First Baptist Church of Herndon

Life Lessons

Linda Soller | Sep 30, 2013

It was on the news last week. Football coaches at a high school in Utah benched 50+ players on the team because the players were letting their grades drop, had bad attendance, and in some cases were involved with cyber bullying. This is what I call a crash course in life lessons. The head coach said that it was time the players understood how their actions were interconnected, and it was time they regained focus on what was important. Not every player had the same issues, but each player received a letter signed by the entire coaching staff listing what had to be done to earn their jersey back. On the “to do” list was be at school and on time, keep up or bring up your grades, attend a class to improve how you deal with people, and provide community service. For the last item some washed windows, some did yard work, and I’m sure there were many other services performed, but they all involved helping others. The team gathered later for a meeting and all but 10 got their jerseys back. The ten who did not get a jersey had not successfully completed the list—they got more tough love and another life lesson.

Flash back to your school days and remember how much influence certain groups of people had on the atmosphere of the school. The football team members were, for the most part, the big guys so they not only had influence as the team, but they could be very intimidating on a personal level.  Coaches are totally aware of the impact their team can have on the school, but a coaching staff also gets pressure from the school system and parents, and sometimes even the community to win above all else. The decision this coaching staff made was a life lesson for them as well. Part of their decision came from frustration in dealing with the team members’ attitudes and performance, but part came from their recognition of the impact those actions and attitudes were having on the school and the players’ futures. They knew that part of their job was to prepare these young people for life after high school. The coaches decided to send a strong message, to teach a life lesson, knowing it would upset the impacted individuals. The players needed to learn that with power given to members of the varsity team – real or imagined – comes responsibility.  

In school classrooms, teachers focus on conveying facts and information that form a foundation for learning. We continue to build on that foundation for the rest of our lives. I think that’s why I feel Sunday school is so important for children. At Sunday school our children learn the foundation for their faith, and they also learn about kindness, love, and forgiveness. Yes, they often learn those things at home too, but the home learning and the church learning reinforce those life lessons. How many of you can remember the Bible stories you heard as a child? Can you still remember some of the Bible verses you memorized that come to mind at just the right time? As adults, just like those coaches, we are still learning to adapt, to compromise, and to interact with the people in the world around us. So even as adults we continue to learn life lessons which are reinforced at church.

The coaches recognized that something dramatic needed to be done to capture the attention of the young men in their care. They knew that benching basically the entire team was contrary to their short term goals of practicing and winning games. They ran the risk of losing those players who were particularly talented, the “play makers,” if those same individuals failed to earn back their jerseys. The coaches chose to take a bold stand for learning life lessons that would help their players in the short term and in the future, even if the action taken temporarily hindered the team on the field. They approached the problem as a team problem and an opportunity to build a stronger future. Aren’t we all part of a team? Our team may be a family, a community, or a church, but our team is more powerful and influential than any one individual. The better we each learn our life lessons the stronger our team, whatever that team may be. What have you learned today?

Have a great week :o) Linda