Character Coach / Sports Chaplain Blog

After a week of being out of touch (little Internet access in Cuba) I’m ready to share some thoughts about another of the essential qualities for a Sport Chaplain or Sport Mentor. This week – Discernment – “the trait of judging wisely and objectively.” For decades I have heard people say things like, “Don’t judge him. Don’t be too quick to make judgments. We’re in no position to judge.” However, every day we desperately need the trait of judging wisely and objectively in order to serve the people of sport well. We need discernment to decide if something is genuine or artificial? Was that a genuine or artificial apology to his teammates? Is that coach being genuine or artificial in his statements about matters of faith? Is this course of action being proposed wise or foolish? A discerning person can see the end result well before it arrives. He or she can help avoid the consequences of a poor decision by asking good questions or reframing the discussion with insight. Is th...

Today we’ll consider another of the essential qualities for effective service as a sports chaplain or mentor. Confidence is a most important characteristic for such service as we live in a culture of people who vacillate between arrogance and humiliation depending upon their last performance. In either case, we must act confidently to be of value to their growing lives in sport and faith.   We need confidence when we walk into uncomfortable situations. If we’re well prepared and confident in our training we can step into the coach’s office after a crushing defeat knowing we can serve the team well. To be of assistance with questions related to discipline of a player or staff member. To help our charges deal with illness, disease, injury and even death requires a confidence which is born of a liberated heart, a pure conscience and a humble attitude.   Confidence is important to help us know where we fit. If we’re in a sport setting and confidence wells up within us, we feel l...

Another of the important qualities for sports chaplains and sports mentors is a sense of Timing . The ability to be at the right place at just the right time is both serendipitous and strategic. We can stumble onto such timing on occasion, but we should also choose the times and locations which best facilitate our ministries with coaches and competitors. • One should know when to speak and when to keep quiet. Nothing is as annoying as the person who can’t be quiet when the moment requires silence and reflection. “Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.” Proverbs 17:28 • One should think carefully about when to be present with the team. For your sport, is it more advantageous to attend practice or competitions? Is it better to be with people prior to or after a contest? Is your presence more helpful after losses or victories? There are surely some situations which better lend themselves to conversation and ...

Today we will consider another in the long list of necessary traits for sports chaplains and sports mentors – Compassion . It can be defined this way: “Compassion is a human emotion prompted by the pain of others. More vigorous than empathy, the feeling commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate another's suffering.” The Bible is full of expressions of our Lord’s compassion and this one is among my favorites: Psalm 103:13-14 (New International Version) 13 "As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." We who serve the men and women of sport must be conscious of each one’s background and the factors which have brought him or her to this place. Many are from homes with poor parents, no parents and at least ½ in the USA come from broken families. We must be mindful of from what they are made – as the Lord is aware that we are made ...