Philosophy of Christian School Athletics

The primary goal of athletics in a Christian school setting is to honor Christ. Within the framework of high school sports, this goal encompasses several areas.

Competition

• We compete to win. This includes both physical victory and spiritual victory. Winning is an attitude that involves preparation, effort, execution and integrity. While a win may not always be registered on the scoreboard, the inclusion of these four principles ensures a Christ-like approach to competition. Preparation, effort, execution and integrity are all factors of choice within our control. (I Corinthians 9:24-27)

Developing Christ-like character

• Behavior and attitude are molded through our approach to participation in sports, just as they are molded through how we participate in everyday living. Athletics gives us numerous opportunities to experience success, failure, jubilation, frustration, trials and tribulations. Athletics provides the opportunity to develop relationships and understand the meaning of teamwork, role-play and sacrifice. These experiences and opportunities should take place within a Biblical framework. (Romans 8:29; 12:3, Ephesians 4:2-3)

Commitment to excellence

• Every time an athlete “takes the field”, he or she is called to compete with a total release of all their physical, mental and emotional energies. An athlete must never leave anything behind. Just as Christ gave his all for us, we are to give our all in everything we do. Christ has blessed every athlete with 100% of their abilities, and it is the responsibility of every Christian athlete to return 100% at every practice and competition. (Colossians 3:23)

Integrity and sportsmanship

• Christian school athletes represent their school, their faith, their teammates and Christ when they perform in a competitive arena. “You may be the only Bible they ever read” should be a constant reminder of the athlete’s responsibility to maintain integrity and sportsmanship. (Colossians 3:17)

Sub-varsity competition should be a formative program, used to develop skills, attitudes, and teamwork. Effort should be given to provide playing time for all individuals; yet, this is a time for each athlete to learn the value and purpose of accepting a role and committing to the success of the team. At this level, players should be preparing to step into a higher level of responsibility and demand at the varsity level.

Varsity competition continues to refine skills and attitudes. The varsity programs are charged with forming the best possible team to compete successfully in competition. It is vital that each team member understands and accepts their role for the good of the team and the glory of God.

When conflicts arise between coach and player, it is imperative that the principles clearly stated in Matthew (18:15-17) are followed. It is important to understand that this involves a direct approach from the player to the coach, not from the parent to the coach. No discussions should take place between a parent and coach until the player has first talked to the coach in a one-on-one setting. This is a tremendous opportunity for relationships to be strengthened. A player has the opportunity to learn perseverance while developing the valuable life skill of learning how to properly deal with adversity.

A quality athletic program is an important part of the total Christian education program. Athletes gain educational benefits that develop their physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and social dimensions. Through athletics, participants learn to recognize and value their god-given gifts.  Athletics provides a unique arena in which participants witness to many through their efforts, attitude and demeanor. Athletes learn how to accept a role, deal with adversity, submit to authority, and sacrifice for a greater cause than one’s self.

Every aspect of athletics in a Christian school requires nothing less than a commitment to excellence.

Motivation for Coaches

How do you keep coaches motivated to keep at the grind, to put up with frustrations, unrealistic expectations, and tough hours? If coaches are initially motivated by pressure or guilt, they won't stick it out for long. If they are motivated purely by a sense of need for a program, that probably isn't sustainable motivation either. Worse yet, if their motivation is some sort of vicarious athletic fantasy, you most likely don't even want them in your program.

One's motivation to serve God and advance His kingdom begins with an understanding of who God is and what He has done. Sustainable motivation starts with a relationship between the individual and God--an intimate, personal relationship that harbors an understanding of the redemptive grace of the Gospel. Once an individual has a focus and understanding of what God has done for him/her, the natural response is gratitude and love--and that should be the motivation to obey and to serve.

If an individual is motivated to serve in a coaching capacity out of his/her love for Jesus and gratitude for what God has done, they now have a sustainable motivation. They have a motivation that will support them, lift them up, encourage them, and empower them to persevere. Their focus is not on any self-serving purpose, but on serving God and answering His call.

