A Champion's Heart: In the Trenches: Win the Day!

Win The Day! All credit to this term belongs to Chip Kelly and his staff at the University of Oregon, but it is a term that struck home with me and I have adopted it for my teams. We used it last season in Finland and are emphasizing it here in France this year with the Flash! For me it is a simple reminder that we can not focus on the future but only on today. The only day we can win is today! These three simple words sum up so succinctly many of my personal beliefs on sport and life.
I was reminded of this today during my devotional time as I read Matthew 6: 33-34. This section of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount has always been a powerful section for me. This was one of the first verses that I was challenged to memorize by my Younglife leader Keith Kessler way back in high school in Eugene, Oregon .

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6: 33-34

Offense on the move

Its funny how some lessons you have to re-learn many times. This is one that I have to remind myself of daily. Jesus had just given beautiful illustrations of how God clothes the flowers with beauty and feeds the birds, and reminds us that we are more valuable to God than they are. Then comes these verses where we are admonished to trust and seek God's Kingdom and his righteousness and he will take care of these things. This is not some prosperity gospel message, it is a simple message about living life one day at a time and winning that day. How do we win it? By seeking God's Kingdom and his righteousness. That sounds like a daunting task though, so how do we do it? By not worrying about tomorrow and focusing on today.
So often I get so caught up in tomorrow . . . or many tomorrows ahead that I forget to see what is here in front of me today. I then stumble . . . and fall. Anyone with me? Then I tend to give up because the road ahead looks so daunting.

In my reading today from The American Church in Paris's Lenten devotional, the writer highlights how the book of 1 Samuel is about four great men of God, Eli, Samuel, Saul and David all with flaws. Flawed family men and fathers, who committed crimes that we we would condemn in today's world with a media frenzy that would force them from any leadership position in the modern world. Yet God told Samuel:

"Do not look at his appearance or his height for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7

These men stumbled greatly but God saw their hearts and saw that they tried to seek him and his kingdom and righteousness and used them to change their world and save their people. God looks at our hearts and not at our stumbling bumbling actions. As I look too far forward and trip, he reminds me to "Win the Day." To stop looking so far forward and get back up and focus on this moment, on the next step I need to take, on the next move for today!

Samyr making halftime adjustments

Today is a good day because it is a game day. It is easy to focus on an opponent who is clearly defined . Today we play the Spartiates from Amiens and though we don't know what they will bring to our stadium, as they have not played a game yet this season, we can focus on them as they enter our field and home turf. Winning and losing the day on game day is clearly defined in many ways. As a football team one of our primary goals is to win games so we will know how that comes out when the final whistle blows. But as a coach I know there is far more to today than the lights on the scoreboard. Winning the day will also be measured through how we play both technically and as a group of men. Did we play with class and respect for the game and one another? Did we play every play with the same intensity and purpose. Did we become better football players and men today. Did we learn how to love and serve one another through doing our job? These questions for me are far more important because those lessons are the ones that will impact those around us. Will we continue to pick ourselves up when we fail in life and take the next step forward. When we face marital strife, rebellious children, serious illness, financial trouble, injustice and many other realities of life will we take the next step forward and dedicate ourselves to Win the Day? Not focusing on tomorrow but only on today because we can not control tomorrow. Only today!

vs. Molosses

The non-game days are more challenging. The opponent is not as clearly defined. One of the things I have loved with the Flash has been coming to practice and as I walk on the practice field seeing guys working hard . . . before practice starts. DB's doing cone drills and working on breaks. linebackers working on reads and footwork, receivers working on ball catching drills and many other examples. These guys are winning the day! They are putting in extra work to make themselves better, it warms my heart! But I also know that sometimes these same players see others who stroll into practice late and do drills during practice at half speed and get so frustrated. I understand that frustration because I share it. I want to win a Eurobowl Championship this season.

However, I have realized that I can not focus on that goal because there are too many stumbling blocks in front of me before we get there. I have to focus on today and what I can control. Did I do everything in my power to make myself better and to encourage those around me today? If I did, I won the day and tomorrow I start again and must work to win that day. I believe that if we continue to win those days together then we will win the days ahead. But if we focus on tomorrow, today will slip by and we will not have won it and will be unprepared for the next day! What some of our players have not seen is the slow growth in turning things around. There are more players coming earlier, there is more focus and openness to new ideas from a few guys. Those are significant changes that I do see. Yes, it is hard to face the ones who have not made the switch yet, but patience and living for today will make those changes, not worrying about the future.

Mac and Jim Shelly

For me I need to seek God's kingdom and righteousness, accept his gifts that sustain me and trust him that he knows what I will face tomorrow and prepare me for that time by helping me to Win the Day! Go Flash!