Character Coach / Sports Chaplain Blog

III John 13-14 As the year nears its close, I want to thank you for taking time to read these devotional thoughts. It is a great privilege and an honor for me to have such favor with you. I deeply appreciate it. The Apostle John expresses well my feelings in his third letter at verses 13 and 14, “I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face. Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.” We all have friends who have been displaced over the years. Whether childhood friends, teammates from our years in school or coworkers from adulthood, we’ve been separated by time and the circumstances of life. It’s important to maintain these relationships, even if just by email. There is, however, no substitute for seeing each other face to face and enjoying the sweet communion of dear friends. As valuable as writing to you is to me, speaking with you face to face is even better. I hope...

These past 12 months have been phenomenal for me personally as I have witnessed the global growth of Sports Chaplaincy first hand. · Our email network of sports chaplains and sports mentors has grown significantly and I really enjoy sending these weekly notes to hundreds around the world. · In July, I made a trip to Jamaica and worked with dear friends in training sports chaplains for their sport communities. They now continue to do further training with the books we left in country. http://www.unitedcaribbean.com/hope.html · In October, I was privileged to speak to and do training with the best developed network of sports chaplains on the planet – Sports Chaplaincy Australia. http://www.sportschaplaincy.com.au/ · In November I met with the International Sport Coalition’s Serving the People of Sport Coalition and we further grew our global network of sports chaplains and sports mentors. http://www.servingthepeopleofsport.net/ · I am now anticipating...

Ministry Ideas – Develop relationships with them through: Visiting them at practices and/or in their offices. Attend their coaching conferences and conventions and serving them while there. Speaking with them at competitions, camps or tournaments. Hosting or attending a coaching clinic. Host a performance enhancement camp or clinic and invite area coaches to attend. Purchase and give books to them re: coaching, leadership, etc. Network sports equipment and other resources to their teams. Hold a Coaches and Parents meeting during a sport camp to help the parents learn about the game and to become familiar with the coaching staff. Personally mentor a coach re: a part of his or her life which the coach believes needs attention. Be a friend, confidant and sounding board for the coach. Host a Coach’s evening (social event with a brief talk) at a tournament. Host a Coaches and Spouses Appreciation event to honor area coaches and their spouses. Support the coach’s family – spouse and children...

I love the sounds of sport. There are powerful echoes in my mind from decades of competition and playing my heart out. I love the sound of…. · the crack of a baseball from a wooden bat, whistling into the outfield grass and thumping off the wall. · the loud explosion from my racquetball racquet as it crushes the blue ball into the corner. · the swish of a basketball as it drops through the nylon twine of the net. · the crashing thud of shoulder pads and helmets as a linebacker collides with a running back in the A gap. · the stillness of pre-game locker rooms as the players and coaches prepare for competition. · the murmurs of a home crowd after their team has committed a game changing turnover. Especially if I’m with the visiting team. · the off-key, lung straining, joyous singing of the team’s fight song in celebration of a hard fought victory. · the endless string of clichés emanating from the dugout on a sunny afternoon at t...

Below are some notes from last week’s Serving the People of Sport Council meetings in Orlando Florida. These are some notes related to ministry with coaches. Check out the web site at http://www.servingthepeopleofsport.net/ . Ministry Ideas – Develop relationships with them through: · Visiting them at practices and/or in their offices. · Attend their coaching conferences and conventions and serving them while there. · Speaking with them at competitions, camps or tournaments. · Hosting or attending a coaching clinic. · Host a performance enhancement camp or clinic and invite area coaches to attend. · Purchase and give books to them re: coaching, leadership, etc. · Network sports equipment and other resources to their teams. · Hold a Coaches and Parents meeting during a sport camp to help the parents learn about the game and to become familiar with the coaching staff. · Personally mentor a coach re: a part of his or her lif...

This week’s notes come from Adrian Despres, a chaplain at the University of South Carolina in the USA. At the University of South Carolina, I teach our Chaplains that there are four Commandments of Chaplaincy. Here they are: Commandment 1. Never Coach! I played in college. I know football, but the coach has probably forgotten more than I know. Coaches do not want us coaching. Commandment 2. Never get in the way. Do not talk to players at practice if there is the slightest chance that a coach wants them paying attention. Talk to them at breaks and after practice. Commandment 3. Never be a fan. We are allowed to cheer a little and encourage, but fans yell at the guys when things are not going well and fans even yell at the refs!!!! NEVER!! Commandment 4. NEVER deal with the media. The media will twist just about everything we say. Like the guy in Florida who had the headlines in USA Today saying all Jews are going to Hell. He was probably misquoted, but the next week of ar...

