Cheer On Your Teammates

In some games and on some teams, you are the star. In some games and on some teams, you aren't. The best teams have great teammates. Great teammates support their teammates no matter who gets the shine. Great teammates know that they always shine when they have the right attitude, when they do the right thing, and when they are great people. Great teammates encourage, motivate, and inspire their teammates.

Great teammates also know that it is better to compete WITH their competition instead of against their competition.

Coach K, the legendary basketball coach at Duke, tells every player that comes into his program, "Each of you run your very own race, and collectively we run a team race."

One year, Coach K signed the high school player of the year, Shane Battier, and the number 18 player in the country, Elton Brand. Elton was more ready to play than Shane, and by the end of his sophomore year, Elton was the national player of the year and the #1 pick in the NBA draft. He had taken the spotlight away from Shane. If Shane was running Elton's race, he would have been disappointed. questioned himself, and might have stopped working hard.

Two years later, Shane was named the national player of the year, and he was drafted #6 in the NBA draft.

Have fun, focus on getting better, and run your own race.

The good thing about social media is that you can measure yourself against the best players at your age in the country. This can help you push yourself. The tough thing about social media is that you can fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others in a negative way.

Some athletes start fast and finish slow, while some start fast and finish fast. Some athletes start slow and finish fast, while some start slow and finish slow.

The word compete comes from the word competere, which means to strive together.

Do you run faster running by yourself or by racing with someone else?

We need other people to push us to a level that we cannot get to on our own.

In some games and on some teams, you are the star. In some games and on some teams, you aren't. If you can find ways to cheer on and celebrate your teammates, even when and especially when their success outshines yours, you will be the ultimate teammate, the ultimate friend, and an even better person.

Week 39 - Targets

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30).

I sometimes feel stress and anxiety from sports. It can be a lot of pressure having to compete every day, and that pressure can increase with success. Vanderbilt baseball coach Tim Corbin said that years ago, his team started to have success but they would fall short in the playoffs, and that would bring him to a low point. He said that a conversation with his wife changed the way he coaches.

Coach Corbin's wife said, "If you are going to live and die with your success based on the last game, you are going to die a miserable person. You are going to have to find other ways to value what you're doing as a coach." He needed to change the target by removing the scoreboard and winning.

I need to change my TARGET. But what needs to be the TARGET?

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus had returned from the grave and was spending His final days with His disciples when He said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

One of Jesus's last messages to His disciples was to be a disciple and to make a disciple. That is the TARGET.

A disciple is a personal follower of Jesus. We are supposed to learn from Him to live like Him. What does that mean? What does that look like?

In John 15, Jesus says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

He goes on to say, "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself: it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

Jesus then says, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Jesus is telling us to be disciples, and if we are truly His disciples and remain in Him, we will bear much fruit. But, what is the fruit?

In Galatians 5:22-23, it is written, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

Our TARGET is to produce those things. We are called to be disciples, and we are called to be a light that displays this fruit to the world. The world gets to see the fruit of Jesus in us and through us.

In John 13:34-35, Jesus tells His disciples, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another."

That is God's plan for us. That is my new TARGET. The TARGET is to show people the fruit of the Spirit and so that people can taste the fruit. I want people around me to taste and see that the Lord is good. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus says, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

There is nothing like being around someone who is positive, who is bearing good fruit, and when you come around them, you receive positive energy and nourishment.

THIS WEEK

1 - Let your TARGET be trying to be the best disciple that you can be by bearing good fruit. When people see you and when people are around you, they should see and taste the goodness of God.

2 - Abide in Jesus. Do that by praying every morning when you get up, every day at lunch, and every night. Everyone who abides in Jesus will bear much fruit.

3 - Let your light shine. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Pray: Our Father, I want to bear good fruit. I want people to see and be able to taste your goodness when they are around me. Help me bring people to you by letting my light shine through the fruits that I produce.

For a Google doc version of this, click here: Week 39 - Targets

Positive Energy

In his book Uncommon Leadership, Ben Newman wrote, "Positive energy is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. The stronger it gets, the more powerful you become. Repetition is the key, and the more you focus on positive energy, the more it becomes your natural state."

