Faith and Sport Performance WORD

8/8/2019 Faith and Sport Performance WORD

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Kay McDanielLee University

Championship Performance

#1 in a series of 5 on “Faith & SportPerformance”July 2005

Conceive it, Believe it,

Achieve it!

(1st in a series of 5 on “Faith & Sport

Performance”)

Whenever a discussion about marathon runners comes up, the

average person wants to hear about how he manages “the wall.” The

runner’s wall is the “grand daddy” of obstacles facing the marathoner.It can be likened to the “writer’s block,” where runners hit a mental

Berlin-like wall that erects a barrier to the finish line. It’s the chief inhibitor for ending well and all great athletes train vigorously for one

reason: to finish strong.

In a marathon race, the last six miles are as difficult as the

preceding twenty. Why? Physiologically, the body is breaking down!Glycogen is being depleted making scant supplies to the working

muscles. Moreover, blood volume is diminishing and the athlete’stemperature can rise to 106 degrees. Fingers and toes begin to tingle,

and as the body dehydrates, the runner becomes dizzy anddisoriented. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

What’s worse is that around mile 21, negativity and fear tries

to infiltrate the mind just as vehemently as the previously mentionedphysical consequences. Although fighting mental fatigue only causes

more fatigue, elite runners have learned the art of cooperating with



fatigue by redirecting their perception of pain in order to reach fullpotential. This is called disassociation.

Disassociation can be exerting the will of the mind over thehill of the body. It’s the athlete’s defining moment. The athlete’s

ability to dig deep to the soulish area to garner physical, mental,emotional and spiritual assistance is his smartest move.

A biblical example of disassociation is the imprisonment of Pauland Silas. The “will” was a decision to praise God despite their

depravities. Their “hill” came from beatings and starvation. Despite

their devastating circumstances, Paul and Silas pressed in toward theLord. They created a worshipful atmosphere that disassociated

themselves from the realities of the cell.

Centering on God’s higher power, praise literally brokethe yoke

of bondage as Acts 16:25,26 states, “And at midnight Paul and Silas

prayed, and sang praises unto God; and the prisoners heard them.Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the

prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, andeveryone’s bands were loosed.”

During a marathon, the feet are moving but the mind canbecome idle causing too much time to form mental blocks. Besides

singing praises, another proven technique to thwart this barrier isvisualization. Experienced runners are proficient in creating mental

pictures that can replace faulty mental blocks. Some runners go so far

as to shoot a panoramic video instead of a polarized shot, to keepthem on the long path home. This technique equips the mind to gain

control over impulsive emotions that occur at the wall.

Some runners visualize the marathon step by step before ever

taking a step! For instance, as he hones in his gait for the big race hevisualizes the steps needed for a winning pace. If the mind thinks it, it

can come to pass the way he sees it. Remember, neuroscientists have

revealed that the body doesn’t know the difference between what isreal or imagined. Train your mind to see a vividly powerful and

winning picture, repeatedly run the motion picture through your mind,allowing it to sink into not only your mind’s eye but allowing your

muscles to memorize it too. Then, you are placing yourself closer to

making the dream a reality .

Further, if one couples his faith with visualization, positivity,

good conditioning and proper skills, he advances his opportunity forsuccess.



The runner should always call and claim success before ithappens. My motto for success is to conceive the dream, condition the

body, and believe God to achieve it. “Conceive, believe, achieve!”

Kay McDaniel

Lee University


September 2005

#2 of 5 in a Series on “Faith & SportPerformance”

PAIN! “A disc in your back has blown causing a bone chip to lodge in

you spinal canal. This chip is pressing on the nerves and causing you

severe pain. You will need to undergo surgery immediately. You must

get off the courts instantly and prepare for surgery” the doctor said onthe phone Thursday morning.

Surgery was set for the following Monday but how would Imake it? I could hardly feel my toes, much less get up on them to

make a 7 hour plane trip from Tennessee to Louisiana.

After standing up the entire plane trip to Shreveport, by back

was reeling with pain. Despite around the-clock pain medications I

collapsed on the kitchen floor of my parents home. In addition, I wasfearful that my rapidly losing motor abilities in my foot and leg would

be permanent.

