Faith, Family, Football. We Say it, but do We Mean it?

Between the NFL and the NCAA this week my heart is broken.  My heart breaks every time there is a new story in the news about a player beating his wife or girlfriend or a story about an influential player using derogatory language about women.  Then the news cycle continues about what his punishment should be and how it should be enforced.  Comments are then made about whether or not the player in question should play or be suspended. More comments are made about whether the suspension should include allowing the player to be on the sideline or at the game at all.  The commentary goes on and on. 

In all of this my question is where did things first go wrong for the athlete? Did a parent or coach or coach’s wife pass on the opportunity to guide the player towards Christ? Psalm 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Are we training these young men in the ways of the Lord?  Are we constantly pouring into them the way many of our parents poured into us?  How many times have we heard the phrase “Faith, Family, Football.”? How many of us actually put those words into practice with our athletes?

Growing up in my home scripture was a constant part of our day to day life.  There was scripture in the joyous times. There was scripture when things weren’t going according to plan. The scripture I seem to remember the most though was the scripture my mother whispered softly when I was in trouble.  The quieter she spoke and the more scripture she quoted equated to the amount of trouble was coming my way.  My mother always told me that the Lord entrusted her and my father to raise me and that she wasn’t going to stand there on Judgment Day and have to explain away her lack of action, discipline and guidance. 

For coaches and their wives who are believers, I think it’s imperative for us to remember that the Lord entrusted us with these athletes.  We need to keep in mind that one day we will stand before the throne and answer for the role we played in growing the faith of those young men. I know that there is a fine line in public schools about what we can and can’t say about our faith but I also know that the Lord will open the doors and paths to say the things that need to be said when they need to be said. My coach and I are blessed that we are in a community where we can whisper and even outright proclaim the scriptures. We also make sure those scriptures are spoken in our home when our boys are over for family dinner. I’ve been given many opportunities where I can whisper those scriptures to students that my mother once whispered to me.

If we are going to preach to them Faith, Family, Football then we need make sure that we are at the ready to train them in the ways that they should go so that they will not depart from it.  We need to make sure that their faith and actions are as strong as their athletic abilities so that when they step on the college and/or NFL stage that they are not the ones in the news for domestic violence or for derogatory actions or words. It’s up to us to make sure that they are showing the world that athletes have learned the true meaning of Faith, Family, Football and what that phrase should truly mean.  Practice what you preach and teach them well.  

Cheering you on,
Laurel