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May 28, 2013
Set:
Our family plays a game in which we ask, “Would you rather . . . ?” then our children have to make a decision. (Example: Would you rather win a World Series or Super Bowl?) Last night, I asked, “Would you rather be a great leader or a great servant?” I barely finished the question before my 10 year old, Abigail, said, “Dad, they’re the same thing. If you serve someone, you are showing and teaching someone what Jesus would do.” Wow! After picking myself up off the ground, I realized she nailed it. Abigail understands that a great servant is always a great leader, but a great leader is not necessarily a great servant.
January 29, 2013
Set:
I heard a baseball coach give instructions to his player on base, telling him the same thing at least three times. Finally, the coach said in a sarcastic tone, “Do you understand what I mean?” His player acted as if he never heard his coach. An important skill in being a great competitor and successful in life is the ability to be teachable. We can’t be teachable if we think we know it all.
May 31, 2013
Set:
We can all think of things at which we have been successful. It could be making goals in soccer, being the fastest runner, or being able to hit a home run in baseball. Whatever it is, we have probably been complimented on it before. A glory giver knows how to respond when they receive praise. Humility is recognizing that God and others are actually responsible for the achievements in our lives and giving the glory to them. Give credit where credit is due! God gave us the talents we have. A great coach and supportive teammates allow for our success on the field to happen. Pride believes we have achieved what really God and others have achieved for us.
November 09, 2013
Set:
Some friends asked me to feed their fish while they were away. One day I thought, How boring for that fish. He needs a party. So I removed the fish from the tank and set him on the couch with the remote, food, and magazines. He was in heaven—freedom from his bowl, no boundaries, no one to make him stay put. He looked lonely, so I set some frozen fish sticks nearby. They were a little cold toward him, but at least he wasn’t alone. OK, that didn’t happen. The truth is, if I remove that fish from his boundaries, he will experience death, not freedom.
July 03, 2013
Set:
When we think of worshiping God, what comes to mind? Praying? Going to church? Singing? Worship includes these things, but encompasses much more.
When I started in professional tennis, I aimlessly played for my own pleasure. Gradually, I realized we are to worship the Lord in everything we do. So how can we worship through sports? Much of the answer lies in our attitude and motivation.
October 11, 2004
Set:
During a recent Monday Night Football game, I watched as two future Hall of Fame coaches took the field. The TV announcers shared how they had talked with a player who had played for both coaches in the past. They asked him what was the different in coaching styles. He said that one coached by fear, the other by love. When asked what the player preferred, he shared that both can be effective, but that love lasts forever.
May 20, 2013
Set:
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.
October 12, 2013
Set:
Since 1997, MasterCard has received hundreds of awards for their catchy ad campaign featuring the slogan “Priceless.” As Christians, I think the slogan for our relationships with Christ should be “Serving Is Priceless.” Most people think that serving is the same thing as service. I disagree. I believe there is a huge difference between the two. Christ did not come to give good service; He came to serve. As an athlete, I am not supposed to give good service to my teammates—I am to serve them. As a coach, I serve my team; I do not provide them a service. Service is something you pay for or something you expect, such as courteous and prompt attention from the employees at a restaurant or gas station. But serving goes deeper.
December 29, 2013
Set:
Every day, I run across the same busy bridge without sidewalks. Once, as I saw a car coming, I scooted to the guardrail, expecting they would slide toward the center lane. Nope. They stayed fully in their lane, flew past me, and nearly clipped off my arm! I whipped around shouting angrily. They didn’t hear me (a good thing).
Why hadn’t they moved over? I thought angrily. It’s not that difficult to see a runner coming straight toward you. Where’s the common courtesy? I always accommodate a runner on the road!
May 07, 2013
Set:
As a young coach I was blessed with good players and quick success. Although people told me what a good coach I was, I considered the really great coach to be in the local junior high. Phil Hodson was the Wilbur Shooterfly (Hoosiers) of my day. He had an incredible knowledge of the game. One day after winning our seventh or eighth game in a row, he pulled me aside. I was expecting him to tell me I did a great job. Instead, he let me have it. He told me what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear.
July 11, 2013
Set:
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.
September 06, 2012
Set:
In just his fourth full season in the Major Leagues, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has already become a household name. After winning the 2011 NL Cy Young Award, the then 23-year-old joined the ranks of all-time Dodger greats Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser, and he recently became just the fifth pitcher in franchise history to strike out more than 200 batters in three consecutive seasons.
