The Secret to Greatness

Devotion provided by Mike Vandervelde, Referee-Big 12

What is Greatness? Everyone of us are striving to be “great” on the football field.  As officials, we are on the field and on the court surrounded by greatness, or at least a perceived sense of greatness. Along with that, our crews are working hard to be the greatest crew. Let’s look closer at defining and understanding greatness.

Who is the greatest of all time (the GOAT) in basketball? Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, or Lebron James? Why are these 3 players in discussion for being the greatest basketball players ever? What do we measure these players by?  Most people would specifically look at the numbers/statistics. We look at individual statistics, analyze how many wins and championships, and compare the eras in which they played. At the end of the debate, we would never come to a conclusion or an exact final answer.

Which team in college football is the greatest team of all-time?  Over the summer, I followed on “X” the voted-on bracket of the greatest teams ever.  I pose the question again--what makes someone or a team great?  According to the dictionary, greatness means the quality or state of being important, notable, or distinguished.  In the world we live, a person, a team, a business works hard to receive that perceived level of notability; however, God looks at greatness in a totally different perspective.

Matthew 20:26 gives us a very clear picture of what God wants us to do for us to be great.  In this verse, Jesus said, “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” Jesus is talking to the mother of Zebedee’s sons.  All she wanted was for her sons to be great. If they could sit next to Jesus, in her mind she believed that they would be looked at and seen in a position of greatness. 

Philippians 2:4 – not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 

Read John 13: 1-17 – What does Jesus teach us about what it means to be great when he washed His disciples feet? 

Jesus lead by example. He showed that the secret to greatness really comes down to serving others.  Jesus served.  To be great we need to have a heart to serve and serve often. As officials, how do we serve? 

·         Make sure crew mates have the necessary transportation

·         Clean conference room, hotel room and locker room before leaving

·         Be courteous to hotel staff, airline crews, school administrators

·         Be mentally and physically prepared for the game

Those are just a few examples.  Think and discuss some practical ways to serve while we are on the road throughout the season.

Let’s be great in God’s eyes.  

Calm and Clear

A situation that always challenges my ability to stay calm is when an airline gate agent directs me to check the size of my carry-on luggage. I have been traveling with the same piece of carry-on luggage for 3 years, when a gate agent recently directed me to verify my luggage wasn’t too big by placing it in the luggage sizer bin. This seems to happen to me about once every 10 flights even though other people in front of me appear to have similar size carry-ons. In this particular case, I took a quick deep breath, did not make any verbal response or offer any frustration, but just placed my bag in the sizer bin. Though my carry-on did in fact fit, the gate agent commented “the fit was tight but it fit.” My first thought was to respond with “well, it fit didn’t it.” But instead, I paused and just said “thank you” and boarded the plane.

 So in this case, and in all forms of effective communication, both verbal and non-verbal, one key is to remain calm.

As football officials, several incidents happen throughout the weekend that cause our heart rate to increase and prevent us from remaining calm:

• Travel issues (flight delays, room not available)
• Angry coaches
• Penalties (flags we throw)
• Player issues (pushing, shoving, talking trash)
• Irate Fans

So, how can we remain calm in tense or hurried moments? Take a deep breath. Before talking or giving any type of facial expression, hand/arm motion, or non-verbal communication, pause for just a second with a deep breath and then communicate.

Why is remaining calm a key to effective communication? Being calm enables us to be clear in our communication. Clear communication for football officials looks as follows:  (1) Limited body movement and hand gestures (use self-control), (2) slow or even-paced verbal communication (don’t speak too fast), and (3) active listening (listen to hear, not to reply).

Challenge for this season: When communicating to the Referee, a fellow official, or coach, take a deep breath first. 

Here are some of the benefits of taking deep breaths:

1. Reduces stress; increases calmness.
2. Improves focus.
3. Increases energy.
4. Lowers blood pressure.
5. Supports correct posture.

https://www.urbanbalance.com/benefits-deep-breathing/

 

These are just a few scientific benefits to taking deep breaths. Another perk is the benefit of time! Taking a deep breath gives us a short, added amount of time in order to determine how to best respond.

Psalm 107:29-30:  He caused the storm to be still; so that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet; so He guided them to their desired haven.

In this Psalm of David, I am reminded that God calms the storms within us and removes the fear and uncertainty of the storms (challenges) surrounding us. No matter how harsh or stressful of a situation that I face, God gives me peace. This peace also helps keep me calm and helps me to clearly communicate. Notice the end of verse 30, “He guided them to their desired haven.” When we as humans, and officials, are able to stay calm and “quiet,” the results are most often in our favor.

