A passionate pursuit of the Lord ultimately led Sue Semrau to Florida State and forever changed the course of the Seminole program and players.
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Mr. Irrelevant
Set:
“Mr. Irrelevant” is an award that started in 1976. It is given to the very last player selected in the NFL Draft. The 2009 “Mr. Irrelevant” award went to Kansas City Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop, who has helped the Chiefs each season since the draft. In 2009 he was pick number 256 in the last round and was given a trophy—the Lowsman Trophy, which is a spoof off of the Heisman Trophy. This trophy actually depicts a player fumbling the ball!
At the draft, he was even given an official NFL jersey with the number 256 and “Mr. Irrelevant” on the back. Can you imagine getting tagged with the title “Mr. Irrelevant”? Basically, people are saying you are not important. I’ve been called many names over the years, but I would struggle with this one.
Preparing for the Game
Set:
A college coach once said, “The will to succeed is important, but what’s more important is the will to prepare.” As coaches, we do everything we can to make sure our teams are prepared for the game. We give them training, exercise, motivation, uniforms, and equipment. We want them to succeed and win when they face the opponent. Nothing would be worse than to show up to face an opponent without being prepared.
Teamwork
Discussion:
- How important is teamwork to your success in sport?
- Who has been a great teammate to you?
- What were the most important factors in such teamwork?
- Let’s read a story that illustrates teamwork from Luke 9:10-17.
- Where do you see teamwork happening in this story?
- What was Jesus’ role in the team effort?
- What can we learn from how He promoted teamwork with his disciples?
Summary:
- Be mindful of your teammates in all situations.
- Promote teamwork in every facet of your sport.
- Be a great teammate.
Empathy
I was thinking overnight about some of the qualities that enable sports chaplains and sports mentors to be most effective in their work with coaches and competitors. One of those is empathy. Empathy is the ability to see situations from another’s point of view, to even feel what the other is feeling. Empathy shapes our attitudes and aligns our hearts and emotions to be most effective at communicating God’s heart in any given situation.
It’s Not About You
Set:
As competitors, we want to be the best in everything. Being good is good, but being best is better. We want to go from good to great in every aspect of life. We have to be #1—on and off the field. Nobody remembers the loser. Second place? Seriously? We engage in the relentless pursuit of excellence!
The Dash
Set:
One thing I love about FCA is how it ties our athletic lives into our faith. A lot of similarities can be drawn between Christianity and sports.
I own a funeral home, and I therefore attend a lot of funerals. One sermon I’ve heard a few times that I really like is about the dash. The dash that is talked about is the dash put on a headstone between the date of birth and the date of death. The point the pastor makes is that what is important is what is lived out in that dash between your date of birth and your date of death.
The Right Path
Set:
It was the biggest race of the season. All the runners were ready to go. The rugged course was full of hills and rough terrain, but it was THE race of the year. Every runner was excited to go. With a single shot the runners raced toward the opening in the woods. Early in the race seven runners broke from the pack and came to a fork in the path. The lead runner made the choice and each runner followed in stride.
Can You Hear Me?
Set:
Cell phones . . . how did we live without them? At the touch of our hands, we can be in contact with anyone, anytime, anywhere. What a great communication tool.
As a coach, I used to wish I had cell phone access to my players on the floor. Often they would not hear my voice or would choose to ignore it when they did not like what I said. But if I could have called them during a game, I know they would have answered the phone.
OK, that would be a little strange, but spiritually we have that kind of access. Anytime, anywhere, we have direct, open-line, no-towers-down communication with God through Jesus Christ. It is not long distance, but hopefully a local call if we are in constant contact with Him.
Whole Person Development Questions for Coaches to ask…
Whole Person Development Questions for Coaches to ask… A resource from Ed Gomes
The Race Not Run
Set:
I was training for a marathon—the beautiful, romantic, epic Paris Marathon. But, because I am a follower of Jesus, each morning begins with God, reading His Word and seeking His heart for the day. From there, I head off to work, where I run on my lunch breaks and then do my long runs on Saturdays.
After Christ, my family is the second-most important thing in my life. Normally I train with my wife, and we relish the time together. This time around, however, my training was going far better than I’d dreamed!
Racing to Listen
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.
