It was exciting to be in the room a couple of years ago when four* of our Valley athletes signed letters that allowed them to gain scholarships to San Jose State University to play football---and get an education. Many nice things were said, many pictures taken and many expressions of congratulations were paid to the parents and their boys. As I left the celebration, I wondered what each of the boys really thought about this wonderful opportunity. What is their incentive to take this step? I guess this is a dumb question, isn't it? A free education and a chance to play D1 football. What other incentive would you need? This made me think of another question. What is the incentive for our athletes to come out for the team you coach? One coach in the CCS recently answered like this, "Their (the athlete's) incentive for participation in sports is to make the play-offs," to get a scholarship, be on a championship team or to get a ring for being CCS champion. To be a starter---to lead the league in this or that---or to just make the team. The reasons for participation are as varied as the kids who try out for our many teams. These reasons or incentives appear to be a pretty good ones. But, how about this? What happens to the athlete when something happens in the middle of the season that makes it perfectly plain that he or she will never reach their goal?The team record by mid-season indicates there is no chance for the play-offs. Or an injury robs them of a chance at a batting championship or what if the coach doesn't feel they qualify as a starter. Or the player does make the team, but there are so many players better that he or she probably won't get much playing time yet, they are still expected to work as hard as everyone else on the team. As a coach, I need to be ready when the player loses interest or desire because the reason for the incentive to play in the first place is gone. I need to be ready by first of all having an incentive to coach that will remain my goal no matter what happens. In my 47 years of coaching I have not seen any incentive of ultimate value other than the one given by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossian church (3:23): "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as though you are doing it for the Lord and not for the praise of men---or for any other reason that will not stand the test of time, like championships,won-loss records, play-off appearances or coach-of-the-year honors." That last part isn't really in the Bible, but I think Paul might say something like that if he were talking to coaches. When things go wrong in your season and the frustrations come, if you're not coaching for the Lord, do you quit, or worse, do you just go through the motions of coaching and cheat your players out of your best effort? If I'm a Christian, I can't do that. I want to let my players know that the purpose for playing, the best incentive, is to do their very best as an act of worship and service to the Lord Jesus. Then, no matter what happens, they have an eternal reason to continue to compete at their own highest level because they do it for a heavenly coach who only requires their best. And when an athlete knows how he is to compete and who he/she competes for, the results aren't the goal, but doing our very best is. To help the players learn this lesson will take time and effort on the coach's part. Devotions, Bible studies or personal testimony will require some thought on your part. I am convinced that this is the greatest incentive for coaching at Valley Christian---we have the privilege of helping our players see the importance and value of a close personal relationship with Christ in all of their life and especially in the arena where we work with them as athletes. Honestly, how would you finish this statement? The major incentive for our Valley athletes to participate in sports is to______. I know that the four guys who signed their letters on Wednesday have heard what I feel is the most important incentive is for playing football at this or the next level. I also know that having this opportunity to share Gods new life is the incentive that brings me back for another season. It is great to see your players receive honors and go on to play at the next level. It is even a greater incentive to show our players how we can spend eternity together in heaven while having the best reason to play sports now. I pray this encourages you as you coach or teach or go through your day
here at Valley to work heartily for the Lord as we serve others in the
best possible way. We serve a great God---that should be
incentive enough.

Coach Hitch

*3 of the athletes are starters at San Jose State University