"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6)

One of the best discoveries I’ve made on social media in regards to coaching resources is Gene and Jeff Zennetti's "Wrestling Mindset" program. These two All-Ivy League wrestlers have turned their wrestling-based program into a systematic mindset training program for all sports. I love all four of the program's principles, but I often find myself quoting principle #3, both in the classroom and in the practice room: "I have no fear of losing or making mistakes."

One of the red flags we see with our athletes is that they are hesitant to "pull the trigger," and it often is a result of a fear of failure, losing, or making mistakes. That fear can be crippling, and it can prevent our athletes from reaching their potential on the field, mat, court, etc. Some athletes are fearful of the consequences of losing or messing up: negativity at home, lessened playing time, extra conditioning, or worse.

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is speaking to Joshua as he passes the mantle of leadership to him. Moses, a mentor of faith to Joshua, tells him that strength comes from God, and God will always be by our side.

In a world that tells constantly us to be afraid and reinforces weakness, it's no surprise that our athletes will naturally take the easiest choice of running away or escaping when things get tough. As with Moses, we need to be mentors of faith to our athletes. Sports can be key tools for children to learn how to take heart and keep courage in the face of adversity, and thus, they can learn to find happiness.

When I think about this topic, a famous movie line comes to mind. Obi-Wan Kenobi tells young Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars, "The Force will be with you, always." This is just like God's promise, which is to be with you, always.

A coach (or any kind of mentor or guide) needs to stand firm with his or her faith. Opposition and resistance are always in the way of happiness. We need to be watchful and look for red flags. It is a key element of the servant leader role: to shepherd our flock of athletes. By sticking with our principles, we serve as a model of strength. This strength comes from acknowledging our weaknesses and accepting Christ into our lives.

Moment of Kaizen:

• How do you respond to your athletes when they make mistakes during competitions or at practice?
• What are some of the "red flags" that you have observed with athletes in your program? What do you do to address them?
• What sort of mindset training do you provide for your program in regard to athletes overcoming their fears and doubts?

Related Passage: "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like a man, be strong." (1 Corinthians 16:13)

One of the most powerful weapons to arm ourselves against our fears is to simply acknowledge them. We can model this for our athletes on a daily basis, and we can show that by facing our fears and standing strong, we can overcome them.

September 19, 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.