Guests include Ben Hartsock, Don McClanen, Bob Lilly and FCA’s President Les Steckel
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#74 - StVRP - Jake Voskuhl, Jimmy Page, Jonathan Byrd & Les Steckel
Toronto Raptors center Jake Voskuhl, FCA Health and Fitness Executive Director Jimmy Page, PGA golfer Jonathan Byrd & FCA President Les Steckel.
Know Your Opponent
Set:
How would you like to show up for your baseball game this summer, thinking you were playing the 9th grade team from across the county, and when you get to the game you realize you are facing CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees? I imagine that would be pretty tough. It always pays to know your opponent. However, our earthly opponent does not play fair.
God’s Word tells us about our opponent in life: the prince of darkness—Satan. In 1 Peter, he is described as a roaring lion seeking to devour. Ephesians tells us we are in a spiritual battle for our lives. Today’s verse teaches us we are not to be conquered by evil, and that we need to fight. Too many people try to fight through their own power and strength. To put it into perspective: Satan=evil and God=good.
#69 - StVRP - Jason Elam, Buck McCabe, Les Steckel
Atlanta Falcons kicker Jason Elam, Chick-Fil-A CFO Buck McCabe and FCA President Les Steckel
What Would You Ask?
Set:
If you had the opportunity to sit down with the coach you considered to be the all-time greatest in your sport, what would you ask him or her to teach you? But say you only got to make ONE request. That would change everything, wouldn’t it?
My all-time favorite coach was John Wooden. There are a ton of things I would have liked to ask Coach Wooden, so, narrowing it down to just one question would have been extremely difficult. But, after thinking about it, I believe the one topic I would have chosen would have been team chemistry. How did he get all those different players to bond together for the common cause of winning another title? There are so many other things I could ask him, but, in team sports today, chemistry means just as much as X’s and O’s.
You Are What You Think
Set:
Almost every Christian coach I know wants to have a philosophy of coaching that is positive. But in the battle of competition, sometimes we get caught up in the heat of the moment and lose our focus. We may stay positive on the outside, but inside we are feeling the tension—tension that causes us to lose that positive edge.
I have found that what we tell our athletes to think about is exactly what they will think about. We may say, “Don’t ever miss a serve on game point.” What are they thinking when they come to the line? They are thinking about not missing the serve. What do they see? Missing the serve, which is exactly what we told them to think about!
Kara Lawson Video Study – Part III
Set:
It’s hard to decide what Kara Lawson is most known for.
SEC fans remember her as the All-American from the University of Tennessee who led the Lady Vols to three Final Four appearances between 2000 and 2003. Followers of the WNBA know her as a key member of the 2005 league champion Sacramento Monarchs and now as the starting point guard for the Connecticut Sun. Still more recognize her as a member of the ESPN college basketball broadcasting team through which Lawson serves both as a studio analyst for the NCAA women’s tournament and a color commentator for men’s games. And fans of the Summer Olympics would most likely know her for the gold medal she won with Team USA in 2008.
For the Glory
How many times have you watched a basketball player stand poised at the free-throw line in acute concentration and take a moment to trace a cross over his chest? How often have you seen a baseball player knock the ball out of the park and, during his victory lap around the bases, point his index finger to the heavens in gratitude? How often have you heard national champions thank God during press conferences?
Practice Hard
Set:
Very few people love to practice. To most, it is just a means to an end. Only if we practice will the coach allow us to play in games. Even if we loathe it, practice is irreplaceable as the best way to improve skills. Athletes at every level must train. In fact, professionals only get where they are through hard work. How hard we work in practice may predict our game-time performance.
Kara Lawson Video Study – Part IV
Set:
It’s hard to decide what Kara Lawson is most known for.
SEC fans remember her as the All-American from the University of Tennessee who led the Lady Vols to three Final Four appearances between 2000 and 2003. Followers of the WNBA know her as a key member of the 2005 league champion Sacramento Monarchs and now as the starting point guard for the Connecticut Sun. Still more recognize her as a member of the ESPN college basketball broadcasting team through which Lawson serves both as a studio analyst for the NCAA women’s tournament and a color commentator for men’s games. And fans of the Summer Olympics would most likely know her for the gold medal she won with Team USA in 2008.
Can you hear me, now?
Set:
It happens all the time, even to the best of them. Athletes reach the goals they have pursued for years, maybe even a lifetime, and then they do it. Maybe they feel they deserve it. They think, “I’m now successful, so I can let up and compromise in a certain area of my life. It’s small, and it won’t impact me very much.”
