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Point of View
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Most of us have known a teammate with a glaring weakness. Maybe a part of his/her game was incomplete. Maybe it was a character flaw. Did we make that weakness his/her defining characteristic? Paul wrote, “From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way.” That could paraphrase like this, “So from now on, I will not let someone’s personal weakness be that person’s defining characteristic.” Just as we shouldn’t focus on a person’s physical limitations, we should have the same attitude when dealing with commitments. I’m committed to praying for others and encouraging them when they act wisely and when
Maintaining a Joyful Life
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As athletes we have good days and bad. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. I like winning better. Enough losses in a row and any of us can get a little down. So how do we maintain a joyful life? The Bible provides some answers. In Paul’s first letter to Thessalonica, he wrote three directives and one reason combining to show us the way to a joyful life:
Rejoice always: More than a command, this reassures us that we can find something to be joyful about in every circumstance. Lead with our will, and let our emotions follow.
Pray constantly: If taken seriously, we’d never sleep, eat, or study—probably not what he meant. Surely he meant there is never a situation in which prayer is not proper and powerful.
Pregame Jitters
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It’s only a few minutes before tip-off. We hear the band playing to get the crowd excited for the game, and we look around the locker room and watch our players trying to get into the zone. We’ve worked hard to get them prepared, but something isn’t clicking because the team has the pregame jitters. Maybe they think they aren’t as skilled as the opponent, or perhaps they lack confidence in the game plan. It could be fear of failing while fans and media are watching, or fear of not measuring up to personal expectations. Whatever the reason, the result is the same: worry and a lack of focus.
#47 - StVRP - Josh Davis, Kevin Jackson and Steve Fitzhugh
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Olympic medalist Josh Davis, U.S. wrestler Kevin Jackson, One Way 2 Play spokesman Steve Fitzhugh, FCA President Les Steckel
Offseason Work
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When I was a coach, one of the hardest things was getting my athletes to understand that improvement took place in the off-season. I would always get the same song and dance about their working hard during the season and needing the time off. Let me tell you something. Work ethic is a big deal to a coach. Athletes who put in the work are always better off in the end.
Fit 4 Ever: Dynamic Warm-Up
Have you ever been caught off-guard and missed an opportunity to share your faith? I have. And each time it has happened I have become more determined to “always be prepared.” Peter speaks often of preparation. And he knows that the only way a believer can be fully ready to defend the faith is if he is prepared.
Can you hear me, now?
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It happens all the time, even to the best of them. Athletes reach the goals they have pursued for years, maybe even a lifetime, and then they do it. Maybe they feel they deserve it. They think, “I’m now successful, so I can let up and compromise in a certain area of my life. It’s small, and it won’t impact me very much.”
Enjoy the Ride
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Life is like a roller coaster ride. There are ups and downs, fast parts and slow parts, twists and turns, fear and excitement. In our sports we ride this same roller coaster. One play we are up, the next we are down. One game we win, the next we lose. It is one crazy ride.
#74 - StVRP - Jake Voskuhl, Jimmy Page, Jonathan Byrd & Les Steckel
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Toronto Raptors center Jake Voskuhl, FCA Health and Fitness Executive Director Jimmy Page, PGA golfer Jonathan Byrd & FCA President Les Steckel.
Stay Focused (Camper Edition)
Welcome back to the real world, kid. It’s a far cry from the experience you just had, feeling so close to God and all. But now, you need to start thinking about — check that — start worrying about “more important” things.
Self-Sacrifice
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When most sport seasons end, numbers get crunched. As coaches, it’s easy for us to get caught up in this number crunching, especially as the media highlights our career wins, the titles we’ve won and the number of “Coach of the Year” awards we’ve received.
But any true coach knows that records are not what are important. Having the opportunity to work with athletes and make a difference in their lives is what is important. 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.
Would You Rather . . . ?
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Our family plays a great game at the dinner table called “Would You Rather.” We ask the question “Would you rather . . . ?” so that our children have to make a decision, such as, “Would you rather win a World Series or a Super Bowl?”
#58 - StVRP - Mike Singletary, Dan Britton & Jeff Martin, Turner Gill, Les Steckel
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Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker and San Francisco 49ers assistant head football coach Mike Singeltary, Dan Britton & Jeff Martin on FCA’s Fields of Faith, University of Buffalo head football coach Turner Gill and FCA President Les Steckel.
