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October 20, 2006
Set:
As a track coach, I've gone to many coaching clinics. At once such clinic, I heard an old coach say that there were three laws of running. Now, that got my attention. I wanted to know the basics of good running and share them with my athletes. He shared these as his laws:
1. Keep your eye on the finish line. Don't get distracted, stay focused.
2. Don't worry about the other runners. Don't look around to see where they are or what they're doing.
3. Don't give up, keep running. Finish the race and finish strong.
November 12, 2010
Set:
This was my first year ever as a football coach. I was unsure of what to expect, but I went into the season with one goal: being satisfied not with producing a winning record, but with producing winning athletes.
Billy Graham once stated that one coach would influence more people in one year than the average person would in a lifetime. This was an idea I took to heart. At the beginning of the season, I had no idea who my players were or what their backgrounds were like, but I did know one thing: while they were on my team they were going to learn not only about football, but about life and God.
August 11, 2006
Set:
As a child, many of us had one athlete we always loved to watch. Whether it was football, basketball, soccer, baseball or something else, there was one person we would watch closely in order to go out later and try to copy their moves or plays. For me, personally, it was and still is Steve Nash. This under-sized point guard always seems to make the pass that somehow gets through the three defenders in front of him. As I walked out onto the court the other day, I tried to imitate his shot and put myself in the mindset of someone who was a professional.
November 01, 2008
Set:
At the college that I attended, we referred to long-distance runners as “jar heads.” We figured that each day they would unscrew their heads, take out their brains, and then run an unbelievable amount of miles before returning and putting their brains back in their heads.
I say this all in good fun, obviously. I have always admired distance runners and think that distance running is an amazing ability. When these runners race, they set their minds on finishing the race. Lap after lap they strain through sore muscles and tough conditions to finish what they started.
August 11, 2009
Set:
Almost every week this summer, I have been working with junior high boys trying to help them improve their basketball skills. The range of ability between sixth and eighth graders is pretty wide, and their physical size can be an even bigger gap. But we have one boy, Max, who doesn’t let his size bother him at all. In every drill and scrimmage, he uses what the Lord has given him to the best of his ability and tries to improve. It is such a joy to watch him play because he wears out his opponents with his speed and quickness. As an athlete, Max refuses to let what he can’t do get in the way of what he can do.
April 06, 2010
Set:
Paul writes in Romans and Jesus says in John that we are not to be of "this world" and in effort to doing so University of Mary FCA is taking on the BIG Challenge. I know what most of you are thinking... what is this BIG Challenge?
One of the highest viewed tv shows in America is called "Biggest Loser" which if you didn't know deals with people losing the most weight. Doctors have been telling us time and time again that being BIG is not a good thing, but here at UMary we think the opposite. BIG stands for Bring Incredible Glory, and that we what we are striving to do... not alone, but together in Christ. Which is where our verse of the year comes into play, "
March 19, 2007
Set:
University of Iowa junior Mark Perry had wrestled Johny Hendricks many times in his life and had come up short every time. When Perry and Hendricks met for the fourth time in the 2006-07 season and the national championship was on the line, however, Perry pulled off the upset with a 4-3 victory. Iowa assistant and wrestling legend Dan Gable said of Perry, "He never acted like he could not beat him. He taught himself that no matter how many times he gets beat, he analyzes it and can beat anybody. And I think he proved that tonight."
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Being a great hockey player takes a great amount of work. To reach to a level worthy of playing in the big leagues, guys persistently work at their skills. Things that were once difficult become easier with practice.
September 15, 2006
Set:
The writer of the book of Hebrews makes use of athletic imagery as he encourages his Christian allies in their relationships with the Lord Jesus Christ. He begins by reminding them of those who have gone before them ("witnesses") and have successfully completed their race, and then he offers sound advice on how to win.
July 06, 2007
Set:
Every day we impact the people around us. Others see our actions and hear our words, and that causes them to form opinions regarding who we are. We do that same thing with the professional athletes we watch. The athlete who makes a scene with his temper is perceived differently than the player who is conscientious of his actions and keeps a level head.
But because of the world we live in, professional athletes also are followed away from the game. The media watches their every move and tells us immediately if they make a mistake.
April 11, 2006
Set:
On the surface it sounds pretty easy to humble yourself before God, but in reality it’s tough. To humble ourselves before Him means to be subject to Him. But we can’t see Him, so we forget He’s watching. Sometimes we can’t hear Him, so we forget He’s speaking. We can’t always feel Him close, so we forget He never leaves or forsakes us. So you can see why it is tough to humble ourselves before Him. Just because we can’t always see, hear, or touch God doesn’t mean He isn’t mighty. God is mighty. He is able to destroy entire nations if He so desires, as illustrated in many Old Testament stories like the one in which He gave the Israelites the highly fortified city of Jericho. (Read more about it in Joshua 6.)
August 05, 2010
Set:
Dean Karnazes, the ultra marathon runner, lost his sister in a freak accident. Perhaps the pain of this loss gave him great determination. He was a cross-country runner in high school, but afterward he set aside the sport until the age of thirty. His first run, after resuming, left him bruised and beaten, but he had found his sport. Now he does seventy-five-mile training runs once a month and, just for kicks, he runs at night. Karnazes runs in heat in the Desert Valley; he runs in snow on the highest peak in California.
