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December 15, 2010
Set:
One of my players committed a costly turnover during a basketball game, and I screamed, “How could he be so stupid?” I had officially hit rock bottom as a coach. Winning games had become so important to me that I publicly demeaned a player. My will as a coach needed to be broken and conformed to God’s will. So I spent some time with God and asked Him, “Should I still be coaching?” God graciously provided the answer in Jeremiah 7:3, “Correct your ways and your deeds, and I will allow you to live in this place.” When I knew that God wanted me to coach, I needed to ask “Why do I coach?” Was it for the wins or my personal glory? Or was it to have an impact for Christ?
September 06, 2010
Set:
Our small town high school football team had a record-breaking season last year. We finished 11–1, and ranked eighth in the state. This year our record is 0–6.
As coaches, we have all had the dreaded “rebuilding” season, the one where the most you hope to gain is respect for your efforts and sportsmanship. Even the best programs have rebuilding years. The best teams experience slumps. As coaches, we find this is a frustrating time. We get angry. We do not understand how we can do well one year and so poorly the next. We vent our frustrations on the players, our assistants, and even our families.We say and do things we later regret.
September 14, 2010
Set:
How do you feel when someone wrongly criticizes you or says something false about you to another? In Nehemiah 6 we read how the rumor mill got started by a group of people who wanted to slander and intimidate Nehemiah. A man named Tobiah wrote a public letter stating that the reason Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall was for his own benefit, so that he could become king and lead Israel into a revolt against the reigning powers of the day. However, Nehemiah had received God-given guidance for his actions, so when he was confronted by adversaries, he trusted God for further wisdom. God will give us wisdom if we seek Him when we are faced with slanderous attacks and false accusations.
April 08, 2009
Set:
John the Baptist was the man! He was the herald prophesied by Isaiah — the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He was the great baptizer of the people, the one who drew crowds everywhere he went. Yet he knew a time would come when his “star status” would diminish.
Fast-forward to 2009. Tyler Hansbrough, the reigning NCAA Player of the Year, had to make a choice for the sake of his team. In order to help his team attain their goal of a national championship, he would need to take a "back seat" to Ty Lawson. His scoring average fell, and he graciously passed the mantle of leadership to Lawson. When asked about the shift in his role, Hansbrough repeatedly said, “I'll do whatever it takes to help this team get to the championship."
November 01, 2008
Set:
January 16, 2004, is a date that may have significantly impacted the sports world for many years to come. Two 14-year-old athletes made a big splash in their respective sports. Michelle Wie played in the Sony Open on the PGA tour and missed the cut by one stroke, tying two men who had won major championships the previous year. Freddy Adu, in a move that shocked no one, was chosen as the top pick in the Major League Soccer draft by D.C. United.
February 24, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: For many folks, the greatest hockey player they know was Wayne Gretzky. Even his old coach knew that. While playing for the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA in the 1978-79 season he was sold to Peter Pocklington owner of the Edmonton Oilers for a painting and a million dollars. He went on to win the scoring title 10 times in his career and blasted through the goal scoring record like he blasted pucks into the net. Nine Hart Tropheys, 4 Stanley Cups, 2 Con Smythes. He made the highlight clips nightly but the one clip that has not been talked about as a great feat was a great blunder (I just happen to still have it on VHS tape). As he was racing back to get in between a 2-on-1 break on his own goal, he stuck his stick out to block the p
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!
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: I imagine the first invention of hockey must’ve been pretty boring. One guy sort of figuring things out. But when he got his buddies together and got a game going, it was a good time. Hockey is definitely not an individual sport. If you’ve ever been out skating alone you know the excitement when someone else shows up to play. It’s that kind of dynamic game.
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.
January 26, 2009
Set:
Sitting in a job interview I was asked by the president of the school, “Do you think you’re smart?” I had never been asked that in a job interview. Not knowing how to respond, I quickly said, "My mother thinks I am!" After the laughter stopped (and I got the job), he explained to me what he had meant. He told me the job would require great depth of knowledge, and the person hired would have to understand on how to attack the position effectively. The job required a great deal of discipline and dedication.
May 18, 2009
Set:
Walking with God can sometimes become a puzzling and frustrating journey…if you let it. There are times when you want to ask God, “Why me?” when you are faced with adversity. But the real question should be: “Lord, what is my purpose in this trial?” If you start to wonder why God has allowed your obstacle, then you need to look back to His Word and find the answer.
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.
July 08, 2010
Set:
Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you were going to be honored, but the honor was given to someone else? Have you ever taken someone else’s seat and been asked to move? It’s embarrassing, to say the least.
June 29, 2010
Set:
As a Christian, I understand the meaning of Philippians 1:21, but the events of 1999 gave me a new perspective on the verse. God had blessed me with wonderful, caring parents despite the fact that my father did not walk in the light. My mother, on the other hand, had my two siblings and myself in church every time the doors were open. Many nights I would awaken to her praying and weeping for my father’s salvation. My father was a provider who loved his family more than anything and worked long, hard hours at a factory to demonstrate that love. He gave us material things, but all I wanted was for him to be happy and walk in God’s victorious peace.
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.
March 07, 2008
Set:
While I sat by my computer on Wednesday, the FCA Daily Impact Play popped up. Every once in awhile FCA will rerun a devotion from the past if it still relates to the present. To my surprise, a devotion I had written two years ago resurfaced. And as I read what I had written, I immediately started to weep.
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.
November 01, 2008
Set:
What enters your mind as you read the verses above, knowing that God hates the behaviors listed there? Do you find yourself thinking of times, perhaps even recently, when you have done something that God abhors? It’s interesting (and convicting) that the Lord puts shedding innocent blood and spreading strife among brothers in the same list. To the world, shedding innocent blood is certainly considered much worse than creating conflict. But just what does it mean to stir up “trouble among brothers”?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
April 05, 2009
Set:
When we avail ourselves to God, He manifests more of His character in us, making the extraordinary become the ordinary, as in the story of Daniel. Success often follows obedience and trust in God. As a result of Daniel’s obedience, he prospered in his position and caused the hearts of the people to be turned toward God.
Available hands reflect an available heart. When we are prepared to let God use us, He is prepared to do remarkable things through us. God’s presence and help is available to us every moment and everywhere. He is always with us, listens to us, and pursues us with His love.
January 20, 2010
Set:
Do you ever get irritated by your players, fellow coaches, or referee? Sometimes, instead of allowing God to fight our battles, we react with improper thoughts. Instead of resisting the powers we struggle against, we wage our own war. Occasionally, in a moment of frustration, have you even declared the fatal words, “I just can’t continue”?
Well, rejoice, because God has provided us with the power and authority to serve an eviction notice to the enemy of our souls! God’s Word reminds us not to become timid or afraid when trials occur. Jesus requires us to stand our ground, take up our weapons of warfare, and fight by faith.
