For the Love of the Game

I never thought much about sports and how they could benefit kids until our girl started playing volleyball regularly. As she grew in her volleyball skills and enjoyment of playing, we began to develop some expectations for her as well as advice about being on a team. They are as follows:

*You need to be coachable. You cannot show up to practice or games thinking you know it all. Be willing to listen to your coaches as well as the more experienced players on the team.

*Don't compete with members of your own team. Your job is to work together to compete with the players on the opposing team.

*There is always going to be someone who plays better than you and it might just be someone on your own team. Don't make your focus being better than that person. Comparison will either lead you to be prideful or it will cause you to feel like a failure. Instead, focus on playing your best and growing in your skills.

*If you're playing sports to be recognized, to be somebody, then you're playing for the wrong reason. As Christians, all we do is to be done for the glory of the Lord. Play for the love of the game.

*Be a team encourager whether your team is winning or losing. Grumbling and complaining doesn't help the team.

*If you have a problem with someone on the team, whether it be another player or the coach, follow the principles outlined in Matthew 28 and follow the chain of command presented by the organization.

*You are there to win, and winning is more fun; but don't allow losing to dampen your enjoyment of playing the game.

So far, our girl seems to have embraced these principles. She plays volleyball because she enjoys it. She challenges herself to improve. She listens to the advice of her coaches and the older players. She doesn't take comments on the court personally because she knows in the heat of the game things are said. She is a great encourager on and off the court. Her goal isn't to be the best on the team, just her best. We love watching her play volleyball and look forward to watching her continue to grow.