Character Coach / Sports Chaplain Blog

SportsCenter doesn’t get it. There may be no more powerful and influential force in sport, in the USA or even in the world, than ESPN and all its properties. They are ubiquitous in the world of sport and they set the tone for much of the other media in sport. They are usually at the leading edge of technology, they brand things very strongly and they sometimes determine what will be the topic of conversation at work, in the neighborhood or even at church. For those who live in the world of sport, their values are often askew from those held by participants in sport. SportsCenter appeals directly to fans, those who observe sport, not to competitors, those who live in sport. A few examples and their implications for us as we serve the men and women of sport follow. ·         Their intended audience is the sports fan, their aim is to entertain. The sportsperson’s intended audience is, ideally God, but many times the sport itself as it tests the ...

Below is a reflection from May of 2010 which is also included in the new book, Free to Compete – Reflections on Sport from a Christian Perspective . ( www.crosstrainingpublishing.com ISBN: 978-1-938254-15-4 paperback 176 pages) I hope it both challenges and encourages you as you serve the men and women of sport. Comfort in Chaos Our service of the people of sport is often mundane and slow.  There are hours of standing and watching a practice, long bus rides or plane flights to endure along with occasional doubts about the wisdom of such use of time.  At other times we’re in a vortex of noise, confusion, anxious personalities, screaming people and indecision.  To serve effectively we must find a way to be comfortable in such chaos. We feel the chaos for a number of reasons, among them is the fact that we’re really not in control of most of the situations where we serve.  Someone else is running the practice, the competition, the emergency room, the surge...

Below is a reflection from December of 2009 which is also included in the new book, Free to Compete – Reflections on Sport from a Christian Perspective . ( www.crosstrainingpublishing.com ISBN: 978-1-938254-15-4 paperback 176 pages) I hope it both challenges and encourages you as you serve the men and women of sport. The Sport Chaplains’ Dirty Little Secret After many years of serving coaches and competitors in various sports and almost as many years of networking with sports chaplains and sport mentors around the USA and the world, I’ve become convinced that our dirty little secret is that many, if not most, of us are just as performance based in our sense of personal worth as those whom we serve in the world of sport. We can all see how driven by their last performance our charges are in how they perceive their personal identity, even those who claim a relationship with Christ Jesus.  We all hear players say things like, “I’m 7 and 5.”  That is a direct stateme...

This month in the USA begins a new season of sport for those of us who work with school and club based teams. Coaches and competitors of all ages will be fully engaged in training, study and skill development. How fully engaged are we in the culture of sport? Below is a reflection from 2009 which is also included in the new book, Free to Compete – Reflections on Sport from a Christian Perspective . ( www.crosstrainingpublishing.com ISBN: 978-1-938254-15-4 paperback 176 pages) I hope it both challenges and encourages you as you serve the men and women of sport.   Sport Culture – Live in It How comfortably do you live in the culture of your sport?   Does it fit like a well-worn batting glove or more like a size eight shoe on your size twelve foot?   Do you find it relaxing or stressful?   Do you speak its language and enjoy its nuances of gesture and posture or do you seem like an outsider?   As you serve Christ in the world of sport, do you live in its...

Yesterday, 1 August, 2013, began year number 20 of my employment with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Southern Illinois. Through those years we have seen a number of changes in the world of sport, in the world of sports ministry and in my personal life as well. At home, my wife and I celebrated 20, 25, 30, and 35 year wedding anniversaries. Our son grew from high school kid to college student to graduate student to gainfully employed to husband to father. I started this role at 38 years old and am now 57. I have adjusted to people’s assumptions that I will want the senior citizen’s discount. My wife moved from the university administration offices into the football office 18 years ago and will now retire in December. I went from being the new guy on FCA’s staff to being one of the old heads. Our local ministry has grown from part-time to full-time. It has been sustained with a low fund balance, has thrived with a strong balance, has drifted to dangerously lo...