The Apostle Paul reminded his Corinthian friends that athletes run in such a way as to win the prize (1 Co 9:24), but he used this example to illustrate the most
April 22, 2010
Set:
Glen is a high school football coach. He's not much different than other coaches. He's driven, tough, motivated and strong-willed. However, like many coaches, Glen developed two different lifestyles: a good coaching lifestyle and that of a struggling alcoholic. As these two lifestyles ran their courses, they eventually came crashing together. He continued to coach, but the drinking took its toll. Several DWIs mounted up, and eventually the alcoholism caused more issues. Glen came to the end of his rope.
December 25, 2009
Set:
Basketball fans can still hear the words, “And now, the starting lineup for your Chicago Bulls . . .” The words echoed as Pippen, Grant, Cartwright, Armstrong, and Jordan were announced. High schools and colleges still imitate these now famous words.
December 13, 2010
Set:
I don’t know if any of you saw the Jets/Dolphins game yesterday or if you caught the highlights on SportsCenter, but if you did, you probably saw the clip of Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi tripping Dolphins CB Nolan Carroll as he was running down the sideline. Alosi was quick to apologize and make amends with the offended parties, so I’m not by any means pointing fingers at him. It was probably just a very bad decision made in the heat of the moment during competition.
August 24, 2010
Set:
Most students often have to answer questions about their future plans. Whether we are asked about our plans for school, the weekend, or even just the afternoon, it generally isn't that hard to answer. "Oh, I'm going to [this university] and participating in [this sport]." Or, "I'm going to chill with some friends." Etc. One day though, I found myself answering a question that was a little more serious: “What are your plans for your life?”
April 08, 2008
Set:
I’m a proud alum today. Last night my University of Kansas Jayhawks won their first NCAA National Title in 20 years—and in pretty dramatic fashion, coming back from a 9-point deficit with about two minutes to go in the second half.
September 21, 2006
Set:
The 2005-06 Miami Dolphins were a team in transition. First-year head coach Nick Saban had never had a losing season as a head coach on the collegiate level, and he was determined to be a winner on the professional level. However, it appeared that Coach Saban was set to experience his first losing season as the Dolphins were shut out by the Cleveland Browns in week 10, which left them with a 3-7 record.
January 19, 2007
Set:
College football bowl season is finally over. There were some good games, some bad games and some "wow" games, but in the end it was all about each winning school getting the glory. Florida was the "Grand Poobaa" this year beating Ohio State, and that glory will last for about a month or so until March Madness rolls around and people forget about football. This just goes to show that the glory we get on earth is very short-lived; and if anyone should receive glory for any accomplishment, it needs to be God.
January 10, 2007
Set:
There are three essentials to the game of golf. Each parallels the meaning and purpose of the Christian life. . .
The first essential is the grip (how the golfer holds the club). If the starting point, the grip, is bad, the golfer's entire game will suffer. In life, the first step of getting a grip is to be born again through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).
The second is the stance. The way a golfer addresses the ball determines the success of his shots. If his stance is crooked, he will get into trouble. In the Christian life, the stance is likened to our daily walk. If we take the right stance, denying sin and committing ourselves to obeying Christ, we will know God's pleasure and blessing (Romans 12:1-2).
October 17, 2006
Set:
Many of my friends find their identity in sports. Others, like myself, find their identity in how well they do in school. I know others who base who they are in what they do, how they look, or who likes them and who doesn't. The point is, we all build our lives on something. We all have something that matters to us more than anything else and defines who we are. And while God intends for friends, hobbies, possessions and abilities to provide us with enjoyment, we should not let them become the foundation of our identity and happiness.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Can you imagine during a game have a bunch of guys sitting on the bench. Then a skater comes up from your team ready to line change and every one on the bench just looks at each other. No one knows who is going to what position. Who’s up next? No pre-thought to what happens next, just confusion. Great teams know ahead of time who is going where and when. The coach has planned what line to go out next. He’s placed the players where they will be most effective and with others they will be effective skating with.
July 19, 2006
Set:
It seems like when you're in a conversation and you have nothing else to talk about, the weather always comes up. For a large majority of Americans, another popular topic of conversation seems to be sports, especially when they are running out of things to say. We find sports an easy topic, kind of a comfort zone.
February 24, 2010
Set:
Most would agree that character is vital for success in any organization, team, or family, yet today’s news is filled with examples of bad character. Nehemiah was in the process of building a wall, but he recognized that if some character issues were not addressed, the completion of the wall would be insignificant. Rebuilding a physical wall was not all that God had called Nehemiah to do. God called Nehemiah to a much greater ministry—a ministry to the heart.
December 04, 2007
Set:
A few weeks ago, my basketball coach asked me to consider playing junior varsity instead of varsity. At that time, I made the decision that if he ultimately decided to put me on JV, I would quit playing basketball and concentrate all my focus on softball and cross-country. Just a few days ago, he asked me to play JV basketball, for my own sake--"To get more playing time." It was a tough choice, but I decided to decline his offer, hang up my sneakers and pick up a softball glove.
