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Tiger Woods hobbled his way to his 14th major championship at the 2008 U.S. Open with a playoff win over Rocco Mediate. "It was a long week—a lot of doubt, a lot of questions going into the week—and here we are, 91 holes later," he said. Two days after the tournament it was discovered that Woods had a torn ACL and a double stress fracture in his tibia. His season was over.
As coaches, we have the opportunity to exert a powerful influence on the young people we coach. This influence is partly related to our coaching style and personalities. It is also related to the role we play in the lives of student athletes. We determine whether or not a young person will make the team and be a significant contributor.
We have all witnessed “in your face” coaches whose intensity rises to the level of demeaning individual athletes. The “in your face” style works on occasion if it’s used to challenge young athletes to improve their skills. However, when it is carried to extremes, it causes much more harm than good. No one wants to be humiliated by someone they respect and who determines their success on the team.
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.
In the sixth game of the 1998 NBA finals between the Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls, Scottie Pippen was suffering great pain in his lower back as a result of taking charges in game three. The Bulls medical staff worked on Pippen during halftime so he felt well enough to start the second half. Michael Jordan commented about Pippen, “We knew Scottie was hurting, and just his presence gave us a lift, offensively, defensively, and emotionally.” What a testimony of one player’s influence on his team. Of course, the Bulls won the game and the 1998 NBA title.
Sometimes athletes believe that rules are a part of the game in order to make sure that nobody cheats. Other times athletes think rules are against them, preventing them from doing what is seemingly necessary. They see officials as being out to get them. Neither of these is true.
What would sports be like if there were no rules? What would a basketball game be like if we didn’t have to dribble? What if there were no fouls? What would football look like if there were no out-of-bounds lines? What if runners did not have to stay in their lanes? It would be utter chaos.
This was the prayer of King Solomon as he was about to take office. Rather than ask for riches or power, he asked for wisdom and understanding. Solomon knew that the key characteristic for an effective leader was wisdom to make good decisions. His decisions often concerned life or death situations. Our decisions are more often about whether to pass or run, a fastball or curveball, inside or outside, man to man or zone.
Solomon also desired an understanding heart to judge the people. Solomon knew, and the best coaches know, that leadership is all about people, not systems. Coaches will be at their best when they are in tune with their players’ hearts.
I am hooked on a TV show. When I first heard of it, I wondered why anyone would watch a show about people who are uncool by the world’s standards. I was wrong. “The Biggest Loser” is about people who want to change, to transform how they live. The change these folks make in a short amount of time is truly remarkable.
Imagine this: You are on the field, the mat, the court or the track, and the stands are full of cheering spectators. The crowd is watching your every move. As athletes, we thrive under these circumstances.
But do we remember that every day, whether competing or not, we have heavenly and earthly witnesses watching our every move? We must realize that we don’t compete or perform to please the crowds; rather, we should strive to please God alone. We should compete to show God’s glory to those who are watching us.
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.
Hockey Chat: As a team we share in the hustle and bumps in order share in goals and victory. Some of us are apparently better than others, but none of us are perfect and we all blow the play or miss the shot sometimes. But we hustle and try for our goal again and again. Forget who blew the play and missed that shot and press on toward the goal we all came out for.
Hockey Chat: Some guys use graphite sticks. Some guys use aluminum sticks. Some guys use composite sticks. Some guys use wood sticks. When you have your stick, you trust in it and anything else just isn’t right.
As the father of a high school senior who is currently faced with some difficult but exciting decisions about his future as a college student-athlete, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about how he’ll make his final decision on such an important issue.
There are many things to consider when you’re looking to find the school that represents the right fit for you. In my son’s case, he’s listed academic quality as his most important priority, but after that, things like quality of campus life, his future coach, tuition costs, etc., all come into play.
OK, I admit it. I worry too much. I worry about work, worry about my family, worry, worry, worry. And it always seems like for every worry I have, I gain 10 pounds. Talk about being weighed down! We all struggle with it from time to time.
How do we get rid of the baggage that worry brings? Well, that is easy—leave it at the cross. Which, as we all know, is easier said than done. However, the second part of today’s verse is quite helpful. When I tend to worry too much, I find myself encouraging others more. I love to encourage others and brighten their days. Encouragement is fuel to our lives. It keeps our tanks full and overflowing.