The Jags team chaplain on faith in the locker room. by Anthony Johnson, Chaplain for the Jags (As told to Anna K. Clemmons) Preston Mack 1. FAITH COVERS THE WHOLE FIELD. "Each team has a chaplain. A degree, but not seminary, is required to land the job. I played in the NFL for 11 years, and when I started this job in 2003, I was one of only three former players serving, but the number has nearly doubled. My focus is biblical, but I make it inclusive. No matter what a player's faith, I'll talk to him. And I'm not afraid to engage with players who are atheist or agnostic. Those can be great talks, too."2. PART OF THE JOB IS CLERICAL … "We hold chapel during camp and the night before a game; as many as 35 players attend. We're also available for pastoral care—baptisms, wedding preparations, deaths—and we lead a variety of Bible studies: There's a coaches' study group; my wife leads a wives' study; and in some years, we've had a couples' s...

1 – Introduction – If we will compete in a unified way today, we will do very well. 2 – Take encouragement from this story in Genesis chapter 11. Read the text – Genesis 11:1-8. · There are two main points to take from this text: They were one people and everyone spoke the same language. · God Himself observes, “Now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.” o God believes in the unlimited potential of unified people who communicate effectively. (Repeat) o This is what God saw in these people and I see that in this team. Nothing you purpose to do will be impossible for you. 3 – In today’s game- · Be unified! When adversity arrives: o Don’t criticize teammates, rather challenge them. o Don’t avoid failing teammates, embrace them. o Don’t withdraw from others, encourage others. · Communicate effectively! All day. o In meetings o In the locker room o During pre-game on the field o In the huddle o During each moment o...

Why do people ask athletes for their autographs? It happens all the time and all over the world. Players are asked to autograph footballs, baseball bats, helmets, bases, tickets, shirts, soccer balls, game jerseys, hockey sticks, gloves, and seemingly every except jock straps. Why? I’ve thought about this a little lately and I think I have an answer. Competitors in sport, players and coaches, are achieving in a way that most people do not and many more will not. These competitors have pressed through the discomfort which comes with rigorous training, they have battled the twin demons of fear and doubt, they have taken on real opponents and have won, while most of the world shrinks back from competition altogether. In the autograph the seeker is seeking to participate in the competitor’s achievement. Thus the premium for “game used” memorabilia. The autograph seeker experiences the thrill of the game’s passion and pain vicariously through the object with the player’s signature serving t...

From my earliest days in sport I can recall the attitude, held by many, that opponent = enemy. When competitors are stating the score, I have heard and said, “Good guys up 10-7.” I remember a long-time college and professional football coach saying in very explicit language and without any pang of conscience, “They are the enemy!!” Many of us would join him in such statements. Most of us would have to confess to a less than charitable attitude toward our opponents. Let’s investigate this a little further. Practically speaking, a competition without a worthy opponent is just a practice. Without an opponent one cannot fully compete. In a very profound sense, we need our opponents just to have real competition. The opponent is a necessary component to the whole process. An opponent is needed and should therefore be respected, whereas an enemy is hated and life is better without them. An opponent makes a competitor better and the more competent the opponent, the greater the improv...

Greetings from Melbourne, Australia. The annual conference for Sports Chaplaincy Australia ( http://www.sportschaplaincy.com.au/ ) just concluded on Thursday afternoon and I was privileged to share with them for the last three days on “Transforming Lives in Sport.” Below are some thoughts on what they do particularly well in SCA. · This is an association of Sport Chaplains from a wide variety of sports. We worked with chaplains from Australian Rules Football, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Cricket, Motor Racing of various kinds, Basketball, Tennis, Bicycling, Soccer, Net ball, Athletics (Track and Field), Life Saving and more…. · They offer training and certification to sport chaplains and then support them with resources, encouragement and further training opportunities. · They are building some strategic partnerships with the organizations which they serve. During our conference we made a visit to the Victoria Institute of Sport, the Richmond Football Club and th...