Surgery was deemed successful as the surgeon removed the

tiny chip in the spinal canal and shaved the disc. Yet a few days laterwhen I tried to walk my foot would not respond. I had a "drop foot.”

The pain was gone but my foot was essentially paralyzed. Worriedly,



the experienced neurosurgeon told me he had never seen a patientfully recover from this rare post-surgery syndrome.

I was stunned. Just a week earlier I had placed in the top 3 inthe nation’s biggest racquetball tournament in Texas! And now I can’t

lift my foot to a curb? Would I ever be the same?

After daily rehabilitation for two years, my motor function and

strength slowly returned. As my limbs began to "wake up" my tendonsand muscles began to revive their elasticity.

But something occurred that fateful week that would forever

change my perspective

on pain. Christopher Reeves (”Superman”) was paralyzed from a fall

from his horse in an equestrian event. His life was literally turnedupside down; he would never be the same.

Whereas my problem was agonizing pain, "Superman's"

obstacle was that he had no pain. No matter how well conditioned hisphysical body was, if the neurons are not correctly connected he willnot have any physical sensations.

I became instantly grateful that when the neurosurgeontediously routed his way to the ever-so-narrow area of the spinal

canal, he didn’t make even the tiniest slip of hand – causing me

permanent immobilization.

I learned that fateful summer to be thankful for the pain.

Here’s 4 “Beattitudes” to help sustain you through the pain:

Be Positive!

What do you think the disciples and other saints felt about

being a martyr for Christ?

When they answered the call, “Follow Me,” they had no idea just how

far that path would lead them. The first and last words Christ said toPeter was, “Follow me.” Christ demanded sacrifice, attention,

commitment, and loyalty.

Every athlete knows the merits of following the coach’s lead.Following Christ meant sacrificing all for the call. Just as militaryservicepersons following their commander-in-chief through the

trenches, the finest athletes don’t question authority but trust the

coach for his or her knowledge, insight, and guidance.



B e Patient! Sometimes in my impulsiveness I would rather receive a “No”

from God than a wait. Why? Waiting requires patience – not a fruit of

the spirit readily seen in my life. However, if I will choose to trust God during these times I will reap from the fruit of patience. During such

times, God admonishes us to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm46:10).

Athletes who know how to repeat in sports, have my greatestadmiration. Superstars like Lance Armstrong, Pete Sampras, Michael

Jordan and Tiger Woods are experts in knowing the rhythm of their

sport. They have disciplined their athletic senses so they know when topress and when to rest during sports defining moments.

B elieve!

There is a fine line between embracing pain as a friend andresisting it as a foe. Often, we go about it backwards, persisting in

resisting God thereby we assist the enemy.

It’s been repeatedly documented that elite long distant runners don’t

use precious energy fighting fatigue, instead they find ways to use the

stress to advance his or her cause.

Many athletes have overcome insurmountable difficulties by

viewing them as challenges, opportunities for growth. A strongfaith factor separates the best from the rest. It’s what compels us to

watch elite athletes perform. If it were easy, any one could do it. Theunderlying impetus of successful athletic feats is founded in rock solid

confidence.

Be Persistent!

Pain serves as a protector of our physical bodies. If we slam

our hand in the car door, the pain receptors travel speedily to that sore

place reminding us how to shut it properly.

Talk about a bad day. In one day Job lost

everything! In less than twenty-four hourseverything dear to Job’s heart, life, and physical wellbeing were gone. And to make matters worse, he



received nothing but silence from God; for 37chapters in the book of Job God said nothing to Job.But if we read Scripture to the end, God was faithful

to restore everything he had lost, and then some.

In his classic book, My Utmost for His Highest, OswaldChambers penned, "An average view of the Christian life is that it

means deliverance from trouble. But, it’s deliverance in trouble, whichis very different. God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life

as we overcome. The strain is the strength. If there is no strain, there

is no strength."

If we look at the inner life of star performers, we will see

many hurdles he or she had to jump over to win the prize. Many sport

figures have chosen to overcome financial poverty, sickness anddisease, and nagging naysayers along the road to success.

