A Lesson from an Athletic Coach
What does a coach look for most in an athlete? Some years ago, Shari Kuchenbecker and her team of research assistants from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles interviewed 658 coaches representing 43 sports. The athletes they coached ranged in age from 3 to 22. Across the board, Kuchenbecker says, coaches picked psychological factors over physical factors when asked what makes for a successful young athlete.
Responses like ‘loves to play,’ ‘positive attitude’ and ‘self-motivated’ far outnumbered responses like 'strong' or ‘naturally athletic’ or ‘physically gifted.’
Unfortunately, parents don't always realise that they should be putting the emphasis where the coaches put it - on qualities like attitude and enthusiasm. Instead, they put a lot of effort into sending the kid to special tutors or camps to work on their physical skills, failing to cultivate a simple enjoyment of the game.
‘The No. 1 thing coaches want is a kid who loves to play. A kid who loves to play is fun to coach,’ she says. ‘But many parents assume that coaches want physical skills.’
It's the same in every area of life. Enthusiasm–or passion–makes the difference. In Revelation, the church at Ephesus was reprimanded for losing their passion. They excelled in hard work and perseverance, but they had lost their first love.
God wants from us what coaches want from their players, what employers want from their employees, and what husbands and wives want from their spouses–an attitude that says, ‘I'm here because I want to be, not because I have to be.’
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