Lessons From Football

As a youth I was active in three sports: wrestling, football, and track. I still run, but not as often or as hard. I don't wrestle anymore, except with life issues. However, my favorite sport is football. And although I don't play the sport anymore, I do passionatly watch the game at high school, college and pro level. There have been many influences in my life. However, I must credit football with some major ones.

Football taught me early in life that there is nothing wrong with hard work. I learned that the harder I practiced, the more likely it was that I would get to play the game. I also learned that the harder I worked the more prepared I was for the game (physially and mentally). There is nothing wrong with learning discipline.

Prov 6:6-8 NIV
Go to the ant , you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

Football taught me lessons about teamwork. I learned early and quickly about getting along with people to accomplish the task of winning. You can check out my blog from yesterday and Monday regarding my thoughts on this. When you think about it, who has really ever achieved success without the help of others?

Football taught me some lessons about rules. If I didn't play by the rules, my team was penalized. Rules are made to be followed, not broken. Rules are part of the game. There are life rules. Break them and your penalized.

2 Tim 2:5 NIV
Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.


1 Cor 9:24-27 NIV
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. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

I no longer play football. It is a sport for younger individuals. But the lessons I learned still apply to me as I journey through this life. Football helped to shape my life.