NASCAR racing isn’t necessarily thought of as a team sport by most people. But ask any driver and he will tell you that without a good pit crew, his chances of winning are slim.

Jeff Gordon credited his team for putting him in a position to win the 2005 Daytona 500, which he did by holding off Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. over the last two laps. “I knew over 500 miles, with that pit crew, that team, that hopefully some patience would pay off there at the end.”

Many of us know the exciting story of Moses and the major events that occurred during the time of his leadership. We think of the miracles such as the burning bush and the parting of the Red Sea, and we recall the awesome wonder of the Ten Commandments. What we tend to ingore is the beginning of the story when God came and commissioned Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When the call came, Moses questioned his ability not once but five times (see Ex 3–4). God reassured Moses, and eventually Moses stepped up to the plate.

Hockey Chat:  Brain Buckets.  The 79-80 season was when the NHL made new comers wear the head gear.  Prior to that it wasn’t thought of to be a need.  But ask anyone whose taken a wack without it how much it is needed.  It’s one of those things that we don’t really use in the game (head-butting a puck into the goal is not very effective).  But when a stick comes up to high, or our skate slips out from under us, those hockey helmets are what saves us from a potentially deadly injury. 

Hockey Chat:  There is a technique play in hockey know as “cycling”.  It’s a matter of one guy skating with the puck then passing it off to another player, moving the puck in the same way while the first guy takes the second guy’s position.  Sounds confusing?  It’s much harder to defend than to understand.  The premise is to skate until you get in trouble and then pass the puck back.  When that guy skates and gets in trouble, you’ll have skated back to be open so he can pass it to you.  The constant helping out the guy in trouble becomes a “cycle” that draws the defense and helps keep control of the puck.

Driving down the road yesterday I saw something that made me take notice. Coming toward me was a middle-aged man running against traffic. Now, that did not bother me so much; I see that all the time. But what I found strange was that he had his iPod on and was running right on the edge of the cars. Then I broke out in laughter because not 10 feet from him on his left was a beautiful well-groomed sidewalk, on which there was not a single person.

Years of effort, sacrifice, and planning come down to this game. The commitment of the coaches and players has brought them to this point, and the payoff is right in front of them. The time of growth and struggle is finally paying off. A one-win season has grown into a three-win and then into a five-win season. The program has reached a point of respectability. The goal that has been front and center for years is finally in reach—the conference championship.

When I was a youngster, I used to play basketball with my older brother and his buddies. They were high school seniors when I was in fifth grade. Many times I was simply the kid that evened up the teams—an extra body.

Because I played with older guys, the trials I went through on the court were tough, and I often got discouraged. Eventually, however, I was able to handle the ball well enough to hold my own, and I developed enough game that, when I was left open, I could knock a shot down. When I went to play “bitty ball” at school against guys my own age, the game seemed much easier and I enjoyed success. Looking back, I realize that the experiences with the older players helped improve my basketball skills.

Too often as coaches we feel we know the right way—the right way to go. If we would stop and think of these verses, we might take a different path. Since we are coaches, others look to us for leadership, and we might be leading in the wrong direction. We might let our bias get in the way of seeing the real potential of student athletes. We may only see what we think they can do for our career or our team instead of how the Lord is looking at them.

It happens all the time: As an athlete or coach, you are confronted with a situation in which your attitude will dictate your altitude. Someone does you wrong; a promise is broken; a ref makes a horrible call in a game; you are treated poorly. Whatever the circumstances, does your attitude show that God is in your life?

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul urged the believers to stand firm in their faith in Christ. Paul wanted everyone to stay focused on Christ and the glory of the cross, no matter what happened. In every situation we are under the authority of God, and we should act and react accordingly. Though we may be wronged, mistreated or severely tortured, we must stand firm, knowing that God will provide the victory.

One of the common questions posed to sports fans is, “Who do you follow?” Most people answer with a city, school or mascot: “I’m a Denver fan.” “I follow the University of North Carolina.” “I’m a Hoosier.” No matter how you phrase it, we all follow one team or another. This applies to our lives in Christ as well.

It is not uncommon today to hear believers ask, “What are you?” Some say, “I am a Baptist.” Others claim to be Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic and so on.