Leadership can be a tricky thing. He writes that Jon Gordon's definition of leadership is that leadership is a transferred belief that combines passion and energy to transform the people around you. The tricky part about leadership is that you can be in a leadership position, but you must always remember that people choose to let you lead them, and they are always free to walk away.

The higher we move up in our leadership roles, and the more people we lead, the more you must serve the people below you. You have to give them a reason to want to follow you. You must help them get better, enjoy what they do, and see how following you can help them learn and grow into the person and life that they want to be and live.

We all have the special ability to impact people, even in small, one-time interactions, in a positive and lasting way. Keep strengthening your positivity muscle, keep learning and growing as a leader, and keep serving others.

A Prizefighter Mentality

A Prizefighter is a fighter who trains extensively to compete for a prize - like a large amount of money.

When I think of Prizefighters, I think of Floyd Mayweather. Floyd has his share of critics, just like anybody who does anything great, but his work ethic and dedication to being the best he can be for his fights should be studied and admired. His mantra is "Hard Work, Dedication!" He is committed to outworking his opponents. While many fighters train about 20-30 hours per week, Mayweather tries to double and triple that. He trains after speaking events, press tours, and even goes for runs in the middle of the night.

For the last 20 years of his career, he trained all of those hours for only 1 or 2 Prizefights a year. He stayed ready so he never had to get ready. He knew that the way you do one thing is the way you do everything.

That is a mantra used by legendary Alabam coach Nick Saban.

If you want to be successful, if you want to be a leader, hold yourself accountable for doing things one way - the right way. The results you get are a direct result of the process, your work ethic, and the way you do everything. If you slack off during your training, it will show. If you aren't working as smart and as hard as your opponent, it will show.

WE DO THINGS RIGHT UNTIL WE CAN'T DO THEM WRONG

Nick Saban also says, "There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment."

Having a Prizefighter Mentality means working as hard and as smart as you can so that when you step in the ring, you are ready to win the prize.

Use the Prizefighter mentality as a framework for creating daily behaviors that lead to victory.

The Art of Coaching

How do you build confidence in players? Be demanding and teach them how to do things that they didn't know they could do.

Assistant Men's basketball coach at SMU, Mike Hatch, was asked, "How do you build confidence in players?" He said that you have to do two things: you have to be demanding, and you have to get them to do things that they didn't know they could do.

Once you get your athletes to do something that they didn't know they could do, then they will trust you and they will do anything you want. At this point, you can really push them and get them to go at a higher level.

That is the art of coaching. The art of coaching is getting your athletes out of their comfort zone and doing things that they didn't know they could do. At that point, their confidence will start to skyrocket and they will run through walls for you.

Successful people aren't always the most talented. If you can teach an athlete how to do things the right way, to try to do the things you are asking them to do, and how to get out of their comfort zone and learn and grow, they will be great, successful people. Our job as coaches is to teach kids something that will carry over into their lives and make them better people. 

Life will get hard. You will lose. You will face failures. You will run over potholes and face adversity. If we can be demanding of our athletes, hold them accountable in a productive way, and help them get out of their comfort zone by doing things that they didn't know they could do, we are setting them up for success in life when life gets tough.

To Our Athletes
People in life are going to expect you to be on time and to do things exactly right. If you can be on time and do things right, it doesn't matter how talented you are - you are going to be successful at something. Get out of your comfort zone and learn how to do new things, and your confidence will grow, you will be a better athlete, better student, and a better person.

You have a choice. You have a choice on whether you are going to trust your coach, or not. You have a choice on whether to accept the vision or belief that your coach sees in you. You have a choice to be coachable and to show up every day, on time, ready to work, ready to learn, and ready to grow.

Culture Drives Performance

Mike Hatch, an assistant coach at SMU, says that culture drives performance. It is the number one thing in your program. It is bigger than Xs and Os. It is how you will be defined, and it is how your team is going to be looked at by every other coach, fan, and spectator.

Culture is who you are, it is what you do, it is how you do it, and it is why you do it. Culture is what you believe in and how you behave. Culture is your thoughts, your actions, and your words.

