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Best Season Yet: 12 Weeks to Train is designed to be
used by coaches and athletes throughout a twelve-week training period, typical
for many high school, college, and community-based athletic seasons. The sport?
It doesn’t really matter. There is application to the runner, the football
player, hoopster, gymnast, swimmer—or any other kind of sport. It is equally
helpful for the individual athlete or team player.
A theme is assigned to each week-long period. Because this
book is well-suited for a Monday-through-Friday school week, each weekly
division features five stories to buttress the theme. Though the order of each
week relates to the natural progression of an athlete through a season, there
is nothing sacred about the ordering. Each group of five, theme-related stories
can be pulled out and used to best fit a particular need.
The twelve weekly themes:
- Can-do commitments
True commitment is the cornerstone
of every successful venture. The first week lays the foundation for being
committed and the responsibilities, ramifications, and rewards of that
decision. Both ancient and current real-world examples demonstrate that
commitment is not for the timid or weak. Rather, commitment requires attention
to the task, regardless of what it is. Divided loyalties undermine commitments,
but a sharp, conscious commitment can make the difference between reward and
regret.
- Surrendering to submission
“Submission? You mean subject
myself to another, obey, and do what I’m told? I’m not a Marine or in the army.
Is this really necessary?” The simple answer is “yes.” We tend not to relate
submission to athletics but submission is the next step (after commitment) to
the Best Season Yet. It’s vital to understand chain of command and
accept our position. Only when we learn to submit to God, coaches, parents, and
teammates are we freed to excel.
- Motivation meets aspiration
Many an athlete, fueled by excitement
at season’s start, finds himself sputtering in complacency just a few weeks in.
Running out of fuel is often the result of lack of focus and clear objectives
more than lack of talent. Together, we learn to prioritize, set realistic yet
challenging goals, and chart a course to accomplish them.
- When fear and dreams collide
“I have a dream…” Sure, we all
have dreams. But, how many times has that dream turned into a bloody nightmare?
Sometimes we fail to achieve our goals because we become paralyzed by fear:
fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of the commitment it takes to
achieve the dream. This fourth week of life lessons asks the reader to define
those fears and put them into proper perspective. She will read real-life
stories and see the beauty in that moment when fear and dreams collide,
exploding into glorious victory.
- Yowza. This hurts bad!
There are few things so sure as
the inevitable pain and suffering in the life of an athlete. Injuries and
exhaustion cloud an athlete’s judgment and often extinguish even the
possibility of achieving the goals set early in the season. Discouragement
abounds when the season seems headed to an early demise. And yet, pain and
suffering—both physical and mental—can be the catalyst for breakthrough
performances and renewed focus.
- Persevering Persistence
By mid-season, nearly every
athlete feels like he stepped into quicksand and is sinking fast. The pressures
of maintaining academic standards, putting in the miles, surviving relentless
drills, and keeping frayed nerves from unraveling make the topic of
perseverance crucial. Extreme athletes are some of the best at offering a
unique yet realistic perspective on taking just one more step. Their stories,
along with those of persevering biblical warriors of old, help the athlete be
encouraged and renewed.
- Falters and failures
Don’t you just hate it when
carefully-laid plans fall apart with one wobble on the balance beam or a
stumble late in a race? Worse yet, you start spending more time sidelined than
out in the fray. Failure, when not properly understood, will undermine an
entire season—and possibly a career. But failure can groom the athlete for a
brighter, better future. This section inspires with the example of others who
refused to flounder in failure.
- Service with a smile
We’ve all seen professional
athletes flaunting their fancy cars and mansions. Many appear to be selfish and
ego-centric. What an opportunity they miss to refocus on the needs of others. A
team is the perfect venue for service. To recognize and address needs does not
come naturally. Just like perfecting a jump shot or a slap shot, it takes
practice to hone this skill of serving another. A team that learns to serve
well will score points in the game that really counts: the game of a godly
life.
- Go team!
“All for one and one for all.”
Really? It’s a phrase we like to throw around but do we truly understand what
that means in practical ways? How can we realistically support the team and
help it flourish? How do we build a sense of community, leadership, and
camaraderie among team members, coaches, and interested parties? Learning how
to embrace strengths and accommodate and improve on weaknesses is a necessary
component of a successful team. Readers learn by example with this look at the
characteristics of successful teams.
- In pursuit of excellence
Transitioning from mediocrity to
excellence is no easy task. But after nine weeks of learning to commit and
submit, establish goals, serve and persevere, the foundation is set to seek
excellence, not only in our chosen sport, but in life—becoming a complete man
or woman of God.
- Tiptoeing the tightwire: Priorities and balance
The line between commitment and
obsession is thin—microscopic, even. Unfortunately, we unwittingly step over
that line by losing focus on what is really important. We get confused when we allow
“single-minded focus” to nudge out the rest of life. The result? Exhaustion,
frustration, and failure. Learn to establish priorities and maintain an
appropriate balance to make your life pleasing to God in every way.
- Finishing fitness: Physical, emotional, spiritual
There is nothing so dreaded—and at
the same time, embraced—as the end of an athletic season. We are tired of the
routine, the practice, the competition. We are fed up with the time restraints
of holding together a jam-packed schedule. And yet, we look back and are amazed
at our progress and accomplishments. The season’s end, however, is really just
a springboard that launches us into yet another Best Season Yet of
growth, development, and physical, emotional, and spiritual maturity.
This book is ideal for the Christian coach to use in leading
a team throughout a season. Creating a “story time” at the beginning of each
practice allows the coach to direct the team’s attention and unify their
thoughts. The relatively short stories followed by a discussion opportunity require
approximately ten minutes to complete, a doable time commitment in most team
settings. No preaching is needed. Just a single thought for pondering and
application.
Getting a full staff of coaches on the same page can be a
difficult task. Each one seems to have his own idea on “growing” athletes. Best Season Yet offers an athletic
director a resource to train his coaches and develop a consistent message
throughout the entire athletic program.
But what about the individual athlete training alone or a
parent helping his daughter achieve athletic greatness? Not a problem. This
book speaks to the individual athlete as well as to the seventy-five-member
team. The twelve-week approach will serve to motivate and inspire, helping the
athlete to stay the course and find the finish.
