A Character Coach’s Pregame Prayer

Many of us serving as character coaches with college basketball teams have, or certainly want to have, opportunities to pray with the team prior to the start of games. It is a profound privilege when one is enabled to do this, so we must be sure to do it wisely and well. The following questions and proposed answers are my attempt to help us all consider how to best shape this opportunity to engage the coaches and players with our Lord, and to shape their understanding of Christ-honoring sport.

 

For what should we pray?

·      First and foremost, let’s pray this competition honors God by how we play basketball.

·      Should I pray that we win the game? I would say, “No.” Rather, pray for the following factors leading to competing well:

o   Pray for an excellent performance by each and all.

o   Pray for safety for all participants.

o   Pray that players and coaches exercise self-control (and other characteristics in keeping with honorable sport).

o   Pray for good teamwork.

o   Pray for the team’s leadership.

·      Pray that everyone maintains wise and healthy perspective, whether they win or lose.

 

For whom should we pray?

·      Pray for the Coaches, by name and responsibility.

·      Pray for the Players, by name and role.

·      Pray for the Support staff, by name and responsibility.

·      Pray for the opposing team, coaches and players. Yes, I am serious.

·      Pray for the officials. They are the third team on the floor.

 

Where should we pray?

·      Pray at home before you go to the competition venue.

·      Pray in transit to the venue.

·      Pray in the locker room, if you are expressly invited.

·      Pray in the coach’s office, if you are expressly invited.

·      Pray in your seat, as you watch the team warm up.

 

Should I inform people of how I am praying?

·      Yes, if appropriate and welcomed. Simple expressions like, “I am praying for you like this, _____.”

·      Send the coaches and/or players a text message with your prayer for them.

·      Prepare a hand written card to deliver in hand, to be placed on desks, or in lockers.

·      Send a direct message through a social media platform.

·      Be very careful about publishing prayers on social media publicly, so as to not damage your relationships.

 

Please take advantage of your opportunity to pray for and possibly with the team in the pregame hours. Matthew 6:9-13 is a great place to start.

4th Global Congress on Sport and Christianity

 Please see the information below on the 4th Global Congress on Sport and Christianity coming up in late July of 2025. This is a very unique opportunity for those of us who are not in academia to rub shoulders with the smart kids, and it's an opportunity for them to learn from us, the ones doing ministry in sport at the ground level.

Details are available here - https://truettseminary.baylor.edu/programs-centers/faith-sports-institute/global-congress-sport-and-christianity

Below are links to forms for information about conference themes and for submission of a presentation, paper, or to participate in a panel discussion. Please look it over and prayerfully consider contributing to this outstanding conference. I have attended and presented at each of the first three. I find them to be richly rewarding and an important part of my professional development. Thanks.

Please mark your calendars and make plans to join the Faith and Spots Institute on July 31- August 2 in Waco, Texas, as they host the fourth Global Congress on Sport and Christianity (GCSC).  

Since 2016, the GCSC has brought together a wide range of people who are passionate about exploring sports and Christianity in a deeper way. From scholars and academics to coaches and athletic directors to pastors and sports ministers (and more), the GCSC provides an interdisciplinary and collaborative space for meaningful dialogue and conversation. 

2025 marks the fourth GCSC and the Faith & Sports Institute is proud to host the event at Truett Seminary in collaboration with the Sport.Faith.Life initiative, Ridley Hall, and other partners.

Keynote speakers will be announced in the coming months. Those interested in contributing to the conversation are encouraged to submit a proposal to have their research, scholarship, and/or reflection on sport and Christianity featured. 

Please see the Call for Presentations (CFP) here:

CFP

To submit a presentation, please use this form: 

Submit Presentation

The deadline for submission is Wednesday, January 31, 2025. Conference registration will open in February 2025, and letters of acceptance or rejection will be sent by March 15, 2025. If you have questions about the proposal process, please visit our FAQ page.

Additional details will be provided in the coming weeks with more information about a pre-conference event for women in sports that will happen on July 31, 2025.

In the meantime, learn more about the vision for the GCSC by listening to this podcast conversation with Paul E. Putz, PhD, director of the Faith and Sports Institute. Be sure to follow the Sport. Faith. Life. podcast and website for thoughtful conversations at the intersection of sports and Christianity.

