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Coaches work hard to get the job done for their programs, but the head coach spends even more time in preparation for his or her meetings. It’s not just the season preparations that need to be done, but also pre-season, postseason, and summer workouts to consider. The head coach must think of everyone in the program and blend every person together for the success of the next year.
The goal of every coach is to have an outstanding team, but a winning team must train at all times, in season and out, even when it is inconvenient. A coach knows that training during the off season is just as important as training in season. A good team is comprised of athletes who are in shape, well trained, and in tune with the other players. Every coach knows that if a player is out of shape, hard workouts will cause injury and a severe loss for the team. That’s why there can be no slacking off between seasons. Even the best players have to practice year round.
It appears that our hearts are the repositories for both confidence and fear. When we feel overmatched by a seemingly superior opponent, it’s our heart that keeps us from fearing him. When it seems like everything is going badly, when all the momentum has swung to the other team’s bench, it’s our heart that brims with confidence in spite of it all. A coach’s heart is the key that enables his or her team to compete strongly.
This weekend, the world’s greatest female distance runners took to the streets of Beijing to compete in the Olympic women’s marathon. U.S. representative and 2004 bronze medalist Deena Kastor was among the group and was expected to finish among the leaders of the race. However, just a few steps into mile 3, Kastor felt a “pop” in her foot, and she sank to the curb. She’d broken her foot, and her Olympic race was over.
Think for a minute about her situation. She’d trained hard for years, she had the expectations of her country on her shoulders, she had personal ambitions to do well, and she only had one shot. But injuries were out of her control, and she will now have to mentally deal with what happened.
Alexis is a talented basketball player. As an eighth grader, she played on the varsity team at one school. Others quickly saw her ability and soon began mistreating her. Coaches and teammates beat her down mentally, and she began to grow a root of bitterness deep inside of her. She suffered several injuries and even transferred schools, but her situation did not improve. The root grew deeper and deeper.
True satisfaction—people search for it every day. Some people spend a lifetime acquiring DVDs, MP3s, video games, clothes, cars, and relationships—hoping that more of this world will satisfy them. As coaches and athletes, we often try to find satisfaction in practices, competitions, and victories. None of these things bring fulfillment. Christ should be our first priority. He should be the reason we wake up, the reason we breathe, and the reason we coach, practice, and play. This is a tremendous challenge. We have relationships, commitments, and schedules that pull us in different directions. We must refocus and get back to the basics—spending time daily in prayer, reading the Word, and being accountable to a fellow believer.
Hockey Chat: A regulation size hockey goal opening is 24 square feet. A fully armored goalie covers approximately 18 square feet of that space leaving only 6 square feet of open net and that’s with the goalie standing still. It takes practice and determination to get the puck into the mere 25% of the goal that is uncovered while that padded guy it hopping around in front to stop it.
"Nobody's perfect." A phrase we hear all of the time.
Everyone knows that no one can be completely perfect, so we use it as an excuse when we mess up. We often settle for less than what we are capable of because we think it is impossible to be perfect. But in Matthew 5 Jesus commands us to be perfect, just as God is perfect. "How can that be?" we ask. "How are we supposed to be perfect?"
We know all to well Romans 3:23, that all have sinned and fallen short, and we focus on the fact that humans are sinners. But did Paul not say that God would not tempt us past what we could handle? And did he not say that I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength?
Hockey Chat: Some guys use graphite sticks. Some guys use aluminum sticks. Some guys use composite sticks. Some guys use wood sticks. When you have your stick, you trust in it and anything else just isn’t right.
Do you have a favorite sport? Maybe, maybe not, but regardless of the type of game we enjoy, our favorite aspect of any sport ought to be respect. We owe respect to our opponent and to ourselves, as well as to the sport we are playing. The name for such respect is sportsmanship, and it also includes courtesy and fairness. I’ve discovered a sportsman-like attitude in golf and in track more than in other sports. Golf is typically played with honor. Winning first place in track isn’t crucial; a runner can earn points for finishing third, fourth, or even fifth place.
January 16, 2004, is a date that may have significantly impacted the sports world for many years to come. Two 14-year-old athletes made a big splash in their respective sports. Michelle Wie played in the Sony Open on the PGA tour and missed the cut by one stroke, tying two men who had won major championships the previous year. Freddy Adu, in a move that shocked no one, was chosen as the top pick in the Major League Soccer draft by D.C. United.
I recently met a girl. She had just moved to Kennesaw, Georgia, from Nashville, Tennessee. A friend wanted me to introduce her to the new city. We met and hung out for several nights. While talking on the phone one day, she said, “I am embarrassed to say that I am 25 years old and don’t really understand Jesus and the Bible.” We talked a little and I invited her to a Bible Study the next evening.
