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As a child, I dealt with the embarrassment of having to wear glasses and braces. And to make matters worse, I had problems with my hearing which required me to wear a hearing aid and affected my speech. You can imagine the name-calling that ensued. I remember one day on the way home from school, I was so frustrated that I took off my hearing aid and threw it into a ditch. Needless to say, my parents weren’t too happy about that.
Not long ago, I stopped in a nearby town for coffee. When I went to wash my hands, I noticed the shiny new hand dryer on the restroom wall with the words “Feel the Power” printed on it. I pushed the button and got a blast of hot air! It was like one of those huge dryers from the car wash had been compacted into a tiny hand dryer. Now, whenever someone mentions that town, I think of that hand dryer, a silly reminder of my experience there!
Sometimes I wonder how I’ll be remembered as a coach. When someone mentions my coaching career, will they note the wins and losses, the calls I made or failed to make? Or will they remember how I served and acted as a coach?
If you are a subscriber to ESPN the Magazine, you are undoubtedly familiar with their annual “body issue” in which professional athletes from various sports pose unclothed to highlight specific parts of their bodies. After seeing their latest body issue, I was taken aback and was admittedly a little appalled that these athletes—some of whom are the best in their sports—were sending what I thought was a very self-focused message.
The bar in sports continues to be set higher and higher. Athletes, whether on the professional, college, or high school level, are constantly looking for new ways to get an advantage, especially physically. And just like with ESPN the Magazine, the media has become an influential part of this and can often be used in a negative manner.
They call him a king, yet he is only 19. They say he is the lord of his court, yet he failed to conquer all his foes. They say he will rule over all one day, but I seriously doubt it. Who is this king? King James — LeBron James, that is. Many have labeled him the next Jordan, the next Magic, the next hero of the league. But even though he is very good, LeBron James is NO king. He is one man, not THE man!
When I set out to be the first person with Multiple Sclerosis to compete in National Physique Committee bodybuilding contests, I knew that I was going into battle. In my case the “enemy” was the disease I was diagnosed with in 2006 at the age of 47. My competitions would start when I was 50 years old, which is usually a time in life to begin relaxing and looking back on your accomplishments. For me, my 50th birthday was the beginning of my road to victory.
I love baseball! It is an individual sport that relies on a team for a successful outcome. It also is the only American sport in which, during a stoppage in play, a manager or coach can approach an umpire to dispute a rule or argue a call. Unfortunately, we’ve all seen a manager throwing a tantrum, kicking dirt on the plate or verbally abusing an umpire. And we’ve also seen the umpire retaliating in anger and, sometimes, losing control. It’s hard to have someone yell at us or challenge our character in any setting, but especially in front of peers and spectators in a stadium.
Mike is one of my best friends. What you need to know about Mike is that he is a natural-born athlete. I, on the other hand, am a natural-born glutton for punishment. When Mike and I were in college and graduate school, we spent a lot of time working at our neighborhood pool during the summers. When there was a break in the action, we'd play some basketball on one of the hoops that was set up adjacent to the pool's tennis courts. I never beat him head-to-head. Let's just say that he was the Kevin McHale of our neighborhood, while I played basketball like the swimmer I was. Sometimes, though, one of Mike's best friends from college, Jeff, would stop by for a visit.
When NASCAR drivers head to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, they know that they will need an extra dose of patience. Going into the 2004 Food City 500, Kurt Busch, looking to win his third consecutive race at Bristol, said, "There's no real reason to get in a hurry at all." Easy to say until you find yourself going 140 mph on the short half-mile track with forty-two other cars. Busch seems to know a little about winning there, holding off Rusty Wallace for his third win in a row and fourth of the last five races at Bristol.
One of the most exciting times for an athlete is when their team gets new gear to wear — a new uniform, team sweats, team shoes or pre-game warm-up outfit. In new gear, the step seems quicker, the jumps a little higher. For some reason, it makes you feel better as an athlete. I remember those days as a player, and even when I ordered new things as a coach it was always fun. Outerwear, however, does not make the player different. It is what is on the inside that counts.
Tampa Bay Rays All-Star Ben Zobrist wasn't drafted by Major League Baseball out of high school. In fact, he wasn't even offered a baseball scholarship to play in college. Yet, after attending a skills showcase the summer after his senior year, one college coach saw potential in Zobrist and offered him a position on the team.
Now one of the brightest young infielders in the game, Zobrist has experienced a divine path to success--both on the field and off. Just before the start of the 2010 season, Zobrist sat down with FCA's Sharing the Victory magazine to talk about that career, his family and, most importantly, his faith in Jesus Christ.
Michael Phelps, exposed in a British tabloid by a photo showing him smoking marijuana, came clean and admitted that the picture was authentic. He said, "I engaged in behavior that was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I'm 23 years old and, despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me."