October 27 – After a tough week of unanswered questions about Coach Kill’s condition and the causes of the seizures we loaded the buses this morning for the trip to Missouri State University in Springfield. I stayed in touch with Rebecca while they were in the hospital in St. Louis until they returned home last night. We left the Arena at 8:00 am, stopped at a rest stop on I-44 for lunch from Wendy’s and arrived at our hotel just before 2:00. I proctored a test for two players shortly after arrival and then moved into my room. I prepared a copy of “The Five Love Languages” for Bryce Saia and Erin Castro and then made my way to the walk through prior to going to dinner. We loaded the buses and went to the Bass Pro Shops for dinner at Hemingway’s Restaurant and their seafood buffet. Wow! After dinner we came back to the hotel and I watched the World Series game 5, which St. Louis won 4-2 to take the championship. During the early innings I prepared my chapel tal...

The Chaplain’s Roundtable Ministry desires to encourage, train and provide networking opportunities for sports chaplains and sports ministry leaders. This is accomplished through one day annual conferences featuring workshops, panel discussions, resource materials and of course, prayer. Register for the Roundtable(s) of your choice at http://www.geocities.com/chaplainsroundtable/welcome.html · Tuesday October 15th in Charlotte, North Carolina Joe Gibbs Racing Headquarters Joe Gibbs Racing will be the site of the 2008 Charlotte Chaplain’s Roundtable. It all gets underway with a time of prayer at 8:30am for those early risers and then we officially kick off the day at 9am with a challenge from God’s Word with Bob Dyar, Joe Gibbs Racing Chaplain. Who knows what other dignitary by stop by for a visit in Charlotte! Workshops will be offered throughout the day. Topics and speakers for all cities are as follows: * Ministry of Encouragement—Staying in the Game Tom Rust-Face...

This is an account of a normal game day during a college football road trip in my life as a sport chaplain at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. I am normally an early riser, but even more so during such trips. I will get to be very early on Friday evening and awaken well before dawn. I’ll gather my Bible, iPod, notebook and coffee cup. I’ll make my way to the hotel lobby or, weather permitting, outside for some reading, solitude and contemplation of the coming day. I’ll take some time for intercessory prayer for each player and coach related to their assignments and personal development. I will also put the final touches on my chapel talk which I would have drafted the evening before. I will dress and prepare for the chapel by arriving early and distributing a devotional letter to the team at each place setting for the pre-game meal. I greet the players and coaches as they arrive in the room and then begin the chapel at the head coach’s prompting. This is typically ...

It’s the best-case scenario for a coach. You resign from coaching immediately after winning the highest level championship for which your team can compete. That was the scene for Coach Josh Franklin of Cobden Appleknockers Softball. Having known and worked with Coach Franklin for fourteen years, I was amazed when he announced that he would be leaving teaching and coaching to become an associate minister at his church. Josh had been a highly achieving athlete in high school and in college. He was an Academic All-American as a baseball and basketball player at Missouri Baptist College in St. Louis. He coached boy’s basketball and later girl’s softball at Cobden. A year ago he was telling me that his softball team had a chance to be really good next year. He was right. I saw them play in the Illinois High School Class 1A Regional tournament and their pitcher threw a no-hitter. They progressed through the tournament and made their way to the championship game, won it and brought ho...

Am I the only person who gets more spiritually enthused by pre-game warm up exercises at a college football game than by any overly dramatic worship service at church on Sunday morning? Am I the only one who gets a little bored at church because things are moving a little too slowly? I keep waiting for someone to get sweaty or bloody or for someone to get knocked down. Am I a complete reprobate because I feel God’s presence more profoundly on the field of competition with sweat dripping from my forehead than I do in the air-conditioned comfort of my home church’s beautiful sanctuary? Why am I this way? Am I totally out of touch with God’s idea of worship? Or is it possible that the real meaning of worship is broader than the cloistered connotation most of us encounter on Sunday mornings? Let’s consider a powerful and liberating scripture as we seek the Lord’s heart for worship. Romans 12:1 “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sa...

Throughout this summer I have been thinking about a scripture which Percival Palmer of Caribbean Sport Reach (Jamaica) quotes often when speaking with people about faith and sport. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (KJV) Percival’s point is that the whole world, including sport and the people of sport, are clearly in God’s view and a matter for His care. Most of the people in the sport world live in total denial of the Lord’s dominion or in total rebellion toward Him. Sadly, many people in the world of sport who have a relationship with Christ seem to put it on the shelf when they walk onto the court, pitch, track or field. They have forgotten the truth of Psalm 24:1. The earth, everything in it and all those who dwell in it are the Lord’s. It is our task to proclaim this truth to Christian and not-yet-believers as well. The denial of Christ’s rule in the world of sport, particularly among believers in...

