championships in St. Louis. Come March, more than 300 will make the trip to wrestle at the NCAA finals, and only 10 will go home with a gold medal. What does it take to be one of the 10? It starts with a denial of selfish wants, a willingness to endure hardships and a relentless, total commitment to the cause.
November 09, 2004
Set:
This year, the world of baseball gave us a very good example of perseverance. The Boston Red Sox, down three games to none against the New York Yankees, did not quit. They defied the odds and made something happen — something their organization had been incapable of doing for 86 years. They won the World Series. The Red Sox dug in and won eight straight games against probably the two best teams in baseball, the Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals.
August 01, 2013
Set:
Due to Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Saints began the 2005 NFL season with more on their minds than winning football games. Katrina caused devastation not only in the lives of many Saints fans, players and families, but also to the whole city of New Orleans. In the season opener, kicker John Carney hit a 47-yard field goal with three seconds left to give the saints a 23-20 victory over the Carolina Panthers. “You don’t want to attach too much importance to it, you know, because it’s still just a football game,” Carney said. “But, sure, there was a sense that we were playing for more than ourselves today."
February 09, 2005
Set:
Deion Branch came from relative obscurity as one of the no-name New England Patriot receivers to win the XXXIX Super Bowl MVP title. With 11 catches and 133 yards, he added to his 10 catches in last year's Super Bowl to set several receiving records. He missed seven regular season games this year due to a knee injury but came back in time for the playoffs.
Interestingly, Anthony "Deion" Branch wasn't highly recruited out of his Albany, Ga., high school. Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss., offered him a scholarship in some respects to assure the signing of linebacker Anthony Maddox, a highly recruited teammate. At Jones, Branch worked hard and contributed significantly and in 1998, helped his team achieve a perfect 12-0 season.
February 25, 2004
Set:
Looking back on the past weekend's FCA 50th Anniversary celebration, I can only think of one word: AMAZING. I am not sure how many people were there, but it does not matter, it was the spirit of fellowship, spirit of unity, and the Spirit of God that was present in Kansas City. All who attended were blessed in a great way.
December 01, 2008
Set:
One athlete’s career-threatening injury is another athlete’s blessing in disguise. At least that’s been the case for Major League Soccer veteran and four-time All-Star Chris Klein, who tore his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in 2001 and his left ACL in 2004.
July 24, 2013
Set:
As an NHL player, I’ve never been quick to admit my fears, but I’ve definitely had them. When facing Edmonton in game seven of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, I was more nervous than I’d ever been in my athletic career. Leaning on God during that game helped me find strength to face my fears head on. We ended up winning the game and the Stanley Cup, a first for the Carolina Hurricanes.
March 04, 2004
Set:
Oh, to be Lawrence Frank. Yes, old Larry Boy. Oh, you don't know who he is? He is the current coach of the New Jersey Nets. Why do I say current? Well, in the coaching profession, there are two kinds of coaches: those who have been fired, and others who will be. However, for now, Coach Frank is enjoying the limelight of a winning team. What has made the difference for this team? I am not sure, but I am sure the players are buying into what he is teaching team on a day-to-day basis. Keep up the great work, Coach Frank!
October 22, 2004
Set:
It was in a post-game press conference that we saw the true Curt Schilling. Sure, he had pitched an unbelievable game in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, but in the first question of his press conference we quickly learned where the Boston Red Sox pitcher found the strength to complete his performance. Schilling explained that he has been a Christian for seven years and has learned over time that he cannot do anything under his own strength. He puts his hope and trust solely in God for the strength to do what is needed.
January 10, 2011
Set:
NBA legend Michael Jordon once said, “My attitude is that if you push me toward something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.” The competitor’s mindset is always to turn a weakness into a strength. They are in constant pursuit of getting better. However, on the flip side, no one would ever think of turning a strength into a weaknesses. But beware, strong one. Your strengths can quickly become a weakness without any warning if you are not careful.
May 14, 2004
Set:
The NBA … it's fantastic. Well, maybe not. But at playoff time it does get pretty exciting. The Indiana Pacers are once again making a push for the coveted title. The Pacers are not being led by the deadly sharp shooting of Reggie Miller this season, but the powerful play of two younger players — Ron Artest and Jermaine O’Neal. Reggie's days are ending, and he is passing the torch to his teammates. He knows he cannot carry the load like in years past. It is time for the younger, more youthful players on his team to step up, take on the responsibility, and lead their team to a championship. Reggie no doubt will do his job, but his best days are behind him now.
January 11, 2011
Set:
The sport of bull riding is what some call “the toughest sport on dirt.” It involves riding a twisting, bucking, angry bull for what every rider hopes will be eight seconds—a virtual eternity when seated on 1,800 pounds of raging power.
