As a participant, we must acknowledge our special co-missions as youth ministers. We must recognize the diverse gifts and talents of those involved in our mission, our priests, ministers, players, parents, coaches, spectators, and game officials. It is our goal to celebrate the best of each diverse talent and commitment by promoting the peace of Christian living, the discipline of good sportsmanship, and the benefits of fair athletic competition. We must acknowledge that we are all children of the same God and that we follow his teachings with pure joy as we know that how we treat others is a validation and reflection of His glory.
As youth ministers, we must be dedicated to assisting the athletes, their leaders and parents or guardians. We realize that positive encouragement, respect for one another and respect for the efforts of every participant, regardless of the outcome, are vital to insure that God is honored through sports.
Each leader or participant must acknowledge their unique positions as a coach, manager, a ministry of sports member, youth minister, or administrator.
The potential impact a coach has on its youth is tremendous. For example, the decisions you make, the demeanor you display, the manner in which you relate to the best players on your team as compared to ones who may be less talented or experienced, your language, your poise or lack of it, and your response to winning or losing can, and will, make a lasting impact on your team players.
We shall instill sportsmanship, good citizenship, academic excellence, positive character building techniques, and respect for each youth in the programs. We will insure our steady growth and expansions by participating in team sports and activities in safe and structured environments with programs that teach fundamental values, skills and knowledge that will benefit them throughout the rest of their lives. We will set high standards for our youth to strive to do their very best in athletic and academics in tandem with building enduring relationships. We will require the minimum required standards of scholastic achievement in order to participate. We will develop a coach education training program for parents, ministers, police officers, and other civic volunteers to learn or refresh the required basic rules of sportsmanship, coaching techniques, respect for youth and healthy interpersonal sports relationships.
Let us take a moment to refresh our concept of what the word "sports" primarily stands for. Sports activity teaches respect, initiative, self esteem, values, excellence, ethics, and honor to all of its participants. Sports activity also tends to attract leaders' who are endowed with heartfelt passion, enthusiastic commitment, and the contagious spirit of love in competition. Their most common goals are to assist our youth of all ages to succeed in diversified sports activities, thus instilling pride, self confidence, optimum health, communication, and fair play. Their pure devotion, however, is to assist youth of all ages to dream, reach, stretch, believe, and to go for their dangling brass ring. Time after time.
The potential impact a coach has on its youth is tremendous. For example, the decisions you make, the demeanor you display, the manner in which you relate to the best players on your team as compared to ones who may be less talented or experienced, your language, your poise or lack of it, and your response to winning or losing can, and will, make a lasting impact on your team players.