Preseason Prayer for College Basketball Team

Check this out! Our Nations of Coaches colleague, Jim Good - Regional Director in South Florida, was asked by the Head Coach of Florida Atlantic University MBB to bring a couple of his friends and to pray over their offices and the courts.

They did that the morning of August 12, with no one around, and Jim provided these two pages (attached) of information and inspiration for the prayer team.

This is an outstanding idea any of us could utilize. Please get expressed permission. Do it when the offices, courts, and locker rooms are empty. Gather a couple of trusted, praying friends, and intercede for coaches, players, support staff, and more.

Thank you, Jim Good!!

Resources for Character Coaches and Sports Chaplains - Becoming UnDone

One of the requests I hear most consistently from character coaches and sports chaplains is for resources. Over the next couple of months I will be highlighting several different websites containing a wide variety of resources. Some have videos, some written resources, some are podcasts, and a couple have all those and more.

 

A rather unique resource for people who serve the world of sport is the podcast titled, Becoming Undone.  https://undonepodcast.com/ is like many podcasts as it had its origin during the COVID-19 lockdowns. It's the brainchild and near obsession of Dr. Toby Brooks, a professor at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, USA. 

 

 

I have been privileged to know Toby since his undergraduate days at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Toby's long-form interviews are full of insight and inspiration. One of the unique features of these podcasts is Toby's regular interruptions of the recording to drop in his own insights, points of emphasis, and challenges to the listener as they occur in the recordings. As the main page of the site states, "Becoming UnDone is the podcast for those who dare bravely, try mightily, and grow relentlessly. Join author, speaker, and host Dr. Toby Brooks as he invites a new guest each episode to examine how high achievers can transform from falling apart to falling into place." If that sounds like you, give this podcast a try. 

 

I was thrilled to be Toby's guest on episode #40.  https://undonepodcast.buzzsprout.com/2063867/13234396-ep40-champion-with-sports-chaplain-and-character-coach-roger-lipe 

 

https://undonepodcast.com/

Resources for Character Coaches and Sports Chaplains - FCA Rescources

One of the requests I hear most consistently from character coaches and sports chaplains is for resources. Over the next couple of months I will be highlighting several different websites containing a wide variety of resources. Some have videos, some written resources, some are podcasts, and a couple have all those and more.

 

One of the most robust and broadest ranging resource sites for ministry in sport is FCA Resources by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  

https://fcaresources.com/

 

 

This site has tons of material! The index at the left margin makes it very easy to navigate and the search bar makes it easy to find resources that may be most helpful to you. I have been privileged to contribute a number of items to this site as I served with FCA for 27 years prior to beginning my service with Nations of Coaches. If you log onto this site, explore it a little, I am sure you will find some helpful items. 

 

https://fcaresources.com/

Resources for Character Coaches and Sports Chaplains - Faith & Sports

One of the requests I hear most consistently from character coaches and sports chaplains is for resources. Over the next couple of months I will be highlighting several different websites containing a wide variety of resources. Some have videos, some written resources, some are podcasts, and a couple have all those and more.

 

Another excellent site from the academic community is the Faith & Sports blog by Paul Putz of Truett Seminary of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, USA. Paul is one of the leaders putting together the 4th Global Congress on Sport and Christianity for late July, 2025.  https://blogs.baylor.edu/faithsports/

 

This blog contains a variety of resources including a listing of websites and blogs, podcasts, and a listing of books in various categories Paul recommends. Please check out Paul's site, it will serve you well. 

 

https://blogs.baylor.edu/faithsports/

 

Resources for Character Coaches and Sports Chaplains - Sport. Faith. Life.

One of the requests I hear most consistently from character coaches and sports chaplains is for resources. Over the next couple of months I will be highlighting several different websites containing a wide variety of resources. Some have videos, some written resources, some are podcasts, and a couple have all those and more.

Sport. Faith. Life. is a blog and a podcast that emerged from the Third Global Congress on Sport and Christianity in 2019. Chad Carlson and Brian Bolt, professors and coaches at Hope College and Calvin University, respectively in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. They bring a well reasoned, academic approach to a wide range of topics related to sport, faith, and life. Thus the title. https://sportfaithlife.com/

I find their discussion oriented blog to be interesting and challenging. These guys love God and they love Sport. These are my kind of people. Please visit their site, read the blog, and listen to the podcast. It will enhance your service of the people of sport.

https://sportfaithlife.com/