Nothing Is Beneath You: Soccer Lessons

"Nothing is beneath you."

   When you are a coach of high school players you could have players that have been playing soccer for 12 years or players who haven't played at all. That can happen at any level, but I have found that it is more common in school ball. Because of this, the coach needs to cater to the needs of players with many different skill levels. I tried to do drills that are beneficial to any skill level. However, I have had players who think that certain drills are beneath them.

   These are the players who have been playing a while. They think they are ready for something harder. Most of the time I watch those players do the drill I assigned and I still see that they need to work on it, but they may not see it. Anyhow, to these players I tell them that nothing is beneath them. Professional soccer players still do Brazilians to get better at controlling the ball. They still do simple passing under pressure so they are used to it in games. If you are not willing to do the basics then you will lose your ability to do the basics. If you think you are better than you really are you will end up hurting your ability to play the game well.

   In life, if you think you are better than you really are you could lose friends, lose your job, and you are also disobeying God. Mark 9:35 says: "And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” If you think you are the best that means you are prideful. Pride is a sin. Now, I'm not saying you should think you are the scum of the earth. But, there is a balance to this. In Mark, Jesus tells us that we are not to think of ourselves first. We are not to think that we are first and the best. We are to be a servant to others. If anyone on the earth ever had a reason to think he was the best it was Jesus. But, Jesus didn't think that way. He gave up his life, he became a sacrifice, so that we could live. What right do we have to think that anything is beneath us?

   So, do you have a problem with thinking that something is beneath you? Are you willing to serve others like Jesus did? What can you do to serve someone today?

   Image from here.

If You Are Afraid: Soccer Lessons

"If you're afraid you're more likely to get hurt."

   I once had a player who I coached who was afraid every time she went into a tackle. She didn't want to get hurt. That makes sense since soccer is a tough sport. It is full contact. And, depending on the referees, it could be total contact where you are basically tackling each other. Needless to say the amount of injuries has gone up in the past few years.

   Now, as a coach it is my job to make sure the girls are as prepared as they can be for a game. That lessens the chances of them getting injured. However, some girls still have residual fear. Some of them don't feel prepared enough. Others had a previous injury and are afraid of injuring themselves again. Whatever the reason, I have found that if a player is afraid of getting injured then she is more likely to get injured. If a player doesn't go hard into a tackle but the opposing player does go hard into a tackle then the player who didn't go hard will probably get hurt. That's just how the sport seems to work.

   It is the same way in life. Philippians 4:6-7 says: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." If we are anxious or afraid of life we are expecting to get hurt. That also means we are not trusting God. God doesn't want us to fear. He wants us to have peace. He wants to have a relationship with us that is so good that when we are afraid we go to him. If we go to him, his word says that we will have peace in him.

   So, do you have anxiety problems? What can you do to better trust God today? I challenge you this week that whenever you feel anxious to talk to God and let him give you peace.

   Image from here.

Be Proactive: Soccer Lessons

"Be proactive not reactive. Anticipate the play."

   Soccer is a game of patterns. If the ball is at a certain point on the field you can usually guess where it will go next. Yes, the ultimate goal is to get the ball towards the opposing team's goal; but, there are many different ways to get it there and events that happen that changes how the ball gets there.

   If you've been playing soccer enough you can usually guess what the player with the ball is going to do next. If you try to stop that player from doing what she wants to do before she does it, that's being proactive. If you let the player pass the ball to another player then try to stop the ball, that's being reactive. Because soccer is a game of patterns, it is possible to anticipate the play. You can move your body to try to stop the play from happening. Or, you can make more work for yourself and wait to try to stop the play until the other team has already completed their plan.

   In life, it is important for us to be proactive and anticipate things as well. When you wake up in the morning you normally know what you are going to do during the day. You have a plan but that plan doesn't always happen. Sometimes unexpected things happen. You could be late to work because of an accident, a family member could get injured, your boss could yell at you, and you get the idea. How can you be proactive and anticipate those things? You can't, but you can be proactive in knowing how you will react to those things.

   2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." God tells us how to deal with certain things in his word. No, it doesn't say "when your boss yells at you, this is how you should react." But, God's word does say to love others. We may be upset at our boss but we shouldn't yell back. We shouldn't be reactive to the situation. We should spend time with God each day. We should be proactive. We should know God's word enough to apply it to our everyday lives.

   So, are you proactive or reactive in your daily life? Do you spend time with God each day so that you can as proactive in your daily life?

   Image from here.

When Something Happens: Soccer Lessons

"When something happens you have a choice: you can let it fuel you or let it rule you."

   The soccer season for school is very long. It is at least 2 months, if not more because of post and pre-season. During that time people can get on one another's nerves. As well as, problems are bound to come up whether they are soccer related or not. During these times I came up with a saying for not only my players but myself as well. When something happens to you, you have a choice: you can let it fuel you or rule you.

   If we lose a game really badly:  we can wallow in self-pity, blame, the refs, blame the other team, and many other things; or we can choose to think "I'm not going to let this define me. I'm going to work harder and do better next time."

