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May 08, 2009
Set:
Thirty-three years later there is still evidence that my front tooth took a chunk of wood out of my mom’s furniture. When my two older brothers and I were kids, we invented a game called “Walkie-Talkie.” I know a walkie-talkie is a portable, handheld communication device, but we hijacked the name because it perfectly fit our game. When I think back on it, I’m pretty sure it was really just a game that allowed my brothers to inflict bodily harm on me, but I wasn’t smart enough to figure that out. I was just thankful they wanted to do something with their youngest brother. (Do I hear an “Amen!” from all the youngest kids out there?)
December 28, 2009
Set:
If you have been on a team, chances are you’ve heard the phrases “Be a leader,” and “This team needs leadership!” Statements like those constantly remind us as players to work hard, demonstrate integrity, and display a model of intensity for other players.
December 12, 2006
Set:
In week 14 of the 2006 NFL season the Miami Dolphins defense harassed quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots offense to the tune of four sacks, three lost fumbles -- two by Brady -- zero points and 187 yards. It was the worst offensive showing for the Patriots all year. "We just couldn't do anything right," Brady said after the 21-0 loss.
I'm sure we've all had competitions where we've wound up feeling like Tom Brady, like we just couldn't seem to do two right things in a row. Fortunately, there are also those performances where we feel like we are unstoppable, and those balance out the bad ones.
August 24, 2010
Set:
Most students often have to answer questions about their future plans. Whether we are asked about our plans for school, the weekend, or even just the afternoon, it generally isn't that hard to answer. "Oh, I'm going to [this university] and participating in [this sport]." Or, "I'm going to chill with some friends." Etc. One day though, I found myself answering a question that was a little more serious: “What are your plans for your life?”
February 10, 2010
Set:
We all have seen the ads about the “Easy” button. Just hit the Easy button and things become easy. I actually have an Easy button on my desk that doesn’t work anymore, because I used it so much. I think the batteries died.
I love the “easy “button,” but I think a better button would be a “New” button — one that gives us a fresh start. We could hit it at the beginning of a year (or month or day) and start over with a clean slate. Wouldn’t that be great? We could hit the New button for lots of things: diet, workout routine, pets, schools, sports teams, coaches, friends or jobs. The list could go on and on.
June 08, 2010
Set:
While talking with his son, John Wooden told him that he needed to shave because he was going to see his bride very soon. The basketball coaching legend knew his final breath was coming, and he wanted to be ready to meet his Maker and his wife. Going home to glory at the age of 99, Wooden left an example for all coaches, no matter what the sport, to follow.
NBA great Jerry West said, “He did not have two sets of rules for his players…they all played under the same rules.” Wooden was true to his faith in Christ, true to his family, and true to his fundamentals of life, which had been taught to him by his parents back in Indiana so many years ago.
November 01, 2008
Set:
At the college that I attended, we referred to long-distance runners as “jar heads.” We figured that each day they would unscrew their heads, take out their brains, and then run an unbelievable amount of miles before returning and putting their brains back in their heads.
I say this all in good fun, obviously. I have always admired distance runners and think that distance running is an amazing ability. When these runners race, they set their minds on finishing the race. Lap after lap they strain through sore muscles and tough conditions to finish what they started.
February 24, 2010
Set:
Most would agree that character is vital for success in any organization, team, or family, yet today’s news is filled with examples of bad character. Nehemiah was in the process of building a wall, but he recognized that if some character issues were not addressed, the completion of the wall would be insignificant. Rebuilding a physical wall was not all that God had called Nehemiah to do. God called Nehemiah to a much greater ministry—a ministry to the heart.
August 28, 2006
Set:
Just like a top athletic performer pursues his or her goals in training, so does God want us to wholeheartedly pursue a relationship with Him. Far too many Christians act like spectators in the race of life. But life is the biggest race of all, and God wants us to compete and to win--He expects this of us!
March 02, 2010
Set:
The desire of every high school athlete is a full scholarship to college. I was speaking to a local softball team yesterday. I asked them to imagine that I could give them a full scholarship. The only thing I needed them to do was to try out. The terms of the scholarship state that if every "at bat" is a home run; if every ball is fielded cleanly; if every throw is on line; and every pitch a strike, then you will get the scholarship.
I asked them if they could achieve that. "No" was the unanimous answer. Of course you can't because no one is perfect.
December 27, 2010
Set:
As a coach have you ever had a bad day, bad week, or bad year? Many of us would answer “yes.” At one point, Moses could have said he was having a “bad life.” Most of his life had been a lie. He committed murder, Pharaoh tried to kill him, and, in fear, he ran from his problems to the desert. Then came his defining moment in life—the burning bush.
September 30, 2010
Set:
My brother Judd stopped by to visit the other night. It’s always great to see him. He is in the process of transforming his life and is now a triathlete. So far, he’s competed in two triathlons, and I’m so proud of him. While this kind of competition is not uncommon for many former athletes, Judd’s situation is a little different.
