"Jesus responded, 'Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!' Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm." (Matthew 8:26)

Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote, "The best-laid schemes o' mice and men / Gang aft a-gley" (translated to modern English as "The best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray").

As coaches, we plan. We plan practices to maximize success. We plan competition schedules to maximize periodization and peak performance at the right times. We plan line-ups to maximize our team’s game performance and give us the greatest chance at winning. 

Yet despite our planning, things can—and will—go wrong. Athletes quit the sport or move away, injuries end a season or a career, or success is impeded by adverse weather, poor officiating, or an athlete’s poor decisions. 

Kit Harris, my high school wrestling coach, mentor, and good friend was just coming off a state championship season with his wrestling team. They’d made an incredible run and it was truly magical to witness the hard work and foundation come to fruition. The next season, a returning state champion moved out of state. Right before league, he lost three key athletes to injury. Any hope at defending the state title was dashed. 

What did Coach Harris do? He did what he has always done. He was resilient with his dedication to his athletes. I know that he must have had moments of doubt and questioning, yet he never once showed it on the outside. At least, not when I saw him. He re-doubled his efforts, giving a “hard reboot” to his youth wrestling program, dedicating his time to the wrestlers in his club, his junior high, and his high school teams. He provided opportunities for his wrestlers to come together and learn to love the sport while pursuing success at the same time.

Coach Harris is one of the coaches to whom I often turn when I have my own moments of doubt or questioning. I’ve also learned to rely upon my faith in these times. Matthew writes, “You have so little faith!” and it can be so tempting to give in and despair when the negatives seem to be piling on top of us. What does it take to be resilient in our mission as coaches? The Bible guides us in this question, and all we need to do is read and listen closely, and have faith.

That doesn’t mean we have to sit back and do nothing. No, God gave us the ability to make choices to improve on the situations in which we find ourselves. With our faith and dedication to Christ, we can act in the following ways:

• Build connections by prioritizing our relationships and networking with groups and peers that share common values and goals
• Foster personal wellness by taking care of our bodies, being mindful of our faith and relationship with God, and avoiding the negatives in our lives
• Find purpose by helping others, being proactive, and working toward long-term goals
• Embrace healthy thoughts by keeping things in perspective, accepting change, learning from the past, and maintaining a hopeful outlook (adapted from an article posted by the American Psychological Association)

Combined with what we learn from modern psychology, our faith can guide us through the dark times when one obstacle after another robs us of our short-term objectives. Be patient and believe in the greater glory of God, and that “great calm” that Matthew speaks of will be within our grasp.

Moment of Kaizen: 

• What strategies do you use to help overcome our disappointment when dreams or goals are dashed or plans fall through?
• With whom can you connect to help you keep faith? Fellow coaches? Church leaders?
• How can you model this resilience for your athletes so that they can also learn this great life-lesson?

Related Passage: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

At the end of the day, we can only look back and evaluate our attitudes and our efforts. Have we done all we can to help us move closer to our goals? Resilience does not mean we will never encounter difficulties; rather, it means that regardless of whether we meet our goals or not, we believe in something greater and we give our best efforts.

June 27, 2021

This article is a part of a series of Coaches Devotionals that I will be writing over the course of the next year. Please click here if you would like to receive email notifications when a new devotional is published.