Ready..... Break!

I have watched with great interest in recent weeks as Skipstone has been launching our first football team for the Academy. Watching those guys stretching, exercising, running, practicing, and knocking each other around sure brings back a lot of memories from my old days as #78 for the Buford Wolves.

It's hard not to notice all of the work involved in starting a football program. Our whole staff and a host of volunteers have been working nonstop for weeks to gather equipment, raise sponsorship money, plan schedules, and lay over 60,000 square feet of sod on the new field. It's been a ton of work, and there is still much to be done.

For the last week or so, our local newspaper has really been "talking up" our emerging football program. They have run feature stories several times, as well as attempted to create a rivalry between us and another local Christian school who will be playing in our same league this year. It's been amusing to watch the quotes from both teams be chopped up and reconstructed to serve as evidence to the public of how intense the non-existant rivalry will be this year.

The one thing that has amazed me about the whole process has been the excitement that has been generated around our campus. We've had dozens and dozens of parents and volunteers that are getting invovled that are extremely excited about our Warriors. I've been shocked to see how much time and effort people have been willing to put into this, some whose kids are not even playing.

If you know me at all, you know that I have a habit of looking for spiritual applications in everyday circumstances and events. I know it's a little silly at times, but it helps me keep my mind on things above.

As I was thinking about football and all of the hype that it seems to generate, I came across an awesome illustration by one of my favorite preachers, Francis Chan. It's a real short clip that's worth your time to watch....


I don't know about you, but I've been guilty of being a lot more excited about the huddle at times than I have about playing the game. At the same time, I've been guilty of ignoring the huddle and trying to play the game alone. I think it's an interesting reminder of how important both are to the sucess of the game. Get out of the huddle today and play the game! If you're trying to play the game alone, find a good huddle to give you some guidance.... you'll find the game to be a lot more enjoyable!

Whatever It Takes,
Chip