CHARGER NATION: GAME #2

 

Charger Nation,

            It is Game Day! Game #2 is upon us!  Tonight we play Jonesboro High School.  Jonesboro has been a program that has put out amazing football players.  They will have talented football players tonight.  The top corner in the nation is Cam Sutton from Tennessee and he played at Jonesboro.  There are many more I could mention.  I believe our boys are excited and prepared to take on the challenge.  I look forward to the game tonight.

            I want to congratulate Coach Tom Mertz, John Buckley, and Al Hosford and the rest of the 5^th/6^th coaches for their big win last night.  Our 5^th/6^th grade team looked real good and was well prepared.  The defense was dominant and set the tone and that is how you win football games.  Our youth football coaches and middle school coaches work hard with the boys in our program and I am very appreciative for this.  There is a culture of excellence all the way down into our youth football teams and it is beautiful to see! 

            Before the season began we chose 1 Corinthians 13:11 as our team verse: “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”  Our young men battle to understand what is a REAL man.  I battle many days in living out the mandate to be a REAL man.  The world says a man is someone who does everything in his power to reach his dreams and selfish ambitions.  Christ says a REAL man dies to self for the greater good of all of those around him.  We are on a mission this football season to show and challenge our young men to be REAL.  We are calling it Operation REAL.

            As a football coach, I feel like my biggest battle is not X’s and O’s but to demand our young men became REAL men.  Being a REAL man is being a man of Jesus Christ.  Being a man is putting on Christ and living in a way that will bring glory and honor to God.  What does a REAL man look like?  God gives example after example in the Bible to understand what a REAL man is.  We simply define it as a man who sacrifices all the things of this world to be a faithful husband, loving father, and man who will impact the world for the glory of God.  In those three things is packed a whole lot of responsibility.  In those three things are packed many opportunities for failure. 

            For men in this sinful world it is hard to be a faithful husband.  It is hard to be  loving father.  It is hard to be a man who impacts the world for God’s glory.  Why?  Because we are selfish.  We want what we want.  We want to chase our dreams, desires, and passions at all costs.  Why do we chase these things when it damages the things that really matter?  For our own glory—it’s man greatest sin—chasing glory (pride).  You, me, the boys I coach, we are all about us.  My glory, my fame, me, me, me—it is the sinful side of all of us!  A REAL man is a man who rejects the sinful side of oneself and the pursuit of the world to put on and pursue Christ.  A REAL man is a man who lives by Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”  A REAL man does not trust in his own knowledge and understanding, but is led by Christ who will lead him to find the correct way.

            So what does REAL look like for a 13-18 year old boy?  We do expect our 17-18 year olds to be more mature than our 13-15 year olds but we expect a growth in maturity from all of the boys in our program.  For us, a REAL man comes to practice each and everyday with a focused mind to get better.  A REAL man takes ownership of his actions and strives to grow from every situation.  A REAL man goes to school everyday and gives his teachers and administrators great respect.  A REAL man seeks to become the very best student he can become in the classroom.  A REAL man is respectful to his mother and his father at all times.  A REAL man is humble.  A REAL man dies to self and puts on Christ: “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I know live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

            Due to our sin nature and the sinfulness of this world, it is impossible to be a REAL man.  As adults our selfishness and pride, our sin, drives a wedge in our marriages, in our relationship with our children, and in the community in which we live.  It makes the kids we coach uncoachable as everyone has a better way.  Praise be to Jesus Christ.  With man it is impossible to be REAL, but with God all things are possible.  It is only when I surrender all things to Christ that he can make my paths straight.  God will put in our hearts a desire to serve others and not self, to live for others and not self. 

            As we come to Christ and accept him as our Lord and Savior and give him our lives understand this: It is not where you have been or what you have done, but it is all about where you are going and what you will do.  When we are in Christ we do not live in the sins of the past.  As I coach high school boys we have great days and we have bad days.  We practice good some days and then other days are awful.  The objective is to learn from the mistakes of yesterday and use them to empower our future.  If we are going to be REAL, we cannot let the sins of yesterday determine our future.  We must repent and as we move forward and live in the power and strength of Jesus Christ as he abides in us.  Just because I have had a messed up marriage in the past does not mean this is who I am moving forward.  Just because my relationship with my children was out of balance in the past, does not mean this is who I am moving forward.  Just because I did nothing in the community to be a light for Jesus Christ in the past, does not mean this is who I am moving forward.   In Christ we are new creations.  My sins of yesterday do not define who I am today.   God will meet us right where are at this moment and make our paths straight as we entrust all things to him.  He will make us REAL! 