Anyone who knows sports knows that turnovers and missed opportunities, especially in the game of basketball, spell disaster. This was never more apparent than in the championship game of our holiday tournament, when our starting point guard had 11 turnovers before halftime, and our team faced a 12-point deficit. The message for her was simple at halftime: “What could you do with 11 more possessions? Could you score the 12 points we need? Perhaps dish out 6 assists to overcome the deficit?”
In the height of his playing days, Charles Barkley claimed that he was not a role model. The University of Colorado claimed that the troubles with its football program were not as bad as they seemed. Coach Nueheisel claimed that his gambling was no big deal. The people involved in these situations did not want to be held to a higher standard. Why? Because they felt that athletics and off-the-field issues should be kept separate.
Hockey Chat: A goalie’s skill is part physical and part mental. The better physical shape they are, the better they can make quick moves to cover the net. But the most important thing to do is to keep focused. They keep in control and keep their mind clear of all the commotion going on all around them. If they give into it, they’ll be off their game and out of place.
In 1 Samuel 17, we are told of Israel’s encounter with Goliath, the great warrior of the Philistines. He challenged the Israelites to a single combat to decide the battle. The Israelites ran in fear from this warrior who stood over 9 feet tall and was strong as an ox. Shaquille O’Neal, who stands over 7 feet tall, would have been about 18 inches shorter than Goliath. But that gives us an illustration of the massive size of this man. Little David, though, is undeterred and proclaims that his God will deliver the Philistine giant into his hands.
Where did David get such confidence?
Often times, a victory might be determined by the game within the game. Can our left tackle keep their defensive end off of our quarterback? Can our closer strike out their best hitter? Can our off-guard shut down their "go-to" guy?
We spend a lot of time in practice doing individual drills and one-on-one drills. In our one-on-ones we want to go "best-versus-best"; we don't want one of our starters going against a second-string player because he is not challenged as much. He does not improve from the situation.
When we go best-versus-best, we quickly find a player’s weaknesses--the flaws in his technique--so that we can correct them. We also see who is going to rise to the top, whom we can depend upon when the game is on the line.
Three empty crosses lay grotesquely across Golgotha’s barren and desolate knoll. The sun-dried blood, the convulsed earth, the litter of a mob all told the gruesome story of crucifixion. They had deserted Him, later found His tomb empty, and were now cowering in a house with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. In this house Jesus appeared to them.
Hockey Chat: In 1896, the Ontario Hockey Association stated the role of the goaltender in the rules: "The goalkeeper must not during play lie, sit, or kneel upon the ice” These rules held until goalies were given permission to drop to the ice with the start of the NHL in 1917. The new rules gave them freedom from being penalized for dropping down and allowed them to better protect their goal.
David was known as "A man after God's own heart". He made plenty of mistakes in his life, however, he always searched for truth and the truth was in the Lord. He was known as a man of integrity.
This past week, my integrity was put to test. I grew up playing baseball and continued to play into my college years. Ever since I was in high school I have wanted to become a head baseball coach at either the high school or college level. Many years later, that continuous prayer has not been answered. It is all about God's time not mine.
Do you ever get irritated by your players, fellow coaches, or referee? Sometimes, instead of allowing God to fight our battles, we react with improper thoughts. Instead of resisting the powers we struggle against, we wage our own war. Occasionally, in a moment of frustration, have you even declared the fatal words, “I just can’t continue”?
Well, rejoice, because God has provided us with the power and authority to serve an eviction notice to the enemy of our souls! God’s Word reminds us not to become timid or afraid when trials occur. Jesus requires us to stand our ground, take up our weapons of warfare, and fight by faith.
Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you were going to be honored, but the honor was given to someone else? Have you ever taken someone else’s seat and been asked to move? It’s embarrassing, to say the least.
Hockey Chat: Coaches have the important job of figuring where to play his skaters. All six players on the ice play an equally important role regardless of the position that they’ve been placed in. They are all there with the common goal, “keep the puck out of our net and get it into theirs.” Whatever they can do to play a part in getting to that goal, makes a winning team.
Which is a better description of our frame of mind in competition: joy and peace or anxiety and rage? I’ve known competitors from both camps; and I know which ones were more successful and better teammates.
Though many coaches pursue their sport in anger, full of anxiety and rage, this Scripture presents another alternative. If we go out in joy and are led in peace, we find the course of life more pleasant and we receive great favor from those around us. Joy, or more simply emotional stability, is important during competition as we experience the inevitable swings of momentum from one team to the other. If we go out in joy, we have the emotional stability to react appropriately to each situation that arises.
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