Culture is something that you have to stick to and stick with - even though and especially because there are a lot of reasons not to. We often go into the seasons with great plans and great ideas, but we all know that each season will test us and our ability to stick with the culture that we planned on having.

You can't let up on your culture. You have to hold everybody accountable to the same standard - from the best player to the manager. If you are going to have a successful team, you have to hold everybody to the same standard.

If you hold everybody to the same standard, you will have trust and respect, and your team won't want to let each other down.

In today's society, there are excuses for everything, but at the end of the day - you have to ask, "Did you get it done, or did you not?"

Teach them the standard, hold them to the standard, and it will drive performance. The second you let your culture down and you lose the respect of your players because you allow someone to get away with something, it is hard to get it back.

When you see teams with a great culture, you don't see bad body language, you don't hear excuses, you don't hear people talking back, and you don't see complaining.

When you see teams with a great culture, you see respect, you see great body language, and you hear encouragement.

When you have a great culture, the right people don't want to leave. The right people want to get on the bus and stay on the bus. When you have a great culture, the right people want to stay around.

Be who you are. Encourage, motivate, and inspire people in a way that is real and authentic. When you are real, the right people will get on the bus and stay on the bus. Be honest, be transparent, and have empathy. Don't make empty promises because the truth will be revealed.

Here is an article that can help you begin the process of creating/establishing a great culture: https://acoachsdiary.blogspot.com/search/label/Circles

Listen to the full podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-17-mike-hatch/id1570134455?i=1000536005124

Week 38 | STEP UP

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Colossians 3:23).

The last couple of years have been hard. We have been dealing with pandemics, we have been dealing with politics, and we have been dealing with social justice. There are so many things that can keep us distracted, and there are so many things that can keep us from being the best we can be. There are distractions everywhere, and there are so many opportunities for us to use excuses for why we aren't focused enough, gritty enough, tough enough, and resilient enough to do what we know we need to do.

But the storms are our opportunity to show the power, strength, love and grace of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The storms are our opportunity to STEP UP. Everybody is great when the shots are falling, the bats are hitting, and the ball is hitting the back of the net. The special ones know how to STEP UP and survive and thrive when things are hard. The special ones are consistent. The special ones have a routine and stick to it no matter what is going on. The great ones bring it every day.

The special ones WIN every, single, day by STEPPING UP.

The special ones attack Monday and win it to get to Tuesday. The special ones attack Tuesday and win it to get to Wednesday. The special ones don't skip Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to get to the weekend. The special ones win EVERY DAY.

It is harder to stay focused and to win every day now than it has ever been. It is harder to live the life we are called to live today than it has ever been. Distractions are everywhere, but every distraction brings an opportunity for us to STEP UP.

When the distractions come, remember that the thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus came so that we may have life and live it up to the full. God has plans for us to prosper. God has plans for us to succeed and flourish (Jeremiah 29:11).

Adopt a mindset that you are going to only do things one way - the right way - all the time. It is called having an "All The Time Mindset." Commit to giving 100% in everything you do. Commit to STEPPING UP and becoming the person you were called to be. Whatever you do, do it with all your heart as if you are working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).

This Week

1 - What is one way that you can STEP UP as an athlete, teammate, coach, or leader?

2 - STEPPING UP also means STEPPING UP as a servant leader. Who is one person that you can commit to being there for this week? What are you going to do to be the type of person that makes others better?

Pray - "Our father, I pray that you give me the strength, wisdom, and guidance that I need to STEP UP for myself and others this week. Show me my use for your purpose, and guide me towards that purpose. Amen."

Extra Reading:

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:7-9)."

For a Google doc version of this, click here: Week 38 devo - STEP UP

Stay the Course, Keep Showing Up, Sow Seeds

You ever feel like you are terrible at something? Do you ever feel like you can't catch a break and you will never catch a break? I felt like that this morning, and I am still feeling some of that, but I recently heard a Jon Gordon podcast featuring Scott Harrison, the CEO of charity: water, and it gives me some hope.

About 15 years ago, Scott turned his full attention to the global water cross and the (then) 1.1 billion people living without access to clean water. Fourteen years later, his charity has raised over $557 million and funded over 78,000 water projects in 29 countries, and it has provided over 13 million people with clean, safe drinking water.

