Termination

One of the coaches whose team I have served for the last two seasons is about to be fired this afternoon. For a couple of years the team has seemed to decline and the record was certainly in decline. There have been issues with high profile recruits leaving the program after a couple of seasons and other issues have led to fewer wins and an increasing amount of scrutiny from the media, a fall in season ticket sales and a glut of message board second guessing from fans and wannabe coaches in the area.

As I have served the team by leading Team Building sessions and game day chapels as well as sounding board for coaches and support staff, I have anticipated this day and its implications for almost two years. The anticipation has not made it any better, but it has helped me prepare to communicate with all those involved.

 

As the team and coaching staff prepared for the conference tournament I sent them each text messages to encourage their preparations and performances. I sent them one on their travel day, another the morning of the game and another a few hours before tipoff. I sent another last night after the first round loss in the tournament to wrap up the season. It included thanksgiving for the opportunity to work with them and an offer to help in the future. I sent a message to the Athletic Director, whose job it could be to fire the head coach and to hire his replacement, assuring him of my respect and support no matter the results of the weekend. I sent another to the head coach assuring him of the same respect and support regardless of results.

 

By this morning the rumor mill was running full speed with reports of the coach’s firing on Twitter, facebook, national and area media web sites and more. By mid-morning I had heard from inside sources that the firing was a done deal and an hour later I was informed of a 3:00 pm news conference in which the firing would be announced. All this information, speculation and conjecture simply stirs the pot of grief and pain for the players, coaches and their families. Candidly, even the stoic team chaplain, is feeling the pain of this move and its implications for so many. I feel the grief of loss and can already feel the alienation and distance which comes from broken relationships.

 

Today I have texted the head coach Psalm 62:1-2 and “Coach, as the rumor mill grinds today, please be assured of my prayers and support. The Lord is not surprised by any circumstance. He has your future in hand.” I later sent this to the Athletic Director, “I realize the importance and urgency of the issues resulting in today’s news conference. I hope everyone is afforded dignity and respect. I know you’ll do well.”

 

As always, I will pursue and seek out the recently fired coach to encourage and to console, but he’s not obligated to respond. Some in this situation simply disappear and cut off all contact with those associated with the team. Some hang around for years in the community, but distance themselves from the program like friends who choose sides around a messy divorce. I hope and pray that I am able to serve faithfully all concerned. I will continue to support and even counsel those who remain as they seek to replace the head coach with a capable successor. I will seek to maintain relationship with the coach or coaches who leave the program and to support them as they seek new opportunities by praying for them, consulting with and encouraging them. I will seek to serve the new coach and his staff as well as the team they inherit.

 

Firings are never the part of sport which lead us to serve coaches and competitors. They may however be the moments of our most profound service to those on all sides of the matter. Let’s be the ones who serve faithfully and love extravagantly, even in these painful moments.