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December 06, 2012
Set:
Last summer at FCA Captain’s Camp, high school athletes were pushed to their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual limits. Thankfully, my job was simple – I was the “Waterboy”. When I was a high school athlete, waterboys were often treated as the “least” important part of the team. They did the job no one else wanted to do.
But Jesus never views those who play a seemingly “small” role as unimportant. He never looked down on those who served behind the scenes or did the jobs nobody else wanted. In fact, Jesus flips that concept on its head. He says the least among us will be the greatest. Those we consider great – the best players, the best coaches – will only be considered great in God’s eyes if they serve like the Waterboy serves.
December 09, 2004
Set:
I, like many Illinoisans, woke up Monday morning pleased to see that the University of Illinois men's basketball team rose to the top of the Associated Press' newly released poll. Their No. 1 ranking is only the third in Illini men's basketball history, and their first since 1989.
May 09, 2012
Set:
When I was playing professional lacrosse, I was the only Christian on my team (as far as I knew). I was outspoken about my faith during my four years of playing, and I never had another player share with me about their faith in Jesus. I felt God had placed me on the team to be a light. As the token Christian player, my teammates selected me to do the team prayer. Usually, if it was a big game, I would have a player say something like, “Pray a GOOD one Dan. This is a huge game!” The mentality was that a “good” prayer would lead us to victory; a “bad” prayer would lead to defeat.
April 02, 2012
Set:
A few years ago, while coaching at a small college, I recruited a young man named Luke. I had several knowledgeable people tell me that Luke would not make a good basketball player for our team. To my knowledge, Luke may not have had any other schools approach him about playing college basketball. I was told there were several other players that would serve our program better.
October 07, 2005
Set:
I love baseball! It is an individual sport that relies on a team for a successful outcome. It also is the only American sport in which, during a stoppage in play, a manager or coach can approach an umpire to dispute a rule or argue a call. Unfortunately, we’ve all seen a manager throwing a tantrum, kicking dirt on the plate or verbally abusing an umpire. And we’ve also seen the umpire retaliating in anger and, sometimes, losing control. It’s hard to have someone yell at us or challenge our character in any setting, but especially in front of peers and spectators in a stadium.
May 05, 2004
Set:
Southside High had a good baseball team. They were one of the top teams in their conference and area. They had great hitting, fielding and pitching. The Stars (Southside's nickname) were playing in the area tournament. In their first two games they fell behind, caught up, took the lead, and in both games with bases loaded, Coach brought in their closer, Mark, whom everyone called Flick. In both games, Flick came in and brought his team from near defeat to the championship game with his flawless pitching.
October 12, 2012
Set:
On a recent run I was confronted by the two things I hate most in my training – wind and hills. The run started with a strong wind in my face, but the course was flat. Although I don’t like wind, I learned to accept it because it makes me stronger. My second challenge was just ahead – a 7/10 of a mile incline with a gradual elevation of about 110 feet. Not too bad in itself, but with the headwind and going for time, I needed all of my energy.
During my ascent, I thought about life and how we all have “hills” and “headwinds.” I thought about how I deal with them, how I can make improvements, and how I can be a better example to others when faced with difficulties. I also thought about whether or not I invite God into my life when I encounter these situations.
March 28, 2012
Set:
As athletes, we all want to win the big game. We all want to win the championship. We all want to hang a banner on the wall of the gym. But when it comes to being champions of a different kind—champions for Christ—only those of us who truly understand and “get” Exodus 14:14 have the chance to do that.
July 05, 2013
Set:
I love the Olympics. The last time they were on, I could not help but stay up and watch. My greatest memory of the games was the opening ceremonies. As I watched athletes from around the world stand together, I was reminded of the power of athletics to build bridges between people from very different backgrounds.
August 23, 2004
Set:
The United States softball team entered the 2004 Olympic Games with one thing on their collective minds — winning a gold medal. Not only did they win the gold, they dominated. They went undefeated, outscoring their opponents 51-1, surrendering their lone run in a 5-1 win in the gold medal game against Australia. "That team is clearly on a mission," said Australian coach, Simon Roskvist.
July 23, 2010
Set:
The Hall of Fame football coach of the Green Bay Packers once said, “Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It’s something we call heart power. Once a man has made this commitment, nothing will stop him short of success.” Many times I have looked at overwhelming obstacles in my life and have felt like there was no chance of victory. However, I have learned that no matter how big an obstacle is, I serve a God who gives me victory in spite of overwhelming odds. Caleb and Joshua wanted to conquer the people of Jericho when the rest of Israel was afraid.
March 24, 2004
Set:
How do you prepare for a game? For a season? For a test? Do you spend time making a game plan that will work, or do you just hope for the best? Watching teams play over the years in many different sports, you begin to wonder. You see some teams work their plans to perfection, and you wonder if others just roll the balls out in practice while the coach takes a nap. Now, we know that never happens, but in preparing for a contest or upcoming season, much time is devoted to the details it takes to make sure you are ready to compete. Then it comes — the final day before the games begin. Will the team be able to put into practice what they worked so hard at perfecting? Physically they may be ready, but what about mentally, or better yet, spiritually? Spiritually prepared?
December 12, 2011
Set:
Recently, I made a pretty significant change in my life. After working for the same company for more than 11 years, I changed jobs. It was a really hard decision—one I agonized over for weeks. I wasn’t unhappy in my job, and I worked for and with some amazing people. I hadn’t even thought about leaving, but another opportunity came along and I really started thinking about possibly making a change. The old line “It’s not you; it’s me” was really true in this case.
