End of Season Review with the Head Coach

The end of a sport’s season provides unique challenges and opportunities for ministry with coaches and competitors. There is the obvious finality that comes with the end of players’ careers, the disappointment of goals they failed to achieve, or even the emptiness in the hearts of champions who realize their achievements’ thrills last very briefly and are often followed by emptiness and despair.

The pressure and intensity players feel is even greater for their coaches. For most of them this is a career or a calling, much more than a job. Should they fail to achieve as expected, they stand to be privately criticized, publicly shamed, or fired from their positions.

All of these factors lead to both challenges and opportunities for us who serve them.

For many years of service in sport, one of my best strategies for development of ministry has been to hold an evaluation meeting with the head coach being served. Following are some suggested questions for such a meeting. I would strongly suggest getting an appointment for 15-30 minutes in a place you’re not likely to be interrupted for this meeting.

Ask questions like:

• Coach, with what about our service this season were you pleased?
• What could we do better in serving your team?
• Is there anything you would like us to add to our service?
• Is there anything we should discontinue?
• Would you like to have me serve your team next season?
• What are some ways we could serve you, your staff, and your team in the off-season?
• May I take you and your staff to lunch to say, “thank you”?

I hope these questions and the discussions deepen your relationships with coaches, players, and teams.

Five Commitments of a Godly Man Study Series

A few weeks ago I sent a note with the report from Nations of Coaches Character Coach, Billy Dunn at Lehigh University. In the note he mentioned a series of studies he had been leading title, "The Five Commitments of a Godly Man." Billy sent me a copy of the study and it is below. I hope it serves you well.

The 5 Commitments of a Godly Man

A question that I often face (both personally and in ministry) is this:

How do I become a Godly man? Where do I start? What does it look like? The pursuit of godliness was framed incredibly well by Timothy in the NT:

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
I Timothy 4:8

His message: Train yourself in "godliness." This requires rigorous self- "discipline." However, Timothy should direct his "discipline" at the development of spiritual, rather than physical, strength. Physical self-discipline ("bodily exercise") has value but

Godly character takes a lifetime to build and a moment to destroy. We are always growing. Always striving. Always learning and the walk to be a Godly man is one step in front of the other…one day at a time.

The temptations we face, plus the pressures we experience, can lure us to deep regret without the discipline of strong character and trusting God to help us do what we cannot do on our own. God helps us, but He expects us to do our part too.

The framework for Becoming a Godly Man.

Study #1
Step Up
Be a man of action. Do not retreat and do not accept neutral. Be the man who believes that this is their time and moment. We live in a world where the need for men to step up in more important than ever. Some will retreat and some will stay neutral but a man pursuing God will STEP UP.

“I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.” – Ezekiel 22:30

The world we live in is faced with a culture that has moved far from God. These are the days where we need more so than ever, for men to step up and be an example of Christ. Don’t wait for someone else to do it, don’t rely on your parents’ faith and commitment…

This is your time.

Study #2
Be A Voice
Silence in the midst of sin is a sin. Be courageous. Fear God, not man. Speak the truth in love.
Words really do matter. Jesus himself says, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37).

Men of God learn to trade careless words for thoughtful ones. While many today speak, text, and tweet whatever they think or feel without a second thought, these men weigh the serious weight of what they say. They speak as if God is listening, because he is.

Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy. – Proverbs 31:8-9

But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. – 1 Peter 3:15

Study #3
Guard your heart.
The character that will sustain you for a lifetime of leadership starts with God. The world will pull you in one direction, God draws you back to Himself, and makes the path clear.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
Proverbs 4:23-27

Godly character, patterned after Jesus example for us, does not hold perfection over our heads; instead, it places grace and ability in our hearts.

The character that will sustain you for a lifetime of leadership starts with God. The world will pull you in one direction, God draws you back to Himself, and makes the path clear.

“Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests, and to the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 1:18-19

Study #4
Faith Travels- Be Proactive
The practice of pre-making important lifestyle decisions (Being Proactive) can radically alter the trajectory and outcomes of your life. If you wait until you’re at the moment of decision, when the pressure is on and perhaps your discipline or willpower is low, it almost always results in a less than ideal outcome and regret kicks in.

You can pre-make decisions about:
Your budget
How you treat people
Your physical health and regular exercise
How you demonstrate generosity
Your prayer life
Church
What role your faith will

What 3-5 lifestyle decisions can you pre-make so that when you come to them daily, weekly, or monthly, you waste no time deliberating toward success or failure, you just do the smart thing? The practice of pre-making important lifestyle decisions can radically alter the trajectory and outcomes of your life.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
I Corinthians 15:58

STUDY 4.5
Salvation
After the fourth study I actually took time to share the Gospel message with players and basically said that it is impossible to strive to become something that you do not know. You cannot become a trust man of God unless you know God and when you know God you never walk alone…

Romans 3:23
Romans 5:8
Romans 6:23
Romans 10:9-10

Study #5
Stay Humble
One of the great challenges that many of us face in sports is the challenge to stay humble. Most kids dream of the opportunity to play College basketball and you have been given this gift and opportunity and it can be VERY easy to allow pride to take root in our lives. We must fight this and avoid the ways that pride can took a foothold in life.
Be ok with apologizing. Accept responsivity when you make a mistake. Be quick to offer the accolades to your teammates. Be quick to listen. Live with the conviction that your skills are a gift from God and steward them well.

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:5-7