The Sound of Encouragement
by Brett Wetherington
As a Fellowship of Christian Athletes area director, I recently had the opportunity to serve at a FCA Team Football Camp in Spartanburg, SC. After several days of hard work I experienced a well earned headache. I decided to take some medicine and lie down for a few minutes before resuming my activities. It is common when you close your eyes the other senses tend to elevate. I noticed the wind blowing across the field, the smell of fresh cut grass and the sounds of running and passing. One thing that I really noticed was the coaches. As I lay on the grass I heard what the coaches were saying to their players.
I didn’t really notice it before and what I heard surprised me. I heard words like ‘Good Job’, ‘That’s it’, ‘That’s right’ at least a dozen times. I heard coaches that sounded a bit like cheerleaders as they praised and encouraged their players. I found it interesting that even when they had to correct their players they would praise them first and then give them instruction on the right way to run the play. And when they did run the play correctly they praised them and told them, ‘Good Job’. I know it seems like a small thing but as I listened to these coaches and their behavior I was reminded of Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 when he writes, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”
In life and football, when you are encouraged and built up, you tend to feel appreciated, work harder and get focused. The result is a team that works together and performs at a high level. When these coaches and players make the choice to build each other up through encouragement instead of tearing each other down the result is unity. You really can’t have a team without unity because a team that is torn down and discouraged is not a team at all. But a group that encourages each other defines what a true team is all about. If you are a player, coach or parent, be a cheerleader on your team. If you are a little league, Middle School or High School Coach, be an encourager of your players. If you are involved in sports or not, build others up through encouragement. Encouragement is better than the alternative and builds your team up to win.
by Brett Wetherington
As a Fellowship of Christian Athletes area director, I recently had the opportunity to serve at a FCA Team Football Camp in Spartanburg, SC. After several days of hard work I experienced a well earned headache. I decided to take some medicine and lie down for a few minutes before resuming my activities. It is common when you close your eyes the other senses tend to elevate. I noticed the wind blowing across the field, the smell of fresh cut grass and the sounds of running and passing. One thing that I really noticed was the coaches. As I lay on the grass I heard what the coaches were saying to their players.
I didn’t really notice it before and what I heard surprised me. I heard words like ‘Good Job’, ‘That’s it’, ‘That’s right’ at least a dozen times. I heard coaches that sounded a bit like cheerleaders as they praised and encouraged their players. I found it interesting that even when they had to correct their players they would praise them first and then give them instruction on the right way to run the play. And when they did run the play correctly they praised them and told them, ‘Good Job’. I know it seems like a small thing but as I listened to these coaches and their behavior I was reminded of Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 when he writes, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”
In life and football, when you are encouraged and built up, you tend to feel appreciated, work harder and get focused. The result is a team that works together and performs at a high level. When these coaches and players make the choice to build each other up through encouragement instead of tearing each other down the result is unity. You really can’t have a team without unity because a team that is torn down and discouraged is not a team at all. But a group that encourages each other defines what a true team is all about. If you are a player, coach or parent, be a cheerleader on your team. If you are a little league, Middle School or High School Coach, be an encourager of your players. If you are involved in sports or not, build others up through encouragement. Encouragement is better than the alternative and builds your team up to win.
