Parents and coaches, take a quick audit of how much time you spend passing along the game to the kids you lead. In that audit, consider what percentage of the time is spent on hitting, fielding, throwing, and the other skills of the game.
Now, take a quick audit of how much time you spend teaching those same kids about the things that will outlast baseball. Odds are, there is a difference. Let’s be honest, baseball skills are much easier to discuss and measure than many of the real issues in life. Yet, baseball lasts only for a short time. Life takes, well, all of life.
It is sad and shameful to see the trends regarding the things that are most important in life. We spend extreme amounts of time teaching kids sports and book knowledge and we often fail to help them with the things that will affect their lives most.
Let’s learn from Proverbs 12:4–“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who shames him is as rottenness in his bones” (NASB).
When is the last time you and I considered the importance of teaching marriage to the kids we lead? Yes, even those kids on your team, who may or may not be “your own.” Do they receive biblical instruction about the important things of life, or just knowledge on how to field a ground ball?
If marriage is as important as the Bible says it is, let’s be sure we teach our kids and players wisdom regarding things like that. Yes, this is difficult and awkward, but if you don’t speak, who will? If spiritual leaders don’t lead, we can be assured that our kids will be led by influences we would rather avoid.
A prayer for those who relate:
Lord Jesus, please use me as a parent and/or coach to teach the important things of life to the kids I lead. I need wisdom to do it well, so I’m counting on you for that. Please open doors and give me courage to teach what will affect their lives long after their playing careers are over.