Joe Stowell, former president of Moody Bible Institute

contends that, “With God, there is always a reason for pain. He neverpermits pain without a purpose.”

In faith and sport, the greats in the hall of fame are heroesbecause through pain, they remained. Seeking excellence in any

endeavor usually incurs painful seasons. Yet, Scripture informs us to

not be surprised or think of it as strange, when fiery ordeals befall us.In fact, the Bible admonishes us to “count it all joy” (James 1:2).

Kay McDaniel

Lee University


“Is This All There Is?”

"I'm number 1!" I screamed to my friends, as they giggled at

my astonishment. My childhood dream was to be the nation’s top



player but it took ten years, from age 11 to 21 to turn my dream intoreality.

But the euphoria didn’t last very long. After the exhilarationwore off I experienced a sinking feeling deep in my heart. It remained

dormant for weeks. Finally, with utter futility I said, “This is it? This isall there is to this winning stuff? I’ve scraped and crawled my way tothe top and this is as long as it lasts?”

Peggy Lee's words from her hit song popped in my head: "Isthat all … is that all there is?" I felt lost, numb as if there was a vacanthole in my heart.

John McEnroe, the world’s former number one player, had thesame sentiments as revealed in his book, You Cannot Be Serious. Hisentry on October 1, 1984 states, “As I stood in the Portland, Oregonairport, waiting for a flight to L.A., I suddenly thought: I’m the greatesttennis player who ever lived. Why am I so empty inside?”

Wilma Rudolph, a U.S. track and field winner described herinner search for meaning, “When I was going through my transition of being famous, I tried to ask God why was I here. What was mypurpose? Surely, it wasn’t just to win three gold medals. There has tobe more to this life than that.”

Pat Riley, one of the most successful coach’s in the NBA,acknowledged discontent when he said, "I can't think of any year whenI've been totally happy. Even when you're winning, you’re not really

happy."

It’s not unusual to hear enthralling stories about an athlete’sclutch hit in the 9th inning, or the perfect 300 game in bowling, or the"all net" 15 footer with 1 second remaining on the clock. Yet seldom dowe hear about the haunting vacuum that followed such accolades.Some athletes turn to drugs or alcohol, gamble and lose their life’ssavings while others involve themselves in promiscuous relationships.Why? Each are searching to fill that inescapable hole in his or herheart.

The only thing that can fill such a large vacuum in all of us is to accept of God’s Son in our hearts. He is the only one whocan fill the pit in our heart with the love and presence of Jesus Christ.

The great C. S. Lewis said it eloquently, “Your soul has a curiousshape because it is a hollow made to fit a particular swelling in theinfinite contours of the Divine substance.”



Each of us will meet with our destiny. We will acknowledge aneed for a new heart, a new life in God. This is when the greatPhysician will conduct a supernatural surgery on us and perform aheart transplant. When this occurs, we will have a new heart, a newlife, a new future. He gives us His heart so that we may spiritually live.

God is the only one who can make us complete.

After receiving Christ into my life I no longer asked, “Is this allthere is?”

Persisting by Faith

(#4 of 5 on “Faith & Performance”)

My life’s theme verse is Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope,patient in affliction,

faithful in prayer.”

I suffer from lupus, a chronic, progressive and incurable disease. Yet,at the 2005 Tennessee Tennis Hall of Fame banquet in Nashville I

stated, “What I learned years ago while battling on the tennis courts

has helped me fight the fight of my life today against this disease.” Victorious living, like winning on the athletic field, is not about evading

the war but learning how to overcome battles, one step at a time.

Sometimes the winner is the one standing at the end.

Lupus has stretched my faith, challenged my capabilities, and

tormented my physical body. Most days I wake up feeling like a semi-

truck wheeled over me. At day’s end, my body screams as though ithas been processed through a trash compressor. Gone are the days

where my steps were full of vim and vigor, instead, fatigue settles intomy muscles rendering them useless to any physical activities.