Training Coaches, Part 2

There are three important components to institute in the training of a coaching staff:

1. Spiritual
2. Physical
3. Technical

Why the physical component? It's easy to understand the necessity of spiritual training, and certainly some technical training. But we're talking about the coaches here, not the athletes. So why the physical component? That's a viable question, and here's my opinion: I Timothy 4:8 speaks to the value of bodily exercise as well as the overriding importance of godliness. So that's one thing---there is value to physical exercise. Secondly, coaches need to be role models in all aspects of their presence. Hey, the simple reality is, if a coach who is in woeful physical shape is exhorting his/her athletes to "work harder", "go the extra mile", "get in shape", "out-condition your opponent", "be physically disciplined", it has less impact and meaning than a coach who models those values and traits. Look at it this way: Are you going to take financial advice from someone who can't manage their money, doesn't know an IRA from an annuity, and has no financial training? Aren't you more apt to listen to a professional who exhibits the knowledge and understanding that gives you confidence? How confident would you feel if your financial advisor showed up to a meeting about your financial future dressed in shorts and flip-flops? Don't you feel better if you believe the person advising you absolutely knows what they are talking about--to the point that you can "see it" in them? Trust me, the same is true when it comes to an athlete listening to a coach and fully buying in to what is being demanded and taught.

So do you train coaches physically? That's not too practical, but I believe you should make sure your coaches understand the value of physical training to their effectiveness as a coach.

The spiritual aspects of training encompass several areas that I will explore in the next several posts--Motivation, Excellence, Relationships, and Discipline.

Training Coaches

One of the biggest problems in Christian school athletics is the lack of qualified coaches. Ideally, coaching slots would be filled "in-house" with teachers and staff members. Most often, however, many coaching positions are filled from outside the school with parents or other interested applicants. That necessity poses a big problem for the Christian school. How do you get everyone on the same page philosophically and spiritually, and how do you ensure your coaches know what they are doing in terms of coaching theory and practice?

The first step in building a quality Christian program, is to have a clearly defined philosophy built on the principles of the ministry. This starts with leadership. Any sports ministry--church or school--requires good leadership. The leader of the athletic ministry must be able to train, evaluate, exhort, correct, and minister to his/her staff of coaches. When necessary, the leader must dismiss coaches who are not committed to the ministry philosophy in word and action. It is critical to the success of the program for every coach to see him/herself as an extension of the sports ministry philosophy, and to take responsibility for the physical and spiritual training of their team members.

Before you train them, you need to hire coaches who meet the following criteria:

• Committed to the philosophy of the school/church/ministry
• Supportive of, and submissive to the leadership of the athletic program
• Led (called) by Christ to serve in this aspect of the ministry
• Ability to publicly verbalize their faith in Jesus Christ
• Committed to leading and shepherding their athletes
• Competent (to some degree) in theory and practice of coaching

In the next few days, I will break down what I consider to be the critical components of  an athletic ministry philosophy, as well as the primary elements of training a coaching staff.

The Reason Why

A sports ministry sounds like a great idea to someone like me---a sports enthusiast who values exercise, teamwork, competition, and the special bonding that is found through athletics. There's something about a group of men or women working together to reach a common goal and pushing themselves to help each other succeed that is nearly exclusive to athletics. There is great value in being part of a team--a group of people who have a common goal, are accountable to each other, and have a diverse set of talents and skills. Aside from those things, why should a church have a sports ministry? What is the value of it relative to the Christian faith?

One of my favorite sayings is that "73.67 percent of all statistics are made up". That being said, I've read all kinds of stats about how many people participate in some sort of sport or physical activity. The number one source for sport and fitness research is probably the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. Their recent data shows that nearly 80% of Americans participate in a sport, fitness activity, or outdoor activity. In terms of numbers, 33.6 million Americans are active on a regular basis, and 41.9 million are active on a casual basis.

Sports and recreation have an indelible stamp on our society. The church is called to equip and mobilize disciples to proclaim the Gospel message, and it seems prudent and wise to recognize and understand this sports phenomenon. If this is what such huge numbers of people are doing, a sports ministry may be one of the best avenues in which to declare God's Word.