One common denominator among bull riders is fear. The Lord says in Isaiah that we have nothing to fear because, by the glory of God, He will help us through anything we face. And that means anything from the possibility of missing clutch free-throws to the potential of getting trampled by a bull.
July 10, 2013
Set:
Hall of Fame basketball coach John Wooden once said, “A leader’s most powerful ally is his or her own example. There is hypocrisy to the phrase ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’ I refused to make demands on my boys that I wasn’t willing to live out in my own life.”
Too often as athletes and coaches, we desire to live a life we know we cannot live. What I mean is that we desire for our external life (the life everyone sees—wins and accomplishments) to be greater than our internal life (our thoughts and desires).
May 10, 2004
Set:
Wright College had a football team of 100 players. Every player knew the system, except for one. He was lost. A freshman who had never played football before, and had walked on to the team. He thought it would be fun, but he was lost. Everything seemed foreign to him. On plays, he would go one way, and everyone else another. He was always last in drills and always making his unit run for his struggles. Many players did not like this freshman, but he was still part of the team — the body. Ninety-nine players and one who was lost.
April 23, 2012
Set:
Another grueling workout… I have just finished leg presses with 10 plates. As I grab the sides of the press machine to steady myself as I get up, I can feel my legs shaking. It is not the normal shake of someone who has worked out hard. It is the shake that comes from the nerves in my body struggling through multiple sclerosis.
I look around the gym as I try to get my mind to coordinate my legs to move and I see the other bodybuilders working out. They are all healthy. They stand strong and steady on their legs. They don’t hold onto the machines to keep from losing their balance. There is no effort in walking from machine to machine.
April 26, 2005
Set:
We have all coached them – the players who push us to the limit. Those players who drive you crazy (bless their hearts) as a coach because they either don't listen or don't do what you have asked them to do countless times. Just when you think you are about to pull out your last hair, a ray of light beams down, and something changes. Slowly, but surely, they start to change and conform to your coaching. Next thing you know, they get it. They actually get it. Sound familiar? Well, I know someone who has coached more people than any of us, and who deals with that exact situation on a daily basis.
November 23, 2011
Set:
Athletes love to be called great. At least I do. It has been awhile since I have heard those words on the field of competition, but I do hear it from my kids every once in a while, so I got that going for me. If you truly are the best, then you are called the greatest of all time. Only a few have reached that level of success, and they are certainly in their respective Halls of Fame.
I think every true competitor has a secret desire to be great, and that is okay. That shows drive and passion. My question isn’t whether or not you are great or even if you have that desire. My question is would you rather be great or grateful?
September 27, 2010
Set:
This year, my son Caleb is playing freshman football at his school, and as he’s discovered, being one of 70 players is tough. He loves the game and enjoys certain drills in practice, but lately his teammates have been the bigger challenge for him. Two of the guys he considered to be his best friends have been verbally mocking him and putting him down. As a teenager, he expects that from some of the guys on the team but not his closest friends. All he wants to do is be his best and help his team in any way he can.
November 02, 2013
Set:
As a coach, my faith was wavering. I watched my unpredictable punter jog onto the field, doubt washed over me with every step. I never knew what to expect. It might go 40 yards in a tight spiral, or it could be a 10-yard shank off the side of his foot. Every kick was an unpredictable adventure.
It was late in the game and field position was critical as my team lined up in punt formation. As the punter waited for the snap from center, the unexpected happened. The gentle breeze that had been blowing all night suddenly transformed into a stiff wind. My punter handled the snap cleanly, took two steps and kicked the ball high into the air.
November 03, 2013
Set:
The psalmist tells us that his heart’s bitterness caused him to act more like an animal than a man. Sometimes when competitors are displaced by injury or illness, they experience great frustration, isolation, loneliness, and a myriad of other emotions. Those emotions can lead one to thinking and acting senselessly. The pain associated with losing may even drive some to foolishly medicate their pain and grief. Wise coaching can short-circuit that process and keep the team from painful consequences.
March 05, 2004
Set:
She was a cute and happy kindergartener in the very first PE class I taught in 1987. I knew she would grow up to be quite a young lady. Seventeen years later, Kristen is a senior playing basketball for a Christian college in Indiana. Coming off an outstanding high school career, Kristen has had a hard time finding success at the next level in most people's eyes. You will not find a harder worker or a more disciplined ball player than this young lady, but for some reason her number is not called too many times. Many players in her situation would have quit by now, but not Kristen.
September 22, 2010
Set:
I like to think the writer of Hebrews was a sports fan.The analogies he uses would certainly lead one to support this idea. Just as the writer referred to great numbers of witnesses, we athletes often compete in front of an audiences of great numbers.
This is also true in the Christian walk. Both believers and nonbelievers comprise our audience. There are those who encourage us: our pastors or our Sunday School teachers; and then there are those who "boo" us, ones who are opposed to any semblance of commitment to our Lord.
