More Emotions Experienced by Sports Chaplains and Character Coaches

Here’s another set of the emotions experienced by sports chaplains and character coaches. See if they resonate with your heart.

Ambivalence – I find myself feeling rather ambivalent when encountering most of the noise on social media. Rather than being outraged, I think, “Whatever.” When friends, colleagues, family, or even the people we serve offer well-meaning distractions, we’re often left feeling ambivalent because we’re on a different path. When you feel ambivalent about the right things, take heart, you’re doing well.

Disgust – When our own behavior doesn’t line up with our highest expectations, it’s normal to feel disgusted. When the terrible weakness of our flesh pops its head up and demands to be obeyed, disgust is a proper emotion. Don’t let disgust turn into self-loathing or depression. Confess, repent, and be restored. Move on. You’ll notice I didn’t mention disgust with others’ issues.

Anger – When I see how sin terrorizes my friends’ lives, I’m angry. When I encounter forces that conspire to ruin people’s souls, I get angry. When my anger fuels my passion and energizes my zeal for God’s will, it’s healthy. When my anger leads me to lash out at people, I need to take a few steps back.

Excitement – When a new opportunity arises, I’m excited. When a soul we’re nurturing shows signs of growth, I’m jacked up! When someone shows genuine interest in the person of Jesus, I’m over the moon. That’s even better than two minutes to game time excitement.

Disillusion – When ministry leaders follow the world’s way while serving in the Kingdom of God, I get a little disillusioned. When our calling is dismissed as unimportant or not worthy of the time, energy, finances, and heart invested,  my soul aches. Beware the whirlpool of disillusionment. It can draw you down to despair.

Loss – We experience loss when the players or coaches we have grown to love leave our club. Through trade, firing, retirement, or other reasons, we feel the pain of loss when our friends leave us. Sadly, some of our most treasured colleagues leave our ministries and we feel the personal loss very deeply. Though we say we’ll keep in touch, the sad fact is that we rarely do. Don’t let the momentary pain of loss prevent you from taking the risk to form deep, genuine friendships.

Anticipation – When a new season approaches, we are full of vision and imagination about what will be. When we experience a change in coaching staff, there is tremendous anticipation for what this group will accomplish, how they will lead, and how we can serve with them. When a new opportunity appears to serve a person, a club, a school, or a team our hearts swell with anticipation about what the Lord will do. Don’t lose that feeling. It’s a gift.

I hope you experience the complete spectrum of emotions as you serve in sport. That’s one way we know we’re truly alive.