You are currently browsing the Bruce Smith weblog archives for the day 29. April 2009.
29. April 2009 by BruceSmith.
Life inside the lines…coaching allowed…life lessons from a tennis match.
This past week I had the opportunity to coach our high school tennis team in the Regional Tournament. Being a young team, having just started last year, we went into the tournament as the underdogs for sure. Surprisingly, we faired quite well and qualified several players for the State tournament. Along the way, however, a lot of coaching and hard work on the court went into the “success”. As I have thought about the tournament and the matches played a number of life lessons came to mind. Someday, I hope to write an entire book on the lessons I have learned on the tennis court for the last three decades, but for now, let me highlight just a few lessons which I believe will serve (pun intended) you well.
One particular match in the regional tournament really highlights a couple of key principles we must embrace if we are to live life to the full and find the kind of life God intends for us. Life lived inside the lines of His plan, as I have suggested before, is the only sure way to life to the full. We find that quality of life when we embrace Jesus as the divine Coach, and instructor for our every movement. So, on with the match highlights.
As one of the girls doubles teams was competing in a final match to qualify for the State tournament, my coaching “skills” were in full throttle. The girls, equally matched in terms of physical ability with the other team, were much greener in terms of experience and competitive play. I saw early on that the strategy would make all the difference in the match. Moreover, more than strategy in theory, it was the implementation of the strategy that would win the day.
Each time I put players on the court I call them to a familiar refrain for competition; F.A.P. This simple alliteration serves our team well as a way to focus on a few things in order to get the job done. F is for “find the weakness in the other team”, A is for “abuse or attack that weakness”, and P is for “keep the ball in Play…hit one more ball than they do”. If equally matched, and sometimes under-matched, for players who will do this with optimum focus, winning becomes more of a regular experience.
As the girls began the match it was clear that the opponents had a similar game to my girls, and it was evident that a supreme amount of mental focus and grit would be needed to get the job done. As the first set rolled on my girls had led in 12 of 13 games, and had in fact, had game points in 11 of 13 games, and yet, lost the set. On every change-over I called them to notice that they were leading each game, most by a score of 40-15, and yet, were losing. On the few occasions they were down in a game they played very well, but once ahead, they somehow fell apart.
After trying to get them to focus on this for a set and a half, it was clear the message was not getting through, for the same trend continued half way through the second set. I decided to look for a way to get the attention of my players.
One of my players, new to tennis but a good athlete, is a very good volleyball player. So, I decided to use a metaphor from the game she was used to. I told her to go find that frame of mind she competed with on the volleyball court and bring it into the tennis match. On the volleyball court she has fast, light, and quick feet and hands coupled with steely-eyed determination, but in this tennis match she was in sleep walking mode. I needed her awake! That seemed to help a bit but we were struggling to hang on in the second set, and we still could not win the games when we were ahead.
At four all in the second set, after a long game, we finally woke up and snuck out a win and went up 5-4. We were so close to splitting sets and forcing a third and deciding set. On the changeover, I looked the girls in the eye and said, “Now look, you are a game away, four points away, from forcing a third set despite playing very poorly. You two have to make a decision now. Are you going to give the lead away again, or are we going to win the next four points and regroup and get ready for a third set? You two have to make the decision. Only you can make this happen now. Do you want this or not? If so, get angry, get competitively angry that you have allowed this to be so hard when you could have walked away with this match an hour ago”. And with that I walked away from the fence, and they won four points in a row and took the second set. But the battle had just begun.
After a ten minute break and lots of coaching and reviewing of the strategy I decided I would let them walk back to the court and jump in on their own. I would stay away at least for the first game or two. When I got to the court they were down 0-1 in the third set, after having led the first game 40-15, again, and were on the verge of losing another game. The pulled it even at 1-1, and then lost another game having led, yet again, 40-15. I was nearly pulling my hair out, I have to admit. At this point we had led 24 of 26 games in the match, and had actually been at game point in 23 of 26 games in the match, and yet, we were down by a game in the third set. At the change over I told the girls to relax, recognize that the match is there to win, reminded them that they have led in every game, and told them that if they focused enough and actually executed the strategy, they could still win. At 2-2 the other team played a very good game and went up 3-2. There was really nothing to be done in that game, the opponents just flat out outplayed my girls. On the change over, I encouraged them, “Hey, that is literally only the second game in the entire match the other team has won! Every other game we gave away! Now, nothing to worry about here, just get back out there and execute the game plan. Don’t change the plan, but execute better”.
I have to admit, it felt as if the match had slipped away right there. That 3-2 game is a huge one in a deciding set. The girls fought from behind in the next game and pulled the match even at 3-3. I felt a bit better. Until, we got up, yes again, in the next game only to lose it and go down 3-4 in the final set. If you know anything about tennis or momentum theory, that shift is a huge one for the team that gets that game. It puts them two games away from a win and makes them really feel good. I knew that if I did not get my girls attention now, the match and the State tourney were gone.
As they came to the fence for the change over, looking down and deflated, I sharply said, “Look at me. Focus here. For the next minute and a half you focus right here. You have been out here almost three hours. For every game but three you have been in control and had a game point. Yet, you are losing. Why? You are not being outplayed. You are the better team. Now you have to decide right now, right now, if you want this. I want you to hear everything I am going to say now. You know the plan. Close off the net, get four first serves in, make them hit the last ball, and talk to each other. We have been through this, and I sound like a broken record. I don’t care. Do you want to win? Do you want to go to the State tourney? If so, you are out of time. If we don’t make a change at this point, it will be too late. Ladies, listen to me. You have agreed with me all day on the strategy. But we are losing. You have been winning almost every game. But we are losing. You have not focused. Focus right now, do the things we talked about and you will win this match. Its not too late, but if you don’t execute now, its over. Let’s execute, do this, and go to State”. They finally decided to execute, got the strategy into practice, and won three games straight. Match over! We are on to State!
