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Coaches work hard to get the job done for their programs, but the head coach spends even more time in preparation for his or her meetings. It’s not just the season preparations that need to be done, but also pre-season, postseason, and summer workouts to consider. The head coach must think of everyone in the program and blend every person together for the success of the next year.
Most of us who get these devotions have heard THE story—the account of Christ and His life, death and resurrection, and how we are forgiven for our sins and saved by faith in Him. It’s the ultimate and greatest story of all time!
Well, a while ago, I was in Medford playing soccer. In our last game, I was a little too fired up and used some words that I don't want to mention again. Right before the game I had specifically said, "Lord, I’m playing for You." After the game was over I realized that I had completely gone back on my word and let myself get caught up in the emotions of competition.
Despite not possessing any superb physical attributes, I discovered the Lord can still allow everyone to pursue their own path toward success. Not all men have been blessed with strong athletic physiques and growing up as a thin kid living on a cattle farm in western South Dakota, the odds were against me achieving any athletic success. However, the Lord had other plans for me!
One of the common elements in all levels of football, from the peewees to the pros, is the playbook. It contains the game plan each team uses to overcome its opponent. Without the playbook, teams and players would be in a state of confusion, not knowing what to do or where to go. On the other hand, no matter how good the playbook is, it’s absolutely useless if the players don’t study it and apply it on the field.
When I set out to be the first person with Multiple Sclerosis to compete in National Physique Committee bodybuilding contests, I knew that I was going into battle. In my case the “enemy” was the disease I was diagnosed with in 2006 at the age of 47. My competitions would start when I was 50 years old, which is usually a time in life to begin relaxing and looking back on your accomplishments. For me, my 50th birthday was the beginning of my road to victory.
Coaches have it tough. Let’s be honest. There’s a stigma that we are all ex-jocks and not very good classroom teachers. There are many stereotypes about coaches: “They are teachers who get all the breaks without really working hard in the classroom…They get to miss faculty meetings…They eat meals with their teams that are paid for by the school…They sit down all day and hand out worksheets to their students…They think winning ballgames is the most important thing in the world.” For some coaches, these stereotypes may be true, but I know many where that is not the case.
This verse is part of Christ’s Great Commission. As followers of Christ, this is an awesome commandment and responsibility we all share. My question is, how often do we go, but only halfway?
As athletes, we are constantly around teammates, competitors, and others who don’t know Christ. We go to practices, competitions, and social events where we are surrounded by people in need of a Savior, yet end up only going halfway—showing up, but not engaging them in what is most important to us: Jesus Christ. What stops us from going the whole way? Sometimes it’s simple forgetfulness or distractions, sometimes it’s fear, and sometimes it’s a lack of confidence or willingness to be different.
To hear Ryan Hall nonchalantly describe his winding journey as a long-distance runner isn’t much different from watching him glide with apparent ease through treacherous hills and valleys en route to the finish line. But just because he makes it look effortless doesn’t mean his path to competitive greatness has been without a fair number of trials and tribulations.
“I’ve had a really rocky journey,” Hall says. “The hardest thing is picking yourself up after a shattered dream or an injury or when you know you didn’t give your best.”
Former Dallas Cowboys fullback Ron Springs, who played from 1979 to 1985, had suffered from Type 2 diabetes for 16 years and had spent three on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. To say the least, things were not looking very good until teammate Everson Walls decided to donate one of his kidneys to Springs. After a successful transplant, Springs no longer needed dialysis for the first time in many years.
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