To me, cheerleaders make games more exciting. They offer enthusiastic encouragement to the players and have a way of sensing when their teams needs an emotional lift. Cheerleaders also communicate with the fans and help keep the positive energy flowing in support of the team. The best cheerleaders cheer most fervently during the most pivotal moments of the game, when the outcome is in doubt or when the team is really struggling. 

 

In life we have a cheerleader that is always there to uplift us and to inspire us during the times we need it most. Our cheerleader for life is the Holy Spirit, which becomes present in our life when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 

 

There are three essentials to the game of golf. Each parallels the meaning and purpose of the Christian life. . .

 

The first essential is the grip (how the golfer holds the club). If the starting point, the grip, is bad, the golfer's entire game will suffer. In life, the first step of getting a grip is to be born again through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

 

The second is the stance. The way a golfer addresses the ball determines the success of his shots. If his stance is crooked, he will get into trouble. In the Christian life, the stance is likened to our daily walk. If we take the right stance, denying sin and committing ourselves to obeying Christ, we will know God's pleasure and blessing (Romans 12:1-2).

Sean Payton's first head coaching job in the NFL didn't appear to be all that promising. After all, he inherited a New Orleans Saints team that went 3-13 in 2005 and that doesn't exactly have a rich tradition of being an NFL powerhouse. Regardless, Payton came in and implemented his system, and the players bought in to it, leading to an improbable 10-6 record in 2006 and a division title. "Players putting the team ahead of everything else," Payton said. "I think that's the biggest thing that we've been able to do to date. That's what's most important."

 

Have you ever had a coach who always seemed to pick on you or yell at you more than your other teammates? I felt like this about my high school baseball coach, and I eventually asked him why he always yelled at me. His reply: "I get on you more than some of the other players because I see the talent you have, and I expect more out of you. If I didn't think you could do better, I wouldn't expect you to be better." This gave me a whole different perspective on his actions, and I learned to take his criticism not as anger, but as motivation to become a better athlete. I've carried his response with me and have seen it come up in my own coaching. I really appreciate my athletes who take my criticism and use it to make themselves better.