When most sport seasons end, numbers get crunched. It’s easy for coaches to get caught up in the numbers game, especially as the media highlights our career wins, our titles, and our Coach of the Year awards. However, any true coach knows records are not the important thing; what matters is having the opportunity to work with athletes, to make a difference in their lives. Coaches, like players, make a lot of sacrifices to develop winning teams, but most will tell you those sacrifices and successes are for the athletes, for the joy of watching players mature and grow.

As a coach, I used to love preseason practice. (As a player I could have done without it.) I loved working with the players and coaches, the camaraderie of being part of a team, and the anticipation of opening night. Preseason was always electrifying.

Then came the first game. The scoreboard was turned on, and a new element was added—the element of stress.

Moses warned the Israelites against failing to serve God. We should take this warning to heart. Jesus tells us, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me” (Matthew 25:40b). When serving God, we cannot help but serve others; and in serving others, we serve God.

Sports like tennis and volleyball require serving the ball. In an article, “Six Steps to a Better Serve,” the author wrote, “Serving is a skill that takes years of practice to master, and something that you can always improve upon. . . . Keep at it, take your time, and practice lots.” This applies to serving others as well.

When I played football as an 8 year old, I remember parents pulling their cars up and shining their lights on the field when practice ran late. As players, we saw the light.

As athletes we need to SEE the light. SEE stands for Sleep, Eat, and Exercise. This kind  of light deals with our God-created bodies. Many competitors train hard on the field, but not off it. As true  competitors, we need to get enough sleep, eat right, and exercise properly. These three physical anchors are extremely important.

When trying to SEE the light, we need to ask:

“How much sleep do I need?” Since the physical affects the spiritual and emotional, if we do not sleep, other areas of life will suffer. When we are tired, we cannot be the athletes God desires.

In 1996, Bob Carlisle penned a tune entitled “Butterfly Kisses” which became a popular wedding song. It brought tears to even the toughest of men. But many don’t know that he also wrote a song entitled, “It is well with my soul.” Check out these words:

“Oh, my life is filled with white-hot anxiety, though I think I wear it very well. I still worry ‘bout what people might think of me if they every saw me past my outer shell. Believe me, I know how to worry. I’ve chewed my fingernails down to the bone. Oh, I’ve got my share of problems. Still it is well with my soul. Sometime I wrestle with my conscience. Still it is well with my soul.”

Christian parents warn their children to stay away from harmful movies, television shows, peers, Web sites, and other such influences, only to dump them into the world of sports that typically contains all the negative things they have told their children to avoid.

Hockey Chat:  On the business side of hockey, it’s all personal.  Although the good players create a fun game to watch, many teams (all that I know of) spend time with the community as well.  In turn the community spends money on tickets and merchandise which in turn goes back into the players salaries.  Both the players and fans appreciate each other and enjoy the relationship.  If the players were rude and disowned the fans then the fans would fall away and not support the team.