This week’s notes come again from a conversation with some other sport chaplains in the USA. Thanks Josh Gilreath, Chette Williams, Derrick Moore and Wes Yeary for this discussion. These moments are opportunities to serve: 1. When the coach initiates conversation with me. 2. When the coach asks questions about spiritual matters. 3. When the coach or his family has a crisis of any sort. 4. When the coach expresses a need or dissatisfaction with some facet of his life. 5. When the coach has a player with a problem. 6. When the coach has a new opportunity and needs counsel. 7. When the coach is feeling pressure. 8. When the coach encounters success. 9. When the coach attends chapel, carries a Bible, reads a book with a spiritual message, speaks of his church, etc… 10. When the coach raises an objection to someone’s way of doing Christian ministry.

In a conversation with some other sport chaplains, we were discussing the primacy of servant-leadership for our role in ministry. It may seem like a backward way of discussing this, but we made a list of items which can destroy such a servant’s attitude. 1. Asking for free tickets, sideline passes, etc. 2. Going places on the field or court where you haven’t been invited. 3. Walking into offices, locker rooms, etc. without express permission. 4. Expecting to travel with the team or other such privileges. 5. Asking for team gear. 6. Any such presumption of privilege or access. 7. Using your position to gain prominence or profile in the community. 8. Using your position to raise funds from those whom you’re serving. Let’s be wise and avoid these behaviors which betray a selfish heart. Thanks Josh Gilreath, Chette Williams, Derrick Moore and Wes Yeary for this discussion.

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? James 2:2-4 Have you ever noticed that there are a lot more people who want to be a chaplain at the Olympics than to the local sports team. At first reading many of us would say that we would never distinguish between people in the way James described. Are you sure that the prophet Nathan is not waiting outside to say, "You are the man"? (2 Samuel 12:7). Even when we serve, our motives are not always pure. Let us be honest, it is more fun to be a chaplain to an Olympian than to a club player. But in God's eyes the two are equal. Some of us are called to be Oly...

After fourteen years of ministry in sport, I am more convinced than ever that investing in the coaches and support staff is a key component to a chaplain’s or mentor’s effective ministry. If one only concentrates on the competitors, one can miss some insight the coaches, trainers (physios), equipment managers, and such may have about the player and his or her needs. These people are often with teams for a long time and could help you weather the changes that come in the world of sport. Here are some ideas for building and maintaining such relationships: · Learn their names and call them by name when you see them on the field, pitch or court. · Occasionally drop them a call, email, or card to express your thanks or to tell them that you’ve observed their good work. · Encourage them when you see them doing well. · Give them hope when you see them failing. · Ask good questions about their work and their perceptions about the players you serve. · ...

A) Full-time Chaplain on a university campus. (100% in chaplain role) a. 1 or more sports per season. b. Coaches Ministry: i. Mentoring coaches ii. Studies with coaches iii. Assist the staff with the team c. Campus Ministry: i. Lead the campus huddle ii. Attend practices and games as permitted/assigned iii. Team chapels iv. Player studies / meetings v. Roles of service to the team as assigned vi. ...

The Chaplain’s Roundtable Ministry desires to encourage, train and provide networking opportunities for sports chaplains and sports ministry leaders. This is accomplished through one day annual conferences featuring workshops, panel discussions, resource materials and of course, prayer. Good Morning, I trust your summer is going well. If you are like me, you have said on numerous occasions…”I can’t believe how quickly these months are passing by!” Well, with that in mind, I thought I should get some information off to you about this year’s Roundtable events. Our first annual Charlotte Roundtable will be held October 15th at Joe Gibbs Racing. JGR chaplain Bob Dyar will be our keynote speaker. You will not want to miss his challenge from God’s Word. The Lansing and Indianapolis events are set as God has certainly provided some wonderful speakers for us. Among our guests in Indy will be Olympic gold medalist Shelby Wilson. Lansing will welcome for the first time Robby Richardson a...

