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When our son was only four, he looked his mom and me in the eyes and asked, “Do you think I’ll make the Hall of Fame?” Don’t just settle for playing in the “bigs,” bypass Little League, shoot for being one of the best!
For most of us, the realization that we might not make it big came early. My dream was crushed when as a nine year old, after all the uniforms were handed out; I was left standing on the right-field line.
In athletics we do a good job of misusing the verb need. We need a win. We need new uniforms. We need this player to play well. We need to raise this much with our fund-raiser. We need to have everyone at workouts.
The only problem is we are not looking at the verb need right. When we use need, we use it to mean something we would like to have. All of the situations above are things any coach or athlete would like to have. Who would not like new uniforms every season? We should use need a little differently.
Every day as coaches, we face many decisions that will affect our team. We need to deal with everything from what to do at practice, to who should be the starters in the next game. Some decisions are bigger than others, but they all have some bearing on our team. Every once in a while we may find ourselves in a position where we have no clue what decision to make or how to resolve an issue. It is at those times that we turn to assistant coaches, athletic directors, and others for help.
Game day is here. Have I lifted enough? Have I practiced enough? Have I worked hard enough to be ready to compete tonight? These are all questions that run through our minds before we take the field of play. As we sit in the locker room readying for battle, the question we have to answer is, “Am I game ready?”
In volleyball, or in any sport, running a timed mile is not unusual. The other day I had butterflies in my stomach wondering if I could make it in the eight-minute time frame. If I didn't, I wouldn't even be considered for the team. I was praying for strength and quickness. When the coach said, "Go," and we all began, the words "strive, stretch, strain, succeed" began running repeatedly through my head.
Athletes must strive to get better every day. No matter how talented we are, there is always room for improvement. We may be the best in our school or sport, but if we get satisfied, we will not become all God wants us to be.
The single most foundational truth of the Christian faith is what the Bible refers to as the gospel; that is the good news of Jesus Christ. It is quite possibly the most overlooked part of our relationship to God, or lack there of, yet is absolutely the most essential aspect of knowing and connecting with Him.
Without the good news of Jesus the Bible has no validity. Without the good news of Jesus our faith is worthless. Without the good news of Jesus we have absolutely no hope of ever entering God's kingdom, learning His ways, knowing Him, going to heaven, or enjoying the life God intends for us to have. (1 Corinthians 15:12-28; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12).
We are excited to offer two new One Way 2 Play radio commercials. The commercials feature Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton and Steve Fitzhugh.
How to use them:
1. Select the one(s) you want to air when you have a station in your area donating PSA’s/radio time to FCA. You can listen to them, and the station can download them from FCA Resources under Marketing. Scroll down to “Radio Spots.”
2. Be proactive and call on a local station who might have a manager with a heart for FCA. Take your lap top or log on at the station to TeamNet. Let them listen to the spots and decide they want to air them!
Suggested stations to contact:
-Local Christian
-Stations who air the local sports games and reports
How many times, as athletes or coaches, have we been nervous before a big game? Maybe we were getting ready to play the big school rivalry game. Maybe it was a playoff game. Maybe a boyfriend or girlfriend was in the stands. Maybe we just get nervous in front of big crowds. We all handle these situations differently. Some of us get sick to our stomachs. Some cannot stop talking or moving around. Others come across as unfazed. These athletes seem to know the secret to remaining calm under pressure.
Competition is an obvious part of the coaching life, resulting in either winning or losing. But God’s Word reminds us not to get so caught up in the results that we forget to take care of the flock—the athletes—who have been put under our watch.
Of course, we all want to win. Yet if we forget that we’re really working toward an “imperishable crown” (as Paul writes in 1 Co 9:25), we’ve lost perspective of why we’re coaching in the first place. In other words, just as we live our lives to please the Great Shepherd, so, too, do we coach our players with the same goal. In the process, we’ll serve as examples to the sheep.
Sandi could tell you that your balance follows your gaze. He’d stopped his mountain bike just above a trail intersection. I was waiting for him on the trail below him and to his right. Being new to the kind of pedals that held his feet captive in metal clips, he focused on getting his left foot out before he lost all of his forward momentum. Proud of his success, he turned his gaze to the right to meet mine — and his weight followed his eyes. In slow motion he keeled over down the slope toward me, still unable to free his right foot from the pedal. He tumbled unhurt into an avalanche of late-autumn leaves, branches and his own bike.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my life to be a lie. If we claim to be followers of Jesus Christ but live “in darkness,” the Holy Spirit—through the apostle John—tells us we are liars. The other option is to “walk in the light,” as Jesus did when He was on the earth. If we are faithful in doing so, two things are granted to us: fellowship with other believers and continual cleansing from sin.
Sharing life with others who know Jesus is important; God did not create us to be alone! When we “walk in the light,” the dark parts of our lives are revealed, giving us the opportunity to correct them, repent, and move forward, and allowing us to grow closer to our Father along the way.
