Different

We are all different in our own way. Many of us are either athletic, brainy, or somewhere in the middle. There are many differet people in the schools we go to. In my school, Cave Spring, we have a lot of people that are much different from what we are. The band people are different from the football players, and they are different from the cheerleaders, and those are different from the soccer player.. Well typically they do. There are many different social groups that go together to do these certain things. As I'm sure anyone can tell you, there is no way that I am from the same social group of guys like the Knight, or the kids who are on the team who are either party-goers, or the kids who show themselves off more than any other person. There are many different social statuses on the football team, and I'm glad to say that I'm from the one that is a Christian. The problem is, I have to make sure I follow Christ first, which is a struggle, but that's another topic.

Today, we had an FCA meeting that I almost forgot about. If it werent' for the Seymours walking by me, I would have totally forgotten. I'm so glad that I happened to walk right by them though. While at FCA. Drew talked about how there are many different social groups that come together for each sport. The sad truth that occurs in every single team, is that outside of that sport, or whatever, most of those people never really talk to each other. There are people on the football team, that if it weren't for football, I would never talk to... Ever. In fact, most of the people on the football team are like that with me. There aren't that many people on the football team that I am very good friends with. Most of the reason for this could be because I was not in middle school with them or maybe it's because when I came here, they made me mad, so I didn't talk to them, or maybe my move to PH caused a riff. I can't explain why this is, but there is a definite riff between me and the other guys on the team. To be completely honest, it probably has something to do with the fact that I go to Young Life. I know that it shouldn't be that big a deal, but it really gives people a reason to not like you apparently. I don't understand it, but it is a possibility.

The main point behind Drew's talk is that there are many opportunities on these athletic teams to reach out to, or love those people. On the football team for the past few years, I have had countless opportunities to reach out to kids for the sake of Jesus Christ. I don't know why, but I haven't really taken many of those opportunities. There have been about 63 people per year that I could talk to about Jesus, but I didn't with most of them. There are about 50 to 60 this year that I could talk to in general, not even about Christ, but I could talk to them about that too. So why don't I? Is it because I am afraid of what they're going to think of me if I do? Is it because I just plain don't like some of them, and that keeps me from talking to them? If there is any reason for me to not talk to them, it's because some of them make me mad, and I just need to pray for them, and let the Lord work through them. There are many underclassmen that I don't really know. There are a lot of freshman on the JV team that I haven't gotten to know. Yeah, I know most of their names, and I could tell you who most of them are, but I don't really know them. I haven't taken an honest minute to really reach out, and get to know them. I know that when I was a freshman, that's all I wanted. I wanted someone to reach out to me, and show me the way things went. There were many people who did that for me. Why am I not doing the same thing for these freshman?

Going to the soccer team, there are about 18 people per year on both the JV and Varsity soccer teams respectively. That's 36 total people that I could use my time to really get to know, and love who they are. I could spend the year worrying about how well I'm going to do, or I could spend the year trying to be a true leader. Granted, with the soccer team, I don't get to see many of the JV kids every day, like I do the varsity kids, but I still know who they are. I need to make it my goal to be more of a leader, and to really show people that there is more to life than football, or soccer. or whatever else it is that we are doing together.

I just read one of my good friend's posts.. She and I are in the same boat.. We're seniors on each of our resepective teams. She's doing Volleyball, track, and soccer from what I know. I'm only doing football and soccer. The next 3 games that we still have to play are the last 3 games that I will ever wear a football jersey. There is no college ball for me. There is no next level. It's the next three games, and I'm done. With soccer, I only have one season. This is likely my last year to participate in school sponsored sports. Why don't I make the most of it, and show people that there is no place for divisions on the team. I need to show them that it doesn't matter if you come from the party group, the Young Life group, or the socially awkward group. It doesn't matter that some of the guys on the team don't much care for Jesus Christ, or that there are those on he team who would do anything to show their faith. We need to come together on the field, and use that to become a great team.

There are many reasons that there should not be divisions on a team. Whether that team is a football team, a soccer team, a volleyball team, or even a track team. It doesn't really play much into track, unless you run a relay race, or something like that, but when you are divided on a team, you tend to not want to use the whole team. When you have divisions on the team, each side of the divide tends to think that the people on their side are "better" than those on the other, even if they really aren't. In the football mindset, if there are divisions on the team, it can cause people to think that someone isn't as good, and that will cause problems if something doesn't go well on a play come Friday night. If a play gets completely blown up, like the other team scores a touchdown, or gets an interception, or something like that, there is likely to be finger pointing, or something like that. Which just leads to more problems which will in turn, lead to a loss. That is just the football method. In a soccer mindset, if there are divisions among the people on the 11 people who are on the field at any given time, one person might not play another one the ball, just because they don't like them. They might always look to play it to one specific person because they view that person as "better" even if the person they don't like would be a smarter ball to play. That can not only cause the ball to get intercepted by the other team, but if done on the wrong third of the field, can lead to a ball in the back of your own net... No one likes that feeling. Everyone needs to be in sync, because when everyone is playing the right ball, you will start to see more balls flying into the back of the opponents net, or a good run or pass that goes in the end zone for six points. In the track relay mindset, if you aren't in sync with the 2 people in the relay that you deal with immediately, there can be a miscue, and you could either have a bad handoff, or even drop the baton. That can also cause problems with the person you don't deal with. If it's between the 1st and 2nd legs, they can cause the race to slow for the 34d and 4th people, and any other combination. I know from being the first leg in the 4x100 relay 5 years ago that if me and the guy I handed of to messed up, the other two guys were then under more pressure. If he and I had a clean handoff, but then he and the 3rd guy didn't have a good one, I can then be stressed because we were probably in the lead.

The point is, we can't afford, as athletes, to let divisions hurt the team. We can't have our own thing going because that is almost never the thing that the team would have you do. Everyone needs to beo n the same page if you want your team goals to be able to be reached.

For the seniors, it is our last chance. We don't have another year to spend on ourselves. Let's kill the divisions in the team because you will regret not getting to know your team mates.


I hope y'all have a good day!

TJ