But I realized that I’d become comfortable. Too comfortable. And not just in my job. I was too comfortable in my prayer life, in my faith walk, and in my daily Scripture study. I wasn’t challenging myself to have a deeper, closer relationship with Christ.
March 14, 2012
Set:
An imprint is a permanent mark. To leave a mark means to engrave, etch, impress or inscribe. When I was 8 years old, I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride my older brother's motorcycle. I wanted to show him how "big" I was, so I took off with reckless abandon. About 100 yards down the dirt road, my front tire hit a hole that I hadn’t seen. As I flew through the air, my life passed before my eyes! I landed in a ditch, and the motorcycle landed on my back. Ouch! Thankfully, as a result of being in the ditch, the only part of the motorcycle that was touching my back was the muffler. As the muffler burned through my shirt and my flesh, I experienced a great deal of pain. My brother rescued me, and I was forbidden to ride his bike ever again.
February 21, 2012
Set:
I love ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Day. There’s something about sports highlights that makes me want to lace up the shoes and put on the jersey again! Even though ESPN’s is my favorite Top 10 list, there are many others out there. Certainly, David Letterman made it famous with his comical late-night list. But did you know that God created the original Top 10 list a long time ago? It’s called the Ten Commandments.
February 08, 2005
Set:
Not long ago, I stopped in a nearby town for coffee. When I went to wash my hands, I noticed the shiny new hand dryer on the restroom wall with the words “Feel the Power” printed on it. I pushed the button and got a blast of hot air! It was like one of those huge dryers from the car wash had been compacted into a tiny hand dryer. Now, whenever someone mentions that town, I think of that hand dryer, a silly reminder of my experience there!
Sometimes I wonder how I’ll be remembered as a coach. When someone mentions my coaching career, will they note the wins and losses, the calls I made or failed to make? Or will they remember how I served and acted as a coach?
May 06, 2004
Set:
There had not been an undefeated winner in the Kentucky Derby since Seattle Slew did it in 1977. Fans watching the 2004 Derby saw a Pennsylvania-bred horse named Smarty Jones, with a trainer and a jockey who were both Derby rookies, end the 27-year drought by running his record to 7-0. Jockey Stewart Elliott said, "At the three-eighths pole I was biding my time. I knew I had a loaded gun beneath me. He straightened up, switched leads, and I figured it was time to go."
February 23, 2012
Set:
Several years ago, as a senior on the baseball team, I had climbed the ladder and put in my time until it was finally my chance to be a starter. Each year I had been competing with older guys and had never ended up winning the job. This year, though, I was the oldest and most experienced, so I got the opportunity.
July 09, 2013
Set:
As the Competitor’s Creed states, your desire as an athlete is to “compete for the pleasure of [your] Heavenly Father, the honor of Christ and the reputation of the Holy Spirit.” That is truly competing with a spiritual focus, not a physical focus.
March 01, 2004
Set:
I was watching an interview on ESPNews with Barry Bonds. The topic was steroids. Bonds' personal trainer was one of four men recently charged in a steroid-distribution ring that allegedly supplied dozens of professional athletes with banned substances.
Athletes at all levels these days are doing all they can to get the edge. Nutritional supplements — some legal and healthy, others not — are widely used to give athletes an extra boost, better workouts and faster strength gain. I was thinking, what are the supplements of our spiritual lives? What does the spiritual steroid (without the negative connotation) look like? How do we get a boost?
December 15, 2012
Set:
In 1954 Don Larson struggled through one of the worst seasons ever experienced by a pitcher. He won three games and lost twenty-one. Strangely enough, he was then traded to the best team in baseball at that time, the New York Yankees. Things got better for Don Larson. Two years later, he had a record of 11–5 and the team made it to the World Series. In game five Larson pitched perfectly; not one runner got to first base. Afterward Larson said, “It’s amazing…not long ago, I was a nobody, and now, everybody wants me.”
April 03, 2007
Set:
Back in 2006, the FCA staff in Florida suggested we do a story in STV magazine about the University of Florida Huddle President, Lee Humphrey. Lee was a starter on the Gators' basketball team, and apparently was just an all-around outstanding example of Christ. At the time we received the article idea, however, we were already finished with our college basketball stories for the spring and were unable to do the article.
May 07, 2004
Set:
They call him a king, yet he is only 19. They say he is the lord of his court, yet he failed to conquer all his foes. They say he will rule over all one day, but I seriously doubt it. Who is this king? King James — LeBron James, that is. Many have labeled him the next Jordan, the next Magic, the next hero of the league. But even though he is very good, LeBron James is NO king. He is one man, not THE man!
April 01, 2011
Set:
Many discussions about this year’s men’s Final Four have been filled with a number of main storylines: VCU and their improbable run, Butler’s incredible two-year dominance, UConn’s amazing post-season string, and Kentucky’s resilience. As story after story emerges about each team and their journey, members of each squad are discussing their season’s defining moments.
June 14, 2011
Set:
Over the past few years, the technology for swim gear has improved drastically. During the Olympics in the 70s, the average male swimmer probably had swim trunks bought from a local department store, and he didn’t bother wearing a swim cap or shaving. Today, we have technology that makes swimsuits resemble shark skin for less resistance, which shaves the important hundredths of seconds off one’s time.
