Ask Good Questions

Below is another excerpt from “Transforming Lives in Sport.” It again affirms the centrality of building redemptive Relationships to our work with the People of Sport.

Ask Good Questions. Learn all you can about the sport in which your charges compete. Ask good questions. Take time to learn from the coaches and the competitors about the sport and their points of emphasis within it.

They’ll be impressed that you care about and respect the sport and it will further aid in the integration process that we’re working to achieve. If they see you learning about the sport, they will feel freer to ask you questions about matters of faith.

I typically ask questions about what I see during the practice or competition which I’m attending. I’ll ask a coach, “Tell me about number 20. He seems like a good leader for your team.” I’ll ask a player, “What are some keys to your team’s success this season?” I’ll ask a coach about a particular game situation or a moment which I think will prompt a positive response. I certainly won’t say anything that can be construed as second-guessing or a negative comment. If we continue to speak only about religion and ignore their orientation toward sport, we’ll only further their conflicted thinking.

The Socratic method of asking good questions and thereby drawing out those with whom we speak cannot be overvalued. Asking good questions of competitors can quickly open conversations. A question asked in the right moment can open the heart much more effectively than making a dozen statements. The coach or competitor will be more deeply engaged when we ask a probing question and wait for an answer than when we do all the talking.

This is another entry for my colleagues who are engaged in ministry with people of sport. In particular they are for those of us who refer to our roles as “Chaplain” or “Sport Mentor.” Some of the material in these emails will be from my book, Transforming Lives in Sport – A Guide for Sport Chaplains and Sport Mentors. (Available through www.crosstrainingpublishing.com.) Other notes will come from my observations as I work with teams and individuals, still other ideas will come from some of you as you create new methods or devise new strategies for effective ministry.

If you would like to contribute to these weekly notes, please reply with your thoughts and I’ll consider how to best present them to our team of Sport Chaplains and Sport Mentors. Thank you very much.