“Dad, maybe you will win next time.” These words have been spoken to me a few times from my kids after a tough loss, usually followed by a big hug. At five and seven years of age, they really don’t care if I win or lose. They just want a hug, and most of the time I need it more than they do. In coaching football, wrestling, and track, there is always a game or two each year that doesn’t turn out according to plan. And these words from my kids always seem to help the healing begin and it also puts “the game” in perspective. Wins and losses that matter to us coaches don’t really matter to our children. They are still trying to figure out the real game, “life.” They love us, no matter what, with unconditional love.
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Alphabetical
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Damaging Words
Set:Have you ever turned your TV on to a ball game and witnessed a coach or player saying words you did not want your children to repeat? Foul language is common in athletics today. What makes using these words so attractive? Some say it motivates or is necessary to get a point across. If this is the case, how do teachers and preachers teach lessons of life without using these words? If this type of language is used to motivate, then why is over 90 percent of it used in a negative context?
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Dancing
Set:A Division I basketball school entered its conference tournament as the number eight seed, which meant a low probability of making it to the NCAA tournament. Despite the odds, they achieved that goal by knocking off the one-, two-, and four-seeded teams, thereby earning entry into the NCAA tournament. As one team member summarized, “We put it together when it counted most.” We all know that falling short of our expectations leads to disappointment both on and off the court. However, if we, like that eighth-seeded team, keep looking forward to even a small hope of success, we’ll often be glad we did.
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Dare to Be Different
Set:It has been proven that even identical twins have different DNAs. If that is the case, what is God telling us about our uniqueness? I believe He is telling us to be different, not to conform to the world’s standards, to be in the world but not of the world. I know this is hard and seems to be a paradox, especially in a world where we are told to be a team player—not an individual—or to play, coach, or live for our own agendas.
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Days are Numbered
Set:If you knew when your last practice, last game, last hoorah would be, how would it affect your situation? Many athletes have had to face this early in their blossoming careers. Men such as Bo Jackson, Darryl Stingley and many others. Would you do things differently as an athlete or coach? Brian is one such athlete who may have seen his last play. A standout safety, who walked on, earned a scholarship and now is a fifth-year senior. Last year he missed the entire season (except for the bowl game) because of ACL surgery, and he was counting on this year to be his best. On the Monday before they opened their season, Brian hurt his ankle. At first it looked like a sprain, but over time it has become much worse. Brian's football career may be over. -
Dead To That
Set:Mike was a great athlete. He could play almost any sport with ease. He was popular, and everyone wanted to follow his example. Mike had given his heart to Christ and had begun following God's plan, but his old friends and old ways resurfaced often. So, when he was approached recently by his friends who were going out to party and wanted him to attend, Mike had to make a choice.
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Deal with the Minor and Avoid the Major
Set:Recently I have been listening to a radio program about the life of David. As I thought about it this week, I think God put a lesson on my heart. . . -
Dearly Loved
Set:It broke my heart a little that it wasn’t a bigger deal in the media. It was almost unnoticed as the third bullet point listed on the side of ESPN’s homepage on Monday. Barely a blip on the radar screen when compared to the Manning Bowl. But there it was in bright blue hyperlink text: “Denver Broncos WR Kenny McKinley found dead at his home.”
Reports stated that McKinley, who was on the team’s injured reserve after having knee surgery in August, made comments after his surgery about killing himself. The investigation details later stated that, “McKinley didn’t know what to do other than football” (ESPN.com).
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Debtor’s Prison
Set:I sat with a coach whom I had known for years, discussing how to help someone in the midst of crisis. He desperately wanted to help, but, almost in tears, he revealed he could not because of his own finances. He was enslaved to debt. I wish I could say his story is the exception to the rule, but sadly it is not today. We live in an age of credit. An entire industry is built on encouraging us to incur large amounts of debt. Many companies earn more from interest than from the products they sell. Debt service takes a huge part of people’s income. Proverbs 22:7 clearly warns us about debt: “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender.” Debt causes us to shift our allegiance to those we owe and away from God.
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Decisions
Set: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.
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