All of that was, of course, the set up for the principles which follow. If you read closely, you know what they are. But just in case, I will make them really clear. I have learned many principles for life on the court, and they have served me well when I have executed. When I have neglected the principles for life inside the lines, I have lost. I am sure you can relate.
So here they are. Life inside the lines, living fully alive, learned from two teenage girls struggling for a birth in the State tourney.
* The game is played inside the lines. This one is simple enough. No game (basketball, football, soccer, baseball, or tennis) is played outside the lines. There are boundaries in every sport. Outside the boundaries the game does not exist. Precise geography, linear equation, and surveying go into the measurements and creation of any field or court. So it is with life. God has drafted the game, the rules, the plays, and has set the time clock. The game is played inside those lines. Outside the boundaries no game exists. Life comes alive inside the lines He has drawn. You move outside those rules and you find pain and loss. You simply can’t win. The game, in fact, loses its pleasure and meaning, and is no longer worth playing.
* The strategy must be studied and applied. Any game played at a high level requires a certain amount of study and work. Pro football players, basketball players, and all others study film, play books, and scouting reports in order to know how to play a particular opponent. So it is with tennis and so it is with life. You cannot hope to have a meaningful life without a clear and compelling strategy in play. You must be able to understand and implement a game plan. The plan must have a reason behind it and power within it. No plan, no implementation, …you find yourself always behind in the score.
* The extent to which you adhere to the plan determines your level of success. Had my girls focused earlier in the match they could have won in half the time with half the effort. If we were more willing to take God at His word and apply His truths in everyday life we could save ourselves so much heartache and pain. Its when we review the strategy and then abandon it that we miss out on what God has for us. That is not to say we will never face hardship or defeat if we follow God’s plan, as the next principle suggests. We will. But in the end, we know His plan is sure and though we may lose some battles, we win the war.
* Sometimes life just outplays us. As my girls saw in a few games in the match, sometimes the opponents just outmatch us. Sometimes there is nothing we could have done. Bad things do happen, pain does come, losses are real. But, as we remain sure of God’s hand, and His ability to bring us to the end destination, we will find that every obstacle and challenge can be used for good. We are not promised it will be easy. In fact, what a boring life it would be if challenges were not present. The tough spots make it all interesting and vigorous. We won’t and don’t get all the answers for the losses, but the playbook tells us that as we make God our focus, all things work for the good of those who know Him.
* If we focus our hearts, minds, and will toward Him, even if we are behind, He can make a way for us to win. Just as my girls found out in the third set, playing from behind, attention to the plan and determination can make all the difference. We are saved, kept, and made by the grace of God. We don’t earn it. We never will. We will fail, fall behind and often times find ourselves in a real fix. At that moment we must focus all we are on Him, ask for redirection, and trust that His plan forward is our only hope. No sin is too deep, no loss too great for the God of all creation. He specializes in brining the defeated to the top, in giving the underdog victory, and in offering the marginalized another shot. Don’t give up. Look at the plan again. Ask for renewed strength to pursue it.
* There are critical moments you must be highly attentive to. In every big game, big match, competitive outing, there are big moments, critical junctures where the game is won or lost. Just as my girls doubles squad had to face reality at 3-4 in the third set, each of us have moments when we have to look reality square in the face and own up to the task in front of us. Like my girls, often we are set up to win, given every opportunity for success, coached toward victory, and yet, somehow, we pass up the openings closing our minds to the significance of situation. When we do this, we miss out on God’s best for us and we can make life much harder than it needs to be. And, importantly, there are moments when our confidants, and even God Himself, through the Holy Spirit, raises the volume in order to warn us of impending loss or danger. If we turn a deaf ear to such coaching advice we run the risk of great loss. At times we need a divine intervention. Even so, we must embrace the moment and react. We must make a change and head in a new direction if we are to begin to win again.
* We must learn from our losses. At some point, we have to come to grips with the truth about our lives and our losses. If we find ourselves, like my doubles team, continually faltering the same way, we have to be able and willing to learn from the failure. We have to ask, “Why am I continually squandering the opportunities God gives me? Why do I fail along the same patterns again and again?” It helps to have good coaches, friends, advisors around us to see and deal with the failures. Further, if we close ourselves off to others and refuse the input of others, we risk turning a rut into a grave. Indeed it has been said, “The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.” If we don’t learn from our mistakes, and forge a new way forward, we are digging our own grave. For some that grave is a sin pattern, a relational pattern, an emotional pattern, an eating pattern, a pleasure pattern, … Whatever it may be for you, wake up, allow someone to speak into your life, and get out of that rut before its too late.
There are many other lessons for life which come from this one match played beneath the heat and humidity of a New Orleans spring sky. And, there are many other lessons which come from the tennis court to the court of life. Perhaps, I will write more on this in the days ahead. I trust and pray these few principles will serve you well, and that they will encourage you to put His plan into play, and to play with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Grace and Peace,
Bruce Smith
optimuslife.org
soulstormsite.com
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »