A Season of Faithfulness

Since my team started practicing last summer, at almost every practice, I told them, to be faithful with every opportunity we had together.  

“Give me your best. Give your team your best. Give yourself your best.”  

When we started practice, we couldn’t stunt due to COVID restrictions.  So, we worked on learning all of our cheers and half-time routines for football season.  This way, when we could stunt, we just would add them in.  

When we found out we could stunt, we also learned that our school opted for spring football.  We also didn’t know if we would be able to compete.  But, my team continued to be faithful with the time we had.  

From November until part way into January, we could not practice inside with our whole team due to restrictions, so we took a break from practices. By the time we started again, basketball was starting, but due to our restrictions, my team could not cheer on the sidelines. 

Finally we got some good news!  There would be an in-person State Championship in late March.  It typically is in December in Colorado.  My team is the current 2A State Champions, so they were excited to be able to compete again.  

Since that time, because of quarantines, injuries or other conflicts due to juggling athletes with other Spring activities that are normally not an issue because we are done competing by then, we have not been able to compete in a single competition before State.  Now, I sit here after unburying from “Snowmageddon” (2 feet of snow) in Denver, when I am supposed to be at practice with State just over a week away.  

How do I feel about competing at State next week?  I can say my team has been faithful.  We honestly have not had the opportunity to perform at anything and our first performance will be at State.  But, I do think that because my team has done their best in every circumstance, our performance will reflect their faithfulness.

As my team entered the State Championship last year when they were confident after performing their routine hundreds of times and many times at competitions, I communicated with them that their identity is not in a State Championship. Their identity is in who they were created to be.  A State Championship does not define them.  The character they develop along the way makes them who they are. First or last place, they are important and significant. Even though they won, I hoped the identity and character part would stick with them.  

The returning members from last year’s team have shown me that. The faithfulness they have demonstrated since last summer may not result in a State Championship this year, but they will bring this faithfulness, dedication, and discipline with them for the rest of their lives into their careers and families which are more important than a State Championship.  

Every team has their story of the obstacles and challenges they have faced.  In our lives we will have obstacles and challenges.  Our team will face challenges in their future.  What have been your challenges?  What have you taught them as a coach along the way?  What will they bring with them beyond this year?