Scott told three stories in his podcast about grit and perseverance that are giving me hope to keep going, and I hope it gives you hope as well.

STAY THE COURSE
Scott said that he saw a Tweet of the stock chart of Amazon's price over 27 years. It looks like a flat line for 20 years, and then it turned into a hockey stick. The Tweet said, "Had Jeff Bezos quit in year 20, he would have left 93% of the value of Amazon unrealized." 7% of the value of Amazon was created in 2 decades; 93% of it was created in the last 7 years. 

You never know if your story will be like a hockey stick of growth, but it won't if you don't stay resilient, show grit, and continue to stay the course.

KEEP SHOWING UP
Scott said that there is a donor in the south that he has never met who recently made a $10 million donation to the charity. The donor was aware of the organization for years, and he had seen Scott speak at a conference, and was fortunate to sell his business in the pandemic. Scott knew exactly what they needed to do with the $10 million gifts because they were ready for it. Scott said that he would not have been able to take on the $10 million gift with confidence 5 years ago, in year 10 of the organization. He said that you have to keep showing up and keep sowing the right seeds. 

Jon Gordon said, "Consistency is underestimated. If you keep showing up and keep doing the work, over time - BOOM - it just takes off. You can't measure it, and you don't know when it is going to happen exactly. You can't dictate or decide when that moment is going to be, but it happens when you keep showing up."

SOW THE RIGHT SEEDS
Scott said that he once gave 4, back-to-back, 1-hour talks at a church in Florida in a community that was far from wealthy. At the end of a long, exhausting day, he didn't get any money or donations, and he had to go to work the next day. He remembered it being a bummer of a weekend and experience. 5 years later, a check for $100,000 showed up in his office. Someone in one of those four services rewrote their will, sadly passed away from cancer 5 years later, and $100,000 arrived for 10 water projects.

The kids of the deceased have since donated millions of dollars to the charity. That one seed that was planted, moved someone's heart, leading to a big donation, and it is paying itself forward. Scott planted those seeds, he thought it was a failure, and yet God had a harvest for him later on.

Stay the course, keep showing up, and keep sowing the right seeds.

The 3 E's

I once asked an athlete, "Why do you play so hard for this coach, but not for other coaches?"

Her response was, "I don't know; he just makes me feel like I can do anything."

In his book Uncommon Leadership, Ben Newman writes:

One of the foundation keys to effective leadership is motivating your people. If you can't inspire others, the only other way is to lead by force.

Is leading by motivating and inspiring more effective than leading by force, and how do we do this?

Today, I had the pleasure of listening to Mike Moses, a former commissioner of the Texas Education Agency and former superintendent of Dallas ISD speak to a group of educators about leadership and the type of leaders he hires.

He says that we are in the 'people improvement business,' and when hiring leaders, he looks for the 3 E's:

1 - Energy
2 - Enthusiasm
3 - Excitement

When we have energy, enthusiasm, and excitement, and when we help our students and athletes find a direct connection between what we are teaching and their success, we can motivate and inspire them to run through walls for us.

Today, tomorrow, and forever, live and lead with the 3's and find ways to motivate and inspire the people you work with, serve, and lead.

WEEK 37 | RENEW

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
(Romans 12:2).

I love the opening weekend of the NFL season. College football has started, Major League Baseball is gearing up for the playoffs, and the NBA and NHL seasons are right around the corner. One of the things that I love about the start of the new seasons is that everybody gets a fresh start.

Seasons are long and draining. Some seasons are fun, fulfilling, and full of success. Some seasons are hard, tough, and full of disappointment. We all need a good off-season so that we can be RENEWED and feel refreshed.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will RENEW their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:30-31).

No matter what you did last season, the first practice, the first scrimmage, and the first game of the new season is an opportunity to start over.

What are you going to do with that opportunity?

While Paul the Apostle was in jail in Rome, he wrote a letter to the Ephesians that said, "Let the Spirit RENEW your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God - truly righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:23-24)."