December 04, 2013
Set:
Remember this line? “Do as I say, not as I do.” What a recipe for disaster! The athletic world is full of double standards. Some athletes get treated better than others. Freshmen don’t usually get the same privileges as seniors. Even coaches sometimes have double standards for their athletes. Many times a coach will say that players late for practice will be punished. How often is this enforced if the late player is one of the best on the team?
April 28, 2013
Set:
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?”
August 15, 2013
Set:
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.
November 06, 2013
Set:
Cal Ripken Jr., who broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive-game record (Gehrig’s 2,130 to Ripken’s 2,632 straight games in the lineup), credits his father, Cal Ripken Sr. for the mentoring, coaching, and example to break the record. Junior remembers that his father had many mottoes and pronouncements. One of his favorite sayings was: “Do two million little things right, and the big things take care of themselves.” His point was to take pride in the fundamentals.
All of us face the game of life each day with its tests and temptations. Being a Christian doesn’t guarantee that we will never have problems. But as Christians, we have biblical guidelines and fundamentals to help us have victory over our trials.
February 02, 2005
Set:
This is an agonizing time of the year for college football coaches and fans. Star high school athletes are making decisions that will determine where they will spend the next four years of their lives. They are taking official visits to college campuses around the country and are being given the royal treatment. Each school hopes that the recruit will commit to signing with them, and many do long before the official signing date. Even with commitments declared, college coaches continue to pursue these athletes, causing some to change their minds and sign with other schools. Recruits can state that they are a "soft" commitment to a school and continue to make visits to other campuses.
June 19, 2013
Set:
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.
May 13, 2013
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.
August 23, 2012
Set:
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.
March 19, 2013
Set:
There are two sayings that I have heard hundreds of times in my life. One is, “You can’t tell a book by its cover” and the second is an advertising statement, “It’s what’s up front that counts.” I would like to take a little liberty with those two statements, applying them to the world of sports. I think that anyone who has played baseball can attest to the fact that “you can’t tell a baseball by its cover” and “It’s what’s inside that counts.”
July 18, 2013
Set:
There are some things that just set a coach off. Together those things make up what I call my "Hot List"--things that made me mad fast!
1. A lazy player.
2. Someone who is constantly late.
3. Those who would rather complain than try harder.
4. Those who blame everyone else and never take responsibility for their own actions.
These players really pushed me to the limit as a coach. Was there redeeming value in them? Absolutely. But rarely did they see it in themselves.
September 20, 2013
Set:
There are many things in this life that can poison your heart. In college, it might be alcohol, drugs or toxic relationships. As a professional athlete, those temptations are often in the form of material possessions and money. But when I committed my life to Christ during my playing days at the University of Nebraska, I allowed Him to fill the void in my heart that worldly things could never satisfy. I was finally at peace.
No matter how long you have been serving the Lord, the enemy of your soul is going to tempt you to walk away from the straight and narrow path. Thankfully, when I began playing for the Buffalo Bills, I had a group of like-minded individuals to help me stay the course. I also became actively involved in Bible studies and grew in my knowledge of His Word.
December 17, 2012
Set:
John reminds us to focus on God, and not think highly of ourselves. I once spoke at an event for a large number of kids. Before me, another speaker fumbled through his words in a monotone voice. As I listened, my sinful side said, “Dude, those kids are going to love you compared to this guy.” I couldn’t believe what I was thinking. My pride rose up and I hadn’t even stepped on stage. I was soon reminded, it’s not about me. The host introduced me as a youth pastor—which I’m not; and in the closing prayer, thanked God for me—using the wrong name. I drove home laughing. Those kids had no idea who I was or where I worked.
May 01, 2012
Set:
Years ago, when I ran track in college, I had the privilege of doing workouts with several elite athletes who trained at the same facility in California. One of the athletes in my workout group was a promising college freshman named Mark Crear. Three years later, I watched his career take off after he finished third at the NCAA finals in 1990. Over the the next 14 years, Mark emerged as one of the top hurdlers in the world. An Olympian with two Olympic medals, he held the No. 1 or 2 ranking in the world several times during that span. He is remembered most for taking the silver medal in the 1996 Olympics with a cast on his broken arm.