October 28, 2010
Set:
I went to three high schools in four years, so you'd think I'd enjoy three homecomings. Truth is, having gone to so many schools, I never really got to know anyone all that well, and now—years later—I really don't feel like I have a high school to come home to.
Homecoming and Halloween often coincide. My favorite costumed-kiddos are the aliens. Whether it's Roswell-green or tin-canned space beings... they all remind me that—as a follower of Jesus—that's what I am: an alien... this isn't my home. Christians are here for a season... learning to love and calling out to other aliens to get ready for the home-coming.
October 17, 2006
Set:
Many of my friends find their identity in sports. Others, like myself, find their identity in how well they do in school. I know others who base who they are in what they do, how they look, or who likes them and who doesn't. The point is, we all build our lives on something. We all have something that matters to us more than anything else and defines who we are. And while God intends for friends, hobbies, possessions and abilities to provide us with enjoyment, we should not let them become the foundation of our identity and happiness.
November 09, 2006
Set:
I had the pleasure of meeting the legendary Buck O'Neil earlier this year. It was on his 94th birthday on a Saturday morning at the FCA headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. Ashamedly, I did not know who he was when he walked straight up to me to give me hug. After learning that I had just met a legend of the American Negro Baseball League, I remember feeling like I had embraced an angel overflowing with the love of Christ.
May 09, 2010
Set:
In 1998 I started a long journey that I had dreamed about for most of my life—running a marathon. I made the commitment to run by registering for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. I was set to go but did not start running for a month. Crazy? I had a plan, my own plan. I began reading everything I could about running, or surviving, a marathon. I had never been to Washington, D.C., so I printed the course layout and studied every mile. I visually had a mental picture of each hill and the battles and challenges that were ahead. I started running on May 1 for the October marathon. I mapped out a plan for running, including weekly long runs, proper diet, and rest.
August 11, 2009
Set:
Almost every week this summer, I have been working with junior high boys trying to help them improve their basketball skills. The range of ability between sixth and eighth graders is pretty wide, and their physical size can be an even bigger gap. But we have one boy, Max, who doesn’t let his size bother him at all. In every drill and scrimmage, he uses what the Lord has given him to the best of his ability and tries to improve. It is such a joy to watch him play because he wears out his opponents with his speed and quickness. As an athlete, Max refuses to let what he can’t do get in the way of what he can do.
January 10, 2007
Set:
There are three essentials to the game of golf. Each parallels the meaning and purpose of the Christian life. . .
The first essential is the grip (how the golfer holds the club). If the starting point, the grip, is bad, the golfer's entire game will suffer. In life, the first step of getting a grip is to be born again through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).
The second is the stance. The way a golfer addresses the ball determines the success of his shots. If his stance is crooked, he will get into trouble. In the Christian life, the stance is likened to our daily walk. If we take the right stance, denying sin and committing ourselves to obeying Christ, we will know God's pleasure and blessing (Romans 12:1-2).
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: When a goalie is said to “Stand on his head” that means he’s making great saves for the team. This may have been derived after NHL President Frank Calder, referencing the 1918 rules change that allowed goalies to fall down to make a save, remarked, "They could stand on their head, if they wanted to." Basically it means they are giving their all to stop pucks.
August 11, 2006
Set:
As a child, many of us had one athlete we always loved to watch. Whether it was football, basketball, soccer, baseball or something else, there was one person we would watch closely in order to go out later and try to copy their moves or plays. For me, personally, it was and still is Steve Nash. This under-sized point guard always seems to make the pass that somehow gets through the three defenders in front of him. As I walked out onto the court the other day, I tried to imitate his shot and put myself in the mindset of someone who was a professional.
April 12, 2010
Set:
I used to love watching the old WWF. Back when Hulk Hogan was the strongest man in the world, and Macho Man Randy Savage was leaping off the tops of steel cages with the flying elbow drop. Nothing could beat waking up Saturday morning to watch wrestling.
October 29, 2008
Set:
The night before a football game, our team has a gathering at the house of one of the seniors. His parents supply the food, and we have had these team dinners since before I can remember.
March 07, 2007
Set:
Inside the octagon, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title-holder Matt Hughes has compiled a 43-5 record using a tactic he is known for called "ground and pound." Outside the octagon Hughes is known for being a down-to-earth, loving family man. "I've already done more in this sport than I thought was possible 10 years ago," he said in an interview prior to his victory over Chris Lytle on March 3, 2007. "My body tells me I've got two years left. It's getting harder each time to go train. I just want to stay home with Audra, work on the farm and watch the kids grow up. Being remembered as a UFC champ is important, but it's more important to be remembered as a good husband and father."
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.”
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: The Stanley Cup is not an award of chance. It’s not just an award of hard work either (many top goal scorers of the year have ended the year empty handed). The players give their abilities to the coach of the team who has the earned the title of being the leader. In 1995, the eight time Stanley Cup winner, Jacques Lemaire, led the New Jersey Devils, and their sophmore goalie Martin Brodeur, to the first NHL finals victory in franchise history.