#13 - StVRP - Tony Dungy, Jerry Moore and Donna Noonan
Guests include Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy, Appalachian State’s Jerry Moore, FCA Vice-President of Coaches Ministry, Donna Noonan and FCA’s President Les Steckel
Joy
Set:
A while ago, our baseball team played an opponent we should have probably defeated, but we made some costly errors. The following day I was doing my devotion from “The Daily Light Journal” by Anne Graham Lotz. The title was “The Fruit of the Spirit Is…Joy.” That prompted me to think about the joys that had come through even in our team’s struggles: the salvation of a teammate, the development of many young players, the ability to lose and continue to practice hard. The list goes on and on.
The Name of the Game Is Love: Part 2
Set:
When I was coaching football I was blessed with an opportunity to help at an FCA Football Camp. During one of the coaches’ huddle sessions, our Huddle Leader said, “I tried to coach my players as if one of them would one day become my son-in-law.” That has always stuck with me. And in Mark 12:31, we read that this kind of advice is actually from God Himself.
Me and My MP3
Set:
I am training for a marathon—a grueling task that is even more difficult because I’m training alone. Some training runs have been up to 18 miles—all on my own. When I run it’s just me, the trail, and my MP3 player. Before I decided to do the marathon I told God I wanted to run for His glory. With a month of training to go, I realized something had become all too familiar to me. Even when I didn’t have on headphones, I was singing in my head. I had been listening to my MP3 so often that the songs were in my mind all the time. When I focused on the words, I realized something was wrong.
God Given
Set:
As I watch sports today, I get this feeling that too many athletes think they created all the talent they have inside. Jersey popping, chest beatings, and trash talking are all about prideful attitudes that lead to arrogant behaviors on the field. These athletes showcase their demeanor as much as their true talent. God has a better plan.
When God gives us talents and gifts, He wants us to use them—not in some prideful, selfish, ego-driven way, but faithfully to serve others and bring Him glory. Romans 12:6 states that we all have different gifts and are to use them. Many people have gifts but rarely use them, and when they do, it is for their own glory, not God’s. Again, all gifts we have received are God-given, not man-made.
Unity in the Community
The circle on the Morehouse College football field spanned from the 10 yard-line to midfield. Locked arm-in-arm were football players, cheerleaders, coaches, administrators and volunteers from both sides of the rivalry.
Morehouse and Clark Atlanta. They’re two of Georgia’s 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities and, even more specifically, two of the four undergraduate colleges seated on a single 200-acre lot on the west end of downtown Atlanta.
Standing Firm
Set:
How encouraging it is to find someone firm in his or her faith in the world of sport. It is obvious that some people are drifting spiritually. Many athletes are looking for a new gimmick to improve their performance, so they try Jesus the way they may try a lucky charm or a new color of shoes. Often a superstitious faith comes with feigned or half-hearted devotion to God. These people do not want to obey their creator; they prefer to have a “genie in a bottle” that will obey them. When convenient, they may go to church or read their Bibles, but they are often drifting with the current. Sometimes the drifters get anchored to God—sometimes they flounder and fade away. An eccentric friend who often talks in Christian jargon asked a colleague of mine, “When did you wake up?”
Determined
Set:
When I think of a person who is determined, I think of someone who is strong and resolved; has deep inner convictions that drive their actions; ready to sacrifice; focused on their goal; and not easily distracted. I think of a person who refuses to give in and fights to the end. Teams that are determined will always give it their all. Determination is a great quality if it is for the right reasons.
The Book of Daniel begins with Nebuchadnezzar besieging Jerusalem. Defeat happened quickly, and God handed the king of Judah to Nebuchadnezzar who declared defeat of Israel’s God and proclaimed his god, “Marduk,” more powerful. But the game was not over. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, knew that God always wins and chose to trust Him.
Going Through the Motions Is Not Progress
Set:
Sometimes we mistake movement for progress, but if we are moving around in only one spot, we are not really making progress. Isn’t that how life looks from time to time—a whole lot of movement but not a lot of progress? The children of
Israel experienced this. They went around in circles for years, thinking they were headed toward the long-awaited promise, only to find themselves right back where they started,year after year, season after season.
Being a Glory Giver
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.
Be the Best
Set:
Legendary coach John Wooden coined a phrase “competitive greatness,” striving to be the best we can, not trying to be the best.
Five-time All-Pro Green Bay Packers lineman Jerry Kramer played from 1958 to 1968. In 1959, Jerry wanted to quit until one day Coach Vince Lombardi told Jerry he could become the greatest lineman in the NFL. Jerry decided to give 100 percent and became one of the greatest. He understood competitive greatness.
Coach Wooden defined competitive greatness as a real love for hard battle, knowing it offers the opportunity to be at our best when our best is required. These three concepts help me grasp competitive greatness:
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