            This is exactly what we preach to the boys we coach and to ourselves as coaches.  Everyday is a learning opportunity to become REAL men.  We have a sign in our locker room that says: “Our past failures FUEL our future.”  Our failures of yesterday serve as learning moments for our football team.  We evaluate and analyze our mistakes and we make a commitment to fix the areas that need improvement that led to those mistakes.  This is what a REAL man does.  We come to Christ in humility and we ask him to show us our sin, show us our areas of weakness and to show us the areas we are not measuring up as children of God.  As King David wrote in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” 

            For this football team, both in how we play the game and in our pursuit of becoming REAL men:  It is not where we have been but rather where we are going.  It is not what we have done but rather what we are going to do.  Our failures of the past must not define us, but must fuel us to become a better team and better men.  We are on a quest to become REAL!

 

“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.”

Proverbs 21:31, ESV

 

Wholly for Christ,

 

Coach Gess

Charger Nation,

            Game #1 is here!  I know the boys are excited to play in a game tonight.  Everyone involved in the program has put a lot of time, effort, and energy into getting them ready for this tonight.  There is nothing left we can do to prepare.   It is time to go play! 

 

            We do not know much about Eagle’s Landing.  We have no game film of them this year because their scrimmage got rained out.  The coaching staff has built the game plan off the last three games they played last year.  If they changed defenses or offenses we will just have to react.  We worked the past three weeks preparing our boys for multiple scenarios so I believe we have answers for anything we might see.  Our offensive and defensive system adjusts to what another team does.  How good are they?  We have no idea.  How good are we?  We don’t know that either…we find out new things each week!  This should be an exciting game.

            In the life of this 2016 football team, we have a bunch of players that are learning how to lead.  I wouldn’t call them leaders at this point, but boys with the potential to lead.  It’s not a bad thing.  A teenage boy is learning to lead; they are not necessarily leaders.  Football is the tool to teach them to lead.  As coaches we are spending a great deal of time talking with kids about leading, pushing themselves, being motivated from within, etc.  I think the boys are getting it and starting to understand how to lead, but I see a constant battle in the minds of the boys.  Their hearts are telling them to lead, but their flesh has some rebellion in it.  As a coach, I’m excited to help them in this battle!

As we began practice this week, we did not have a very good Monday practice.  The coaching staff of this football team has very high expectations when it comes to practice.  I believe we expect just as much on Monday as we do on Friday night.  This fits right into our Win the Day philosophy.   Our leaders are learning this and I think they are learning to battle their feelings and emotions and push themselves to have a great day.  They are learning to not let their mood affect their performance.  It’s a process.  As coaches, we are not just teachers of X’s and O’s.  In fact, probably the most important thing we can teach kids is to work hard and be excellent in spite of how they “feel.”

            I watched a few kids check out Monday.  I could see the battle brewing within the minds of some players.  They didn’t want to practice.  I can always tell how practice is going to go by whether or not Coach Graham is yelling real loud 15 minutes into practice.  I heard him yelling about five minutes in and I knew Monday was not going to be a good day.  Many players made a decision to not practice hard.  They decided they were just going to get through the day.  As a coach, I was disgusted and frustrated.  I had players willingly melt.  They willingly tapped out and didn’t push themselves and get better.  They were just going through the motions.  It wasn’t just one---it was many.  Mondays are hard and they are rough, I get it.  But that is what Mondays are all about with these boys: To teach them to overcome the adversity and rebellion that is going on in their minds and demand excellence from themselves.  We lost—we didn’t do it.  In my world if you don’t win Monday you are not winning Friday.  If we have a bad practice and lose Monday, I am at home with the exact same feeling I have after a loss on Friday. 

