April 27, 2009 - TEAM

Last Saturday I was able to witness a true display of team camaraderie and unselfish play. I was watching my 11-yr-old son play in a U14 soccer match. The 13 and 14-yr-old players truly made my son feel part of the team.

Sometimes a player plays up with older kids because his skill level demands it. In this case my son was playing up because the number of players at his age level didn’t warrant having a team. Therefore he was moved up to a team that has some very good players; yet he is a player with very little experience and as a result a limited skill set. It would have been very easy to see the older players being resentful that the young kid was on their team. It would have been the norm to see the older players ignore the younger.

Not only did I not see that throughout the season, but Saturday was the culmination of the joy I felt in watching this team. As the game began I immediately noticed that the coach had put my son up on the front line at a striker position. I looked at my wife and said “the coach wants Caleb to get a goal.” To my surprise it wasn’t just the coach. As the game unfolded we could regularly hear the older guys shouting instructions to our son. As older players approached the goal there were shouts of “get Caleb the ball.”

As the 1st half was winding down Sam, one of our most skilled players, had made a run on goal. He dribbled around numerous defenders and was left with just the goalie to beat. This kid is so skilled that he could have literally walked the ball into the goal. As he approached the shouts rang out “hit Caleb!” Sam calmly sent a pass across the mouth of the goal to 11-yr-old Caleb and Caleb punched it in….GOOOOOOOOOAALL! (I’m not so sure how much of a “punch” it was but it went in!)

The team erupted in cheers. Now please note that the game was not hanging in the balance. We were handily winning the match. The team was truly happy for Caleb and in the process encouraging to Caleb. My wife noted that he seemed to play more aggressively after that. My oldest son said he had a discussion with Caleb’s coach over at the bench noting how much more active Caleb was – to which the coach replied “it is amazing what that one goal will do for you.”

As the church we need to be more active in our encouragement of one another. We need to see that we are on a “team.” Just sitting together on Sunday mornings doesn’t cut it. We need to be “in the game” together. And as “players” we need to experience some success.

Caleb’s team targeted him for encouragement and success on Saturday. Do you have a target this week? Who will you encourage? Who will you reach out to? Or are you just going through the motions?

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

What a joy to see a TEAM play!