I am going into a new week with some tough challenges ahead, so this verse definitely hits home to me. RENEW means to make like new or to restore to freshness or perfection. I try to use every Sunday and every morning to RENEW my mind, spirit, thoughts and attitude. Every day is a new day and a new opportunity to live the life that God intends for us to live by being the people that God wants us to be.

Paul wrote earlier in Ephesians, "Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life (Ephesians 22)." 

He wrote later in Ephesians, "Stop telling lies. Don't let anger control you. Use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Let everything you say be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:25-32)."

Every new day, new week, new month, new practice, and new season is your opportunity to be RENEWED. It is your opportunity to put on your new nature - the nature of God. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the RENEWING of your mind. Then you will be able to know God's will for you - which is good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:2).

This Week

1 - Start every morning with a prayer. Pray, "God, I am here for you and for your purpose. Please RENEW my mind, body, and Spirit so that I will know and live out your purpose and will for my life."

2 - Make a goal to encourage at least one person everyday. Write down at night the one encouraging thing that you did.

3 - Do good, hard work. Be generous to those in need. Be an encourager. Be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving.

4 - Make a goal every night to not go to sleep angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil (Ephesians 4:27).

For a Google doc version, click here: Week 37 | Renew

Being Mentally Tough

Will Compton is a football player who went to the University of Nebraska and who originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Washington Football Team. In his book, Uncommon Leadership, Ben Newman talks about how Will used his underdog mentality to fulfill his dream of becoming an NFL player.

Will was Mentally Tough - you have to be Mentally Tough if you want to achieve something great. Mental Toughness is critical if you want to be successful. 

Mental Toughness is when you set a STANDARD for how you want to work and live and never settling for less than that standard - no matter how you feel. Mentally tough people live by STANDARDS and not feelings.

Setbacks are a major part of every person's journey, and they were a part of Will's journey. When most people get passed over for something - like going undrafted - they quit. But Will didn't quit. He was able to lean on his Mental Toughness in those hard times. I am sure that there were moments when he felt sorry for himself, but Mental Toughness puts STANDARDS and habits above feelings. To be the best of the best, you can't let your feelings dictate how you show up and perform. Embrace challenges and look at them as opportunities to learn, grow, and prove yourself.

Set a Goal
Will Compton had goals to play big-time college football and to play in the NFL. What goals do you have for yourself? I set 3-5 goals for myself every morning and I write them in my journal or in my phone. I also have long-term goals that I have for myself. You have to know where you are going, and you have to have a reason - or purpose - for why you want to get there. When the going gets tough, your purpose is what will keep you motivated, encouraged, and inspired to keep going.

Set a Standard
A standard is how you do what you say you are going to do. A standard for me is to do everything on my goal sheet, every day, to the best of my ability. I won't leave my office until I have crossed everything off the list. I won't leave the gym until I make all of the shots that I said I was going to make. I won't leave the gym until I have made my last shot. What are some standards that you can set for yourself?

Stay Mentally Tough
Remember that setbacks are a part of everyone's journey, and they will be a part of your journey too. If you don't face setbacks, you might not be challenging yourself enough. If you never lose, you probably need to go to a more competitive gym. If you never mess up in a drill, you probably need to go harder or try harder skills. Growth comes from setbacks more than it comes from achievement, but you have to learn how to stay Mentally Tough and connected to your standards through adversity. When you know what your goals are and why, and when you have set standards for how you show up and live your life, the final step is sticking with it through the good and the bad. That is Mental Toughness.

Control Your Thoughts
You are responsible for how you think. When the tough times come, thoughts of doubt and fear will come too. Take responsibility for your thoughts. You can and have to control your thoughts because your thoughts control your actions. Controlling your thoughts is how you stay Mentally Tough and how you continue to live by the standards that you have already set for yourself. When you learn how to set aside your feelings and control your thoughts by tossing aside the useless baggage of negative thoughts and feelings, you can focus on what really matters.

Learn how to measure your success by teaching yourself how to think properly. This is a skill you can learn and repeat over and over again for the rest of your life.

Will Compton was an underdog who made it. He had a goal, he set standards for himself, he stayed mentally tough through the process by controlling his thoughts and living by the standards that he set through the good and the bad. This is a process that you too can repeat.

