The freshmen football team opened their season with a 16-14 win. Even though the game was called at halftime due to storms their momentum would likely have carried them through the second half. They didn’t look like a newly formed freshmen squad. Their footwork specifically was like that of a more progressed team. Sure, there were a couple of plays and other things that needed to be corrected, but the practice they’d put in showed up in the way they played the game. There were well-executed routes, wonderful kicks, a quarterback who stood his ground, an NFL-like catch, a fantastic run and a blocking wall that was picture perfect.

Trusting others is crucial for success on and off the field. Knowing your teammate will do everything that he or she can do to help you become successful means that you have confidence in the integrity of that person. In other words, you know they will be truthful and make good decisions that affect not only themselves, but you as well. When teammates are all working together in this relationship of trust, they are well on their way to winning!

Abby was on cloud 9. She was a freshman who had just made the varsity girls' soccer team. She played hard her freshman year, but when tryouts came her 10th grade year, she put no effort into what she was doing. She thought she was guaranteed a spot on the team. Abby got cut.

This story can easily be paralleled with the Christian walk. So many times we become complacent and feel that since we've accepted Christ, we've done our job. It's easy to sit in FCA or our youth groups, but what really matters is how we are pushing ourselves to become better Christians. Halfway doesn't cut it with God. In Revelation 3:15-16 God tells us He'd rather us be hot or cold. We have a world to save. We can't afford to be complacent.

A while ago, my best friend, Heather, and I participated in an urban scavenger hunt-style race. The goal was to solve 12 challenges faster than any other team. Each challenge consisted of solving a riddle and getting yourself to the solution (by foot or public transportation only) and taking a photo. For example, we had to take a photo of ourselves in front of the second oldest building on the campus of a local college.

The sports world loves to pay tribute to great athletes and coaches. Halls of fame, retired jerseys and numbers, street names and building names all honor famous sports heroes. But what are they really honoring? Some were great men and women off the field, but for the most part those things honor great achievements in athletics. In my book there's nothing wrong with that until we look at how we truly honor Christ in our sporting careers.