Hockey Chat: Wayne Gretzky said it best when he was quoted, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take”. To win those scoring titles he had to press on and take those shots, even though not all of them went in. Continually pressing on makes winners
We never know when our past can be launched into the present. Owning a contracting company for twenty-one years in the same area in which I am an assistant coach can hold surprises. I have often coached athletes for whose parents I have done work. One of the items I emphasize to the athletes is personal accountability to yourself and your teammates. I also strive to run my business and base my life on the same principles. Whether it is with my employees, athletes, fellow coaches, friends, or family, the only way to uphold my integrity is through consistency in my values.
Hockey Chat: A regulation size hockey goal opening is 24 square feet. A fully armored goalie covers approximately 18 square feet of that space leaving only 6 square feet of open net and that’s with the goalie standing still. It takes practice and determination to get the puck into the mere 25% of the goal that is uncovered while that padded guy is hopping around in front to stop it.
Hockey Chat: Some of the greatest games began with a good ol’ locker room pep talk. It was a talk by the coach or team captain. It was the motivation to start the team off on the strong foot and carry them through the game. Sure the team could’ve went out there and played the game without the words of wisdom, but the outcome may not have been the same.
If you would ask any random person on the street if they were afraid to succeed, they would probably look you straight in the eye and say, "No." However, in most cases, that same person who claims to not be afraid of success might be the very same person who didn't go the extra mile at work for the promotion, or didn't apply for that great new job with a promising future.
Jesus chose to serve His disciples and followers rather than to be served. He displayed an example for them to follow and called them to a purpose beyond themselves. Servant leadership can be defined as guiding and directing through submission and acknowledging the value of others. A coach holds a position to lead and has an opportunity to teach players, through example, what it means to serve like Christ.
Hockey Chat: On April 10th 1982, the Edmonton Oilers were proud of their 5-0 lead in late in the third period. Then the LA Kings remained humble and hard working and their efforts lifted the team to an OT victory.
Over the past several months, the U.S. has become endeared to its new distance running hero, 25-year-old phenom Ryan Hall. Ever since he smoked the elite competition at the U.S. Olympic Men’s Marathon Trials in New York last November and set a new Trials record in only his second marathon ever, the running community has pinned its hopes and expectations on Hall, predicting without hesitation that he will medal this year in Beijing.
No pressure, or anything.
When you think of undying, unwavering commitment, who comes to your mind? I have always been inspired by athletes and coaches who have that type of “over-the-top” commitment. It gets my competitive juices flowing. When I see players with tenacity, it makes me ready to strap on the pads and lace up the shoes!
A pastor once told me about his job on a Navy ship in Europe—to stand night duty at port side. Sounds easy, right? But his job was to stand in the darkness from
midnight until 5:00 a.m. staring into the vast nothingness. His job was to watch for anything out of the ordinary. He would stand guard for hours in the black silence, watching for change.
Habakkuk stood guard. He was in turmoil over his land, so he decided to stand guard and wait for a voice from the Lord. He was looking for change. I wonder how long or how often Habakkuk stood guard, staring into the vast darkness, waiting on the Lord. I wonder what kind of determination it took to stand still in the midst of turmoil, waiting for a message from the Lord.
As I approached the third hurdle, I knew that I was a little too far away to take it with my right leg. So in a split second, I decided to alternate and go over with my left foot leading. I had done this a thousand times in my career, but this time when I landed I felt my knee shift out of the socket. I had hyperextended my knee, and I knew my running days were over.
Surrounded by my teammates, I was faced with a choice. My team knew me as the person who had led them in Bible studies and professed Christ, and now they waited expectantly to see what was going to proceed out of my mouth. In a split second their anxious eyes received the answer when I screamed, “Hallelujah!” I yelled it from the sheer pain I was feeling.
During the 2003–2004 basketball season, I experienced what coaches fear most. We won only two games while losing twenty-five. Most of our games were not even close. The boys tried hard, but we were overmatched in most games. It was a difficult and humbling time. I questioned myself and my ability. About halfway through the season, as the losses mounted and the frustration and disappointment increased, I came across these verses during a study time. Suddenly, everything came back into focus.
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