Sports Chaplaincy and the 10,000 Hour Rule

Last weekend I attended an FCA Coaches ministry event in my state and marveled at the authority carried by our presenter, the depth of his understanding of the material he presented, and the way the whole room of 100+ coaches were riveted to his presentation. There are dozens of others who are certified to present this material, and many of them do it quite well, but no one carries the same weight of authenticity that we experience when this man is at the front of the room. Why is that?

It’s not about the material, they each have the same notes, the same presentations, even the same movie clips. It’s not a matter of intellect; each of the presenters have plenty of intelligence, plenty of knowledge, and plenty of capacity. It’s not even a matter of personality; there are lots of dynamic men and women presenting this model of ministry. So what is it?

As I drove home Saturday evening, I think I arrived at the answer. It’s found in Malcolm Gladwell’s excellent book, Outliers, that I read several years ago. Chapter two of that book is titled, “The 10,000 Hour Rule.” Page forty contains this paragraph, “The emerging picture from such studies is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert – in anything.” - Daniel Levitin “In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again. Of course, this doesn’t address why come people get more out of their practice sessions than others do. But no one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that is needs to know to achieve true mastery.”

I read that book nine years ago and immediately agreed with his premise and the excellent examples in the book. I have also observed it in action in some people I know who are world-class experts in their fields. It was worked out in front of me on Saturday and I began to apply these ideas to the world of sports chaplaincy.

In my monthly conference calls with sports chaplaincy colleagues from around the USA, I regularly ask, “How long did it take for you to get a handle on this role and to feel like you knew what you were doing?” Most are humble and realistic enough to say that they haven’t arrived at that point yet. Wise answer. Let’s consider some math and some scenarios about how long it may take to get to 10,000 hours and to achieve world-class mastery of sports chaplaincy.

For this exercise I’ll paint a picture using American Football chaplaincy among university teams as a premise.

Scenario A – (much like the schedule of a volunteer chaplain)

          Four weeks of preseason practices, 30 minutes at practice x 6 days = 3 hours per week, 12 hours total.

          Four weeks of preseason meetings and meals at 1 hour each x 6 days = 6 hours per week, 24 hours total.

          Two preseason chapels at 15 minutes each = .5 hours total.

          A 12 game season attending three practices per week at 30 minutes each = 90 minutes per week, 18 hours total.

          12 game days at 7 hours per week, 84 hours total.

          6 travel days at 10 hours per week, 60 hours total.

          Total hours per season = 198.5           10,000 hours / 198.5 = 50 seasons to attain world-class mastery.

Scenario B – (Let’s suppose one spends much more time with the team per week.)

          Four weeks of preseason practices, 2 hours at practice x 6 days = 12 hours per week, 48 hours total.

          Four weeks of preseason meetings and meals at 2 hours each x 6 days = 12 hours per week, 48 hours total.

          Two preseason chapels at 15 minutes each = .5 hours total.

          A 12 game season attending five practices per week at 2 hours each = 10 hours per week, 120 hours total.

          12 game days at 7 hours per week, 84 hours total.

          6 travel days at 10 hours per week, 60 hours total.

          Total hours per season = 360.5           10,000 hours / 360.5 = 27+ seasons to attain world-class mastery.

Scenario C – (Let’s suppose you are a staff member and sports chaplaincy is your full-time occupation, working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year.)

          Total hours per year = 2,000                10,000 hours / 2,000 = 5 seasons to attain world-class mastery.

In my experience, there are lots of people in Scenario A, fewer in Scenario B, and very few in Scenario C. In any case, to accumulate 10,000 hours in serving as a sports chaplain will take a very long time. Few of us will invest that much time into a voluntary ministry opportunity. So what’s the point?

There are actually several points:

1.   Watch your attitude. If you think you have this all figured out, you are probably wrong. Unless you have amassed the 10,000 hours to be seen as a world-class expert in this matter, keep yourself in position to learn.

2.   Keep at it. Overnight sensations are never that. Most people who achieve powerfully have toiled in obscurity for thousands of hours, honing their skills, mastering their craft before anyone really noticed. Be that committed to your service and press on.

3.   Appreciate excellence when you see it. When you encounter someone who seems to have what all the others pretend to have, pay attention, ask questions, learn from him or her. That person has likely invested the time, the effort, and the attention to become as proficient as he or she is.

4.   Strive to become a world-class master of your craft. Set your course toward excellence and don’t be detoured. Read and learn widely. Ask good questions of those who excel. Find and spend time with wise mentors. Commit to your task and practice purposeful neglect. Set aside the petty distractions and get your 10,000 hours in.