Referees have a tough assignment. They must keep the game going, uphold the rules, keep every participant safe, and make sure not to create an advantage for either side. It’s a monumental task, all the while facing unbelievable pressure from the stands. But, in the midst of all that goes on during a game, the primary job of a referee is to represent truth. Have you noticed that all referees make truth statements: “No catch…out of bounds…foul on you…off sides…touchdown…no good…time has expired.” They don’t have favorites, aren’t rooting for one team over the other, and are simply stating the truth as they see it. Once the whistle blows, one side likes the call while, inevitably, the other side doesn’t.
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Adversity - Chapel

Chapel – Adversity
1 – The events of these last days are those which try men’s souls.
• Disappointment
• Failure
• Loss
• Illness
• Injury
2 – How we deal with adversity is a strong indicator of our character.
• Will we bounce back or will we wilt?
• Will we encourage or will we criticize?
• Will we accept responsibility or will we shift blame?
Servant Leadership - Chapel

1 – Today’s competition will require a tremendous amount of leadership for us to be victorious. It will require a unique type of leadership.
2 – This kind of leadership is best described in Mark 10:42-45 (read the text aloud).
Tell Me What I Need to Hear

As a young coach I was blessed with good players and quick success. Although people told me what a good coach I was, I considered the really great coach to be in the local junior high. Phil Hodson was the Wilbur Shooterfly (Hoosiers) of my day. He had an incredible knowledge of the game. One day after winning our seventh or eighth game in a row, he pulled me aside. I was expecting him to tell me I did a great job. Instead, he let me have it. He told me what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear.
Would You Rather?

Our family plays a game in which we ask, “Would you rather . . . ?” then our children have to make a decision. (Example: Would you rather win a World Series or Super Bowl?) Last night, I asked, “Would you rather be a great leader or a great servant?” I barely finished the question before my 10 year old, Abigail, said, “Dad, they’re the same thing. If you serve someone, you are showing and teaching someone what Jesus would do.” Wow! After picking myself up off the ground, I realized she nailed it. Abigail understands that a great servant is always a great leader, but a great leader is not necessarily a great servant.
Keys to Success - Chapel

Success in Football
• Name the two most important things in order to succeed in football as a player or team. (Impossible to answer, use as icebreaker with team….
• What are do you as a team want to succeed in this year? I will use this time for captains to cover major goals –
o (7 shutouts, no region losses, region champions, state playoffs etc.. Should be specific for your team..)
• As team I remind them of the quote “if you don’t know where you are going you will likely end up somewhere else – (John Maxwell)
Vince Lombardi – The only place success comes before hard work is in the dictionary
Family Tradition

For many families, FCA is more than a summer activity or a school-year ministry; it’s a vehicle of spiritual transformation that draws each member closer to the Lord through sports. As the ministry ages, more and more stories are surfacing regarding how FCA has become a way of life for many families, even impacting multiple generations.
Living in Chaos or Equipped?

Some friends asked me to feed their fish while they were away. One day I thought, How boring for that fish. He needs a party. So I removed the fish from the tank and set him on the couch with the remote, food, and magazines. He was in heaven—freedom from his bowl, no boundaries, no one to make him stay put. He looked lonely, so I set some frozen fish sticks nearby. They were a little cold toward him, but at least he wasn’t alone. OK, that didn’t happen. The truth is, if I remove that fish from his boundaries, he will experience death, not freedom.
Vision - Chapel

1 – Your coaching staff and your senior leaders have a vision for your team. To be champions is a vision worth believing in and pursuing.
2 – Habakkuk 2:2-3 (read the text)
Fire In the Islands
Wildfires aren’t typically associated with Hawaii, but that may be about to change—just don’t expect to see actual flames consuming the palm trees and pineapples. This fire is spiritual, and it’s one that is being used by God to spread His Word across the islands, specifically through FCA and the student-athletes at the University of Hawaii.
Improve Daily

Athletes must strive to get better every day. No matter how talented we are, there is always room for improvement. We may be the best in our school or sport, but if we get satisfied, we will not become all God wants us to be.
OW2P Radio Commercials

We are excited to offer two new One Way 2 Play radio commercials. The commercials feature Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton and Steve Fitzhugh.
How to use them:
1. Select the one(s) you want to air when you have a station in your area donating PSA’s/radio time to FCA. You can listen to them, and the station can download them from FCA Resources under Marketing. Scroll down to “Radio Spots.”
2. Be proactive and call on a local station who might have a manager with a heart for FCA. Take your lap top or log on at the station to TeamNet. Let them listen to the spots and decide they want to air them!
Suggested stations to contact:
-Local Christian
-Stations who air the local sports games and reports
Decisions