 “By staying calm, you increase your resistance against any kind of storms.” – Mehmet Murat ildan

 

Do the Right Things

We are busy people. Family responsibilities, work obligations, and personal events fill our calendars quickly. When we find our calendars over-loaded, we “give up,” “over-look,” or “set aside” certain activities and responsibilities so we can fulfill obligations in other areas. How do we decide what to do? The one thing we should not do is skip seeking wisdom. As we feel pressure from our schedule and the “to-do list,” we should pause and pray for wisdom from God to give us direction to accomplish our tasks.

The more activities we have, the more we need God to give us wisdom to accomplish one task at a time. Seeking God helps us prioritize our workload and gives us wisdom on how to more effectively tackle each task. The Bible tells us, “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

As officials, what responsibilities are we having to prioritize? Before we arrive onto the field, we prioritize our physical fitness, rules and video study, uniform cleaning, and travel requirements. When we get to game time, what then are our priorities as we strive to manage the game well? (1) Clear communication among the crew as well as with coaches, players, administrators; (2) clock management awareness; (3) thorough reporting of fouls to Referee and solid announcements by Referee; (4) and overall calmness and professionalism during the game. With all we are called to accomplish on and off the field, we would be negligent to not seek wisdom.

A perfect example in the Bible is Jesus’ visit with sisters Mary and Martha. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet simply listening to all He said. Martha, on the other hand was “busy.” Martha was frustrated Mary wasn’t helping prepare the meal and said to Jesus, “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to give me a hand.” The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:39–42)  Although Martha was doing important things such as preparing food and a place for Jesus and His disciples to rest, Mary chose something even more important--listening to Jesus.

In our life of busyness, seeking wisdom from God to determine how to prioritize our “to-do list” is critical and makes our works more effective.

Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.

The Thankful ONE

Appreciation - recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something.

Considering that definition, how do we “appreciate” someone or something?  We can say “thank you”, send cards, give gifts, serve others, and/or appropriate physical touch such as hugs.  The reality is we often don’t SHOW appreciation.  We may think it, but we don’t express it.

In the Bible, the book of Luke shares the story of 10 Lepers who were healed by Jesus.  Leprosy was a terrible skin disease and people who had leprosy were outcasts even to their own families.  In Luke 15: 11-15, Luke explains that as Jesus entered Jerusalem, 10 Lepers asked Jesus “to have mercy of us”—they asked for healing.  Jesus healed the men and the Bible says they “went away cleansed.”  Remember, 10 Lepers were healed.  In Luke 15: 15, the verse states “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God.” Only one man came back and expressed his appreciation to Jesus.  Most likely, the other 9 men were very thankful they were healed, but only one came back to show it.

As officials, we have unlimited opportunities to express and show appreciation and thankfulness.  Think about all of the people that we come in contact with during a weekend of a game— crewmates, flight attendants, hotel staff, stadium security, coaches, players, administrators just to name a few.   How do we show appreciation to these people?  Say “thank you’, serve others by cleaning the locker room and leaving hotel room as clean as possible, check on crewmates to make sure travel is going as planned, etc.  The key is to express it, live it and not just think it.

We will be remembered every where we go.  Let’s be remembered as being thankful and appreciative!

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.  John F. Kennedy

 

Clarity

Clarity is the quality of being clear and easy to understand.

What leads to misunderstanding? Our facial expressions, body language, what we say, what we do or don’t do.  Even with the best intention, we can lack clarity or understanding when we communicate.  What is the result?  Frustration, guilt, irritation, agitation, or harsh words. 

We can’t always control situations or pre-plan the challenges we face, but we can prepare to attain clarity of mind. What is mental clarity?  Although it has different meanings to different people, in simple words, clarity of mind is cleaning our mind of clutter of uncontrolled thoughts. It’s the process of removing mental noise or unwanted thoughts to develop a clear, positive, and organized mind.

Five actions to obtain mental clarity:

1.       Clear the clutter.  Our minds process everything that crosses our field of vision. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

2.       Focus on what matters.  This is an important step to “clear to clutter”.

3.       Limit distractions.  The world is filled with voices and opinions. 

4.       Find quiet, peaceful moments.  Pray for clarity and insight.  (2 Timothy 2:7)

5.       Practice our faith.  Surrender to God, but do the work; God helps those who help themselves. (Philippians 4: 8-9)

1 Corinthians 14:33 (NIV): For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.

 

2 Timothy 2:7 (NIV):  Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Philippians 4:8-9 says, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

In officiating, what can clutter our minds?  Examples are travel issues, administrative obligations before the game, fans and crowd noise and boos, and fouls I or other crewmates call (or don’t call). In each of these situations, how do we obtain clarity?  With travel issues, prepare in advance to know how to adjust travel plans; for our pregame responsibilities, complete them as soon as possible to clear that from our minds; with fans and crowd noise, allow the noise to energize our focus; for fouls, move on to the next play with our pre-snap responsibilities. Refer to #5 above--just as we need to put our faith into practice, obtaining clarity in officiating takes practice and work.

