Finding a Purpose in Football

It is difficult to put into words how thankful I am to be coaching at a place like our school. People ask all the time, “What is making the difference in your program?” We have some people who believe we have an edge by being a private school. We hear allegations of recruiting and other rumors ad-nauseum.
We firmly believe our program is a product of many excellent qualities that ultimately reflect on strong Biblical standards. As a school committed to honoring God, we have seen the blessings of that over and over again.
Some of our detractors point at that last statement and say that it means we believe we are better than anyone else. They point out some of our faults and cry “foul” or “hypocrites”. Please hear this clearly. A commitment to Christ is not perfect, nor is it an attitude of superiority. Instead, it is a concerted effort to live under the “Guidebook”. We have an instruction manual that is given by the Creator. It is the best way to live and allows for the greatest chance of long term success. The Bible says that “none are righteous, not even one”. Our coaches, I believe, model a genuine spirit of love and humility; the kind that comes from spiritual poverty, not spiritual arrogance. We have only the cross to cling to as any hope of salvation.
So the true difference is this. Our program is the product of years of: prayer, motivated and loving parents, strong families, caring Sunday school teachers, committed Christian school educators, great churches, Youth pastors, Christian youth coaches, unchanging standards of excellence, tough competition, a gritty work ethic, high classroom standards, and ultimately…a desire to honor God with an excellent performance.
The next few posts represents a desire to record a Biblical perspective of high school football. It seeks to spell out in detail what we strive for at our school in terms of the parent/coach/player relationship. Some coaches see the parent/coach partnership as a rivalry for affection. We see it as an important team project. If we want to be champions, we need to be champions as coaches and parents. The following pages are philosophical beliefs based on sound experience and Biblical teaching. I hope that parents, will cling to these beliefs even when it is hard. Please pray for our school daily. Without prayer, the enemies have an opening to cause discord and defeat.