Every day as coaches, we face many decisions that will affect our team. We need to deal with everything from what to do at practice, to who should be the starters in the next game. Some decisions are bigger than others, but they all have some bearing on our team. Every once in a while we may find ourselves in a position where we have no clue what decision to make or how to resolve an issue. It is at those times that we turn to assistant coaches, athletic directors, and others for help.
Fit4Ever: Follow the Leader
Every coach has followers. But to be the kind of leader worth following, we must follow The Leader.
Cold Feet

How many times, as athletes or coaches, have we been nervous before a big game? Maybe we were getting ready to play the big school rivalry game. Maybe it was a playoff game. Maybe a boyfriend or girlfriend was in the stands. Maybe we just get nervous in front of big crowds. We all handle these situations differently. Some of us get sick to our stomachs. Some cannot stop talking or moving around. Others come across as unfazed. These athletes seem to know the secret to remaining calm under pressure.
Fundamentals for Victory

Cal Ripken Jr., who broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive-game record (Gehrig’s 2,130 to Ripken’s 2,632 straight games in the lineup), credits his father, Cal Ripken Sr. for the mentoring, coaching, and example to break the record. Junior remembers that his father had many mottoes and pronouncements. One of his favorite sayings was: “Do two million little things right, and the big things take care of themselves.” His point was to take pride in the fundamentals.
All of us face the game of life each day with its tests and temptations. Being a Christian doesn’t guarantee that we will never have problems. But as Christians, we have biblical guidelines and fundamentals to help us have victory over our trials.
The Only Need

In athletics we do a good job of misusing the verb need. We need a win. We need new uniforms. We need this player to play well. We need to raise this much with our fund-raiser. We need to have everyone at workouts.
The only problem is we are not looking at the verb need right. When we use need, we use it to mean something we would like to have. All of the situations above are things any coach or athlete would like to have. Who would not like new uniforms every season? We should use need a little differently.
Leading the Charge
One of LaDainian Tomlinson’s favorite verses is Luke 12:48: “...Much will be required of everyone who has been given much...” The passage, which is a direct quote from Jesus to His disciples, is one LT’s mother instilled in him when he was young and that now serves as one of his core life principles. It sits there, in the back of his mind, waiting to be recalled at any moment that he might need to explain just why he is so generous with his time and resources.
You Can’t Tell a Ball by Its Cover

There are two sayings that I have heard hundreds of times in my life. One is, “You can’t tell a book by its cover” and the second is an advertising statement, “It’s what’s up front that counts.” I would like to take a little liberty with those two statements, applying them to the world of sports. I think that anyone who has played baseball can attest to the fact that “you can’t tell a baseball by its cover” and “It’s what’s inside that counts.”
Pursuit of a Dream

When our son was only four, he looked his mom and me in the eyes and asked, “Do you think I’ll make the Hall of Fame?” Don’t just settle for playing in the “bigs,” bypass Little League, shoot for being one of the best!
For most of us, the realization that we might not make it big came early. My dream was crushed when as a nine year old, after all the uniforms were handed out; I was left standing on the right-field line.
Second Chance

In volleyball, or in any sport, running a timed mile is not unusual. The other day I had butterflies in my stomach wondering if I could make it in the eight-minute time frame. If I didn't, I wouldn't even be considered for the team. I was praying for strength and quickness. When the coach said, "Go," and we all began, the words "strive, stretch, strain, succeed" began running repeatedly through my head.
Heart of a Coach: Dabo Swinney
As the second-year head football coach at Clemson University, Dabo Swinney is hoping to lead the Tigers to their first ACC Championship in 19 years. After accepting Christ through FCA in high school, the Alabama native (with one of the most memorable names in college football) is focused not only on making a positive impact on the school’s record books, but also on the lives of his players and staff.
In the Light

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my life to be a lie. If we claim to be followers of Jesus Christ but live “in darkness,” the Holy Spirit—through the apostle John—tells us we are liars. The other option is to “walk in the light,” as Jesus did when He was on the earth. If we are faithful in doing so, two things are granted to us: fellowship with other believers and continual cleansing from sin.
Sharing life with others who know Jesus is important; God did not create us to be alone! When we “walk in the light,” the dark parts of our lives are revealed, giving us the opportunity to correct them, repent, and move forward, and allowing us to grow closer to our Father along the way.
Game Ready

Game day is here. Have I lifted enough? Have I practiced enough? Have I worked hard enough to be ready to compete tonight? These are all questions that run through our minds before we take the field of play. As we sit in the locker room readying for battle, the question we have to answer is, “Am I game ready?”
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