It's absolutely crazy what athletes go through in the NFL Scouting Combine. A few days of testing that will most likely determine if they are drafted or have a future in the NFL.
There are training facilities across the country that help those NFL hopefuls prepare for Combine's physically challenging events including the vertical jump, 40-yard dash, 3-cone drill and bench press among others.
In addition to the drill work, these facilities do a number of tests including putting athletes in a "bod pod," to test the body's fat count, as well as doing electromagnetic testing of the nerves and joints. There are nutritionists, orthopedic surgeons and even interview coaches.
What if there was one thing would improve your team in incredible ways? What if One Word could mean the difference between failure and victory? It’s time to focus and motivate your team with just One Word.
At the beginning of every season, thousands of coaches, athletes and teams gather to discuss their goals. Goals and plans are passionately shared and written down with anticipation and excitement. It’s an experience filled with energy, hope and optimism.
Every Friday morning at Hardee Junior High School in Wauchula, Fla., more than 750 students can be found crammed into the auditorium for an FCA Huddle meeting. In a little more than half an hour, school will begin for the day. But for now, in the junior high auditorium amid the backpacks, textbooks and hundreds of sixth, seventh and eighth graders, praise music blares, and the message of Christ's redeeming love is preached.
Almost 200 students have given their lives to Christ during the morning meetings.
Our lives are made up of choices. Should I go out for this team? Should I go to practice? Should I play that sport? Should I go to class? From the time the day begins and we decide to get out of bed, everything is a choice. For some of us that choice is easier than for others. Some of our dads make getting out of bed and going to class an easy choice. The thing we often overlook as athletes is that our success is largely our personal choice. No one can make it for us.
Throughout my WNBA career, I’ve been known as a highly competitive player. I use every inch or margin within the rules of the game to my advantage. It used to really bother me when I was accused of being a dirty player. I sought out wise counsel from people close to me like my husband and my mother. I also had some in-depth conversations with fellow believer and WNBA legend Lisa Leslie and our team chaplain.
I was fortunate to be one of the best high jumpers in the world for many years. My best jump of 7’ 10.5” still ranks as one of the top four of all time. Jumping at a bar that high almost seems impossible when looking at it with our natural eye. In fact, most people won’t even attempt to jump because they are intimidated by its height. But for world-class jumpers, we’re never intimidated because we look through a different set of eyes. We often focus on a point high above the bar to guide us in the right direction. At times, we don’t even see the bar because our eyes are set on something much higher.
I had many favorite sayings as a coach. Here a some of them:
-- Rule 1: The coach is right.
-- Rule 2: If you think Coach is wrong, see Rule 1.
-- Whether you can or can't, you are right.
-- Don't tell me. Show me.
The last one may have been my favorite. Athletes have a hard time backing up what they say. They talk a good game, but many times today's athlete can't back it up. All in all, talk is cheap.
Baseball is a great team sport. Players work together to make their team successful. One of my favorite plays is when players give up their at bat for a possible victory in the end. This is an important play. The home-run hitters get all the glory, but these role players do just as much to help the team win.
Jesus knew He had a role to carry out for His team (His followers) and lived His life accordingly, preparing to take one for His team. Christ knew the plan for ultimate victory. He knew He was to be the sacrifice for our sin, that we might enjoy eternity with Him. Now that is a glory-filled event.
Most students who find themselves in situations or places that they hoped they’d never be do so because of tiny compromises that they made early in their life journey. I have never met a student who has ever identified alcoholism as a career goal. Neither have I met an ambitious student whose “Top 10 Things to Do Before Graduation” included becoming a parent prematurely, getting kicked off the team, or losing the trust and respect of their parents.
Although most students would want to avoid these misfortunes like the plague, many engage in behaviors that increase the probability of them experiencing these situations. These compromises are common among all teens, black or white, rich or poor, and regardless of whether they live in the city or suburbs.
Chapel – Heart for Teammates
1 – To have the Heart of a Champion one must have:
• A heart for competition
• A heart for training
• A heart for teammates
2 – Today we will talk about having a heart for teammates.
3 – John 15:12-13 (read the text)
• Jesus’ command was for these men to love each other. They did it.
• Jesus defined the greatest kind of love – to give one’s life for his friends.
o He did that literally. He died for them and for us.
Chapel – Adversity
1 – The events of these last days are those which try men’s souls.
• Disappointment
• Failure
• Loss
• Illness
• Injury
2 – How we deal with adversity is a strong indicator of our character.
• Will we bounce back or will we wilt?
• Will we encourage or will we criticize?
• Will we accept responsibility or will we shift blame?
Sometimes people want to say something to a friend, but chicken out at the last minute because they think it might be silly or embarrassing. Often, they later regret not saying it. What does God think about such situations?
Proverbs 25:11 states: “A word spoken at the right time is like golden apples on a silver tray.” We all know the value of gold and silver, even if we can’t afford them. We also know how sweet to the taste apples are. How valuable and how sweet to our souls would apples of gold be? Certainly they would have great value, especially when served to us on fine silver.
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