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December 17, 2010
Set:
As a coach, you’ve probably tried to learn from the best in your profession through clinics, articles, visits, and the informal conversations that happen when coaches get together. The knowledge we gain is often priceless, but sometimes it’s costly. Costly not so much in the areas of strategy and fundamentals, but in regard to the way we relate to players, coaches, and parents. This is not to suggest that advice in these areas is always negative, but any counsel we receive regarding the “life-related” issues of coaching, family, finances, etc. is potentially harmful if not filtered through God’s Word. Regarding God’s Word, the psalmist writes, “Your decrees are my delight and my counselors” (Ps 119:24).
May 09, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: In 1896, George Merritt of the Winnipeg Victorias was the first goalie to sport ordinary crickett pads during the Stanley Cup playoffs to help him stop pucks. Soon after, crickett pads were used by all goalies.
July 01, 2009
Set:
Most know the story of Job and how he lost all of his children, property, and possessions. What was he like
before he lost it all? He was blameless, had complete integrity, feared God, and stayed away from evil. I believe that athletes and coaches often live dual lives—one way on the field and another off the field. We justify it saying they are two different areas of our lives that shouldn’t cross over. Job wasn’t like that. Job was blameless. No one could accuse him of wrongdoing. If he did wrong someone, he kept a short account and asked forgiveness.
November 01, 2008
Set:
On the second Sunday of every March, you will hear teams all over the country proclaiming how they should be invited to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. More than 30 teams get automatic bids through conference tournament championships, but 34 other teams have to be invited. These teams boast of the great things they have done—and how they deserve to be in the tournament.
November 25, 2009
Set:
Moses warned the Israelites against failing to serve God. We should take this warning to heart. Jesus tells us, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me” (Matthew 25:40b). When serving God, we cannot help but serve others; and in serving others, we serve God.
Sports like tennis and volleyball require serving the ball. In an article, “Six Steps to a Better Serve,” the author wrote, “Serving is a skill that takes years of practice to master, and something that you can always improve upon. . . . Keep at it, take your time, and practice lots.” This applies to serving others as well.
June 03, 2010
Set:
During football, soccer, and hockey games, the course of the game can change quickly. Success is often the result of an interception that leads to a score and victory. God can also intercept our life. When we think that everything is going wrong, God finds a way to get our attention. It may be by a circumstance or someone He strategically puts in our life. The next time you see a defensive player intercept a ball or a puck, watch and see what happens next. They are congratulated by their teammates and the change of momentum will often lead to a score and victory. When it is needed, don’t be surprised if God intercepts your life.
October 13, 2010
Set:
In the arena of sports where score is kept and there are always winners and losers, how do you know whether or not you are successful? While much of the world defines athletic success in terms of wins and losses, legendary coach John Wooden writes in his book, Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success that “success is peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.Within this framework, each person becomes the only one who can ultimately judge his or her own success.”
November 02, 2009
Set:
It seems like lately as I watch different sporting events, I’m hearing a lot about having a short memory. I hear a lot about it while watching professional golf on TV. A golfer misses a short putt or has a drive out of bounds, and the announcers talk about having a short memory. About how that golfer has to forget about the bad shot and move on to the next. I hear it while watching football, pertaining to a quarterback who just threw an interception that was run back for a touchdown, or a running back who fumbled the ball while the offense was just putting together a great drive.
November 04, 2010
Set:
In our culture, sports figures are elevated to star status and placed on lofty pedestals. Coaches feel great pressure to compile winning records. Yet, in spite of this trend, I believe God calls us as Christian coaches to focus on matters of the heart such as the spiritual lives of our players and fellow staff members. With every interaction, we have the opportunity to be a witness for Christ.
June 08, 2009
Set:
David found trouble because he was in the wrong place. At the season when kings go off to war, he was at home. We cannot afford to be in the wrong place when we understand the eternal consequences. Our daily decision making is too crucial to have a momentary lapse in judgment. David’s lapse led to a lifetime of heartache.
God had chosen David, given him position, promise, and a plan—and made him the greatest king to ever live. God has great plans for us as well and provides His Word to help keep us in the right place. Scripture tells us that we must: (1) hide the Word in our hearts (Psalm 119:1-3); (2) understand temptation and ask God to help us be obedient (Psalm 119:37-39); and (3) remember who we are in Christ (2 Samuel 12:7-8).
January 15, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: We’ve seen it at every level. From the pee-wee’s up through the professionals. As much as skaters on the same team try to move fluently and work together, there is always some moment in some games where two guys on the same team cross paths and trip each other up. The lack of proper communication or the way they communicated caused them to run into each other. One misjudged the other and they both wound up in the same space and down on the ice.
September 19, 2010
Set:
I had the great privilege of knowing Prentice Gautt, who passed away March 17, 2005. He was a wonderful human being. Prentice Gautt was the first black athlete to play football at Oklahoma University. He began playing there in 1956. He was two-time all conference in both 1958 and 1959. Not only was he a great runner; he was a fierce blocker.
October 29, 2010
Set:
It’s easy to make our way through the winning seasons; however, the struggles we face during losing seasons are what we tend to remember most. Most of us have experienced seasons where we’ve tried every plan we can think of, yet the team still struggles. It was during a season like this that Christ’s “good part” was revealed to me. The season began with one of our leading scorers breaking his foot. The problems mounted throughout the season, and the players and coaching staff began to buckle under the pressure. Arguments began and I started to worry about the team’s demise.