What Are Your Strengths?

When you look at, think about, and talk about your athletes and your teams, do you talk more about what they can do or can't do?

I have been around coaches who focus on the strengths of their athletes and teams and who are solution-oriented, and I have been around coaches who see, focus on and talk more about the weaknesses of their athletes and their teams.

When I am around coaches who focus on weaknesses and what they can't do, the feeling in the gym or field is more negative, depressing, and there is less positive energy. These coaches tend to punish more than they teach, and the athletes are more defensive than they are coachable. The athletes are disengaged, the coach is in a bad mood, and those teams don't have as much success as other teams that I am around.

When I am around coaches who focus on strengths and what their teams can do, the feeling in the gym or field is more happy and hopeful, and the athletes are more engaged. The coaches tend to teach and correct more than they punish, and the energy and the level of execution are higher because the coaches know what their athletes are capable of and hold them accountable to a high standard.

I enjoy being around, working with and playing for coaches who identify and build on their athletes' strengths, and who encourage, motivate, and inspire their athletes in everything that they do. That does not mean that they live in a fantasy land where they don't address weaknesses. The approach and mindset are just different, it is more positive, and it seems to help everyone learn more, grow more, and have more joy in the process.

These experiences have led me to live and lead with strengths.

WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS?

Start every day believing in yourself and believing in your kids. Identify and focus on your strengths and believe in your ability to do great things, then push yourself to learn, grow, and do a little better every day.

ASK YOURSELF - WHAT ARE MY THREE GREATEST STRENGTHS AS A PARENT?

Success is a journey that lasts a lifetime, but and the first part of that journey is believing in your ability to make it through, to the end. Start your journey by identifying your strengths. What do you do best? Write down three things that you do best.

ASK YOURSELF - WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF YOUR KIDS? WHAT DO THEY DO GREAT?

Fall in love with the habit of looking at and celebrating your strengths and the strengths of those around you, learn how to talk about your strengths and the strengths of those around you, and use those strengths as a way to deepen relationships and build underdeveloped skills. Our kids' motivation to learn and achieve is directly affected by our confidence in their potential and in our confidence in our own ability to nurture this potential.

ASK YOUR KIDS - WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR THREE GREATEST STRENGTHS ARE?

Have them practice identifying, talking about, and celebrating their strengths. When we talk about our strengths, it makes us feel better about ourselves. Have your kids write down what they think their three greatest strengths are. Create a plan or process where they read those a few times per week so that they never forget to focus on and celebrate the good things that they do.

Science tells us that when we think about, talk about, and celebrate our strengths, our bodies release chemicals called endorphins that trigger a positive feeling in our bodies and make us feel better.

Week 36 Devotional | CONDUCTORS

Training Camp by Jon Gordon is an encouraging and inspiring book for every athlete and coach. It is a story about an undrafted, rookie football player trying to make the NFL named Martin.

Martin was one of many fighting for just a few spots on the team, and after Martin made a name for himself by making some big plays and scoring a touchdown in a pre-season game, Martin sprained his ankle and had to miss two weeks, including two pre-season games.

For most, that is a kiss of death for your career, but God puts people in our lives for a reason and when we need them, and God put several people in Martin’s life who helped him get through what was a difficult time full of uncertainty and doubt.

As Martin was overcoming his injury, his coach told him that the best of the best do two things: they rely on God and faith, and they become conductors, not resistors.

Stress, anxiety, fear, and depression are the result of being away from God. God did not create us to be separate from Him and His love. We were made to be one with it. Pride and the distractions of the world keep us from relying on God. That is why we have breaking points. It is at our lowest points when we realize that we can't do it alone, and we need God. We strive for greatness because God knows that when we do, we become uncomfortable. We push through the discomfort because we want what is on the other side, but at some point, we hit a point where we have given all that we have to give, and that is when God can show His strength, love, grace, and mercy.

In order for us to truly live in God’s love, we have to let go. Jon Gordon writes that in the world of atoms and electrons, resistors are stingy, they hold on to energy, and they won't let go of electrons. CONDUCTORS are conduits that allow energy to flow freely and are willing to let go of its electrons. CONDUCTORS have no power themselves, but they generate an enormous amount of power from the currents that flow through them. The greater the current and power that flows through the conductor, the greater the power that will be radiated by the CONDUCTOR.

