What do we consider to be the “trials” of our sport? What parts of our character are tied into those trials? Do they test our wills, our bodies, our attitudes, our emotions, or all the above? How deeply are we affected by those trials?

In 1 Peter 1:6, we read, “You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials.”

We all can find great enjoyment and fulfillment in playing the game. In fact, many of us seemingly live for competition. But the trying parts of the process often wear us down. The disappointment and frustration that comes with sore muscles, painful joints, disappointing losses, and strained relationships can bring us down.

As coaches and athletes, we face adversity every day. Specifically for coaches, this adversity seems to come not just from the opponents on our schedules, but from a variety of sources. And whether we are dealing with players’ circumstances, injuries, parental issues, or whatever, we all need to have some reassurance or confirmation that we are doing a good job.

You know them well. They sit in the stands, crowd around the locker rooms after a game, write the articles in the paper, cover the news locally and nationally … Yes, you know them well. I call them the "Joy Killers." They have a mission: to make sure you don't enjoy success. If you win, they will tell you it was by too much. If you have your best night ever, they will tell you someone did it better. If you are breaking every kind of record, they will tell you it was not that big of a deal.

Earlier this season, I took my middle school baseball team to practice with the high school varsity. It was good for my kids to practice on a higher level and to see how high school differs from middle school. At the end of practice the varsity coach gave them a "pep talk" about life and baseball using five key points of competition. While I had used some of the same points in my own speeches, I found that they captured my attention in a new way when I heard them from another coach and saw how they got the attention of the kids. The points that this coach made would work for any sport, and they also translate well to our spiritual lives.

“Coaching is a profession of love. You can't coach people unless you love them.” - Eddie Robinson

On June 26, 2010, thousands gathered at a memorial service to honor the life of legendary coach John Wooden who passed from this life to the next. Coach Wooden lived 99 full years. He lived well, died well and understood his eternal fate. He once said, “There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior.”

During a 2004 game against the Cubs, Alex Cora of the Dodgers fouled fourteen straight pitches before hitting a home run. That took determination, concentration, and an unwillingness to give up. Cora battled through tough pitch after pitch until he got one he could handle. Life is full of situations where it is easier to give up than battle until we get a pitch we can handle. How many marriages have been abandoned because one spouse wanted an easier life? How many athletes have been overlooked while new athletes were given time and attention? All too often, Christians have grown weary and given into sin, thinking, This temptation is too hard; I’ll get right with God later.

When I’m recruiting players, one of the most important qualities I look for is fight. Fight is that one thing that serves as the axis for our team. If we do that, then we never have anything to be ashamed of. It’s the one thing we can control. There will be things that will come and go; shooting percentages, adhering to a defensive scout, whatever it may be. But you can control how much effort you give and how hard you fight. It gives you the chance to be the best ever if you are talented, and it gives you a chance to compete even when you aren’t as talented as your opponent.

Rich and I are very competitive friends. We are like brothers in so many ways. We both love to serve and work hard at it. He is in the restaurant industry, and I am in sports ministry. We both serve on the Welcome Team at church and lead small groups. A common phrase when working together is “game on.” This basically means we will do all we can to serve others the best we can.

As servants of Christ, Rich and I both understand that we are to love others as brothers and sisters in Christ, holding them in the highest of regard. This truly becomes evident when we practice these habits with nonbelievers. When we strive to outdo each other in honoring others, this bond will hold any team together whatever problem arises.

The freshmen football team opened their season with a 16-14 win. Even though the game was called at halftime due to storms their momentum would likely have carried them through the second half. They didn’t look like a newly formed freshmen squad. Their footwork specifically was like that of a more progressed team. Sure, there were a couple of plays and other things that needed to be corrected, but the practice they’d put in showed up in the way they played the game. There were well-executed routes, wonderful kicks, a quarterback who stood his ground, an NFL-like catch, a fantastic run and a blocking wall that was picture perfect.

When an athlete works out in the weight room, there is a very basic concept. They generally want to lift the maximum weight they can lift. Athletes want to make their muscles as strong as they can. By doing this, they can train their muscles to grow. The stronger their muscles grow, the stronger the athlete grows. If they are stronger, it stands to reason that they will have an advantage on the playing field. Athletes push their bodies to go the distance.

We always want to go farther, run harder, and compete at a higher level than we did last time. We want to be the strongest on the field and know that we have a better chance of winning than our opponent.

Abby was on cloud 9. She was a freshman who had just made the varsity girls' soccer team. She played hard her freshman year, but when tryouts came her 10th grade year, she put no effort into what she was doing. She thought she was guaranteed a spot on the team. Abby got cut.

This story can easily be paralleled with the Christian walk. So many times we become complacent and feel that since we've accepted Christ, we've done our job. It's easy to sit in FCA or our youth groups, but what really matters is how we are pushing ourselves to become better Christians. Halfway doesn't cut it with God. In Revelation 3:15-16 God tells us He'd rather us be hot or cold. We have a world to save. We can't afford to be complacent.