When our judgment is clouded and we cannot see things clearly, our decision making is not sound. Clarity is attained when we are no longer confused by the options or choices—we know the path to take. When confusion sets in, God’s Word provides light for our path showing us which road to take. 

Psalm 119: 105--Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Clarity will come when we seek God because He is the One who knows what is confusing us. It’s okay to ask God to give us clarity in any situation. 

Clarity is the moment we see with our eyes closed. (Stephanie Banks)

Remain Calm

 Two questions to focus on this week:

1)      Can we keep calm and handle strife?  Strife is defined as bitter sometimes violent conflict or dissension.  As officials, hopefully, we don’t face physical strife.  However, we certainly face verbal strife.  To navigate conflict and to calm the situation, we need to possess two attributes:  patience and understanding.  We need patience to listen, and we need understanding to determine how to best diffuse the situation.

A touchy, hot-tempered man picks a fight, but the calm, patient man knows how to silence strife.  Proverbs 15: 18

2)      Can we calm our tongue under pressure?  When we face pressures of any kind, one of the first things we lose is control of our tongue; basically, we become careless with the words we speak. Under stress and pressure, we feel angry, impatient and on edge. On the field, are we able to control what we say when facing the pressure from coaches or that unusual play situation that must be discussed among crew members? To remain calm under pressure and to control what we say, we need to develop an understanding heart of others.

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.  Proverbs 17:27

An understanding heart allows us to slow down, control our emotions, and have compassion for those people applying the pressure.

There’s no use arguing with a fool, for his ranting and raving prevent you from making a case and settling the argument in a calm way.  Proverbs 29:9

This verse explains that sometimes arguing is just not useful.  Mainly because the person who you are arguing with is not in the right mindset to receive your response calmly.

We will face conflicts in life. We will experience pressure and adversity on the field. Remember, seek patience and understanding and control our tongue.

“By staying calm, you increase your resistance against any kind of storms.”

Good for the Heart

What does it take to be thankful?  In a world that focuses on negative, an attitude of thankfulness requires us to be intentional.

On a recent flight, Pastor Lane Skoglund-Anderson, Campus Pastor for the Avinity Assisted Living, sat next to a psychologist who specializes in thankfulness.  The psychologist explained that being intentionally thankful changes the patterns in the brain leading to health benefits.  Specifically, being thankful is good for our heart.  To improve your health, the psychologist suggested to think of three different things each morning to be thankful for and journal them.  Ironically, Pastor Lane previously had heart surgery and his doctor gave him one word of advice after the surgery: “When you wake up each day, think of three things you can be grateful for.  It is good for your heart.”

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:2:   Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

The pattern of this world is to look for the worst in people and to be quick to criticize people who do not think or look like us.  As officials, we are surrounded by negativity from coaches, players, fans, and tv/radio broadcast announcers.  Even when we are evaluated as officials, evaluators tend to focus on what we should have done—the negative.  We can get consumed both mentally and physically with negativity.  We must be intentionally thankful.

As officials, listed below are three things for which we can be thankful:

·         Thankful for family that supports us.

·         Thankful for opportunities to have positive interactions with people we encounter.

·         Thankful for the physical, mental, and emotional ability to officiate.

Ask yourself, what additional things are you thankful for as an official?

As Paul instructed, let’s not be conformed to the pattern of the world.  Let our minds be renewed daily with an attitude of thankfulness to help us positively impact the world around us.

“A thankful attitude will contribute to a youthful spirit”

Credit to Pastor Lane Skoglund-Anderson

https://avinityseniorliving.org/Blog/The-Renewed-Mind?gclid=CjwKCAiApvebBhAvEiwAe7mHSJIVUa9qHBG_QfpcSvtZKWc7kErVyRkP6JzCALkkDc61bUNWv3imcRoCeIQQAvD_BwE

Line of Smoke

 

We have all seen the line of smoke a plane leaves behind high in the sky.  Really, though, what is often mistaken as smoke is actually contrails--clouds formed when water vapor condenses and freezes around small particles in an aircraft’s exhaust. This is similar to seeing your breath when you breathe warm air on a cold day.

Altitude, temperature, humidity, and engine type determine if a contrail is formed.  Some aspects of contrails are shared:

·         All curtails are made up of the same materials and formed in the exact same manner but exist for different lengths of time. Some are short-lived, some lasts for hours as a straight line, and others last for hours and spread to be several miles wide.

·         Curtails cannot be hidden even though they are high in the sky.

·         Curtails show direction. It’s easy to spot where the plane has been and where it is headed.

