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November 01, 2008
Set:
As athletes, we train to become faster and stronger. We try to bring as much power to our sport as we can. We may engage in a weight-training program. We may go out and run. We may attend a sports camp. But even more important than our physical training is our spiritual training.
Consider a plain, ordinary lightbulb. How much power does it put out? On its own, it puts out absolutely none. It has to be hooked to a power source in order to produce light.
This reminds me of the apostle Peter, a very interesting person. He was a common man (a fisherman by trade) but also a powerful man. And we certainly have to agree that Peter was dedicated to his calling.
February 05, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: The Sabers and Fylers had been battling in a 2-2 tie in overtime. RJ Umberger (Philly) had been taking some hits from heavy man Brian Campbell (Buffalo). RJ had shrugged off getting roughed up before and didn’t think much as he grabbed the puck headed up ice with 8 minutes left. But just as he got to the blue line, with thoughts of skating up ice and scoring on his mind, Campbell met him hard in what RJ thought was open ice, and laid him out. Always, always keep your head up when skating up. You can watch the video here HEADS UP.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Part of being on a NHL team is meeting up to high standards of play. Those who do not perform up to that level are separated from the major league team and sent away. Part of being a great team is maintaining a great group of players. Those that are not, are gone.
March 08, 2010
Set:
Discipline is the responsibility of a coach to his team. A well-disciplined team is more than likely to be a successful team. However, the way in which a coach disciplines is crucially important. Hall of Fame basketball coach John Wooden knew discipline was vital, but he also knew there is a fine line between discipline and punishment.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Broadcasting your pass is looking at the guy you are passing to in such a way that is so apparent that it’s where you’re going to pass to. Not only has your receiver seen your pass, but the opponents defense has as well and they have a good chance to read the play and pick it off. Quick passes and drop passes are a swift way to dish the puck off without getting picked off because your foes didn’t see it coming.
May 28, 2009
Set:
I was approached the other day and asked if I was fat. Well, as a former athlete and coach who has put on a few since his glory days, I was taken aback. “I may be fat, but you’re ugly,” I kidded him. He laughed and responded, “Not that kind of fat!” I was interested to see how he would get out of this one.
He told me that the “FAT” he was referring to stood for faithful, available, and teachable. He told me that we need FAT people in ministry. What a great thought! We certainly do need FAT people in every area of life. Athletes need to be FAT. Coaches need to be FAT. Pastors need to be FAT. The list goes on. We must each ask ourselves if we are FAT.
September 21, 2010
Set:
At some point, we have all lost our keys or our wallet. It can be very frustrating. After a while, we begin to make a strong effort to find what is lost. I have spent hours or days searching for something that was missing. I go into “search and rescue” mode, thinking, Those things are valuable to my life and I’ve got to find them!
July 28, 2010
Set:
David was known as "A man after God's own heart". He made plenty of mistakes in his life, however, he always searched for truth and the truth was in the Lord. He was known as a man of integrity.
This past week, my integrity was put to test. I grew up playing baseball and continued to play into my college years. Ever since I was in high school I have wanted to become a head baseball coach at either the high school or college level. Many years later, that continuous prayer has not been answered. It is all about God's time not mine.
June 19, 2009
Set:
True satisfaction—people search for it every day. Some people spend a lifetime acquiring DVDs, MP3s, video games, clothes, cars, and relationships—hoping that more of this world will satisfy them. As coaches and athletes, we often try to find satisfaction in practices, competitions, and victories. None of these things bring fulfillment. Christ should be our first priority. He should be the reason we wake up, the reason we breathe, and the reason we coach, practice, and play. This is a tremendous challenge. We have relationships, commitments, and schedules that pull us in different directions. We must refocus and get back to the basics—spending time daily in prayer, reading the Word, and being accountable to a fellow believer.
May 09, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: In 1896, George Merritt of the Winnipeg Victorias was the first goalie to sport ordinary crickett pads during the Stanley Cup playoffs to help him stop pucks. Soon after, crickett pads were used by all goalies.
February 19, 2009
Set:
This year I turned 50 years old. It’s amazing to see how God has stood by my side through a half century of life. Has it been easy? Is a life with Multiple Sclerosis, like the one I lead, a life without challenges? Is training for bodybuilding competitions, something that is virtually impossible with MS, a walk in the park? Is God prepared for victory even as I face a battle that man says cannot be won? The answers are NO, NO, NO and YES!
Training with a debilitating disease is certainly challenging. MS has left my extremities with numbness and lack of coordination. I sometimes wonder why God has chosen me to do what I am doing, but I always come back to the same conclusion. He has His purpose, and I am just a vessel for His work.
May 31, 2009
Set:
Every year I look at the schedule during the pre-season and start to calculate wins and losses. We can beat them . . . We’ll probably lose there . . . This one is a toss-up . . . We’d better beat them! I’m sure all of us lie in bed at night and dream about championships and MVP awards. What’s exciting to me is that God can do immeasurably more than even those things.
