diamond devotions
Daily Wisdom and challenges from
Scripture, illustrated by the game.
Every Day
I coached a guy once who wasn't the most talented, didn't really pass the "look" test, was overlooked by most people who saw the team play, didn't wow anyone with anything in particular he did. But he was relentless. Every day, he showed up. Every day, he worked his...
Your Life Doesn’t Have to Be Spectacular
Maybe it's somewhere in our nature as God's image-bearers. Maybe it's somewhere in our sin nature. I'm honestly not sure it even matters. The fact remains that most of us want to have some sort of a spectacular life. We want to be known for something, to do something...
One Day…
I wish I had spent more time with him. Life circumstances didn't really allow it, but now that I'm in my current role as a head coach, I wish I had been around him more. Coach Bill Miller was my coaching mentor, example, and hero. So many lessons. So many things that...
Anyone and Everyone
It's for anyone, but not for everyone. That's what he told them during the first meeting with the team each year. This program is for anyone. Anyone who wants to commit. Anyone who wants to reach the standard. Anyone who will give all they have. Anyone who makes it a...
See Them
It's easy to coach the good players. They can already do what you ask them to do. They don't need that much coaching, really. It's easy to give them attention. But the coach that gives attention only to the best players isn't really coaching. He's just doing what...
Walk Slowly Through the Crowd
Cal Ripken, Jr. is one of the most popular players of his era. Beyond his consecutive games record, Ripken was a great player and a fan favorite on and off the field. Hours after games ended, Ripken was still signing autographs, particularly in the wake of the player...
Turn Around
When he walked in the doors, he knew he had his work cut out for him, literally and figuratively. The place was a mess and so was the recent performance of the team. He had seen it all before. In fact, he was brought in because of his expertise at turning programs...
He Knows What He’s Doing
At some point--no one can really say when--they just started trusting him. They understood he just knows what he's doing. His coaching career spanned several decades, countless players, and multiple deep postseason runs. Those who played and coached for him learned to...
One Answer in Every Temptation
In the minds of many, Ron Polk's Baseball Playbook is the seminal work regarding coaching the game and planning practice. It is literally exhaustive, covering everything from bunt coverages to relays to batting practice. In a sense, it is the Bible for coaches and...
How a Christian Handles Disappointment, Part 4: Gratitude
I didn't play well as a senior in college. Looking back, I think maybe I was just disappointed. Our team had more downs than ups my first three years and it was all just disappointing. We could have been better. We could have worked harder. We could have won more. But...