Many athletes have battled for their lives too. Athletes such as PGA’s

Paul Azinger, the renowned NHL’s Mario Lemieux, the inspiring Olympic

hero in ice skating Scott Hamilton, and 7-time Tour-de-Francechampion, Lance Armstrong. I’ve found that athletes usually have

what I call the “it” factor that enables them to endure hardships. Theintense mental training he or she internally programmed from an early

age equips them to persevere beyond the external obstacles.



Naturally, I’ve prayed God would remove this disease from mebut God has seen it more beneficial to allow it to remain. The apostle

Paul knew something about God’s “No’s” as evidenced in I Corinthians12:8,9. Paul asked God to remove the irritating thorn that afflicted him

and God’s response was that His grace would be sufficient for Paul’s

needs.

And Jesus knew intimately well the “no” word when he askedGod for deliverance when he was on the cross. He desperately needed

a “Yes!” from God but instead, he suffered an agonizing death for thesins of mankind.

No matter the struggle it behooves us to trust God’s sovereignty. Like

any good coach, God sees the overall picture and clearly knows what’s

best for us. God sees all, knows all, and is all.

I’m like the typical athlete, merely living in the moment with a narrowperspective, only wanting God to do the easy thing for me. Yet God

knows that for me to truly grow and become all that He wants me tobe, it’s best accomplished through hard places and fiery trials. Just as

the experienced athlete doesn’t easily embrace defeat, if he gleans

from his loss, he will be a better athlete.

The good news about suffering is that if yielded to God, it can increaseour understanding, broaden our view toward the things of God, and

compassion and humility toward others.

Abraham, Moses, Daniel, David, Paul, and Ruth are heroes of the faith,not because they didn’t have trials but because they persisted in faith

during their trials. Athletes persist even when the umpire blatantly

misses a crucial play. Mature athletes persist past the pressure fromthe press, forecasters prognosticating failure, and negative naysayers.

Helen Keller eloquently wrote, “Character cannot be developed in

ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and sufferingcan the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, & success

achieved."

The best persevere even when they are the only ones who believe.

A deep faith in God can be the greatest tool to overcome obstacles

in life and in the sporting arena.



Positioning Yourself to Win

(#5 of 5 in “Sports & Performance”)

A ranked military soldier yelled instructions to his squadron, “Possessthe land!” Why? He knows the importance of positioning. His countrywould never win a war if his soldiers neglected to strategically positionthemselves for battle.So it goes in sports. Coaches frequently teach their students to possessthe land on the athletic arena. This one principle remained truethroughout my professional tennis career: If I didn’t position myself atnet, it made winning difficult. When I “possessed the land” around thenet my strengths shined but if I was forced to stay at the baseline area,my game suffered dramatically.

A sports winner is one who is obsessed with land possession. Take theracecar driver or the sprinter in a foot race. Their main focus is to jockey for position so they can overtake the pack. Recently, anaccomplished distance runner revealed while training for a big race,"At the beginning of every marathon, the only thing I think about is positioning."If I sprayed yellow paint on the bottom of a professional racquetballplayer’s shoes just before he took the court, we would quickly observemost of the yellow paint in the center court area. The racquetballwinner will intensely scramble and claw his way to dominate this area.Likewise, an experienced fisherman knows where schools of fish swim

in the ocean. If he wants a particular type of fish he will investigate thearea by casting the line with the appropriate bait to increase hisopportunity to "catch the big one." He leaves nothing to chance."Positioning" can be found in Scripture too. David, who had alreadydefeated the bear and the lion defiantly postured himself by standingface to face with Goliath. In fact, David ran to Goliath, welcoming thechallenge. He didn’t run away in the face of battle like the entirePhilistine army.Moses, after obediently positioning himself in front of the vast Red Sea,witnessed God split the Sea. Sure, Moses was nervous, even petrified.But he didn’t allow fear to win, instead, he positioned himself for a

miracle.Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego, took a stand for their convictionsand saw God do the impossible as the "fourth man" by saving themfrom the fiery furnace. The Bible provides the enterprising athlete with invaluable wisdom,knowledge, discernment and insight - stuff that will help him secure awinning position!



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Faith and Sport Performance WORD