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I was getting ready this morning, minding my own business when I heard a proclamation from outside my house. It was loud. It was proud. It was my 4-year-old son singing at the top of his voice, “I’m in the Lord’s Army. Yes, sir!” He was sitting with his light saber in hand singing his praise to the General of the Heavenly Host. When we play sports, we go into battle. Sides are drawn, boundaries set, and the battle begins. No matter what the sport, we choose whom we will compete for and against. It is no different in our walk with Christ. Every day we battle against evil. We are in a war for our souls. God wants us to choose a side.
There are mornings when we awaken with a heavy schedule bearing down upon us. When that happens, we are tempted to skip prayer and Bible reading and head right into our work. However, the very opposite response is really what we need. When we are feeling pressured by our schedules, that is the very time when we ought to pause and pray. The more we have going on in our lives, the more we need God to give us wisdom to accomplish one task at a time. It’s comforting to know that God cares about every aspect of our lives.
We need people in our lives to push us to make us better. If we surround ourselves with people who don't require us to give our best, we are being cheated. Going one-on-one with the worst player on the team won't help you get ready for the big game, and it's the same in life. Surround yourself with people who will challenge you and who will require you to be honest, trustworthy and faithful. Do the same for them.
Hockey Chat: Have you ever seen a guy who looked like the puck glued was to his stick. It may have looked like it from his puck handling. Those guys frustrate every defenseman. They have such control of the puck that it’s nearly impossible to take away. A poor puck handler will leave the puck behind every time.
Hockey Chat: The game of hockey takes both aggressive work and smooth moves. To be too aggressive all the time will get you in the penalty box. Trying to be too smooth and passive all the time will just plain land you on your backside when you get into a battle. There are plays that call for the moves and plays that take extra hustle. It’s important to be ready for both.
Is it possible that one man could have changed Mike Tyson’s problem-filled boxing career? Tyson believes his former trainer, mentor, and legal guardian Cus D’Amato, who died before he won the title in 1986, would have changed things. Tyson said, “It would have been totally different. Cus once told me, ‘You’re the kind of person who has to get hurt to learn.’ I didn’t understand he was talking about life…in the fight of life I am a pug, a palooka [a second-rate prize fighter].”
Hockey Chat: Knowing what to count on from your line mates also helps them to know what to count on from you. You’ve probably seen guys that work great together and always seem to be in the right place. That’s because the treat their linemate as an extension of themselves by being where they are needed and making the play happen knowing that others will be there too.
I was blessed to play one season of basketball with my hero, two-time Olympic Captain, Naismith Award Winner, first female Globetrotter…Lynette Woodard. The first day I practiced with her, I tried to do everything like she did. I stayed after practice with her and as she touched the rim ten times and made ten free throws in a row, I touched the backboard ten times and made five free throws in a row (It was a start!). I even went so far as to get my hair permed into a curly white-girl’s afro … anything to be like Lynette.
Team Hoyt has completed 216 triathlons, 65 marathons, 718.6 milers and 81 half marathons. The team consists of a father and a son, Rick and Dick Hoyt. For 25 years, Dick (age 65) has been racing with his son Rick (age 45). People do this stuff all the time though right? What makes their story so amazing?
Rick Hoyt was born with his umbilical cord caught around his neck, causing the oxygen supply to his brain to be blocked. At eight months, Rick was labeled as a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Doctors told Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt that their son would never live a normal life; but they were determined to prove them wrong.
When I was 9 years old, I got a new pair of shoes and immediately wanted to race everyone in my neighborhood because I thought they would help me run faster. On one particular day, I dusted everyone who dared to step to the starting line, except one person . . . my own mother! “On your marks…Get set…Go!” I ran as fast as I could, and I even had a small lead. But when I decided to turn back and smile at my friends, my mom blew right past me! Can you imagine how embarrassed I was to get beat in a foot race by my own mom? That was also the day I found out Mom had run track in college at the University of the Pacific. (I joke that she should’ve been disqualified for having an unfair advantage!)
