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My high school basketball coach was tough. On the first day of practice, he told us, “Guys, if we are going to reach our goals this season, we must be the best-conditioned team in the county.”
As athletes and coaches, we know conditioning, strength training, and practice are hard. Winners understand that. No one reaches their potential or accomplishes a worthy goal without sacrifice. If we dodge the hard things or go soft when it matters, we will fall short.
At 17, I learned that big goals and big missions demand big sacrifice – and often suffering. If our mission does not call forth a willingness to suffer, we may need a better mission.
Jesus’ mission was to give His life for the forgiveness of our sins. He did not dodge what that meant. His mission led Him to the cross.
Our personal mission is to walk with Him and become more like Him. Our mission as coaches and leaders is to develop athletes who love and follow Him – and who become the best athletes they can be.
Leadership carries weight. There is no dodging that. You are giving your life to a great mission: developing and discipling athletes toward elite performance and Christlike character. That mission will call the best out of you. And yes, you and your athletes will experience hard things along the way.
The best leaders do not minimize the hard. They embrace it so the mission can be accomplished.
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