All this week I’ve been in Jamaica working with Percival Palmer of Caribbean Sports Reach and Andre Virtue of Whole Life Sports for a series of Sport Chaplain and Sport Mentor training sessions. We did one-day sessions on Monday in Kingston, Tuesday in Montego Bay, Wednesday in Mandeville and Thursday again in Kingston. After church on Sunday I watched cricket all afternoon on television. That was more cricket than I had seen in my 52 years previously, combined. Wednesday afternoon we stopped by a football pitch and observed the Reggae Boyz (Jamaican National Football Team) U17 and U20 teams working out. We enjoyed good conversation with several of their coaches and players as well. We have been thrilled at the participants’ responses to the simple principles for this sort of ministry and their ability to immediately translate them to their particular relationships with teams, coaches and competitors. We would be pleased to do similar workshops with people in your corner of the wor...

Last week I enjoyed a conversation with Jill Perry who serves as a sport chaplain with women’s sports at the University of Georgia in the USA. She has done a great job there for years and has both broadened her influence with an increasing number of sports and has deepened it with greater impact within each one. She has recently found opportunities with members of the swimming and diving community and we discussed some unique characteristics of that group of sportspeople. Jill is doing a number of things to grow her understanding of swimming technique and strategy, of swimmers’ approach to their sport and their spiritual influences. · She’s reading books about swimming. · She’s taking lessons on swimming technique – in the pool getting a feel for it. · She’s spending more time with swimmers and asking good questions. · She’s building relationships of trust with the coaching staff. For Jill, a volleyball player at heart, it’s not easy to make these adjustme...

1) Study and pray a. Devotional reading b. Personal study of Scripture c. Sport related books and periodicals d. See the sport related situations in Bible texts i. Game-day situations in competition ii. Player to player relationship dynamics iii. Player / coach relationship dynamics iv. Leadership issues v. Pain / injury / loss / isolation vi. Victory / passion / excitement / community vii. Teamwork vs. individualism viii. Work ethic / sacrifice ix. Respect for coaches, teammates, opponents, officials ...

The Chaplain’s Roundtable Ministry desires to encourage, train and provide networking opportunities for sports chaplains and sports ministry leaders. This is accomplished through one day annual conferences featuring workshops, panel discussions, resource materials and of course, prayer. Good Afternoon, Information regarding the 2008 Chaplain’s Roundtables is coming fast and furious these days! Here’s the latest… · The Charlotte Roundtable is scheduled for Wednesday, October 15th at Joe Gibbs Racing. Our thanks to Bob Dyar, chaplain with JGR for helping us secure this wonderful facility. · The Indianapolis Roundtable is slated for Tuesday, November 11th at the Indy Motor Speedway. Bob Hills, chaplain with the Indy Racing League always does a wonderful job in helping coordinate this event. · The Lansing Roundtable will be held at South Church in Lansing, Michigan on Tuesday, December 2nd. Marilyn Oldham with the South Church staff always coordinates a first class...

1 – Today’s characteristic of Successful People and Successful Teams is Discipline. · To achieve the success we all want, we will have to grow increasingly more disciplined. · To be well disciplined is to be self-controlled in all areas of one’s life. 2 – I Corinthians 9:24-25 gives us a strong understanding of a life of discipline (read the text). · They all run, but only one is the winner. ½ of all teams who compete today will lose. · Many coaches say, “There is a winner and a loser on every play of the game.” · “Compete in such a way as to win.” The Apostle makes no apology for this statement. · Competitors exercise self-control in ALL things. Physical discipline – Technique, effort, skill – all are under your control. Mental discipline – Strategy, assignments, responsibilities, knowledge of the sport – all are under your control. Emotional discipline – Not too high, not too low. Not overcome by elation or d...

Mark 10:41-45 Mark 10:43 · Who are some GREAT leaders that come to your mind? (3 names) o Add some quotes from great leaders in history or sport… · What are some characteristics of such leaders? · List the names of three GREAT leaders from your sport experience. o (What made them GREAT leaders?) · Read the text (Mark 10:41-43) · What were the defining marks of the Gentile leaders and their high officials? (Lording it over and exercising authority – power plays.) o Who would the people be to whom He’s referring? (Roman troops.) o Jesus says, “Not so with you.” · Instead, what does Christ say is the defining mark of greatness in leadership? Being your servant. (Serving those on your team.) o Who is on your team (can you see their faces)? o In what ways do you / can you lead them by serving them? (Let’s make a list…) Mark 10:44 · Who are some PREEMINENT leaders from history? (3 names) o Alexa...

