February 2, 2015 - Embrace Your Role!!

A player needs to understand and accept his role. Often in the world of sports a coach or parent has to deal with the disappointment of a player not understanding why he is playing a certain position or not getting playing time. Years ago I wrote about a college coach named Dick Bennett (father of UVA coach Tony Bennett) who utilized an offense called the Blocker Mover Offense.

In essence Coach Bennett took players that had come into his Division 1 program and put them within their system as either a blocker or a mover. Movers were the guys that were considered the primary scoring threats. Blockers had the responsibility of setting screens to get the movers open and were restricted on the area of the floor they would play. (Blockers would score off of slipped screens for lay-ups and offensive rebound put-backs.)

To put this in perspective: each player that would play for Coach Bennett was a stud at his high school and probably the primary scoring option. Here is how one article described the Blocker role: Blockers are smart team players who embrace their primary responsibility of setting good, solid screens for movers. (By James Gels, from the Coach’s Clipboard)

I love the way term he used to describe successful Blockers: Embraced! These guys realized they had the opportunity to play a role on a Division 1 team and they made the most of it.

Do you get the perspective here? These players had to swallow a little bit of pride and find contentment and fulfilment in the role they were given.

Have you embraced your role where you are at in life? Are you content to be faithful in your present situation? Are you viewing your present circumstances as an obstacle or an opportunity?

The Apostle Paul was thrown in jail for preaching the Gospel. I am sure he envisioned speaking truth to the masses but instead ended up chained to prison guards. He had a choice to view it as an obstacle to his plans or as an opportunity for God’s plans. Instead of choosing to complain he wrote a letter to the Philippians telling them (and us) to not complain or grumble, to rejoice always, and to focus on doing good for others (kind of like setting screens for the Movers.)

He was obviously facing a major obstacle to his plans but said this: “…the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the Gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;” (Phil 1:12-13)

Paul took an obstacle and turned it into an opportunity! He chose to not view his circumstances as imprisonment but instead as a new prison ministry! (I think he looked forward to every new guard they would chain him to as a new opportunity to score with the Gospel!) He embraced his role!

 

What are your present circumstances? More importantly what are your present opportunities?

Take care of today! Go MAD (Make A Difference) where you’re at while you have the chance! Embrace your role!

Read Philippians today!