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After 22 years of playing and coaching football, I won a championship ring while serving as team chaplain for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College football team. Under the leadership of Steve Campbell, that team finished number one in the national JUCO poll. They possessed a rare quality—honor. After every victory we gave God the glory. All year we honored our coaches, one another, our teachers, and parents. We made mistakes, but always came back to honor.
Washington Union High School (WUHS) Cheer Coach Salina Diaz sighed deeply as she headed toward the gym to talk with her squad. She knew it wouldn’t be a happy meeting — not with the news she had to share.
Watch any highlight reel of Shalee Lehning — Kansas State's sparkplug point guard who currently leads the nation in assists and triple-doubles — and it's easy to see why she's been called "one of the best point guards in America" and "a stat-sheet stuffer" by college basketball analysts. She flies around the court, diving for loose balls, setting her teammates up for layups and snatching rebounds from opponents almost a foot taller than she is.
1 – Today we will discuss ironic nature of rewards in sport.
2 – Jesus told a story about this in Matthew 20:1-16 (read the text aloud).
In sports, the term “maxing out” is commonplace and usually refers to some type of physical activity. This could occur in the weight room, track, court, or anywhere else that an athletic event takes place. When maxing out, an athlete gives his best performance to show that his preparation has paid off. These preparations could include weight training, running sprints, agility drills, practicing sport skills, and so on. Only through proper preparation will an athlete be successful at maxing out.
November 14, 2009. It was a typical fall evening in Stonewall, La., on an athletic field, much like every other across the South where students of all ages rallied together with friends and families for a single purpose... But it wasn’t football.
Wisdom for a Young Head Coach
Week 7
Read the text aloud.
Discussion Questions:
Athletes desire great things. This desire drives them to compete, pursue, and strive toward their ultimate goal for the season. I call this the “want” to achieve. The trouble comes in a team sport when the “wants” of different athletes don’t match. The goal of a coach is to get the entire team to “want” the same thing and strive toward that end.
Paul had quite a resume in life. He was a who’s who of people of his time, but his desire or “want” in life was much different than others of his day. All the accolades others aspired to, Paul did not want. He was focused on one area only: the desire to know Jesus Christ better each day.
Chapel – Power, Love and Self-control
1 – To compete strongly today and throughout the season, three qualities will be required – Power, Love and Self-control.
• These are powerfully described in II Timothy 1:7 (read the text aloud).
Staying humble is one of the most difficult things to do. Whether it's doing good on a test in school, landing a job interview, or succeeding in sports, our first instinct is to praise ourselves. In most scenarios, it is very acceptable to be proud of yourself.
For example, if you hit a homerun in baseball, you will reflect on all of the training and hard work you put in. Because you took the time, you had the ability to hit your homerun; and that is great. You should always be proud of yourself and have a great self-esteem, but should you gloat to all of your teammates and friends about your accomplishment? Probably not.
It was a cold, dreary day in February 1984, and Big Red sophomore midfielder Frank Kelly III was scuffling through what seemed like a neverending string of lacrosse drills at Cornell University.
A multi-sport star at Baltimore's Calvert Hall College High School two seasons earlier, Kelly was used to getting showered with accolades and praise for his on-field achievements. But at Cornell, stress fractures in his shins, coupled with an uncanny ability to draw the ire of legendary Big Red coach Richie Moran, had placed him squarely on the team's bench, searching for both playing time and purpose.
Go to any random Facebook profile, and in less than a minute you can draw multiple conclusions about a person. Without even scrolling down, you can get their political views, relationship status and their feelings at that exact moment. If you do choose to look over the entire page, there’s almost no end to the information you will find: their favorite drink, the places they’ve been, their favorite quotes ... Really anything they’ve chosen to make public, which, for some, leaves little to the imagination.
Brian Roberts knows how hard it is to move on from a mistake. He’s reminded of it every time he sits down for an interview.
If you’re one of the few who missed it all, here’s a quick recap: On December 13, 2007, former Senator George Mitchell held a press conference to unveil his now-infamous Mitchell Report: a 409-page document, based on a 20-month investigation, which accused nearly 100 ballplayers of using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.
Among the names appearing on the list was that of Roberts.
A godly coach is a rare but valued blessing in American sports. Our son’s little league coach is one such blessing. His coaching overflows with life lessons that will bear fruit far beyond the baseball diamond. As I listen to his challenges, I know that I am hearing the wisdom of the Holy Spirit right along with the kids.
“There are no spectators here. Everyone has a job.” - Just as each member of a baseball team has a position, each individual has a role to play in life. Our words, our actions and our attitudes all have an impact on the hearts of the people around us. God has given each of us the job of sharing His love with others. There is no time to sit around watching others; our work is ongoing and has eternal consequences.
How do you react when you make a mistake on the field? Do you get down on yourself or angry? Sometimes on the golf course, especially during college, I’d hit a bad shot at a critical moment and get frustrated. Then I would follow that mistake with a bad decision on the next shot and get into even more trouble. With experience, I got better at controlling my emotions.
Maybe you’ve heard the statement, “Tradition never graduates.” One of the keys to leaving a legacy is to treasure the past and the memories of our “founding fathers” whose shoulders we have stood upon. We must appreciate the important role that others have played in our lives.
While drawing strength from our past, we must also stay focused on a vision for our future. If we want to stay on the cutting edge of fruitful kingdom living, we must constantly review our ministry commitments, learn from our past experiences, and seek the best advice from others—all while humbly praying for God’s Spirit to guide us. To become more effective, coaches must also skillfully balance time and resources while carefully planning for the future.
This weekend, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees will lead his team onto the field to take on the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. In a recent interview with FCA’s Sharing the Victory magazine, Brees talked about faith lessons from the field.
Starting today, the daily Impact Play will run Sharing the Victory’s four-part video study series featuring clips from Brees. Click the video link below to watch the clip and then answer the questions. Finish by reading the related Scripture and asking God to work in your heart as a result of what you’ve learned.
3 Reasons Why Competitors Need To Be Inadequate
In an age that is obsessed with leadership, it is hard to find someone willing to talk about leadership in an authentic, transparent way – especially in the world of sports. When is the last time you heard a coach or athlete say any of the following statements?
I don’t know.
I think I am going to need some help.
I have some weaknesses.
University of Oklahoma Women's Basketball Coach Sherri Coale talks about doing your best and working your hardest, wherever God has placed you.
“…the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7
North Carolina junior attackman Thomas Wood developed a love for both lacrosse and the FCA ministry at an early age. Looking back over his life so far, he is able to see how the avenues of sports and faith have always been connected. In fact, according to Wood, his spiritual journey with Christ has made a direct and tangible impact on his lacrosse career, shaping him both as a player on the field and a leader off of it.
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