Alphabetical
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April 12, 2012
Set:
I love to watch wrestling. No, not the slam dunk, throw-em-across-the-ring brawls you see on television, but the true competition that takes place on mats across the country during the bleak winter months. Two contestants walk across the mat and, with a steely eyed stare, get ready to engage in a battle of strength and will. After three two-minute periods of power, strength and speed, one winner emerges with his or her hand raised by the referee. Often, the loser is defeated by a more skilled opponent, but once in a while, a superior wrestler simply underestimates an opponent and that person’s abilities.
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February 08, 2005
Set:
Not long ago, I stopped in a nearby town for coffee. When I went to wash my hands, I noticed the shiny new hand dryer on the restroom wall with the words “Feel the Power” printed on it. I pushed the button and got a blast of hot air! It was like one of those huge dryers from the car wash had been compacted into a tiny hand dryer. Now, whenever someone mentions that town, I think of that hand dryer, a silly reminder of my experience there!
Sometimes I wonder how I’ll be remembered as a coach. When someone mentions my coaching career, will they note the wins and losses, the calls I made or failed to make? Or will they remember how I served and acted as a coach?
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April 11, 2006
Set:
The 2005 Northwestern College football schedule appeared to have a misprint on it, showing two games scheduled for October 8. It was no mistake, though, and the Division III school became the first to play two football games in one day, knocking off Trinity Bible College and Macalester College 59-0 and 47-14 respectively.
Prior to the first game, one group of players was asked to come up to the chalkboard and answer the question, “What will you give?” Players wrote things like intensity, love, respect, etc. Then senior defensive back Dan Pazurek approached the board and wrote, “All the glory to Jesus Christ.”
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February 11, 2011
Set:
If you had the opportunity to sit down with the coach you considered to be the all-time greatest in your sport, what would you ask him or her to teach you? But say you only got to make ONE request. That would change everything, wouldn’t it?
My all-time favorite coach was John Wooden. There are a ton of things I would have liked to ask Coach Wooden, so, narrowing it down to just one question would have been extremely difficult. But, after thinking about it, I believe the one topic I would have chosen would have been team chemistry. How did he get all those different players to bond together for the common cause of winning another title? There are so many other things I could ask him, but, in team sports today, chemistry means just as much as X’s and O’s.
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May 27, 2013
Set:
The neighborhood gang gathered to play ball at the park and a new guy showed up. Everyone brought their usual stuff: Tom brought the favorite bat, Jimmy his bases, Alex had a cooler of water and cups, Derek had extra gloves. Joe, the new guy, had nothing. Tom asked him, “You wanna play?”
Joe replied, “Sure.”
Tom then asked, “What do you got to play with?” Joe walked away dejected.
In Romans 12, Paul pleaded with the people to offer themselves to the Lord. Too many times we think we need to give God something. Paul urged the Roman people, in view of all God had done for them, to simply present their bodies back to the Lord for His glory and honor.
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October 08, 2004
Set:
"Why do you want to make it to the NFL?" That was a question I recently posed to three promising athletes. The first responded with an expected answer. He wanted the glory, fame and money that came with it. He wanted to be rich. The second player wanted to fulfill a dream of playing at the highest level and to help his family. The third player took time to think before answering.
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August 04, 2009
Set:
All athletes start a sport with the best of intentions. They want to work hard, stay disciplined and become better. However, at times, athletes become distracted and allow themselves to be sidetracked or pulled away from their goals. Too many times they look back and wonder what happened to their good intentions and make excuses. But pride, selfishness and other factors are usually to blame.
Samson was a great man. He was focused, driven and he had the best of intentions, wanting to serve the Lord. However, he had one major distraction: Delilah. She tried everything she could do to sidetrack him from his faith, his pursuits and his walk. Eventually, she got him to cut his hair. Thus, Samson lost his strength and ultimately his life.
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July 31, 2013
Set:
Why do we place so much emphasis on the role we have on a team? For example, a non-starter might think, I’m not on the field . . . I’m not good enough. On the other hand, starters might carry an I’m better than you attitude. We must evaluate our attitudes. Does our attitude bring a smile to God’s face? On a team, each person’s talents add to the whole. Who, by themselves, could take on a whole team and win?
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April 25, 2014
Set:
"Whatever" has been a popular word, particularly among teens, for years. But did you know that this word is also found 173 times in Scripture? My personal favorite use of this word—and a use that has become important for my team—is in Philippians 1:27. Here, Paul instructs us that “whatever” happens, we should conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Wow. That makes the over-used word "whatever" seem a lot more serious.
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March 28, 2007
Set:
Why do we play sports? What is our priority? Whom are we playing for? These are questions we each struggle with as players and as coaches. If we search our souls, I believe that each of us will find that we all desire to win and that we each play for some personal reason beyond "the team," whether it be for personal glory, personal gratification, etc.
But when we gather together to play as a team, those who thrive have the ability to do two things: 1) put aside their personal goals and priorities, and 2) align themselves with team priorities. Great team victories have been achieved by groups of individuals who determined their priorities and submitted to their team goals.
