The life of a young person today is much different than it was 10-20 years ago. But as our campers share this week with their Huddle Leaders, it is obvious that the same problems are still there and are big as ever. Trying to figure out what life to live proves to be troublesome for many of them.

As coaches, we have a rule on our hockey team. If you get hurt during play, you must do your utmost to stay involved in the play or get yourself to the bench. We expect this not because we are hard-nosed or don’t care about the well-being of our players, but because we expect our athletes to persevere and work through adversity.

Hockey Chat:  Some guys know just how to get under the skin of their opponent.   Sometimes it’s with a discrete cheap shot.  Maybe a whack of the stick.   All for the purpose of getting the guy to swing back.  With retaliation comes consequences.  Those couple minutes spent in the box might cost the team a goal.  All because they had to get ‘em back.

I fell in love with my wife in 1993. In 1999, I fell in love with our first child, Jaycee. Then, in 2002, a new love entered my life when I was tricked into running a marathon. And I have been addicted to long-distance running ever since. I have completed the Oklahoma City Marathon and the Gardens of the Gods 10-Miler. What is significant about this addiction is that I had absolutely no running history before 2002. In college I was an All-Conference, 305-pound offensive lineman. I once told a running back that if he ran more than 40 yards, he better have some sort of moves because I was done blocking after 40 yards. But, oddly, the running addiction has gotten a hold of me.

When you see a glass half-filled with water, what do you think? Is it half empty, or is it half full? It all depends on your perspective. So many different circumstances and situations happen in life. Uncertainties and challenges make life difficult, but attitude or perspective can make a positive difference. If you have the right perspective you can experience God's presence, power, promises and peace.

In Philippians 4:9, Paul said to learn from him, to put into practice the right perspective of faith in God no matter what your situation. There are three things we can learn from Paul when it comes to proper perspective.

Hockey Chat:  With each earnest effort on the ice, we get better.  Skating gets you down the ice.  Stick handling helps you get the puck down the ice.  Shooting helps you get the puck in the goal.  One builds on the other.  A good work ethic in each area will build you up for the next skill to keep you playing good all around.

In the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, sprinter Bob Hayes tied the Olympic record on his way to winning the gold medal in the 100-meter dash. Just a few months later, Hayes was dashing past defensive backs as a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. Turning a world-class sprinter into a football player was a radical concept at the time, yet Hayes’s success altered defensive strategy and changed how football is played.

All athletes need to go through this, but most would probably rather skip it if it were possible. It’s probably the part of sports that is the least fun. Yet this is also the part that separates average athletes from top athletes.

Have you figured it out yet? It’s training. Athletic training involves many different things. Proper eating, weight training and practicing are all necessary in order to get into top playing condition.

As Christians, we need to be training ourselves spiritually. This involves getting sin out of our lives and removing those things that may not be sin but are a hindrance in our respective walks with Christ. An example of this is when sports in your life begin to take away from time that you need to be devoting to God.

“I was telling myself 20 times a hole (to) keep my focus, keep my focus, keep my focus,” Michael Campbell said, “and it worked.” Michael Campbell began the final round of the 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst four shots behind the leader. However, he was one of only four golfers who shot under par on the final day, while those atop the leader board crumbled, giving him a two-shot victory over Tiger Woods.

Campbell’s focus on the golf course paid off—to the tune of $1.17 million. “I worked really hard for this, ups and downs from my whole career,” Campbell said. “But it’s worth the work. It’s just amazing.”

We need people in our lives to push us to make us better. If we surround ourselves with people who don't require us to give our best, we are being cheated. Going one-on-one with the worst player on the team won't help you get ready for the big game, and it's the same in life. Surround yourself with people who will challenge you and who will require you to be honest, trustworthy and faithful. Do the same for them. 

Hockey Chat:  There are so many terrible players that we skate with.  They miss the open net.  They bobble the pass that was right to them.  They can’t skate fast enough to make the play.  And one more thing…….they are just like you and me.  Give them a break when they goof and maybe they’ll cut you some slack next time it’s your man you should’ve been defending that scores or you shoot wide of the pipes.  NOTE: The worst thing about wanting to be on a perfect team is that they will only take perfect players.  Where would that leave you?