I have been coaching young people for the last 20-plus years. It is one of the great privileges and responsibilities that I've ever had. What I love about sports is the fight that one must have within themselves to persevere. We can probably all agree that the beginning is usually the most exciting and fun time of anything. And for sports, it is definitely that way. Each year my college swim team gets together to have a fun “welcome dinner.” At this dinner they receive team gear, eat a lot of good food, and have great conversations. Everybody is really excited!
But somewhere down the line all of that is tested. What I mean is, the newness factor wears off at some point. And it is here that each athlete must decide whether they are going to continue to persevere and continue to work hard, or if they are going to slack off. And that's where coaches earn their stripes. You see, it is my job to put them in a position to receive self-motivation that they can only really pull from within. And that is the test of character for each of these young people.
The great John Wooden once said, “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” And that is exactly what I am trying to teach each of these student-athletes. It is the decisions that they make on a daily basis that add to their character and decide their level of success.
In the Bible we see that Peter went through some struggles as one of Jesus's disciples. He was right there through all of Jesus's ministry, but when the time came, he really blew it and totally denied Jesus when he most needed to bear down and make better decisions. This could have been the end of his ministry, character, and even his reputation. However, he did not give up. Even though he suffered that intense time of failure, he persevered and realized that he needed to finish well. Jesus would actually end up building the entirety of His Church upon Peter and some of the other disciples. We still see the fruits of that labor today.
My question for you is: do people consider you a trustworthy person? It's not about getting it right all of the time, but whether or not you continually build character to finish well. My prayer for you today is that you would take inventory of the decisions that you have made in your life and make corrections, so that you might build your character and become a more trustworthy person for those who rely on you as a friend, co-worker, and family member. Hang in there! The road is not easy, but it is worth it to make the decisions that build character.
Praying for you,
MO
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