May 09, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Martian Broduer’s journey started with a small hope to stop pucks that first time he played goal in net. Through the years it grew and grew and he inscribed his name as one of the greats to ever play in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup three times, and minding the net for the New Jersey Devils through numerous games.
April 16, 2010
Set:
I used to hate running. Yet, somehow, I would always find myself in a race—a race against time, a race against myself. I’d be running from truth, running from pain, and of course, physically running. I’d pound my feet into the ground, my steps like the beat of a drum to a song too fast, too loud and too chaotic for me to understand.
God’s given me a love for running now. Nothing crazy like it was before, but every time I go on a run now God comes through for me. I learn the most from Him when I’m outside enjoying His presence as I run.
August 22, 2011
Set:
In church recently my pastor spoke about Acts 17:26 and how each of us was made by God for a reason. It wasn’t a just coincidence that I was born 22 years ago or that I was put in Austin, Texas three months ago because my job relocated me.
Oftentimes it’s easy for us to forget the simple fact that with God everything happens for a reason.
Sometimes working so hard in my job distracts me from what God has set me on earth to do—serve others. But, the neat thing is our ministry doesn’t have to begin after our normal work hours, when school is let out or at the once a year mission trip. It’s something we should be doing constantly and enjoy doing it too!
August 20, 2010
Set:
As coaches, we are supposed to teach our players about the game and about life lessons. Sometimes, the reverse happens and our players teach us a valuable lesson. The day before my first home football game of the season, my senior quarterback boldly stood up in front of the entire team and coaches and quoted the above Scripture.
September 20, 2010
Set:
No matter where we are in the coaching ranks of our team or sport, there are times when we are called upon to step up to the next level. This call can be both a source of excitement and great fear. Will I succeed in this new challenge? Will I lead the team to a winning season? Will God be glorified if I accept this new position?
Joshua surely asked questions like these and many more besides. He was a faithful man, a type of assistant coach over the Israelites under the direction of Moses. When Moses died, Joshua had to step up and lead God’s people. Needless to say, this was a daunting challenge because the Promised Land was yet to be conquered. So God eased his fears with some encouraging commands.
September 22, 2009
Set:
There is more than one person who mentors me and speaks into my life. If I have an issue, I have five mentors on whom I can call, and they all give me different perspectives. It takes many advisers to win the war. That doesn’t mean we should ask 100 people for advice. But there’s some godly counsel that you can have around to pour into your life, and it will keep your steps straight. That’s what happens with strength in numbers. That’s why I believe in accountability. If some issues are popping up, we can all come together in agreement and pull each other out of a bad situation. That’s a powerful thing. A lot of times, we don’t get enough people around us. We might just have one.
June 18, 2010
Set:
Athletes spend hours each week training their bodies. Whether it is with a team, a community group or all by yourself, we all have to practice in order to achieve our athletic goals. Our commitment to training changes the pace of our daily lives. Consider this, how many times have you said “As soon as I’m done with my workout I’ll….” See what I mean? As a distance runner, some workouts have me out on the road for almost 2 hours. With stretching, cool down jogs and cross training, my day can easily become defined by my workout.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: The chest protectors that goalies wear are nothing short of phenomenal. They allow for 100+ miles per hour vulcanized rubber biscuits to bounce off them with no pain to the goaltender. That keeps him confidently in the game.
October 16, 2010
Set:
As coaches, what do we expect from our athletes if we want to improve their performance? If they are going to be champions in the weight room, we expect them to be torn down. We expect them to push beyond their boundaries. When they do that, their bodies rebuild stronger than before. How do our athletes get faster? We put them on a treadmill, increase the incline, and again push them beyond their boundaries, beyond their comfort zones. Again, when their bodies recover, they are faster. Sometimes the increase is small but they are faster.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Many penalties in a hockey game aren’t just blatant attacks from the opponent for no reason. Often there was a little something more to the story. There was some bad blood built up along the way. That’s why most fights happen later in the game. The emotions are boiling over and they give in. In many penalties, the one who loses control is the one who makes is anger apparent and gets called for it.
February 04, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: I’ve seen hockey players try to argue there way out of penalties saying that it was just a little hook or they just slashed at the puck not the opponent. They try to minimize the offense. Fact is, when they are called for penalty, it’s a penalty. If they say they just barely hit the guy with their stick, they still are called for slashing. If plead that they just nudged the guy head first into the boards, they still get called for boarding just as if they slammed him. When the ref sees a penalty, regardless of the degree, he calls it.
June 05, 2009
Set:
At soccer practice, it was always understood that the freshmen were the ones who would always help clean up by collecting soccer balls, cones and pennies. That’s just what they were supposed to do, kind of like a rite of passage.
After long practices, it always seemed like nobody wanted to collect the sweaty pennies or run all the way to the far corners of the muddy field to collect the balls and cones. Then, one day, our coach gave the freshmen a break and asked the older players to help pack up. We looked around, thinking it was a joke. This wasn’t our job! Why should we be stooping so low? We were above the task. In reality, it seemed we were looking after our own interests, and not the interests of the entire team.
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