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May 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Martin Brodeur used it as a popcorn bowl when he took his wife and children to see the movie ''The Kid'' in Montreal. Scott Gomez brought it into an Anchorage park on a dog sled. Petr Sykora took it to an orphanage in Prague. Scott Niedermayer flew it by helicopter to the top of the Rocky Mountains in Cranbrook, British Columbia. It’s been used as a flowerpot, baptismal, and champagne glass. Yet regardless of all the uses it has seen, the Stanley Cup is still a symbol of hockey greatness and the most prestigious trophy in all of sports.
May 09, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: The Stanley Cup is the only trophy in professional sports that has the names of winning players, coaches, management and club staff engraved and passed to the new winner year after year.
April 23, 2009
Set:
Man, I am a workout-aholic. Can I get an amen from anyone else out there? Ever since I was in high school I’ve lived by a motto I read on a t-shirt: “Somewhere, someone is working out. And when you meet her in head-to-head competition, she will beat you.” I think somewhere along the line I adopted that as my personal mantra (especially when I started running), and I have been a gym rat ever since.
February 02, 2009
Set:
Tom was not a good athlete, but loved sports. He could not dunk a basketball, but was a valuable member of the program. He could not spike a volleyball, but his impact on the team was greatly appreciated. Who was Big Tom? He was a servant and worked for buildings and grounds to prepare the gym before each contest.
In Romans 12, Paul lists spiritual gifts. One gift is out front where everyone can see and hear it. The other gift is behind the scenes and often goes unappreciated. Big Tom was a student worker who took his gift very seriously and made every effort to serve the Lord as he served our teams in Oklahoma. Each year teachers were awarded for their excellence in the classroom, but Big Tom went unnoticed.
September 10, 2009
Set:
Years ago Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath guaranteed that his underdog New York Jets were going to beat the powerful Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl … and wouldn’t you know … they did it! But since that time there have been many athletes and coaches who have guaranteed a win and it didn’t turn out that way. Why? Nothing on this planet is truly guaranteed. As a matter of fact, there are very few real guarantees in life. Even when you purchase something that is guaranteed, that doesn’t mean it’s going to work forever. It just means that when it breaks, the guarantor will fix or replace it.
November 02, 2010
Set:
Matthew’s Gospel contains a sermon Jesus gave—a talk we refer to as His Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon Jesus taught about humility, love, the law of God, prayer, and how to live the Christian life. There were two aspects to this sermon that made it truly revolutionary. The first is that this sermon was preached by God incarnate, the God-man Jesus Christ. He was the living Word, preaching and teaching with authority.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: A battle for the puck is what the game is all about. What teamwork is about is getting in there and helping your teammate win the puck. There is that thankful feeling when the play moves on because of the support that your buddy gave in a time of need.
October 15, 2009
Set:
In high school, a few of my football teammates shared a pre-game ritual. Before each game they would sit down in the locker room. The first guy would wrap his left wrist with a roll of tape and hand it to the second guy. The second guy would wrap both of his wrists (left first) then hand back the roll. The first guy would then finish his wrap on his right wrist, and hand back the roll again. He would then get up, move to the other side of his taping partner and toss the roll to a third guy. This guy would then put the roll in his locker until the following week . . .to do it all again. These guys swore by this ritual. Did it work? We went undefeated in the regular season, so the ritual must have worked, right? But in the playoffs, we went down in flames. What good was it then?
August 22, 2011
Set:
In church recently my pastor spoke about Acts 17:26 and how each of us was made by God for a reason. It wasn’t a just coincidence that I was born 22 years ago or that I was put in Austin, Texas three months ago because my job relocated me.
Oftentimes it’s easy for us to forget the simple fact that with God everything happens for a reason.
Sometimes working so hard in my job distracts me from what God has set me on earth to do—serve others. But, the neat thing is our ministry doesn’t have to begin after our normal work hours, when school is let out or at the once a year mission trip. It’s something we should be doing constantly and enjoy doing it too!
February 13, 2010
Set:
As coaches we want to mold our players to produce a championship team. We know that if each player accepts his role, believes in our plan, and executes it, then we will be positioned to win. But if the reliever wants to start and the lead-off hitter swings for the fences with two strikes, your chances for having a great season are slim. The greatest challenges a coach faces are to properly identify roles and to consistently encourage players to believe in the coaching staff, their teammates, themselves, and their assigned roles.
December 09, 2010
Set:
I heard a story about a busy intern who worked in the emergency room. An elderly man came in one morning to have stitches removed. He was in a hurry to be treated so he wouldn’t be late for breakfast with his wife. The doctors could not attend to him for at least another hour, so the intern decided to take the stitches out herself. While they were talking, the elderly man explained that his wife suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and had not recognized him for the past five years. When asked why he still visited her every day, he replied, “She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.”
September 22, 2009
Set:
A while ago I went on a training run with my wife to get ready for my first 5k race in over a year. It felt great to get back out on the road, and the run was pretty uneventful.
Later that night, we headed to a friend's house, and when I looked down, panic set in. My wedding ring was missing from my hand. I checked my pockets; nothing. I quietly walked outside to retrace my steps, and still nothing. When was the last time I'd had it? How could I lose the one thing that symbolized this important commitment in my life?
During our training run the weather had been cool, my hands sweaty. Somewhere, during the four miles of sidewalks, intersections and city streets, my wedding ring had slipped off.
May 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: There are some guys that have used the same gear for years. They suit up in the same old outdated stuff, work hard, practice, and skate great. Then there are others who buy the newest and the best only to struggle when they hit the ice. Even though they have the best gear, they lack the skills and knowledge to be a great hockey player.