            As I woke up Tuesday morning, I started reading Hosea in the Old Testament.  Hosea is a book in the Old Testament where God uses Hosea to tell Israel what is going to happen to them for their open rebellion against God.  As I was reading I felt God showing me that practice Monday was a good example of how I act towards God sometimes.  The very same things I was frustrated with players about, I do to God.  When players don’t practice hard and don’t do what I ask, I feel like it is open rebellion against the standards of the football team.  We are going to Win the Day.  We are going to give perfect effort, work hard, and aren’t going to make excuses for anything.  When you violate one of those you are in open rebellion.  You are rejecting the ideals of the team and serving yourself.  As I was reading Tuesday morning, God opened up my eyes to my own sin.  He showed me that I do the very same thing to him.  Sometimes I chose to sin and reject the commands of God.  This is exactly what sin is: Rejecting God and doing it your own way.  This is what the people were doing in Hosea’s day. 

            All of us are born into sin so all of us have rebellion in our flesh.  Even though I am a Christian and want nothing more than to serve Jesus Christ perfectly, I have sin in my heart and in my body.  My body and my mind sometimes want to rebel against the law of God and serve my own interests.  The same battle these boys fight at practice each day is a battle I fight in my relationship with Jesus Christ.  The very same thing I was upset about with them, their open rebellion to not practice hard and reject the ideals of the team, I do this to God. 

            Way more important than Winning the Day on that practice field is Winning the Day for Jesus Christ.  I have days where I am right on point.  I have days where God should kick me off the team.  So I set there Tuesday morning condemned.  It was only right to beg God for forgiveness for my open rebellion to him at times.  It was then only right to forgive some of the players who did not give their all. 

            By Wednesday morning, even though my offensive line didn’t practice how I wanted them to, I was rejoicing (but not in the film session Wednesday morning with the OLINE!).  God is an amazingly good God.  He is full of grace and mercy.   Even when I reject him and defy him, He forgives me and restores me as I come to him begging for forgiveness.  I come to him asking for forgiveness because he showed me where I was wrong.  What an amazing God this is:  This God I serve, the King of the Universe, the Creator of all things, the Author of Life, He gave his only Son, who willingly came to die on the cross for my sins so that I may have eternal life.  Even though I am a sinner, God showed his great love for me by giving me Jesus.  How could God show his great love for us?  By sending his Son to us that we may have eternal life and be free from the dominion of sin.  The Lord fights for me.  He fights for you.  There is victory for those who are in Christ Jesus.  **You know why I fight for the souls of your boys alongside of you and don’t quit on them?  Because I serve a God who fights for mine and doesn’t quit on me!

            I love football because of what it teaches us about ourselves.  To me, it is why it is the greatest game.  Getting better at the game of football, growing as a leader, and growing in my relationship with Jesus Christ, it all is a process.  We must stay committed to it.  I praise God that he allows me to fight the battle of life with your son.  No matter what I’ll never quit on them.  We are here to create men for Jesus Christ.  Every day we will roll up our sleeves and go to war as God uses us to build men for his glory.  Thank you for letting us coach your boys!

“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord.”

-Proverbs 21:31

Win the Day!

Wholly for Christ,

Coach Gess

 

2016 ELCA FOOTBALL

Charger Nation,

ELCA 2016 Football is here.  We get started tonight in our scrimmage against Mt. Zion High School.  I know our boys are excited to finally get to play and hit against another team.  The coaches are excited to see where we stand at this point.  We have worked hard and prepared hard up to this point, and now the journey begins!

I love the game of football.  However, I think I love the game of football more for what it can teach a young man more than the actual game itself.  Football is a microcosm of life.  In life, for people who desire success, the objective is to grow and get better each day.  There are times of prosperity in life and there are times of adversity.  You will have your good days and you will certainly have your bad days.   We all can look back on our lives and we can see areas of failure and areas of success.  Where we are today stems from how we responded and handled those periods of success and periods of failure.  Each day of our life and how we handled what happened that day has led to where we are at this point. 

A football season is the same way.  At this point, eight padded practices into the season, this football team is in its toddler stage.   Each day is a learning experience for them and for the coaches.  We are slowly figuring out who we are: Who are our leaders? What is our identity (what do we do well offensively, defensively, and on special teams)? How do we handle success?  How do we respond to adversity?  Everyday serves as a learning experience and everyday is an opportunity for improvement.   My goal as a coach is that we see continual growth and maturation throughout the entire football season.  I want us to get better each day and grow from what we learned yesterday.  I want this football team to learn to value each day: What I do today impacts my tomorrow!  The teams that remain at the end are the teams that get better each day.  It is not the team that starts off the fastest, but it is the team that steadily improves each day that will remain in the end.  This is the goal.

