Alphabetical
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April 19, 2014
Set:
There are times in coaching when we doubt our abilities to handle a specific match, tournament, or season. Doubt can come up from behind and tackle us after a string of bad games or hit us as after a single loss. We have seen potential in our players and ourselves, but we are unable to explain why the season is going the way it is. This is particularly difficult when we have a strong and personal relationship with our players. We begin to question our abilities to coach and lead our teams. Once we get to this point of self-doubt, it is hard to climb out, and that is exactly where God wants to get us so we will have faith in him rather than in ourselves.
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September 23, 2010
Set:
When most sport seasons end, numbers get crunched. It’s easy for coaches to get caught up in the numbers game, especially as the media highlights our career wins, our titles, and our Coach of the Year awards. However, any true coach knows records are not the important thing; what matters is having the opportunity to work with athletes, to make a difference in their lives. Coaches, like players, make a lot of sacrifices to develop winning teams, but most will tell you those sacrifices and successes are for the athletes, for the joy of watching players mature and grow.
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October 05, 2013
Set:
Ask a coach to list the qualities of a complete player and discipline is always in the list. A disciplined player has a work ethic that sets him or her apart. He or she makes a strong player, but not always a strong person. It’s amazing how many NFL players leave the league bankrupt, divorced, or addicted to alcohol or other drugs. While many NFL players show extreme discipline athletically, some show little discipline in their moral decisions and relationships. The quality they lack is self-control.
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January 29, 2014
Set:
In our efforts to achieve high esteem, many of us try to wear the right clothes, drive the right cars, or have the right cell phones. We figure if we have all of the "right" stuff, we will finally feel good about ourselves. We think our teammates will begin to think we are cool.
The problem with having the right material items is that, in a month, week or even a day’s time, those will no longer be considered cool. That self-image we thought we could purchase will suddenly be gone.
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June 04, 2008
Set:
Last summer, as I sat in Yosemite Valley looking up at the famous El Capitan rock formation, I realized that I needed to come to grips with some things that I did not like about myself. I took out a piece of paper, and on it, I made three columns. At the top I wrote “Who am I,” “What do I want to change,” and “How am I going to get there.” As I started to write, I found if difficult to be honest with myself. But after I was done, I realized two vital things: (1) Nothing could happen without Christ, and (2) my days of self-fulfillment needed to end.
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October 07, 2005
Set:
When most sport seasons end, numbers get crunched. As coaches, it’s easy for us to get caught up in this number crunching, especially as the media highlights our career wins, the titles we’ve won and the number of “Coach of the Year” awards we’ve received.
But any true coach knows that records are not what are important. Having the opportunity to work with athletes and make a difference in their lives is what is important. Coaches, like players, make a lot of sacrifices to develop winning teams, but most will tell you those sacrifices and successes are for the athletes—for the joy of watching players mature and grow.
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March 01, 2014
Set:
Growing up in Buffalo, New York, hockey was my sport. I started skating pretty early in life, and it quickly became my dream to play in college and then in the NHL. As seasons went by, I scored more goals and had more assists, and I started getting recognized for my ability to play the game I loved. In high school, I played on multiple teams, winning two national championships and a gold medal at the Empire State games. My senior year, I captained my team to a perfect 40-win season, which resulted in the National Junior B Championship.
As I look back on those years, I find myself asking, “Was I the leader that my teammates and coaches deserved? Was I following the example that Jesus Christ had provided for me when He was leading His team of disciples here on earth?
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September 27, 2010
Set:
Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan. They stood out as great NBA players, but they had a certain quality that did not show up in the box score. It was the ability to make the players around them better. They added value to their teammates, and they could see the bigger picture. Success for them was inevitable.
Likewise, Jesus calls us to see the bigger picture of His kingdom as we influence others for His sake. Every day, we encounter fellow coaches, students, players—even our family—who might need our help so that they can get to the next level, not just for their sake but for His.
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February 19, 2009
Set:
This year I turned 50 years old. It’s amazing to see how God has stood by my side through a half century of life. Has it been easy? Is a life with Multiple Sclerosis, like the one I lead, a life without challenges? Is training for bodybuilding competitions, something that is virtually impossible with MS, a walk in the park? Is God prepared for victory even as I face a battle that man says cannot be won? The answers are NO, NO, NO and YES!
Training with a debilitating disease is certainly challenging. MS has left my extremities with numbness and lack of coordination. I sometimes wonder why God has chosen me to do what I am doing, but I always come back to the same conclusion. He has His purpose, and I am just a vessel for His work.
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November 01, 2008
Set:
January 16, 2004, is a date that may have significantly impacted the sports world for many years to come. Two 14-year-old athletes made a big splash in their respective sports. Michelle Wie played in the Sony Open on the PGA tour and missed the cut by one stroke, tying two men who had won major championships the previous year. Freddy Adu, in a move that shocked no one, was chosen as the top pick in the Major League Soccer draft by D.C. United.