Officials in the USOC expressed their disappointment because he is a role model for millions of young athletes. But others thought it would not affect his sponsorships or other marketing relationships because it was “only marijuana.” They would simply have him "lay low" for a while to let people forget about it.
Following God even when you are in doubt is difficult. Oftentimes we get caught up in the uncertainty of our future forgetting who is ultimately in charge. After Moses died Joshua was immediately made Commander in Chief of all the Israelites. A responsibility that required leading God's chosen people to the Promised Land.
When Joshua takes his new position God immediately instructs him three times to "Be strong and courageous," as he leads God's people into battle. Joshua must blindly follow God despite the uncertainty of his future. Not only must Joshua remain unwavering in his faith as the Israelites fight their adversaries, but also he must stay diligent in conquering the temptations that come along the way--after-all he is looked upon as their leader.
Six years to the day after his father won his first Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won NASCAR's most prestigious race for the first time. It was also the same race which claimed the life of his father on a last-lap crash three short years ago. "In a way, it feels like I'm closer to my dad," Junior said. "At the same time, this is a reminder of losing him all over again."
I don’t know if you caught any of the highlights on SportsCenter this morning, but if you did, you probably saw Johnny Damon’s walk-off home run last night that gave the Tampa Bay Rays an 8-7 win over the Seattle Mariners. It was a nice shot to right field on the first pitch he was given in the ninth inning. And, as is typical in any walk-off situation, Damon’s teammates gathered around home plate to meet him as he rounded the bases and celebrate the victory with a tiny sports version of a mosh pit.
March Madness has arrived. State and College basketball tournaments have begun and many are finished. In our state (Illinois), the girls' AA tournament just ended. Once again, Naperville Central won the state crown, led by Coach Andy Nussbaum and athlete Candace Parker. Candace tore her ACL last summer and missed many games before Christmas, but since her return, they have gone undefeated all the way to back-to-back state championships. She was the difference-maker for her team. She will be heading to Tennessee to play for Coach Pat Summit next year.
Three years after signing a record-setting $252 million, 10-year contract with the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez was traded to, of all teams, the New York Yankees. Exactly. A team with an already-outrageous payroll of $170.3 million per year is ready to bump $190 million to acquire Rodriguez, arguably the best player in the game. The Yankees will have not one, not two, not three, but FOUR players with 100+ million dollar contracts.
The story of Texas Rangers' outfielder Josh Hamilton has been well-chronicled. Major League Baseball’s first overall draft pick in 1999, his career and future was derailed by drug and alcohol addiction beginning in 2003. In his own words, he hit rock-bottom on Oct. 5, 2005 when he stood on his grandmother’s porch, having nowhere else to turn after going on a drug binge. She took him in and under her care Hamilton’s heart was opened to God’s love and how much he needed Him to heal the brokenness in his life.
When I read the story of Moses, most of the time I think to myself, “Why are these Israelites so whiny and doubting toward God? I mean, come on! He brings plagues; He parts the Red Sea; He feeds them for 40 years…What is their problem?" Almost every time I read a new verse, I see God doing something miraculous for them that causes them to believe again for about a millisecond before they turn away again.
It appears that the sports world has been overtaken with the “somebody-owes-me-something-because-I-am-somebody” attitude. The big 10-dollar word for that attitude is “entitlement.” It is the belief that we deserve some reward or benefit because of who we are. Somehow we think everyone owes us, and that we owe nothing in return. If you watch SportsCenter, it sometimes sounds more like CrimeCenter. So many athletes think they can do anything they want—that they are above the law.
Oh, to be Lawrence Frank. Yes, old Larry Boy. Oh, you don't know who he is? He is the current coach of the New Jersey Nets. Why do I say current? Well, in the coaching profession, there are two kinds of coaches: those who have been fired, and others who will be. However, for now, Coach Frank is enjoying the limelight of a winning team. What has made the difference for this team? I am not sure, but I am sure the players are buying into what he is teaching team on a day-to-day basis. Keep up the great work, Coach Frank!
We have all coached them – the players who push us to the limit. Those players who drive you crazy (bless their hearts) as a coach because they either don't listen or don't do what you have asked them to do countless times. Just when you think you are about to pull out your last hair, a ray of light beams down, and something changes. Slowly, but surely, they start to change and conform to your coaching. Next thing you know, they get it. They actually get it. Sound familiar? Well, I know someone who has coached more people than any of us, and who deals with that exact situation on a daily basis.
I love to run. It allows me an extra opportunity to connect with my Creator. It’s more than just seeing His beauty in nature, so much more! The longer I run, the more I hear His voice. Is it the physical exertion? Can it be the steady cadence? I think it’s more about just being quiet.
I hit the road taking my usual route. I crave the familiar. I run it many times each week and know it well. Halfway through, I prepare for my least favorite part: a sizable hill with a nasty bend. I’m tired and, yet, I’m far from done. In order to tackle this ascent, I need the Lord to carry me.
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