The picture associated with this post doesn't really line up with the content of the post. The picture shows a competitive rower getting tossed out of the boat while the story is of a guy who willingly got out. The failure of what happened after they left the boat, willingly or unwillingly, is about the only similarity. If you are an adult regularly interacting with teens, I think you'll enjoy reading on.
John 6:19-22 describes one of the apostle Peter’s most exhilarating successes and dangerous failures within a matter of verses. At Christ’s request, Peter daringly steps out of the boat in the middle of the dark sea and walks on water. Can you imagine what Peter must’ve felt in those moments as he walked on top of the water in the middle of a sea!?!? Talk about the thrill of victory! However, as the wind began to howl and the wave splashed high Peter’s focus on Christ waned and he began to sink….fast! Most people (myself included) read this story and think, “what a failure!” However, Peter wasn’t the biggest failure in this story. Don’t forget that there were 11 cowards back in the boat. Now they didn’t have their failure documented in the pages of the New Testament……but they also didn’t know the exhilaration of walking on water!
Students that join an athletic team are much like Peter. Throughout the ups and downs of an athletic season they will know gut wrenching failure and exhilarating success….sometimes all within the same game while their friends sit safely on the sidelines. What a wonderful opportunity that parents and coaches have to teach young people about the “success of failure”. It has been said many times that “failure is not fatal”. I believe very strongly in this idea. I also believe that whether or not failure is “fatal” depends totally on how an individual responds to the failure. When the student-athlete’s response to failure is to quit than it has truly “killed” the character of the individual; however if the failure is R.A.L.F.’d (recognized, admitted, learned from, forgotten) than the failure will be a firm building block on the way to accomplishment. Proverbs 24:10 says “if you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” The word faint implies lying down and giving up. Conversely, Proverbs 24:16 states that “…a righteous man falls seven times and rises again…” Our student-athletes should be encouraged to take on great challenges on and off the field of competition. They should never fear failure! This type of mindset is a tough standard to expect a teenager to embrace all by them self. The role of the parent and coach can be critical in making sure that this athletic experience is reinforced as a positive thing in the life of the student-athlete.
What should we do when a student-athlete fails?
1. Do NOT make excuses for why they failed. An important part of the character growth process is taking responsibility for failure. We should teach our student-athletes to focus on what they can do better the next time to be successful rather than blaming the surrounding circumstances (officials, rowdy fans, cheap play by an opponent, etc).
2. Remind them that a key part to being who Christ intended them to become is developing steely-jawed determination. Determination, just like a sport skill, can be developed through mundane repetition
3. Encourage the athlete to get back into competition with as much zeal as they had when they began…..hopefully more!
I’d like to personally encourage you to motivate your student-athlete and their friends to “GET OUT OF THE BOAT!” Who knows what lessons they will learn out on the “waters” of competition?
‘Bite Down and Don’t Let Go’ is a collection of writings on being intentional about life in a way that produces great persistence. Read about it more here.
John 6:19-22 describes one of the apostle Peter’s most exhilarating successes and dangerous failures within a matter of verses. At Christ’s request, Peter daringly steps out of the boat in the middle of the dark sea and walks on water. Can you imagine what Peter must’ve felt in those moments as he walked on top of the water in the middle of a sea!?!? Talk about the thrill of victory! However, as the wind began to howl and the wave splashed high Peter’s focus on Christ waned and he began to sink….fast! Most people (myself included) read this story and think, “what a failure!” However, Peter wasn’t the biggest failure in this story. Don’t forget that there were 11 cowards back in the boat. Now they didn’t have their failure documented in the pages of the New Testament……but they also didn’t know the exhilaration of walking on water!
Students that join an athletic team are much like Peter. Throughout the ups and downs of an athletic season they will know gut wrenching failure and exhilarating success….sometimes all within the same game while their friends sit safely on the sidelines. What a wonderful opportunity that parents and coaches have to teach young people about the “success of failure”. It has been said many times that “failure is not fatal”. I believe very strongly in this idea. I also believe that whether or not failure is “fatal” depends totally on how an individual responds to the failure. When the student-athlete’s response to failure is to quit than it has truly “killed” the character of the individual; however if the failure is R.A.L.F.’d (recognized, admitted, learned from, forgotten) than the failure will be a firm building block on the way to accomplishment. Proverbs 24:10 says “if you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” The word faint implies lying down and giving up. Conversely, Proverbs 24:16 states that “…a righteous man falls seven times and rises again…” Our student-athletes should be encouraged to take on great challenges on and off the field of competition. They should never fear failure! This type of mindset is a tough standard to expect a teenager to embrace all by them self. The role of the parent and coach can be critical in making sure that this athletic experience is reinforced as a positive thing in the life of the student-athlete.
What should we do when a student-athlete fails?
1. Do NOT make excuses for why they failed. An important part of the character growth process is taking responsibility for failure. We should teach our student-athletes to focus on what they can do better the next time to be successful rather than blaming the surrounding circumstances (officials, rowdy fans, cheap play by an opponent, etc).
2. Remind them that a key part to being who Christ intended them to become is developing steely-jawed determination. Determination, just like a sport skill, can be developed through mundane repetition
3. Encourage the athlete to get back into competition with as much zeal as they had when they began…..hopefully more!
I’d like to personally encourage you to motivate your student-athlete and their friends to “GET OUT OF THE BOAT!” Who knows what lessons they will learn out on the “waters” of competition?
‘Bite Down and Don’t Let Go’ is a collection of writings on being intentional about life in a way that produces great persistence. Read about it more here.
Dr. Chris Hobbs is an educational leader and Director
of Athletics at The King’s Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida. He’s earned a few
degrees and won some awards. He’s happily married to his high school
sweetheart and they have three teen age children. Life is messy and complicated
most of the time. You can follow him on Twitter
for all sorts of inspirational thoughts and good laughs.
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