Leadership

I've just returned from the National Athletic Directors Conference in Orlando, FL with stacks of materials, pages of notes from inspirational speakers, and a renewed spirit about the impact athletics has on today's students and ultimately our future leaders.  In the opening session, Pat Williams laid out the 7 qualities of a leader - Someone who has a clear vision, can communicate well (and listen well), someone who genuinely loves peoples, has strong character, is competent, gets results, is bold and can make decisions, all with a serving heart.  He says children get their first exposure to the art of leadership when they participate in athletics and it's our job as coaches/directors to make sure it's a positive experience.

It was such a privilege to be a part of this very informative weekend.  I took two courses for educational development.  One was called, "Athletic Administration: Principles, Strategies, and Methods" and the other was "Legal Issues I: Risk Management".  Other workshops included "Developing the Credible Coach", "Conducting Successful and Informative Parent Meetings", and "Specialization vs. Multi-Sport Participation".

Why am I so amped up about the conference?  Well, God tells us in 2 Peter 1:5 to add to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge.  So, when I can find better ways to teach our athletes, coaches, and parents through better communication and relationships, I can't wait to share my excitement.  Stop by the athletic office to hear more as we co-labor to build the next generation of leaders together.

 

Peace

John MacArthur writes in The Quest for Character,

"...peace is the tranquility of a soul who finds rest in Him." 

Many of us, especially during the holidays, try to find peace by getting the perfect gift, decorating the house just so, staying caught up at work, remaining ultra organized, staying in shape, eating the right foods, or dozens of other external do's and dont's.  But, true peace, like salvation, comes from faith, not by our own efforts.

How does this relate to athletics?  Knowing peace is a gift from God (John 14:27) and the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7), an athlete can be freed up to perform without fear.  Winning games or practicing until perfect will not bring you peace.  As a matter of fact, high levels of success often lead to an empty feeling and just adds to pressure to repeat the performance.
This Christmas, this season, find rest in Him.  Your soul longs for a relationship with the Prince of Peace, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!