Recently, a good friend of mine was stopped at church and asked by another church goer why I had attended a football game rather than going to the men's retreat at my church. This person knew I was involved with FCA and was the football chaplain at the school, but he was frustrated that I choose football over these men, and he expressed it to my buddy. My friend came to my aid quickly. He talked with this other man and quietly told him that ministry can take place in many places.
It’s been a while since I was in high school, but I still vividly recall one day during my junior year. It was the day my coach called me into his office and told me he was moving me from fullback to tackle. As a sophomore, I had weighed 200 pounds and was pretty fast. I gained 35 pounds over the summer and was a little slower at that weight. The coach told me I was too good of a player to sit on the bench, but that I was now too slow to be a running back. He asked me to make a personal sacrifice and move to a new position on the line so that I could help the team have a chance at the conference title.
Patience precedes all great things in life. It is only through patience that we achieve anything impressively large, bigger than ourselves, lasting, powerful, or useful. We all want to be a part of greatness, yet not all are willing to endure the patience it requires. Patience is by definition the capacity for waiting; the ability to endure waiting and delay without becoming annoyed or upset; or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. We live in a world of immediacy. Waiting is not tolerated. If we get annoyed just sitting at a red light, imagine the struggle to wait on the bigger things in life. We can start learning to wait with the little opportunities we have each day like standing in the grocery line, waiting at practice to master a new skill, or sitting in traffic.
Hockey Chat: “He was yelling pretty urgently. There’s different pitches of yell and he was screaming.” - Jarome Iginla on Sidney Crosby calling for the puck prior to scoring the game-winner in OT of the gold medal game on February 28th 2010.
It’s the start of practice. Everyone has high hopes, goals, and expectations for the upcoming season. As Christians, the biggest goals are the ones God has for us as coaches and the athletes He has entrusted to our care.
God has created each one of our team members, the coaching staff, parents, and all those connected with our programs. Twice in the verses above we are reminded of Jesus’ work in creating all things. In fact, today’s passage tells us that all things were created not only by Him, but also for Him. He also promises to hold thing—all things—together. This may not mean victory, or lack of challenges, but things will be held together to accomplish His perfect plan and will in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
Hockey Chat: Not every thing always goes as planned. An off the mark pass. Missed shot. Whatever it may be, getting ticked off and giving up isn’t going to make it any better. Take it that the play is still good and don’t give up on it. Whatever didn’t happen then will turn into another opportunity and that’s something to be thankful for even if it wasn’t the original play.
Ken Keys, Jr. once said, “A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror.”
Well, that’s a sobering thought! When I am in a group with bad attitudes and negative thought, I am only seeing my reflection? Then I had better get some better skin care! I guess that’s called a change of attitude.
You know, attitudes are catching. As a coach or teacher, we should always be sure to set a good attitude for our teams to catch. We should develop a habit of looking for the good in everyone.
Eight years ago, I started the simple discipline of picking a one-word theme for the upcoming year. That’s right—one word—not a phrase or statement, just a single word. And to this point, it has been nothing short of life changing. Through this exercise, God has stretched me spiritually, physically, and emotionally. This exercise cannot be approached alfheartedly. Satan will come out in full force. This is truly a discipline for those who want to press in and see God do great things through them.
It’s for those who want to live life to the fullest—no retreat, no regrets. It’s also a process of teaching, correcting, and molding, for when we are soft in the Creator’s hands, He can form us into His vessel!
As coaches, we have a rule on our hockey team. If you get hurt during play, you must do your utmost to stay involved in the play or get yourself to the bench. We expect this not because we are hard-nosed or don’t care about the well-being of our players, but because we expect our athletes to persevere and work through adversity.
Baseball is a game that can be dominated by a pitcher. It seems that no matter how well a hitter prepares for a game, if a pitcher is “on” and executes his pitches, there is really nothing a hitter can do. Many times a hitter will try to “step out” in order to disrupt the rhythm of the pitcher. Or, in other situations where a pitcher is dominant, the hitter may try bunting in order to get on base.
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