This story appears in FCA Magazine’s May/June 2015 issue. Subscribe today!

Despite the perception that the press box is one of the most emotionally intense places in all of sports, I always found comfort there.

Though the press box is a frenzy of activity, discussions and split-second decision-making during a game, I’d often retreat there for peace on game days before pregame warm-ups. It wasn’t to review the game plan for the thousandth time that week; instead, I’d head up there to read my Bible, meditate on its words, and pray to the Lord.

These times allowed me to connect with the Lord before the game, seeking Him and Him alone for guidance, direction, poise and patience in what can so easily become a high-stress environment. It gave me the assurance of our sovereign God, who already knew the outcome of the upcoming game. Without that pregame routine, I don’t think I would’ve been able to remain calm in the hours ahead. To this day, whenever people ask how I managed to keep my cool during my days calling plays, I echo this routine.

Emotions play an enormous part in every sport, especially when it comes to keeping those emotions in check. Generally speaking, an emotional competitor is seen as a positive, bringing tremendous passion and energy and usually garnering great results. Whether you’re a coach or an athlete, your emotions are tested both throughout a game and through the ups and downs of an entire season. The secret, though, is bridling those emotions for the length of a season or a career—never getting too high after a win or too low after a loss, because there is usually another game or practice right around the corner.

With all that in mind, self-control might just be the most important of all the fruits of the Spirit when it comes to sports. In 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV), we see that  self-control accompanies a spirit of power and love: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

I’ve always told fellow coaches that you’re going to get what they see. Here’s what that means: If your athletes see panic and a loss of control from you, that’s exactly what you’re going to see on the field. Coaches must remain calm and collected during very challenging and intense times. I learned that from Bud Grant, the stoic Hall of Fame coach with the Minnesota Vikings who was totally at ease the entire game. I also saw that same peace and self-control in Hall of Fame coaches Tom Landry and John Wooden—two tremendously successful men who credited their poise to their individual faith walks.

As athletes, letting your emotions run wild can be costly. We’ve all seen a competitor lose control and penalize their team by drawing a technical foul or a penalty. Or, even worse, an athlete can be ejected from a game because of their words or actions. It’s paramount that coaches emphasize to athletes to keep their emotions in check and have self-control, no matter how intense or even out-of-control the situation might be.

And of course these same principles apply to life away from sports as well. When we’re each faced with tense emotional situations, we can all experience the peace that Jesus offers us—a peace that passes all understanding and will lead to self-control.

It’s a peace that only comes from above. And that’s where I found it—high above the football field each week in the press box, spending time with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Model the Master,

Les Steckel

FCA President/CEO

–This article appears in the May/June 2015 issue of FCA Magazine. To view the issue in its entirety digitally, click here: May/June 2015 FCA Mag Digital 

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