Church Sports International lists the following tasks that can be accomplished through a sports ministry:

·  A means of forming friendships and building relationships

·  A means of promoting "body life" (internal church fellowship)

·  Facilitates life-style and proclamational evangelism

·  Creates a bridge to the lost in the community . . . even to the resistant

·  A means of helping someone grow in his or her faith . . . a tool for discipleship    within the sporting environment

·  A door of service for those who are not involved in ministry to the body

·  A means of "closing the back door" through small group discipleship and accountability

·  A ministry servant to the other ministries of the church (Children, Youth, Adult, Singles, Seniors, etc.)

·  A ministry that contributes to leadership training

·  A means of building "stepping stones" from the field/gym to the worship center

Here's another great thought: It doesn't matter if you personally like sports or have any interest in them. Millions of people are interested, and millions of those people are lost, in need of the Savior, and could be reached through a sports ministry.

Your Ministry's MVP

Whether you lead a Christian school athletic program or a church sports ministry, your MVP--Mission, Vision, and Philosophy--is vital to success. All three are important, but I would rank them in that order. Having a clearly stated and understood mission is critical. I touched on that a bit in my post about knowing your identity, but having a mission goes a bit deeper.

In a Christian organization, we have the perfect resource for determining a mission--the Bible. Ultimately, our single greatest mission is simple--to glorify God. Simple, but profoundly a great starting point in determining why we are embarking on a particular mission. Your mission is your purpose. Why are you doing this? Why have a sports ministry? If a sports ministry is the objective, then glorifying God through that program needs to be the goal. There is no other reason to have it. Put the Gospel on display! In a church sports ministry, this can be accomplished through Godly leadership, focused planning, and the resulting edification of the body of Christ. Men and women can--and should--be reached with the Gospel message through a well-planned sports ministry that encourages relational evangelism. In Christian school sports, every day is a fresh opportunity for leaders to model Jesus and teach Christian values and principles to impressionable young men and women.

Your vision for the ministry needs to be written and clearly defined to everyone involved. The vision should be a captivating description of the program's potential. What will this program look like if it accomplishes its strategic plan? This can be a highly motivational tool in attracting participants and personnel.

Your sports ministry's philosophy will define how you intend to 1) realize your vision and, 2) fulfill the mission. Your philosophy will be broad-based, including such topics such as service, training, leadership, type and scope of events, accountability, competition, building character, establishing relationships, and evangelism.

Make sure your program and leadership never lose sight of its MVP.

Sustainable Motivation

When my wife, Cindy, and I were living in Florida we had the pleasure of being pastored by Tullian Tchividjian, the grandson of Billy Graham. Tullian has been blessed with wisdom and a true gift for teaching the redemptive grace of the Gospel. We currently reside back in our home state of Colorado where we attend Mission Hills Church, pastored by Mike Romberger. Mike is also a gifted and blessed pastor and we love his teaching. Recently, Mike expressed from the pulpit the tremendous need our church has for youth Sunday School teachers. He pounded the message home pretty well, and indeed there is a great need. After the service, Cindy told me that she felt she needed to respond to that plea and volunteer to teach. She felt guilty, and she felt that it was something she needed to do.

As we were driving home, I reminded Cindy of something Tullian had told us in one of his sermons: "If obedience flows from fear and guilt, it is not sustainable. Obedience should be soaked in the gospel. We obey, and we do things, because of what Christ has done for us, not because of what we think we need to do for Him". It was a reminder that if she wanted to teach Sunday School for the right reasons, great--do it. But if she was doing it out of guilt, then don't, because it will affect her attitude and her sustainability.

I believe that's why church giving fluctuates so much. People will give out of guilt, maybe even fear, or because they believe they have to do something for God, or to be seen as favorable in the sight of God and man. That type of motivation is not sustainable. Sustainable motivation (and obedience)--whether it is for service, for giving, or for doing our daily tasks with all our heart--comes from what Christ has already done for us.

2 Corinthians 8:7-9 (ESV): But as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you--see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine (emphasis mine). For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

"Paul didn't use the law to motivate obedience. He always used the Gospel--faith in what Jesus has already done, obedience motivated by love and gratitude" (Tullian Tchividjian). It's a great lesson for us in our Christian sports programs and ministry. Motivate through the Gospel. Constantly and consistently teach the Gospel. I obey, and I am motivated by what Christ has done for me, not by what I can do for Him.