#49 - StVRP - Cat Whitehill, Ron Backes and Dan Browne
U.S. Women’s Soccer player Cat Whitehill, FCA Staff Ron Backes, 2004 Olympian Dan Browne and FCA President Les Steckel
True Leadership (Serving - Chapter 4)
Set:
From his study of leadership, Pat Williams is convinced that there are seven sides to being an effective leader. The first is vision, or the ability to see down the road. Next is a gift for communicating that vision. Williams also says that people skills are an important leadership trait. This includes a true heart for people and a genuine interest in their lives. The next three qualifications are character, competence and boldness.
As the senior vice president of the NBA’s Orlando Magic, Williams certainly has built a lengthy career by displaying a high level of acumen in those six areas. But it’s the seventh characteristic that he says makes the better-than-average leader a great leader.
The Audience
Set:
Last year, I got the chance to play my first college basketball game in my home state. I was so excited to play in front of the 40-plus people who had come to watch. I wanted to play well and prayed that God would help me to do so.
Much to my disappointment, I played the worst game of my life. I made only one shot in my team’s humiliating 30-point loss. I was so embarrassed that I didn’t want to talk to any of my family or friends who had come to cheer me on. I was afraid of what they thought of me and my performance.
Starving the Rabbit
Set:
It was just a matter of time. But even though it was inevitable, we saw it coming. My kids had a pet rabbit for many years. They loved the rabbit and took great care of it. However, over the years, as activities increased and life got busier for three growing children, it become difficult for them to find time to feed the rabbit. I covered for them occasionally, but the rabbit simply did not get the food it needed. One day, we went to the cage to find a motionless rabbit. It had died. The kids didn’t mean to starve it, or even want to see their pet die. But when you don’t feed a rabbit, it dies.
Coaches - Plan
- Secure day, time, and location of coach’s bible study.
- Recruit a bible study leader or facilitator.
- Develop a bible study plan with timeline and specific lessons outlined.
- Organize a weekly study agenda.
- Plan an initial study that introduces FCA, explains what the study is about and the importance of commitment and confidentiality.
#68 - StVRP - Madeline Manning Mims and inductees into FCA’s Hall of Champions, Les Steckel
2008 inductees into FCA’s Hall of Champions, Madeline Manning Mims, Betty Probasco, Dr. Charles Kemble, Buck McCabe and Ed Britton III.
Pregame Jitters
Set:
It’s only a few minutes before tip-off. We hear the band playing to get the crowd excited for the game, and we look around the locker room and watch our players trying to get into the zone. We’ve worked hard to get them prepared, but something isn’t clicking because the team has the pregame jitters. Maybe they think they aren’t as skilled as the opponent, or perhaps they lack confidence in the game plan. It could be fear of failing while fans and media are watching, or fear of not measuring up to personal expectations. Whatever the reason, the result is the same: worry and a lack of focus.
Take a Pill?
Over half of all insured Americans take prescription drugs every day! Is there a better way?
The Cheering Section
Set:
Our girls’ volleyball team just won state, and it was so exciting! Seeing their hard work, dedication, sheer talent and determination all come to fruition was amazing. These girls were united as a team and stood strong in the face of some very tough competition. They also had a great coach leading them and the full support of the student cheering section, which traveled across the state on several weekends in order to cheer the girls on.
Is It in You?
Set:
I love watching Gatorade® commercials. They show athletes giving everything they have for their sport. The neon green or orange Gatorade® even pours out of them as they sweat! The commercials always end with, “Is it in you?” The implication is that somehow this drink is going to make us perform better on the field. Do we have what it takes to be a champion? Is it in us?
As Christians, God tells us that the Spirit of God, the very essence of Christ, is in us. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead comes to dwell inside of us. When we give our heart to Jesus, the Holy Spirit breathes life into our spirit. He literally brings us back from the dead—spiritually that is. Sin brings death, but the Spirit brings life.
Heart of an Athlete: Michael McConathy
Selected Struggle: Worry
Dictionary definition: “To feel uneasy or concerned about something; to be troubled.”
My definition: “To torment oneself with anxieties or troubles.”
#63 - StVRP - Mark Richt, Georgia football mission trip feature, Mike Rucker, Les Steckel
University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt, feature on Georgia football team taking a mission trip to Honduras, Former NFL defensive lineman Mike Rucker and FCA President Les Steckel.
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