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I think there are two kinds of athletes, the humble and those who will be humbled. While an athlete needs to see the correlation between preparation and achievement, one must acknowledge, “every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). This is why coaches may be more nervous coming off a big win than a tough loss. Athletes have a tendency to get an inflated view of themselves.
I had the blessing of seeing 2012 Olympian-hopeful Michelle McKeehan break the national record in the 200 IM at the Indiana State Swimming High School finals. After breaking the national record with a time of 1:58:06, McKeehan received an encouraging standing ovation from every person in the packed Indianapolis natatorium, including her opponents.
Why is asking so hard for some of us? Whether it’s for a ride to the airport, a few dollars for lunch, or (better yet) financial support to take some athletes to FCA camp, many of us avoid asking like the plague.
Of course, there are times when even the most self-sufficient among us is willing to swallow all pride and plead before the “throne of grace.” I have personally witnessed the amazing transformation of coaches, players and fans whose circumstances turned them into fervent prayer warriors. This phenomenon typically occurs during a game when their team is down by a point with a few ticks left on the clock and the least-talented shooter is on the free-throw line. Who among us hasn’t uttered a prayer in times such as these?
Hockey Chat: What if you were to get to spend a month with Wayne Gretzky (or Martin Brodeur for you goalies) and they spent day and night giving you tips and coaching? That would make you pretty great. But if the month was over and you went back to playing your way and forgetting everything you had been taught, losing your talents you had been just gained. It would seem foolish. Like a waste of a great opportunity.
Sometimes we think we are doing the right thing only to find out we were really off track!
Do you ever feel like you are being watched? Well, you are…how will you live?
In 2003, LPGA golfer Annika Sorenstam became the first woman in 58 years to compete with men in a PGA tournament. Although she missed the cut by four shots, she had a respectable tournament and finished as well as or better than several of her competitors. “I tested myself from start to finish,” she said afterward. “That’s why I was here.” Sorenstam put herself to the test to find out just how good she was.
Can technology actually make my training more effective? And even enjoyable?
In the 1980s, the San Francisco 49ers made popular what became known as the West Coast Offense, an offense characterized by short, controlled-pass plays that gained only five to six yards. By running such low-risk plays, San Francisco nibbled away at their opponents. Even strong defensive opponents who never gave up “big plays” were humbled by the 49ers’ consistent gains. San Francisco’s strategy earned them five Super Bowl titles between 1982 and 1995.
The closer you get to the fast food door, the more likely you’ll indulge…and gain weight.
Tuesday is always trash day. And on some Tuesdays, there seems to be very little good about the morning. Daily tasks often can become mundane, but not this one. Every Tuesday morning I am the member of the family who deposits the trash into the proper container. This morning, as I sat back at the table lamenting the fact that I had to take the trash out to the curb, I heard a song resonating from an upstairs bedroom. “I am C. I am C-H. I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N.” It was coming from my 7-year-old, who was joyfully ringing in the day.
Getting our eyes off ourselves gives us power to make someone else’s day!
2008 Olympian Allyson Felix, former Olympian Bobby Jones, track and field great Madeline Manning Mims and FCA President Les Steckel
I once overheard of a group of coaches discussing what they were going to do with a certain player who had problems following the team rules. He’d had plenty of issues, but the final straw came when they found out he was caught up in drugs. Some of the coaches wanted to kick the young man off the team, but the head coach did not. He justified keeping the young man on the team by telling this story…
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