Coaching Points

11 Sports discussions from the book of Titus
Topics Include relationships, leadership, overcoming obstacles, and confidence.

Coaching Relationships – Titus 1:1-4

• Read the text aloud
• Discussion Questions:
• How does Paul describe himself in verse 1?  What might be coaching equivalents to such descriptions?
• What seems to be Paul’s #1 focus for life?
• How would you describe your life’s calling?
• How does Paul describe his relationship with Titus?
• With whom do you have a similar relationship in coaching?  How do you serve as an apostle or a mentor to him or her?

3. Summary:

• Be intentional about your life’s calling – your vocation.
• Be intentional about building your relationships with those who have been your mentor(s) and with those for whom you may be a mentor.

Coaching to Build Leadership – Titus 1:5-9

• Read the text aloud
• Discussion Questions:
• Tell us about a coaching situation when you spent most of your time building leadership into your players and/or staff.
• What leadership positions do you appoint within your teams?
• What kinds of character qualities do you expect from those leaders?
• How would your team be affected if its leaders demonstrated the character traits from verses 6-9?

3. Summary:

• Invest your leadership skills with your staff and your team.
• Work to build their character as well as their skills in the sport.

Overcoming Destructive Attitudes – Titus 1:10-16

• Read the text aloud
• Discussion Questions:
• How do the destructive attitudes described in verses 10 and 11 appear in your game or within your team?
• How do you handle it when players begin to criticize and talk down the whole team like in verses 12 through 14?
• What does it look like when a “pure hearted” player competes?  (See verse 15)
• How is the game different for those with destructive attitudes?  (See verses 15 and 16)

3. Summary:

• Watch out for destructive attitudes within your team.
• Deal decisively with those attitudes when they surface.
• Honor and reward the “pure hearted” among your players and staff.

Coaching Winning Attitudes – Titus 2:1-5

• Read the text aloud
• Discussion Questions:
• Who are some coaches who do a good job of communicating values, character, attitude or wisdom?
• Who are some coaches that fit the description found in verse 2?  Which traits do they exhibit?
• If there are women associated with your program, which of the characteristics in verses 3-5 do they consistently display?  How are those beneficial to the team?

3. Summary:

• Find ways to communicate values, character, attitude and wisdom as you coach.
• Honor the women who faithfully serve your team and staff.

Coach with a Winning Attitude – Titus 2:6-8

• Read the text aloud
• Discussion Questions:
• What parts of the coaching lifestyle require one to be “sensible?”  How do you urge such sensibility in your staff?
• What are some ways you can demonstrate the following attitudes and character traits for your staff and team?
  • Good deeds.
  • Purity in teaching.
  • Dignity.
  • Sound speech.
  • Being above reproach.

     3. Summary:

• Urge your staff to live sensibly as they work hard in coaching.
• Demonstrate winning attitudes and strong character for your staff and team.

The Power Source for Winning Attitudes – Titus 2:9-14

• Read the text aloud
• Discussion Questions:
• Which set of people in your sport would be most like the bondslaves mentioned in verse 9?
• How would these attitudes appear in how they approach the game and the coaching staff?
• How important is the grace of God for living out those attitudes and behaviors?
• How does one receive such grace from God?

3. Summary:

• Receive the grace of God as a gift.
• Apply God’s grace to all of your life in coaching.
• Let God’s grace produce fruit in your attitudes and behavior.

Important Reminders – Titus 2:15-3:2

• Read the text aloud
• Discussion Questions:
• What are some ways coaches can speak, encourage and correct with all authority and without being disregarded?
  • How to speak?...
  • How to encourage?...
  • How to correct?...
• To what rulers and authorities do your teams need to be reminded to obey and to be subject?
• How do you remind them to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle and to show consideration for all men? 
• Good deeds –
• Maligning no one –
• Being uncontentious –
• To be gentle –
• To show consideration –

    3. Summary

• Remind your staff and team about their responsibilities.
• Use all means at your disposable to guide them to proper behavior and attitudes.

The Coach Inherits Eternal Life – Titus 3:3-7

• Read the text aloud
• Discussion Questions:
• Why is it important to keep our former ways of life clearly in view?  (See verse 3)
• From verses 4 through 7, what appear to be the key elements of how God rescued us?
• What is the result of our being rescued by Christ? (See verse 7)
• What might you inherit as an heir of God through Christ Jesus?

3. Summary:

• Commit your life to Christ and receive Him as your Lord and Savior.
• Live in relationship with God as the child whom He loves.
• Realize that as God’s child, you’re also an heir to His limitless riches of grace.

Coach with Confidence – Titus 3:8-9

• Read the text aloud
• Discussion Questions:
• How confidently do you speak about matters related to your sport?
• How confidently do you speak about your faith in Christ?
• How consistently does your confident speech lead your staff and team to good and profitable actions?  How important is your confident speech to the process?
• What are some foolish controversies that could distract your staff and team from their pursuit of achievement?

3. Summary:

• Coach with confidence as you lead your staff and team.
• Coach with confidence as you speak of your faith.
• Coach with confidence as you avoid foolish controversies and other distractions.

Coach with Discipline – Titus 3:10-11

• Read the text aloud
• Discussion Questions:
• Describe for us a coach or player whom you would describe as factious or divisive.
• How does verse 9 suggest you should deal with such a person?  How would you do that within your team?
• From verse 11, what is it that drives such a person’s actions and attitudes?

3. Summary:

• Be alert for the divisive attitude that could arise within your team or staff.
• Act strongly in response to that attitude.
• Be aware of the root causes of such attitudes and address them directly.

Build your Coaching Network – Titus 3:12-15

• Read the text aloud
• Discussion Questions:
• Who are your friends or mentors in coaching with whom you regularly correspond?
• Who are some coaches to whom you’d like to direct some help, as in verse 13?
• What are some good deeds in which to engage and some pressing needs that could be met by your team and staff?
• What sort of fruit would be born by their doing them?
• Who are some coaches or players from your past whom you’d like to send a greeting or from whom you’d like to hear?

3. Summary:

• Make time to regularly correspond with your friends in coaching.
• Offer and receive help from your coaching associates.
• Look for opportunities for your team and staff to do good for those around you.