Practice Makes Perfect

As a soccer coach of five-year-olds, practices can some times be rough.

Frustrating might be a better word.

A lot of times the players don't listen.  They're playing tag or hugging or picking weeds.  Distractions capture their attention.  A helicopter or plane flies over head and every eye darts skyward.  A loud motorcycle or a police car with sirens blaring forces their gaze toward the highway and away from the goal.  One child heads to the bathroom and soon two more need to go as well.

It takes a lot of patience to teach U5 soccer.  It also requires a lot of examples.  I learned this the hard way at my last practice.

To be honest, I struggle as a coach.  I never played soccer.  I'm just a dad who likes spending time with his daughter and giving back.  So when I see other teams using more advanced techniques--like passing and defense--I try to emulate those things in practice.  I want our kids to compete and learn.

So, this past week, I tried a couple of passing drills.  I didn't show them.  I just explained it.  Needless to say, it did not go well.  Instead of passing, the two children worked against each other.  They didn't try to score a goal as a team, but tried to gain personal glory by putting the ball in the goal themselves.  (Which is precisely the thing I'm trying to end.)

After a few tries, I realized my folly.  They never saw it done so they can't do the same thing.  With young kids they need to see a new drill.  They need to view how it should be done.  By just explaining, the children were lost.  It's no wonder the drill fell flat.

Jesus understood that.  He also knew that adults are much the same way.  So in John 13, we see Jesus give the example of serving.  He knelt down, grabbed a towel and began to wash his disciples dirty and road-worn feet.  This was the job of a servant.  Jesus, God's son, was doing it.  He became the servant.

Afterward, he had a message for his disciples:  Do what you just saw me do.  As followers of Christ, we are to emulate Jesus.  He served in a humbling way, then he asks us to do the same.  We are to serve one another so that Jesus can be glorified.

As we go about our daily lives, we must intentionally serve others.  It doesn't happen by accident.  It takes a plan.  It takes us living it out.  By doing so we help others, but we also give an example for others to follow.  By following Jesus, we lead others to follow him as well.

So grab a towel and some dirty feet and get to work.  Jesus has a job for you to do.  He expects you to serve others.

Now go and do likewise.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devotion to a false god

Image
Last week, at Disney World, I went to retrieve our stroller from the stroller parking section.  As I searched among the hundred or so strollers, I finally found mine and started to move it.  As I pulled, it snagged on a woman's garment.  Panicked, I looked up and saw it was a Muslim women in full Muslin dress.  Her body was completely covered.  Only a slit for her eyes was visible.  I was careful not to yank, and I tried to apologize as the hook of the handle caught part of her garment.  She didn't say a word and we both quietly went on our ways. As I walked away, I felt pity on her.  For one, it's Disney World in June in Florida.  I strode along in shorts and a very thin T-shirt.  Both were soaked in sweat.  I had already consumed two bottles of water and still felt weary.  She was dressed head to toe in heavy garments.  I can't imagine how hot she was pushing a stroller with two kids through a mass of people in hum...
Read more

Bearing Responsbility

Image
I remember when my daughter was first born. Amid the excitement and joy came an overwhelming feeling.  This baby, which I held in my hands, was now my responsibility.  When she got sick, needed feeding, required a diaper change, or had to be corrected and taught, those responsibilities fell to me as her father.  In a matter of a few minutes, I had been entrusted with a new life on planet earth. Looking back on that day six years ago, I was excited but scared.  Yet, that is nothing compared to the responsibility Joesph must have felt.  Joseph was a righteous man, according to scripture, and he knew one thing for certain - Jesus was not his biological son.  Thus, he planned to divorce Mary quietly and be rid of the whole matter. And before we vilify Joseph, know that he could have done much worse.  By law, Mary could have been stoned to death.  His divorce was a form of mercy.  She would live and he would be rid of the stigma of an unfait...
Read more

Following Jesus' Example

Jesus was not a convential man. Often, when Jesus taught, he challenged the status quo.  He also liked to use object lessons and parables to illustrate his points about faith and a relationship with God. One night after dinner, during the last week of his life before the resurrection, he finished eating, took off his outer garment, grabbed a towel and started to wash the disciples' feet. Stunned, Peter protested, but Jesus said it had to be done.  He had to allow Jesus, his rabbi, his teacher, his Lord, to become a servant and wash Peter's dirty, worn feet.  So he did.  Jesus washed all their feet that night.  Then he said:  You need to do this too. Too often in Christianity today, there is an attitude of moral superiority.  We love to build beautiful church buildings, boast of our attendance, brag about our programs and talk about the money we give.  At the same time, we turn our nose up to the alcoholics and drug addicts and homeless and...
Read more