This morning a good friend asked me this question, “Did you have a game last night, or just practice?” Now before I hit publish and make this available to the whole world, I will make sure my friends knows that I am writing this, and will say thank you for the moment that allowed this thought to live out loud. Thank you my dear friend!
Just Practice… can mean – “Just stop your belly aching and go practice what you have been taught!”
Just Practice… can mean – “Just another day at the office.” or “Living the dream…” or “Man, do I have to go to practice?”
Just Practice… can mean – “I really want to have a game. Practice is so boring and monotonous. Game time is where I shine.”
Today, I want to propose this thought to you…
Have you heard the adage “You will play like you practice.” I heard this as a high school athlete, I hated it. Friday nights under the lights were different from practice afternoons. What people saw under the lights was the best, my best, our teams best. They seemed to be the best of times!
Now, I love practice the most. They are the best of times. That is where we get better. That is where we work on things, to get better. That is where we forge relationships, and learn how to forge through the fires of adversity. Practice is where I truly deal with the Doubt, the Fear, and the Pain! Games are where I reap the rewards of the Doubt, the Fear, and the Pain overcome through practice!
Well, now as a Dad, Pastor, Leader, and Coach, I live by and preach a different setiment… “Don’t wait to play hard when everyone is watching, play hard when the only ones that are watching are your teammates and coaches. Then you will give your everything, your best in practice, and then on the field!” You will know no other way!
So the question of the day…
How are you playing today? Is your life different in private compared to public? Are you playing for who is watching, or are you practicing to get better?
Let me leave you with a quote from Coach Warren Belin who got it from St. Jerome…
“Good, better, best – never let it rest until your good is Better
and your Better is BEST!”
What is your best today?