In Ephesians 3:20, Paul wrote, “Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think—according to the power that works in you.” How much can we ask or imagine? How big are our dreams? No matter the dream, God’s reality is even bigger!
December 13, 2010
Set:
As a baseball coach for twenty years, I often had to maximize the skills of my players and play “small ball” since my teams were not always blessed with great power. Consequently, the sacrificial bunt was an important part of our offensive arsenal.
Amazingly, the sacrificial bunt, which should be one of baseball’s easiest skills to master, was for some players the most difficult. Most of the players could square around, get the bat out over the plate, and with a relatively loose grip, let the ball hit the bat. But some failed because the player was not willing to “sacrifice” himself and give himself up to move his teammate forward.
October 25, 2010
Set:
All-star quarterback Jack Kemp and his teammates boycotted the 1965 AFL All-Star game in New Orleans “as a statement against the racial climate in the city.” Jack’s black teammates were not treated with the same respect as he and his white teammates, and because they were a “team united,” they did something about it. As a result,the game was moved to another city.
February 10, 2010
Set:
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.
November 07, 2010
Set:
The first thing anyone asks a coach is, “How are things with your team?” When someone meets me and finds out that I am a coach, he usually asks, “Is your team good?” When I walk down the street after a game, people stop me to say, “Great win coach!” I always have a quick response, sharing all of the positive things that are going on in our program and painting our team in the best light.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: There are treasured skaters out there on the ice. We can play for ourselves and have a great game and still walk away losers. Or we can share our treasured skills with the team and win every time. One of my favorite teams was the Florida Panthers when they first made it to the playoffs years ago. Although they had some great players, not a single one of their players were in the top 20 of the NHL goal scorers. They all stored their treasures in the team not themselves and made it to the finals. Where they stored their treasure, they made it while all the great individuals were eliminated.
May 08, 2009
Set:
In 1 Samuel 17, we are told of Israel’s encounter with Goliath, the great warrior of the Philistines. He challenged the Israelites to a single combat to decide the battle. The Israelites ran in fear from this warrior who stood over 9 feet tall and was strong as an ox. Shaquille O’Neal, who stands over 7 feet tall, would have been about 18 inches shorter than Goliath. But that gives us an illustration of the massive size of this man. Little David, though, is undeterred and proclaims that his God will deliver the Philistine giant into his hands.
Where did David get such confidence?
January 20, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: There are some great stories of come behind games. Times when teams were down and out but worked their way back to score goals and win. Sometimes its after they come out of the locker room and just play like a new team. Sometimes it’s putting aside the fact that you just lost 3 straight games in a best of seven series. In the final playoff series of the 1942 NHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs did just that and went on to beat the Detroit Redwings the next 4 games and hoist the Cup.
January 15, 2009
Set:
I was driving in a hurry to get to a tournament. Although I was going the speed limit, the truck in front of me was not. It was blocking my way, slowing me down, and making me late. I remember similar feelings in athletics. We don’t like it when someone is blocking our path to the end zone, the basket, the goal, or victory. Similarly, I believe there are times when the enemy of our souls, Satan, tries to block our way and cause disruptions and problems in life.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Nobody can say they are a great player just because they know the rulebook. The rulebook helps to make great players by setting up a fair and just playing field for the game. The rulebook makes us aware of how to avoid penalties. But it takes playing by those rules to make a great player.
February 02, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Wood, aluminum, carbon composite, fiberglass. Hockey sticks are made up of all kinds of different materials. It takes time and practice, but once you find YOUR stick, you know it and use it with confidence. You puck handle and shoot the best you can with your stick. Have you ever broke a stick and had to grab a different one quickly. Right off the bat you know it’s not going to work well. Your not use to it. It’s not yours. You have to play with it before you get comfortable using it regularly.
August 05, 2010
Set:
Less than six months after he was hired to take over the University of Alabama football program, coach Mike Price was fired because his behavior failed to coincide with university policies. While Price admitted to “making mistakes and at times inappropriate behavior,” he did not agree with the firing, saying, “I don’t think the punishment fits the crime.” When we make poor choices in life we (and sometimes those around us) will have to pay the price for our actions. It may not always be as big as losing our job, but rest assured there is a price to pay. So how can we honor God with our behavior?
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: There are the guys on the team that wear the “C” on their sweater representing that they are the Captain. They’ve given their best at putting forth the qualities of a leader. The management of the team sees those actions and gives this prestigious reward to the top man who has earned it. It’s an honor given to them because of what they gave to the team.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Passing is a key in the game. Have you ever seen someone try to go end-to-end around 5 attackers only to get stripped before he’s able to get a shot off. Players that try to do it all to get the glory usually lose it all and are left empty. What’s all that hard work for if it gained nothing?