#69 - StVRP - Jason Elam, Buck McCabe, Les Steckel
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Atlanta Falcons kicker Jason Elam, Chick-Fil-A CFO Buck McCabe and FCA President Les Steckel
Fit 4 Ever: Breakfast of Champions
If you are not eating breakfast, you are missing the most important meal of the day! When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, He said, “Come and have breakfast.” It was a time of nourishment—physical, relational and spiritual. Too bad most of us just rush into the day, undernourished physically and unprepared spiritually.
Breakfast is essential for consistent energy, focus and concentration, easier weight loss and more consistent moods. But just eating breakfast isn’t necessarily going to get you started on the right foot.
Let It Go
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Coming out of high school, Jeremy had a promising pitching career ahead of him. He went to a school close to his home and figured he would become their ace on the mound. But things didn’t happen quite so easily. As Jeremy explained, “I lost it. I couldn’t find the plate. I thought I was done.”
They were tough words to swallow for a rising star. He was afraid his career as a pitcher was over. Jeremy had only one place to turn.
In the Bible, we find that David knew this situation all too well. Many times in his life, David had to let go of his fears, let go of his pride, and let go of his sin in order to let God do a healing process. In these situations, David did what we all should do: He cried out to God for help.
What Would You Ask?
If you had the opportunity to sit down with the coach you considered to be the all-time greatest in your sport, what would you ask him or her to teach you? But say you only got to make ONE request. That would change everything, wouldn’t it?
My all-time favorite coach was John Wooden. There are a ton of things I would have liked to ask Coach Wooden, so, narrowing it down to just one question would have been extremely difficult. But, after thinking about it, I believe the one topic I would have chosen would have been team chemistry. How did he get all those different players to bond together for the common cause of winning another title? There are so many other things I could ask him, but, in team sports today, chemistry means just as much as X’s and O’s.
The Chosen
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Danny was not a good athlete. In fact, he was pretty bad. I remember he always hated recess. In third grade, we played a killer game of kickball every recess and every boy played … except for Danny. He always watched closely, though. One day the sides were uneven, and I was named captain. I knew what I had to do. With my first pick in the 1970 First Round Draft for recess kickball, I chose Danny Anderson. After everyone got up off the ground from laughing, Danny walked over to my side with his head down.
True Leadership (Serving - Chapter 4)
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From his study of leadership, Pat Williams is convinced that there are seven sides to being an effective leader. The first is vision, or the ability to see down the road. Next is a gift for communicating that vision. Williams also says that people skills are an important leadership trait. This includes a true heart for people and a genuine interest in their lives. The next three qualifications are character, competence and boldness.
As the senior vice president of the NBA’s Orlando Magic, Williams certainly has built a lengthy career by displaying a high level of acumen in those six areas. But it’s the seventh characteristic that he says makes the better-than-average leader a great leader.
Always Next Year
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As I was driving to work this morning, I was forced to constantly keep changing the radio station. All anyone could or would talk about was my beloved Kansas Jayhawks’ loss to VCU yesterday in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. And I just did not want to hear it.
For college basketball fans across the country, March is a bittersweet month. Because there is only one national champion at the end of the season, the vast majority of us have to end the season on some sort of losing note. And we always wind up consoling ourselves with the common thought, “Well, there’s always next year.”
The Audience
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Last year, I got the chance to play my first college basketball game in my home state. I was so excited to play in front of the 40-plus people who had come to watch. I wanted to play well and prayed that God would help me to do so.
Much to my disappointment, I played the worst game of my life. I made only one shot in my team’s humiliating 30-point loss. I was so embarrassed that I didn’t want to talk to any of my family or friends who had come to cheer me on. I was afraid of what they thought of me and my performance.
Fit4Ever: One Thing
I’ve heard it said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Well, I don’t know about you, but I can definitely identify with that. It’s like we know we’ve taken a wrong turn or are on the wrong road, but we keep going anyway. And, worse yet, we somehow think that we’ll still get to our destination.
#49 - StVRP - Cat Whitehill, Ron Backes and Dan Browne
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U.S. Women’s Soccer player Cat Whitehill, FCA Staff Ron Backes, 2004 Olympian Dan Browne and FCA President Les Steckel
Comeback
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The University of Illinois men's basketball team appeared to be buried, facing a 15-point deficit with 4:04 left in their 2005 regional championship game against Arizona. Deron Williams started an Illinois rally with a 3-pointer, and then capped an amazing comeback with another 3-pointer to tie the game and send it into overtime. The Fighting Illini held on for a 90-89 victory propelling them to the Final Four for the first time in 16 years. "Everyone probably thought it was over," said Williams. "We kept believing."
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