September 10, 2010
Set:
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February 08, 2010
Set:
These words from the book of Ecclesiastes ran through my mind during my senior year in high school. We had just won the state championship the year before, but it seemed nearly everyone had already forgotten. The things of the world failed to satisfy my cravings for what was truly real, lasting, and meaningful in life. I was invited to an FCA Huddle meeting where Coach Patterson, one of the school’s football coaches, was scheduled to speak. At a time when I refused the wise counsel of most adults, the idea of hearing a coach’s speech attracted me. The advice of a coach has tremendous influence and power because most athletes are conditioned at a young age to listen to and respect their coach.
December 12, 2010
Set:
Who are you? Don’t pull out your ID; that’s just a name. Don’t tell me you’re a coach; that’s your occupation. Don’t tell me you’re an American; that’s your nationality. As coaches, realizing our identity is one of the hardest things to do because a lot of our self-esteem is based on what we do for a living, what our win-loss record is, or how long we have been coaching or playing our sport.
Historically, many last names came into being based on a person’s occupation, like Black or Smith for a blacksmith. Other names were based on whose son you were, like Johnson or Thomson. Based on how others view you, do you think they would give you a name based on what you do for a living, or based on the fact that God is your Father?
June 08, 2009
Set:
Have you ever heard of Plug and Play (PnP)? It’s a computer capability that allows users to plug a device into a computer so that it recognizes that the device is there. The user doesn't have to tell the computer. You can just plug a device into your computer and start working or playing with no hassles. It’s so easy!
After 19 years on staff with FCA, I’ve been blessed to work with thousands of athletes and coaches. During this time, I have seen a PnP kind of mentality manifest itself in many competitors. “If I just take this supplement or that drug, I will be ready to elevate my game. No work; no change; no effort; no sweat. I’ll just plug this drug into my body, and I’ll become a better athlete.”
February 17, 2010
Set:
I’m not sure if this verse is true, I thought at first. After all, I had accomplished things in life long before I had trusted in Christ. Yet Jesus was clear: “You can do nothing without Me.” Those are hard words. In fact, there are many coaches who don’t believe in Christ, and they have been able to help players become better players and people. Many of them are coaches at prominent schools; they have great jobs, an abundance of material possessions, a terrific athletic program, and championship trophies. So what did Jesus mean when he said we can do nothing apart from him?
November 01, 2008
Set:
Every team needs leaders on and off the field who set examples at practice, in the classroom and with their friends. Leaders show the way to work in all areas of their lives. However, many players do not want that responsibility.
When I share with athletes and encourage them to be leaders, I usually get the same response: “Who, me?” They feel that nobody is watching them and that no one cares what they do on or off the field. I beg to differ. Athletes are under the microscope. People are watching. Peers are watching. And fellow athletes are watching.
October 03, 2010
Set:
Athletes hate slumps. They’ll try anything to get out of those times when they can’t hit the baseball or make a foul shot or catch a pass. Some players will change bats or shoes or their routine. They will do whatever it takes to get out of the slump. As Christians, a spiritual slump can make us feel like we’ve been forsaken by the Lord. Like athletes in a slump, we can struggle with doubts, fears, and frustrations. We can even feel like we’re losing the battle.
May 06, 2010
Set:
I was watching the highlights of the 1992 Summer Olympics when I could hardly believe my eyes. An amazing event had taken place during the 400-meter dash that afternoon. A runner from Great Britain by the name of Derek Redmon had suffered a leg injury during the race and had fallen on the track.
With no hope of placing, Derek refused to quit. He gathered himself to his feet and began to hobble to the finish line. Suddenly a man raced out of the stands and ran to Derek. This man placed his arm around the injured runner and arm-in-arm the two of them made it across the finish line. The man was Derek’s father. What a vivid example of living out the Christian life.
The verses above call us to “work out” our salvation.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Keeping the puck out of your net is necessary part of the game for a team to win. Guys have blocked shots with all kinds of body parts. Sliding and diving they do what they can to stop the puck from being shot into their goal. Each block is another benefit to the team.
January 06, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Goal judges were first used around 1877 in Montreal and stood right behind the goal (a brutal job for someone with no pads). Years later, they sat in elevated cages behind the glass and when they would see the puck cross the line, they’d turn on the bright red goal light to signal to everyone that a goal has been scored. The red light is a hockey icon now being a symbol of scoring a goal.
March 09, 2010
Set:
I was reading a statement by Tom Glavine recently. He said, "I went through the 'don't do this' syndrome at certain times in my career when facing certain batters. I told myself not to hang a curve ball. Sure enough, I did. Now I focus on 'Do this.' It's a significant difference."
How many times have we been done in by the "don't do" mindset? When we diet, we mess up by thinking so hard about what we can't eat that we crave and then give in to the foods we are trying to avoid. Hitters go up to bat thinking, "Don't strike out!" only to have their minds so laser-focused on what not to do, they forget to tell the mind what to do. In the end, what they were trying to prevent becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
May 05, 2009
Set:
Our lives are strengthened when we focus on that which gives us strength. As a pitching coach, three words often come out of my mouth: use your eyes. The theory is that our eyes tell our body where to release the ball. Thus, by focusing on a target, we are more likely to hit it. There is much to think about and many distractions as a pitcher, just as in our daily lives. However, like a pitcher, if we put our whole focus on our target, we no longer have any room to focus on distractions.
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