Not only is football a microcosm of life, it also helps me see more clearly the sanctification process as a believer of Jesus Christ.  Sanctification is a daily growth in Jesus Christ.  It is the process of becoming more and more like Christ daily.   Christ is the ultimate standard: He is King, He is God, He is our Savior, and He is Perfect.  Pursuing Christ is chasing Excellence.  The Bible commands that we are to grow and become like Jesus.  When we accepted Christ our eyes were opened to the sinfulness and wretchedness that enslaved our souls, minds, and bodies.  We saw the pride and evil that existed in us as Jesus revealed the ugliness of it all.  In the same moment He revealed to us the solution: Jesus Christ, God and King, came down to earth as a man and died on the cross for our sins.  He freed us from the punishment of sin, empowered us to overcome sins rule in our life, and gave us access to the God of the universe—all by the Blood he shed on the cross.  So when we accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, we came to him full of sin and we surrendered this life to Christ.  Accepting Christ is full surrender of myself.  When we surrendered all, the sanctification process began.  God takes a sinful person and begins to do a good work in that person transforming him or her into the image of Christ. 

As I coach this team each day, I’m always hoping that this day everything will be perfect.  I quickly find out it is not.  I get so frustrated.  Tuesday and Wednesday I went home just full of anxiety and stress because practice was not flawless.  I quickly remind myself: “IT IS A PROCESS!  Day by day!  Fix the mistakes of yesterday and improve each day.   Be patient.  Work Hard!  Win the Day!”  The sinful side of my competitive gets a hold of me and I go crazy---but I hear God saying “RELAX! Calm down. I am the One that is in control, not you!  Be Still.  Day by Day.” 

This is a reality as we grow in Christ as well.  God doesn’t snap his fingers and we are perfect beings.  I wish.  Our struggle with sin will never go away.  In fact, no man will be perfect on this earth this side of heaven—there was only One who was perfect.  But what God’s plan for us is that each day we grow in Christ.  That we abide more and more in him so that he rules our life, not our flesh or this world.  God tells us to set our eyes on heaven, where Christ is seated, and to take our eyes off of this world.  This sanctification process for believers is a daily process.  So it is in our quest to become the best football team that we can become.  I learn from my mistakes yesterday and press forward with great hope in what God will do with me in the future. 

So you can see, football is much bigger than football!  I love to win and my desire to win.  I am a very competitive person.  I want our team to be the best.  But this is not why I coach this game.  This game is a tool.  I believe with all my heart that the things we are teaching your sons through the game of football is going to help them become men of Jesus Christ.  The #1 goal of ELCA Football is not to win a state championship or to get your son a football scholarship.  The #1 goal of ELCA football is to make your son a man of Jesus Christ.   A state championship, a scholarship, etc., these are all secondary: They will not be the reason we exist—they will not be our idols!   You might think: “Coach that doesn’t make sense?” Here is what the world does not understand:  When you place the things of this world as more important that Christ, they own you.  You have created gods in your life that are not supposed to be there.  The idols we create for ourselves will never satisfy.  If we place our hope and trust in the idols we have created will live a life of misery and chaos.  Even when you get your idols you will find that they are empty.  We have two state championships and all I want is another one—they never satisfy.  Therefore, we will invest in those things that are eternal and provide everlasting happiness:  Your son is growing up and will be a husband one day.  He will be a daddy one day.  He will be a man who has influence in the community one day.  When we coach them this is what we see.  May God use this program to build men for His glory: Men who will grow up to be faithful husbands, loving fathers, and men who impact the community for God’s glory!  Want the world to change?  Then let’s commit to making men like that!

Put your hope in Christ and allow him to lead the way.  Trust his process and his plan.  When you put Christ first everything will fall into place exactly how God intended it to be.  Believe me, I feel like I’m talking to myself way more than I’m talking to you! 

Beat Mt. Zion!

“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.”

                                                                                    -Proverbs 21:31

Win the Day!

Wholly for Christ,

Coach Gess