Coach's Corner
Warm-Up
“‘I am the bread of life,’ Jesus told them. ‘No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again.’” — John 6:35
Everyone stand up and show me your muscles! Do your best body builder poses!
To get stronger and faster, you have to put the right foods in your body. There’s good fuel and there’s bad fuel. Good fuel works perfectly with your body and helps it perform at its best. Bad fuel might give you a sugar rush but will run out quickly, and it’s not good for your body and health.
Show me what you look like on a sugar rush! Show me what you look like when you are fueled with healthy foods.
- What are some good fuels you eat that help you do your best (fruits, vegetables, natural or organic food, etc.)?
- What are some bad fuels that drag you down and keep you from doing your best (energy drinks, soda or candy)?
Workout
As an athlete, you might be looking for healthy things that will help you be better at your sport—like drinking Gatorade or water instead of pop or eating fruits and veggies instead of junk food. But with God, there is a greater fuel that will make your body (flex your arms), mind (point to your head) and spirit (put your hand over your heart) more powerful than anything else!
Now more than ever, the sports world is focusing on what you put in your body. Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix is a great example of an elite competitor who was able to compete longer than anyone else, and now many others are following her lead.
Sadly, many athletes still choose things that might help them do better in the moment but are not good fuels and end up causing a lot of problems in the future.
- What are some good ways today’s athletes are trying to get the most out of their bodies?
The world has a lot of bad fuel to offer for your body, mind and spirit that can keep you from getting closer to God. The world’s fuel can also have bad, long-term effects on your mental and spiritual health.
But Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35)! But when your life is full of Jesus, His fuel will bring peace, freedom and joy. Not only that, but you will want to share those gifts (the Bible calls those gifts Fruit of the Spirit) with others. Paul, a follower of Jesus from the Bible, tells us about the three most important gifts we can have:
“Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.” —1 Corinthians 13:13
Repeat after me, “Faith. Hope. Love.” Let’s come up with some hand movements to help us remember these gifts. For faith, cross your index finger over the other index finger to create a cross. For hope, look up and point to the sky. For love, hold your hand over your heart.
Your access to God’s greater fuel will not only change your identity as a competitor, but it will also give you the ability to reach the greater purpose to which He has called you.
Wrap-Up
God is your Creator, and He knows (and through Jesus has given) what you need most to give Him glory.
Here are three ways Jesus’ greater fuel will help you in all areas of your life. When I say, Faith, Hope and Love, use our hand movements to show it!
- Jesus Fuels Your Faith. (Hebrews 11:1)
- Jesus Fuels Your Hope.— (Romans 15:13)
- Jesus Fuels Your Love.— (1 John 4:16)
Close in prayer with the team or ask an athlete if they feel comfortable leading the group in prayer.