We have the ultimate power source, and we can be CONDUCTORS through which that unlimited energy and power can flow. When Jesus left this earth, He left us the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever (John 14:16).” He then said, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you (John 14:26).”

The Holy Spirit is in everyone who believes that Jesus died for us. It is a gift that Jesus left for all of us. It is the ultimate power source; we just have to be CONDUCTORS and if we trust Him, God of hope will fill us with all joy and peace so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).”

Martin’s coach told Martin all he had to do was believe and surrender. All he had to do was pray and simple prayer. That simple prayer was, “I can’t do it alone. I need you, God.”

“I can’t do it alone. I need you, God.”

When Martin prayed that prayer, he felt a kind of grace and peace like he had never known. He heard the voice of God say to him, “Let go. I am with you. Have faith in Me.”

When I pray that prayer, I feel a sense of peace, grace, and joy as well. I feel God’s power and presence flowing through me.

“I can’t do it alone. I need you, God.”

THIS WEEK

1 - Be a CONDUCTOR, not a resistor. Rely on God and the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. Tell yourself that you are a conductor of the power, strength, grace, and mercy of God.

2 - Every morning, every night, and as many times as possible, say the prayer, "I can't do it alone. I need you, God."

For a Google Doc version of this Devo, click here: Week 36 Devo | CONDUCTORS

The Game Day Principle

"But coach, I can't run because I hurt my wrist."

I once coached a kid, let's call him Taylor, who was very injury-prone. It felt like each week during the pre-season, he was hurting something, and Taylor was starting to spend as much time in the training room as he was on the court. This was happening before practice officially started for high school basketball in Texas, but we were able to do strength and conditioning before school to get their bodies prepared for the season, and we were able to do skills training and scrimmage during our period.

Taylor had a lot of potential, and he had a legit chance to make the varsity team as a sophomore and play meaningful minutes, but the injuries were hurting his chances. Injuries can be difficult to manage as a high school coach, especially during the grind of the off-season. On one hand, we want to honor the injuries and make sure that we do what we can to keep our athletes healthy. On the other hand, we had to figure out what injuries needed to be cured through time off and what needed to be played through.

I was reading Jon Gordon's book called Training Camp, and the main character was a football player trying to make the NFL but was injured his ankle during training camp. Martin, the injured aspiring NFL player, walked into the weight room one day and was asked by the strength coach if he was going to work out. Martin said that he didn't think that he could because of his injury. The strength coach laughed and told him that there was nothing wrong with his arms and chest.

The strength coach told Martin a story about Jerry Rice. He said, 

"Jerry wasn't the fastest, and he wasn't the tallest. But Jerry worked and trained harder than any football player I've ever know. That's why he became the greatest wide receiver to ever play the game. Everyone thinks he was the best because of how he performed on Game Day, but actually it's how he prepared for Game Day that made him perform so well. If you want to be great you have to commit to a challenging process of preparation."

In the book, they called defined the Game Day Principle. 5% of our life is spent performing in the game, while 95% of our life is preparing, practicing, and waiting for the game. A high school basketball game is 36 minutes, and it might take 1-2 hours to complete it from start to finish. In Texas, we play two games per week. That is 2-4 hours of our week. There are 168 hours in a week, so we only spend a small percentage of our lives actually performing. To be great on game day, you have to be willing to pay the price with countless hours of hard work between the games. As they wrote in the book, how we practice and prepare 95% of our time determines how we perform on game day. 

We had a similar conversation with Shawn. We told him that though he had an injured wrist, the trainer said that he could run and do conditioning. We also told him that while our number one concern was his health, the off-season was his opportunity to get better so that he could earn more playing time when the season started. Shawn couldn't do that if he spent more time in the training room than at practice. We also shared with him our thoughts about the Game Day Principle.

Taylor didn't spend another day in the training room that year, he became one of our best defenders, and we went deeper in the playoffs that season than any team at the school in the last 30 years.