I was recently in the Central American country of Honduras. While there I met a number of men who compete in fast pitch softball in the two largest cities of the country. They are hungry, even desperate to compete. Their fast pitch softball looks a lot like what I played in the 1970s and 80s. It’s mostly played by men in their twenties, thirties and forties who do it because they love the game. Their facilities are generally poor; their bases aren’t even tied down. They wear mismatched uniforms and play with whatever equipment they can afford. The holes created by the pitchers’ plant feet become vast craters of dust and inhibit their pitching efficiency. The batters’ boxes become deeper and wider by the inning. The lack of training for pitchers and umpires keeps the game from progressing and their lack of time to practice limits their performance level. In spite of all this, they play their hearts out and sacrifice greatly to compete. So what’s the point? They are hungry. The...

This is the web site for the Serving the People of Sport Council, of the International Sport Coalition. It is a world-wide network of people and ministries who work directly with people in sport. They describe their Vision and Mission in this way: Definitions and purpose Purpose: We serve the sportsperson with unconditional love, helping them to grow to whole life maturity in Christ by: helping the sportsperson to see sport and faith as integral parts of their lives; walking with the people of sport in loving, nurturing and mentoring relationships; releasing the people of sport into God’s authentic call on their lives; Long term goal Our long term goal is to: Cultivate whole life ministry to the people of sport in each sport, in each country and people group worldwide. Nurture a worldwide network to strategize, to resource and to serve the total wellness of the people of sport for transformation of their lives, their sport and their communities. Encourage integration of faith in spor...

In a recent conversation with a former Major League pitcher, I asked him about one of his high profile teammates. The teammate was one of the greatest players in the history of the game, but has come under tremendous scrutiny in the last several years. He has been regularly accused of cheating the game, of being rather boorish toward the media and quite aloof from his teammates. I was intrigued by the pitcher’s comment that he found him to be a great teammate. He said that what he valued was that the other player always showed up on game day. He was the guy he wanted in left field every time he pitched and he wanted that guy hitting third in the line up. In short, that teammate helped him win games. In addition, he said that when the game was over, all the media went to the high profile teammate’s locker rather than his. The pitcher was more than glad to have all that attention go to someone else. Some of this high profile player’s youngest teammates were jealous of the media at...

Do you ever get a little frustrated with people who don’t want to keep score? I have friends who want to go play golf, but not keep score. I don’t want to play with those guys. I tell them, “Just go to the driving range and don’t clutter up the golf course.” What’s the point in playing the game if you don’t compete? So what’s the big deal with competition? Is it, as some think, for one to show his superiority over another? For some this is probably true. For most of us however, the point is to test ourselves. That’s exactly the point in golf, as each one is competing primarily against the course. It is a test of one’s skills, not just a competition with one’s opponent. How does competition test us? Let’s make a brief list: · Competition tests us physically – technique, talent and fitness. · Competition tests us mentally – focus, knowledge and insight. · Competition tests us spiritually – self-control, faith and love. Why compete? To compete well is to te...

This week I would like to feature some web sites which have Resources you can download and use. Most if not all of these are free of cost. The list of resources includes: § Brochures which explain Chaplain Ministry § Outlines for chapel meetings § Outlines for chapel talks § Descriptions of Serving the People of Sport ministries in various languages § Bible Studies for discussions with coaches § Bible Studies for discussions with players/athletes § Information and an application for Major Event Sport Chaplaincy § Tools to facilitate prayer among coaches and/or competitors § Complete books and articles related to the Theology of Sport § More….. http://www.veritesport.org/?page=downloads Stuart Weir from Oxford, England has loaded this site with tremendous resources including his books, “What the Book Says About Sport” and “Born to Play.” This site is a treasure. http://servingthepeopleofsport.net/index.php?option...

Last week I was to speak at a fund-raising event for a local sport club and sharing the program with me were two professional athletes. One is a now retired baseball pitcher who played for twelve years in the Major Leagues. The other is presently playing professional fast-pitch softball in both the USA and Australia. As the program moved along I took notes on their talks and the answers to questions of these two outstanding people. Below are some of the items from their talks about the important things they have learned from sport at the highest level. · Relationships are most important – they both value their friendships with teammates, road trip roommates, coaches, support staff and even opponents. · Integrity – their values for sport, for family and for their faith guided their daily decisions in all of life. · Competition – this is what makes them go. They can’t wait to get to game day and to compete. They are wired for sport in the truest sense. · ...

