Coach's Corner
Warm-Up
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” —John 14:6
In this game, one person will receive simple directions from three different people at the same time, each one shouting out a different set of directions (see the list below). The person playing has to decipher what the direction givers are saying and then decide which directions to follow.
[Directions: touch toes, spin around, run in place, jumping jacks, crawl, skip, knee lifts, dance moves, or punching bag motion.
- What was it like trying to follow different directions at the same time?
- What did you do when you weren’t sure which way to follow?
- Have you ever had different people tell you different ways to play your sport? How did you handle that?
Every athlete makes mistakes, and no one is perfect. But when you try to take control and do things in your own way, it can create a whole lot of problems. Thankfully, there is a greater way that will lead you to the ultimate solution.
Workout
Have you ever gone the wrong way? During the 1929 Rose Bowl, football player Roy Riegels, grabbed a fumble on defense and headed towards Georgia Tech’s goal line. But when the opposing players tried to tackle him, he got turned around and started running the wrong way!
Riegels thought he was going the right way and had every intention of scoring a touchdown. Instead, he ended up at Cal’s one-yard line before his teammates could stop him.
Just like Riegels, you might find yourself trying to make the right play but doing the wrong thing because you’ve tried to do things on your own.
- What are some mistakes you’ve made as a competitor because you went about things the wrong way?
- How did doing things the wrong way affect your relationship with your team, your coach or your family?
As John the Baptist was preaching about Jesus, the religious leaders had lots of questions. They wanted to know who he was, what he was doing, and why he was doing it. John replied:
“I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord – just as Isaiah the prophet said.” — John 1:23
The religious leaders didn’t understand what “the way of the Lord” meant. They thought if they followed certain rules, then it was the right way to know God. They didn’t understand that there was a greater way—a way that would lead to real truth and real life.
When I say, Who is the real truth, you shout, Jesus! Who is the real truth? Jesus!
When I say, Who is the real life, shout out, Jesus! Who is the real life? Jesus!
The apostle Paul reinforced this truth in one of his letters to a young Christian from Greece.
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” — 1 Timothy 2:5
- Why do you think the religious leaders’ way didn’t help them know God?
- Why do you think so many people today don’t believe that Jesus is the only way to truly know God?
Wrap-Up
It’s great news knowing that we have a greater way through His Son, Jesus Christ! Here are three key points to help you remember this truth:
- Your way. Trying to figure things out on your own will lead to confusion and frustration. —Proverbs 14:12
- The world’s way. Trying to follow the world’s way will lead us away from God and ultimately to destruction. But God’s way will lead us to life. — Matthew 7:13–14
- God’s way. Following God’s way through a personal relationship with Jesus is the only way that leads to truth and life. — Romans 6:23
Huddle up and shout out, “God’s Way!
Close in prayer with the team or ask an athlete if they feel comfortable leading the group in prayer.