At the end of each year, I often reflect on what, in my mind, were the most memorable moments in sports. In the NFL, the year began with a 16 – 0 team (New England Patriots) and ended with a 0 – 16 team (Detroit Lions). Who could forget the amazing catch made by an unknown receiver named David Tyree of the NY Giants as they ruined the New England Patriots bid for a perfect season. Check out Tyree’s book, More Than Just The Catch (see below). It is a story of mistakes, second chances, hard work, perseverance, and faith. It is also a story of love and ultimately a story of grace. Without “the catch” the Giants probably wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl and without God’s grace Tyree probably wouldn’t have even been in the NFL. God’s grace is amazing!
February brought on the Mitchell Report and Roger Clemen’s bizarre behavior. Has any professional athlete ever “fallen from grace” so quickly? Once a sure fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, he was brought down by conflicting testimonies at congressional hearings. Many who followed the testimonies seriously doubted that what he was saying could possibly be the truth. One lesson we can all learn from this sad story is that, as hard as it may be sometimes, it is much easier to just tell the truth than to try and keep up with a lie. Truth is essential!
In June, Tiger Woods’ performance at the U.S. Open was an amazing feat. How is it possible to do what he did without the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee? Equally memorable, for me, was the sportsmanship shown by Rocco Mediate and the fans at Torrey Pines. If it had been possible for both men to win, it seemed that few people would have been upset. The event certainly renewed my faith in the fact that true sportsmanship can still exist at the highest levels of competition even though it seems to be absent in most other professional sports. Honesty, integrity, and sportsmanship that are maintained in the sport of golf have been replaced by performance-enhancing drugs, loopholes, and questionable ethics in other sports where winning is all that seems to matter. Sportsmanship matters!
Who could ever forget Michael Phelps performance in the Beijing Olympics in August? Eight gold medals! I’m old enough to remember Mark Spitz and what he did in 1972 at Munich. I never thought that his gold medal record of seven would ever be broken. Phelps would have only tied Spitz’s record if it were not for teammate Jason Lezak and his amazing last 50 meters in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay defeating France’s Alain Bernard by eight hundredths of a second (.08). Teamwork is critical! This small victory margin looked large when Phelps edged out Serbia’s Milorad Cavic by one hundredth of a second (.01) in the 100 meter butterfly. Finishing strong is crucial!
Other memorable stories and lessons to learn that I will remember from 2008 are Brett Favre retiring and unretiring, Tampa (Devil) Rays going from worst to first, Nadal vs. Federer in a classic Wimbledon final lasting nearly 5 hours and the NCAA Men’s basketball championship game in which Kansas defeated Memphis in overtime. Let me know why other stories from 2008 stand out in your mind. For me also, the year 2008 will always be remembered as the year in which God allowed us to begin the ministry of CSPN. I hope that it is an encouragement and blessing to you. Thanks for being connected with CSPN. May God bless you in a greater way in 2009!
The Victory is His,
Coach Scott
I Chron. 29:11-13
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Sports Missions Works!
Greetings from the Carribean! Not a bad place to be just a week or so before Christmas when we usually have below-zero wind chills and multiple feet of snow in northern Wisconsin at this time of year. I am certainly enjoying the warm weather and natural beauty of the Dominican Republic, but I have a more eternal purpose in being here. I am here to plan a sports mission trip for the women’s basketball team from Northland Baptist Bible College. The trip will take place in May 2009. Northland has a few current students and alumni who are either from the Dominincan Republic or are serving as missionaries here. We are planning on working with them and are hoping to be an encouragement to them. Personally, it is always a blessing when we connect current students on a trip like this with former students who are serving on the mission field. There is nothing like experiencing the mission field first-hand. It is life-changing and always results in shaking us out of our complacency and our "American comfort zone". It also renews in us a greater burden for missions.
Northland’s men’s basketball team was here in May 2007 and we made contact with a number of people that have helped us in making a return trip with the women’s basketball team this year. One such person is Giovanny Valdez. Giovanny was an excellent basketball player and, without a doubt, still is. He was the starting point guard for the Dominincan National Team for a number of years and played against some of the best players from the United States, some of whom are in the NBA now. While he was playing on the Dominican National team, a sports mission team from the U.S. came to compete against his team and to share the gospel. As a result, Giovanny trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. Since then, he has stopped playing for the Dominican National Team, and is now serving the Lord in a full-time sports ministry. He helps plan mission trips and sets up exhibition games for teams that want to share the gospel with the Dominican people. Because of his previous experience, he has many contacts and God uses him to open many doors. He has a great burden to see more of his own people respond to the gospel. He obviously knows from personal experience that sports missions works.
If you have never been able to visit a mission field, taking a sports mission team is a great way to do it. It opens many doors and breaks down many barriers. If you have questions about the possibility of doing something like this with your team, please feel free to contact me. You would never regret the personal sacrifices made or the cost incurred for such a trip. The value can only be measured in eternity. The impact of the gospel here in the Dominican is continuing through the life and testimony of a young basketball player named Giovanny Valdez. Sports missions works.
Northland’s men’s basketball team was here in May 2007 and we made contact with a number of people that have helped us in making a return trip with the women’s basketball team this year. One such person is Giovanny Valdez. Giovanny was an excellent basketball player and, without a doubt, still is. He was the starting point guard for the Dominincan National Team for a number of years and played against some of the best players from the United States, some of whom are in the NBA now. While he was playing on the Dominican National team, a sports mission team from the U.S. came to compete against his team and to share the gospel. As a result, Giovanny trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. Since then, he has stopped playing for the Dominican National Team, and is now serving the Lord in a full-time sports ministry. He helps plan mission trips and sets up exhibition games for teams that want to share the gospel with the Dominican people. Because of his previous experience, he has many contacts and God uses him to open many doors. He has a great burden to see more of his own people respond to the gospel. He obviously knows from personal experience that sports missions works.
If you have never been able to visit a mission field, taking a sports mission team is a great way to do it. It opens many doors and breaks down many barriers. If you have questions about the possibility of doing something like this with your team, please feel free to contact me. You would never regret the personal sacrifices made or the cost incurred for such a trip. The value can only be measured in eternity. The impact of the gospel here in the Dominican is continuing through the life and testimony of a young basketball player named Giovanny Valdez. Sports missions works.
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