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July 22, 2009
Set:
Ever I since started playing football, I hadn't won one game. Not a single one! There was even one year that we didn't even score a point. The next year we didn't win a single game, but at least we scored. But, finally, on the last game of my middle school career, we won! We won, 64 to 0. It was amazing. It felt like we’d won the Super Bowl. It may not have been the best team in the league that we beat, but it was a win and I finally got to taste what it was like to win.
Losing is hard. And it certainly makes it difficult for us when it comes to practice. We find it hard to put forth any kind of real effort when aren’t seeing results. But, do we realize that in everything we do, we are to work as hard as we can for the Lord?
February 12, 2007
Set:
I recall one of the worst wreslting matches of my career. During the match, I got absolutely mauled by my opponent--absolutely torn up. Later, I learned that he barely had any more experience than I did. What had made the most difference in his overwhelming victory was the fact that I had been almost sick with nervousness before the match. When it came time to wrestle, I was timid, weak and scared of the guy.
In sports, everyone searches for confidence. People may find their confidence in their technique, strength, athleticism or preparation. Wherever they find it, athletes often need a feeling of confidence to prepare them for competition; and often, confidence can make all the difference in a game.
October 19, 2009
Set:
After a tough loss on Sunday, I really didn’t feel like being very positive. It took me awhile to get out of the locker room because I didn’t want to talk to anybody, let alone face people who would inevitably ask that question, “Did you win?” I shut myself up in my room and didn’t move for a few hours, feeling like not only was I a failure, but also the whole day was as well.
February 16, 2007
Set:
I walked into the weight room scared to death. I had decided to walk on at a Division I school. Ever since third grade, it had been my dream to go to the NCAA Tournament, but as high school ended, no offers came. My mom and I sent letters to several Div. I schools, and Mississippi State University was the first to send me something back. After I visited the campus, I knew that was where God wanted me. And as I walked into the weight room that day, my dream lay right in front of me.
September 06, 2006
Set:
The scoreboard doesn't always tell the whole story when it comes to competition. "The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what it is I've found," 36-year-old tennis icon, Andre Agassi told the crowd after ending his career with a 3rd-round loss at the 2006 U.S. Open. Agassi was referring to finding loyalty and support from tennis fans during his illustrious 21-year career.
December 01, 2008
Set:
Numbers. In sports, they often mean everything. Even the seemingly most inconsequential numbers can spell the difference between winning and losing — the difference between a gold medal and a silver medal, the difference between a championship and second place, the difference between greatness and mediocrity.
Numbers are especially important to professional athletes because things such as a league-leading scoring average or a consistent number of home runs can result in high-dollar contracts and job security.
February 07, 2007
Set:
Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith were the first African American coaches to lead their teams to the Super Bowl. Even before Dungy's Colts prevailed over Smith's Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI, we knew that there was a connection between these two men beyond the color of their skin. "I'm proud to be the first African American coach to win this," Dungy said during the trophy ceremony. "But again, more than anything, Lovie Smith and I are not only African-American but also Christian coaches, showing you can do it the Lord's way. We're more proud of that."
September 16, 2008
Set:
During this past off season NFL quarterback Brett Favre found himself in the middle of a sports controversy. As the events played out regarding Farve and the personnel of the Green Bay Packers, it became apparent that Favre harbored some hurt feelings and resentment toward his former team.
Sometimes we can be offended by what someone asks us to do or by what they say to us. How are we to respond in times like these? Well, as I watched Brett Favre hurl a bomb downfield to a speeding receiver this weekend, I gained a little more understanding of what God wants us to do in these situations.
April 09, 2007
Set:
In our daily lives and our athletic venues we face many giants. Maybe it is an opposing team that you are playing, and the critics give you no chance of competing with the "giants," much less beating them. Or maybe it is your job, your finaces, your past or even raising your kids. Regardless, the giants in our lives are there to do one thing: intimidate us and steal the hope that God has given us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
David told Saul in 1 Samuel 17:32, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine." But still, many people ran from the giant, Goliath. It says in 1 Samuel 17:24, "When they saw the man they all ran from him in great fear."
June 29, 2007
Set:
A remarkable African American track and field athlete, Jesse Owens, overcame many difficult obstacles throughout his life in order to achieve all that he did. After a poor childhood and living during a time in which blacks received little respect, he persevered as he developed the talent that God gave him. Owens competed in the "Hitler Olympics," the Olympics in which Hitler planned on proving that the Aryan race was superior. However, after Jesse Owens became the first American to win four gold medals in a single Olympics, even German fans were complimenting his accomplishment. Because Jesse Owens was faced with challenges in his life, he became a great success.
April 11, 2006
Set:
The first race I ever ran was a marathon. Talk about starting with a bang! I always played team sports and raced until I ran the dreaded 26.2-miler. It was an incredible experience my body will never forget. I learned firsthand the four key aspects to every race, and they all can be related to our spiritual life.
The race is against the competition. There were thousands of competitors I wanted to beat and who wanted to beat me. In the same way, when we run the race for Christ, we have three main competitors: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Each one intends to prevent us from crossing the finish line.
December 29, 2009
Set:
So many times we hear the word hypocrite and automatically think bad things. Ask someone why they don’t go to church, and they will often say that it is because the church is full of hypocrites. In his article "Two-faced People," Tim Stafford states that a hypocrite might be called a counterfeit Christian. That comparison really sheds light.
Why do people create counterfeits? Because what they are replicating is valuable. No one fakes a traffic ticket or a bad report card. They fake $20 bills. Stafford goes on to say that people will pretend to be rich or great football players but not child-beaters. And in the same way, people will pretend to have a relationship with God because they see it as something valuable.
