Beyond the Surface

When I was in high school, I was a three-time state champion in track. As you read that, some thoughts might have crossed your mind like: “Who cares?” or “Does she always brag about her accomplishments?” But the reality is that race and that accomplishment is more than it seems. I was on a relay with three really fast girls and was nowhere close to winning anything in an individual race. There are two things we can learn from this:

• First, we try so hard to live on the surface for others and just look at the surface of others. In John 7:24, Jesus said, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” As coaches, to connect with our players, staff, and family members, we must get past the surface level of our lives because relationships aren’t built there. When coaches are willing to look beyond the surface of performance, we will get the most out of our relationships professionally and personally.
• Second, we need each other. As much as we would love to show the world that we are strong enough to do everything on our own, God’s strength is shown through our weakness. It says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “…My power works best in weakness.”  In the coaching world, it is difficult to admit when we need others. But just like everyone needs God and your team needs each other, coaches need people too. Coaches need people to give them encouragement, truth, and grace.

God created us for relationships--with Him and with others. And relationships are only built if we look below the surface and recognize our need for each other.