How does this relate to officiating?  Let’s examine the aspects of officiating compared to those of contrails:

·         Officials have similar make-up.  Sure, we are different, but we all have common aspects such as uniform, rule books, mechanics.  But we all have different periods of influence in officiating—some short-lived while others have others a long-standing.  At a game site, we may make contact with one person, one time.  At the same time, we can be on a crew with an official for numerous years.

·         Once we put the uniform on, we can’t hide.  Are we confident in our ability to officiate the game in front of us?  Do we positively influence those people we come in contact with?

·         Direction—are we heading in the right direction as an official and/or as a crew?  What things do we continue to do and/or what are the things we need to change to improve?

Think about the trail we leave behind as officials. Even if it is short-lived, is our influence a positive one?  If it is long-standing, how well are we using our influence and resources to improve and positively impact the people and game around us?  In Matthew 28: 16-20, Jesus demanded His Disciples to go and influence the world:

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” - Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)

Be a positive influence on those around us, especially our crewmates.  When someone looks at the trail we leave behind, will it be looked at as positive or negative?

"Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Credit:  https://fcaresources.com/devotional/contrails

Competitive Greatness

John Wooden, former UCLA basketball coach, was known for the phrase “competitive greatness”—striving to be the best we can.  Coach Wooden was not looking for the best, but for the best of each individual player.  Coach Wooden defined Competitive Greatness as “real love for hard battle, knowing it offers the opportunity to be at our best when our best is required.”

In his FCA Resources Devotion “Be the Best”, Dan Britton shared three concepts of competitive greatness:

1.       Be Prepared! Many have heard the story that Coach Wooden would spend 30 minutes teaching his players how to put on socks. Why?  Coach Wooden explained “I derived great satisfaction from identifying and perfecting those ‘trivial’ and often troublesome details, because I knew . . . that each one brought UCLA a bit closer to our goal: competitive greatness.”

2.       Be Disciplined! Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching. Similar, Competitive Greatness is achieved by working hard when no one is watching.  

3.    Be Focused! Competitive Greatness seeks clear vision without being distracted by all things vying for your attention.

As officials, we should strive to be the best we can.  Sure, we look to other officials for advice and guidance, but we must as individual officials strive for Competitive Greatness.  Are we prepared before the season, during the season, and each game?  Are we disciplined to improve our officiating even if no one knows how or what we are doing to prepare?  Are we able to maintain our focus for the entire season—week-by-week and play-by-play.

"Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength." –Ephesians 6:10

Where does our best come from?  In Ephesians 6:10, Paul calls us to be faithful to Christ, entrusting in His power for all our needs in life.  Our strength comes from the Lord because of His “vast” strength.  As sinful humans, we operate in weakness.  But God demonstrates His power where human strength is lacking.

At the beginning of this football season, our first devotion was “Do What We Do”.  Most “things” officials do to prepare for games are unseen.  The “things” we do to be our best would probably be seen as trivial by those outside officiating. For example, is it really that important to take a weekly quiz, clean my shoes, or watch training videos?

Martin Luther wrote about things that seem trivial….“The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays—not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”

 ****Having a passion to prepare will help us face the battle without fear.****

Just the Right Amount

One of the biggest fears of coaches is a big win.  Why would any coach fear a big win?  The answer—Overconfidence.  Often, teams that play great one game have a “let down” the next game.  Why?  Players lose their edge--practice and play with less urgency.  A team with confidence is good, but overconfidence invites vulnerability.

Confidence is the feeling of having little doubt about yourself and your abilities, or a feeling of trust in someone or something.  Overconfidence is excessively or unjustifiably confident.

In officiating, confidence is one of the keys to successfully performing our responsibilities before, during and after a game.  Confidence doesn’t come by chance.  How do officials build confidence in ourselves and as crews:

Ø  rules study

Ø  video review

Ø  pregame meetings

Ø  post game review

Ø  analysis of grader comments

Our confidence happens by consistently preparing for each week’s assignment. Just as a team loses it edge when it plays a great game, officials can become overconfident (lose our edge) when we successfully officiate a game--when we avoid the training tape.

In our spiritual lives, God warns us of becoming overconfident. When we appear to be our strongest, we become the most vulnerable and tend to let down our guard, relying on our own strength instead of on Christ.  What are ways to guard against Spiritual letdown:

·         Reading and studying the Bible

·         Talking to God in prayer

·         Admit our need for His grace/forgiveness on a daily basis.

Luke 9: 23:  Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

Jesus wants His followers to get “geared up” consistently. The key word in these verses to help us gain and maintain confidence is “daily”.  If we take a day or two off, if we don’t focus on a play and become overconfident, we become vulnerable to mistakes. Always seek God’s grace and strength to keep from falling, or falling too far, regardless of what has occurred in the past.

Never be afraid to fail. Failure is just a stepping stone to progress. Never be overconfident because it will hinder your progress. – Tony Jaa

Credit:  https://fcaresources.com/devotional/danger-overconfidence