July 14, 2010
Set:
This morning when I stepped outside my door for my daily run, I was greeted by the crazy heat and humidity of a Midwest July morning. Usually the heat doesn’t affect my running as much because I run during the coolest part of the day right before sunrise. But today, it was like someone forgot to turn on the air conditioner. It was over 80 degrees and, boy, was it humid.
March 28, 2007
Set:
Why do we play sports? What is our priority? Whom are we playing for? These are questions we each struggle with as players and as coaches. If we search our souls, I believe that each of us will find that we all desire to win and that we each play for some personal reason beyond "the team," whether it be for personal glory, personal gratification, etc.
But when we gather together to play as a team, those who thrive have the ability to do two things: 1) put aside their personal goals and priorities, and 2) align themselves with team priorities. Great team victories have been achieved by groups of individuals who determined their priorities and submitted to their team goals.
May 10, 2007
Set:
When I was playing professional lacrosse, I was the only Christian on my team (as far as I knew). I was outspoken about my faith during my four years of playing, and I never had another player share with me about their faith in Jesus. I felt God had placed me on the team to be a light. As the token Christian player, my teammates selected me to do the team prayer. Usually, if it was a big game, I would have a player say something like, "Pray a GOOD one Dan. This is a huge game!" The mentality was that a "good" prayer would lead us to victory; a "bad" prayer would lead to defeat.
November 01, 2008
Set:
A mutual respect exists among athletes. To some degree, as athletes we all have a single-minded, committed lifestyle that is laced with adversity. This is the price we pay to excel. An athlete’s identity and purpose hinges on his or her performance, but what happens when adversity strikes?
What we see as adversity, God sees as opportunity. In Genesis 38–39, we read the story of how Joseph was sold into slavery by his own family and then imprisoned for 13 years for a crime he did not commit. But Joseph stood firm. “What men meant for evil, God used for good,” he said (see Genesis 50:20). Joseph was right: Years after being sold into slavery, he became second in command over all of Egypt!
June 21, 2010
Set:
Students of this proverb indicate the writer had more in mind than just direction and guidance when he stated that God will guide us on the right paths. If we rely on Him, God can remove obstacles that might be in our way, like a ball carrier who relies on his lead blocker to take on opposing linemen and linebackers in football.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: When a player is called up to the big leagues of the NHL he has got the chance to make a name for himself and an impact on the hockey world. He knows it’s his big break. Years of training had lead up to this and now he’s been called upon to be the best player he can be. But if he uses that chance to be a puck-hog or run up the penalty minutes, he has not used his big opportunity wisely and he’ll be a big let down to the ones who believed in him.
September 03, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Have you ever listen to an interview with a hockey player when they are questioned about their opponent. It could be the last place team but they always find a way to say something nice and honorable about them. They give the respect to them even though they are the adversary. Then of course they add their strategy on how they are going to beat them. They are courteous but confident.
December 04, 2006
Set:
It takes heart to play sports. Coaches fire up their teams by saying, "Go out there and play with all your heart. Leave it all on the field!" Skills and talents are important, but playing with heart separates the great athletes from the good ones. When my daughter looks at me while she is playing her basketball games, I pound my hand on my heart. It is my "secret" sign to encourage her to play with heart. Playing with heart is all about drive, passion and desire.
The Bible talks about the heart all the time -- more than 540 times! The Lord even told Samuel that He looks at the heart, not the external stuff. God looks at the internal -- the heart.
May 12, 2010
Set:
As coaches, we should never go into a game without a plan. We need to put our athletes in the best possible position to be successful. At Swansea High School we try to have a plan for every situation so we are not caught off guard. Planning ahead allows us to handle adversity when it hits in the form of an injury or giving up a big play. John Wooden once said, “Either you overcome adversity, or it overcomes you.” The only way to overcome it is with a solid plan.
May 01, 2007
Set:
Five years after losing teammate Darryl Kile, the St. Louis Cardinals have experienced the unthinkable for the second time. Relief pitcher, Josh Hancock, 29, was killed in an automobile accident on April 29, 2007, just hours after pitching three innings against the Chicago Cubs. "He was a lot of fun and a terrific teammate. So, trust me when I tell you this is brutal to go through," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. Owner Bill DeWitt, Jr., added, "The pain our organization feels today is unspeakable."
August 09, 2010
Set:
To kick off the summer vacation, my youngest daughter and I went on a 20-mile, three-day back-packing trip. I have been on several trips, but this was her first. We were hiking a section of the Monadnock-Sunapee Trail and followed their guidebook and trail markers for the three days of hiking. By following their book, we found shelters or platforms on which to spend the night and we found plenty of water to pump into our water bottles.
December 01, 2008
Set:
Even as the words float off the end of my tongue, I realize that I have blown it. This kind of situation usually involves me saying negative words to my teammates or others. It’s so easy for me to become the “cut-down king.” It doesn’t take much, and it could involve something as simple as calling someone a name.
You know the routine: You cut one of your teammates down, and your other teammates laugh. You may try to justify your unkind remarks with the fact that everyone does it, but the truth is that those reckless words cut. They pierce like a sword and cause damage.
January 02, 2012
Set:
We don’t often hear of Apelles or the Christians who lived in the household of Aristobulus. Most of us read quickly past these names and never give much thought to who they were or what their role was in the church at Rome. Yet, to Paul, they were important enough to be mentioned in his letter to the Romans. This tells us that in Christ’s service, the “little guys” are as important as the “all-stars.”
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