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Prepare and Play to Win

1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. (NIV)

God's message is very clear. Prepare and play to win. It is perfectly alright and actually Biblical to want to always win. The reality is that everybody will have to accept losing at some point......... but not today. Never feel embarrassed or take it easy on an opponent because you feel like winning is a bad thing. It is the coach's job to maintain a semblance of regulating the score and not going overboard. You owe it to your opponent to play the game or match in such a way to get the prize. On the other end of the spectrum, NEVER GIVE UP!!!!

This phrase always brings to mind the poster depicting never giving up. The animal has swallowed his prey (picture a lion, bear or a vulture with a bulge in their throat). Now envision two small arms and hands coming out of the predators mouth, wrapped around the neck of the animal who has just seemingly eaten his meal. That is fighting to the end and never calling it quits. We have all witness various levels of comebacks. The one that immediately comes to mind is a college basketball game between Duke and I think Maryland. Maryland had something like a 10 point lead with about 30 seconds to play. Needless to say Duke didn't give up, continued to play to the end of the race, and miraculously won the game. A couple of things were evident in this comeback. First Duke had prepared very hard to win and would not accept anything less. Secondly, a higher power showed up and showed out.

Individuals and teams who prepare in the right way seem to receive greater benefits. They seem to have more confidence than the lesser prepared opponents. This feeling that well prepared individuals and teams exhibit is very easy to see. A person on the outside may not know what that look is but it is always recognizable. They not only know that they are ready but most times prove it in the contest. Always, and I mean always give your best to preparation. You owe it to yourself and your teammates, if it is a team sport. To orchestrate a great comeback which shows that you never gave up also requires stepping into "the zone".

The zone is merely God showing up to reward someone. Have you ever heard the saying that a particular player was in the zone. The basket looked like the ocean to a basketball player. The ball looked like a watermelon to a hitter in baseball. Or the most common analogy is that everything appeared to be "like slow motion to me". God has a way of imposing his presence to get his glory. I would like to think that only those individuals and teams that prepare in the right way receive those zone visits, but knowing God he finds humor in showing up when you least expect it. So if you have ever been in the zone just thank God. If not then His message is very clear: never give up and always prepare and play to win. It's in His Word and He will show up.

                                                                                           Fred Tudor

Fred Tudor is a eighteen year employee of the Cincinnati Public Schools as a Health and Physical Education teacher. He has been coaching at the high school level in Greater Cincinnati since graduating from Wittenberg University in 1979. His coaching stints includes stops at his alma mater Walnut Hills High School, Hughes Center High School, and from 1990 until present coaches at Wyoming High School. His church home is Cincinnati Bibleway Church in Madisonville, Apostles James and Grace Blue Pastors.

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