There is nothing to rival the emotional pain, grief and deep feelings of inadequacy which come with losing. If you’re a competitor, you know these feelings and you do all you can to avoid them. I remember crying on the way to the family car after losing little league baseball games and going 0 for 4 at the plate. I remember feeling, “I’m just not good enough,” as I would lie on my bed replaying each pitch from a fast pitch softball game. I remember the knot in my stomach while receiving a second place wrestling trophy and comparing it with the first place winner’s trophy. I remember, just weeks ago, the painful realization that we were just a couple of plays away from the NCAA Division I Football Subdivision Playoffs National Championship Game, but came up short. Many of us are driven by these feelings and they help us perform more highly. More than the exhilaration of winning, we work incessantly to keep the gnawing pains of loss at bay. Many more simply quit competing because t...

I recently watched a Division I Women’s Basketball game from the visiting team’s bench in the gym of their strongest conference rival. This game and the brief moments after the game were a vivid reminder of why winning is so important. This season had been one of great frustration, loss and division for our team. We entered the game near the bottom of the conference and the team we were to play was tied for first in the conference. (They eventually won the regular season and post-season conference tournament championships.) The whole game was an uphill battle, but our team had a short lead at half-time. In the second half we played very well and one could feel the momentum growing as three players made big shots and defensive plays. This swing of momentum put down all the feelings of frustration, division, jealousy, bitterness and more as the whole team was focused on the win which was within their grasp. The team was unified, at least for the final twenty minutes of the game and we wo...

I was watching a college football practice recently and saw a player pull up with a pulled hamstring. I watched as he limped toward the sideline, but collapse before getting past the numbers. He crumpled to the ground as the trainer reached him. I watched as his position coach moved the other players and their drill ten yards up the field and continued the practice. It was like nothing happened to most of them, but to the injured player time stood still. I stood with him as he watched his team continued practice, as others ran the drills he suddenly could not and I observed the desperate loneliness he was feeling, just twenty yards from everything normal. He stood there with ice on his leg watching other players vie for the position which was his just five minutes ago. He was dying inside and his teammates wouldn’t even look that direction. They were each denying their own frailty. I believe there are no lonelier places for a competitor than the sideline and the training room. ...

Here are some notes from a book I read recently. I was given the book by a dear friend and colleague. It has some remarkable ideas for implementation in our work with Sports people, teams and people on the fringes of our networks of relationships. “The Starfish and the Spider” is a good read with sharp insights. These are selected points from the last chapter followed by some thought provoking questions. Thanks. 1) The network effect. As our network grows by a person or a team, the whole network gets stronger. Each one who joins makes the network stronger. How does each of your players, coaches or teams make all the others better? 2) The power of chaos. In a decentralized world, it pays to be chaotic. Sometimes it will appear that no one is in charge. That’s okay. “Good ideas will attract more people and in a circle they will execute the plan.” Ever been to a team function where the coaches are not in charge? Chaos Central. They love it!! 3) Knowledge at the ed...

Below is an article I recently posted on www.wired4sport.com related to the end of one’s sport career. I hope some of these thoughts are helpful to those you serve in sport. Through my 51 years of being a player, a coach, an official, a parent and now a sport chaplain / sport mentor, I have seen hundreds of careers start quickly, flourish powerfully, diminish painfully and end suddenly. Millions of people watched Brett Favre’s career come to a tearful end yesterday on world-wide television. Imagine the fascination of people watching someone announce his retirement. Careers end with such finality, often with pain and even grief. Let’s think about why this is. For us who are highly competitive and highly achieving, much of our identity winds up being found in the competition and those achievements. That’s not necessarily good for us. When we come to the end of our careers we have a terrible time figuring out who we are apart from those things which have characterized us for so lon...

Today’s note is an excerpt from an article in the April 2008 edition of Fellowship of Christian Athlete’s Sharing the Victory magazine. If you would like a copy of the complete article, please reply to this email and I’ll send you a copy as a Word file. “O Lord, Please Help Us Win Today.” How many times have you uttered that prayer, either under your breath or out loud? How often have we asked the Lord Jesus to intervene in the course of human history so we could get a win and not a loss? Does the Lord care at all about who wins and who loses in any given sport contest? If not, why should we pray at all prior to competition? In the fourteen years I’ve served as a sport chaplain and sport mentor, I have seen a number of different approaches to game day prayer. I’ve seen players and coaches treat the chaplain like a good luck charm, thinking, “If that guy prays for me, God will bless me and I’ll play greatly.” I’ve seen teams treat their pre-game recitation of The Lord’s Prayer like...