   If you have a problem in life it is the same thing. If you messed up on a big project at work and your boss yelled at you, you have a choice. You can choose to yell back at your boss, quit, vent to a co-worker, sulk, or many other things. Or, you can work harder to improve and do better next time. The choice is up to you.

   So, when something happens will you let it fuel you or let it rule you? Will you choose to improve when you make a mistake? How can you reflect God's glory today?

   Ephesians 4:22-24
   Image from here.7

Confidence 2022 into 2023

   Some of you know each year I challenge myself to focus on one area of my spiritual walk. This past year I picked an area that had me nervous to choose: confidence. 
   There's a reason why I was nervous to choose confidence. As a goalkeeper I was taught to have confidence in goal. If I panicked, everyone on the field would too. My coach used to tell me "fake it till you make it." But that's the opposite of what I was taught. I was taught to be authentic with others. This was a conundrum for me. But, over time, I realized something.
   I should not be confident in myself. I should be confident in God and who he made me to be. This sounds easy enough but it is hard because it means giving up control. It means not being insecure, anxious, and untrusting of God. Having God confidence encompasses many things. 
   I was also nervous because usually when I pick my spiritual challenge God delivers. What I mean by that is God helps me work on that area. This past year I got COVID, went to the ER, had a medical journey, had 3 family members have health problems and go to the ER, had many changes at work, and had anxiety because of a lot of this. I had to learn not to lean on myself. I had to learn to step up when God asks me to. I had to do uncomfortable things for me because I was being confident in God.
   It was quite a journey. I learned to listen to verses like Proverbs 14:26 "In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge." I had to take refuge in God during trials, hurts, sleepless nights, etc. Yes, I talked with others about those problems which helped. But the thing I learned the most is God can use you when you trust in him and have God confidence.
   So do you have confidence in God? What do you feel you need to improve in in your spiritual walk? 
   Lyric video: Confidence by Sanctus Real

Be Confident: Soccer Lessons

"Be confident, not cocky."

   When I played soccer in college there were 3 types of goalies: goalies who really didn't know what they were doing/were new, goalies who knew what they were doing and were cocky about it, and goalies who knew what they were doing but were not cocky they were confident. I remember one keeper in particular was particularly cocky. She would keep the ball at her feet a long time until one of our players ran up to her and almost hit her. She would yell in a mean tone at her teammates. She would run out at players to scare them. She did more, but you get my point.

   One day we were playing a game against them. It was our Homecoming day and we had to defend our field. My team came out swinging. We scored 7 goals that game against this keeper. She wasn't cocky that day. She was angry. She was angry at her team. She came into that game thinking her team was going to win and she would get another shut out. Instead she hurt her team more.

   That's the problem with being cocky: you think that you are the greatest thing since sliced bread and you can't own up to your own mistakes. Confidence is different. Confidence is different because of where, or who, it comes from. If you are confident it is most likely because you are doing something you've done for a long time. You have had practice because you know what you are doing. But, did you know that you can have confidence in everything that you do?

   2 Timothy 1:7 says: "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." We have power in the Lord. He walks with us each day. He guides our steps and wants us to follow him. If we follow his ways we can have confidence that he is with us. Now, that doesn't mean that we should be cocky because of this.

   James 4:10 says: "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." If we exalt ourselves, then God will not exalt us. Cocky is the opposite of humble. There's a very fine balance between being confident in the Lord, yet humble, and being prideful. If we go around praising ourselves all the time, that's not humility. If we expect things and people to do things for us that's not humility, that's entitlement. You don't deserve anything you have. The only thing you deserve is death. BUT (this is where hope comes), because God sent his son to die for our sins we can have confidence. We have been redeemed and that's why we can be confident. That's why we should have confidence in the talents God gave us. That's why we should use our talents to reflect God's glory. He deserves all the honor.

   So, are you confident or cocky? Do you have confidence in God or in your own abilities? How can you reflect God's glory by showing humility today?

   Image from here.

A Christmas Challenge

   Children. What a blessing they are. Many of you know I am a teacher. I believe that statement that they are a blessing. But I also believe they can be a handful. Much if that is due to the fact that they have much to learn.

   Years ago I came up with an idea to help students remember/learn how to show the true meaning of Christmas. Why did I feel that it was important for students to learn this? Well, every year we do an Advent calendar to practice counting. And every year it becomes a tool for my students to use to count down when they get presents.

   Thus, instead of just counting down I came up with a challenge for each day of the count down to help students remember to show love, show care, and give to others rather than just ask for what they want.

  See, I've found something interesting. When we are young, we focus on the getting, unless we are shown otherwise. As we get older, that changes. I remember the first year I gave presents to my family. That year, I was excited about what I was going to get. But I was more excited about what I was going to give.

   Each year I love finding the perfect gift for someone. You know, that one that you know you'll see a smile on their face as they realize what you've gotten them.

   Well, God has given us all the perfect gift: salvation and eternity with him through his Son. That's the reason we celebrate Christmas. It's not for a countdown. It's not for the food. It's not the music. It's not the decorations. It's not even about family and friends. It's about getting the greatest gift. And remembering that, because of that gift, we are to use the gifts he has given us to show others his love.

   So, what's Christmas about to you? How can you spread the gift God has given you?

   John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 12:4-6