tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74054113514935778592008-07-02T22:15:04.300-05:00FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-1304159068054209952008-07-02T20:36:00.000-05:002008-07-02T20:37:46.623-05:00

We live in a society today where being a Christian is more like an image rather than a way of life. We so often care about what others see. Because of this we have a tendency to just blend in with everyone else. I was listening to a sermon by Paul Washer today and he brought up a great point that got me thinking about the Christian Athlete. He quoted the movie Rocky when the trainer tells

Brian Conklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17164116118246686987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-21472100994764303802008-07-01T14:35:00.004-05:002008-07-01T15:58:18.202-05:00

"Amazing grace! how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see." Lately as I have observed my own life and the lives of others it has become more apparent how wretched we as humans really are. Now probably at this point you are thinking, wow...thanks a lot Nate...Appreciate the encouragement! And I don't say this to ruin your day but

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-46495371523048738742008-06-25T22:05:00.002-05:002008-06-25T22:10:39.615-05:00

A very unique situation occurred this past week in a single “A” minor league baseball game that painted a clear picture for me on how many who claim to be Christians live their lives on a daily basis. In a game between the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones a very rare situation took place. Ralph Henriquez of the Cyclones is a switch hitter and he stepped into the box to face Pat

Brian Conklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17164116118246686987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-26136739536942135582008-06-11T08:21:00.002-05:002008-06-11T09:55:18.277-05:00

It seems like so many of the post on this blog have been concerning "fear." I am just blown away how prevelent "fear" is in the sports world and just how misunderstood it really is. Once again, there are two different realms of fear in this world. Fear of worldly things vs. fear of God. In this video, KG and Kobe talk about the fear of the end concerning the NBA finals. This is a huge

Brian Conklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17164116118246686987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-23246837050743327982008-06-09T12:09:00.004-05:002008-06-09T14:57:25.279-05:00

Recently, FCA-Nebraska hosted the Big Sky Pole Vault camp with Kearney HS(NE) vault coach Bob Talbitzer and vaulting great Pat Manson as our head camp clinicians. Pat is a great friend of mine who happens to still hold the high school American indoor record for vault at 17'6 1/2"! In fact, he vaulted 18' outdoors when he was still in high school. Pat holds the world record for number of

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-60112421600887227642008-06-04T15:30:00.001-05:002008-06-04T16:00:12.303-05:00

As the NBA finals are right around the corner we will undoubtedly hear the question, “Who will achieve greatness?” The word “greatness” is one of the most overused terms in our society today. We hear all about the “greatness” of Jordan, Bryant, Shaq, Garnett and countless other players. In reality, are any of them truly worthy of the term? Doing Sports God’s Way is all about greatness. However,

Brian Conklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17164116118246686987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-55770184083003028132008-06-02T14:54:00.003-05:002008-06-02T15:24:40.152-05:00

Gassers. Suicides. The County Fair. "On the Line!" These were all terms that my flesh dreaded to hear during my years in competitive athletics. I knew that pain was imminent and unavoidable. I also knew that this physical conditioning was essential for me to achieve my goal of becoming the best athlete I could be. In order to max out, every athlete must go into strict training. The

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-32216574881439003662008-05-30T11:36:00.002-05:002008-05-30T11:42:46.981-05:00

Thanks to Nick Orduna for pointing out this great devotional from Ron Hutchcraft. God's Weight Room Josh Reynolds Central-Northeast Nebraska FCA

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-70780004577556194972008-05-27T23:07:00.000-05:002008-05-27T23:08:11.256-05:00

Athletics today are driven by hate and anger. Coaches teach athletes to hate their opponent. Rivalries are made because anger reigns between two teams. What happens when you reach the Eastern Conference finals only to play against one of your best friends? This happens to be the case as the Detroit Pistons take the court against the Boston Celtics. Superstars Chauncey Billups and Kevin

Brian Conklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17164116118246686987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-68530864037772846492008-05-27T13:57:00.003-05:002008-05-27T14:37:24.603-05:00

A continued confirmation from the Word of God on His desire for our lives...including sports: "You were taught with regard to your old way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." - Ephesians 4:22-23 As we compete are

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-1937058972474225042008-05-23T15:24:00.005-05:002008-05-23T16:01:29.242-05:00

Last week, the Grand Island high school baseball team captured its first Class A state baseball championship by defeating Millard West 7-6. Mike Patterson wrote about the game in the Omaha World-Herald. He starts the article as follows, "Entering the final inning of the Class A state championship game, Grand Island coach Rick Kissack wasn't sure whether to send ace Kash Kalkowski back to the

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-25873996978867998272008-05-20T10:54:00.003-05:002008-05-20T11:52:22.998-05:00

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death," - Philippians 3:10 In high school girls tennis the middle of May brings the State High School Tennis Tournament. It never ceases to amaze me at how this game reveals the true heart of our young people and especially at state. This year one girl on our team

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-80347203686797559312008-05-15T11:39:00.003-05:002008-05-15T14:12:08.719-05:00

The following excellent article is a piece that we have used in FCA to sharpen our thinking on how to steward sports. I would highly recommend it to coaches and parents who are in positions to teach athletes to recognize God's sovereign hand at work in their lives through the parable of sports. You can learn more from C.J. Mahaney by visiting his blog at: www.sovereigngraceministries.org Chris

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-85406899994607872142008-05-14T16:39:00.003-05:002008-05-15T11:38:11.004-05:00

If you have followed the NBA playoffs this year, then you certainly have heard about the unordinary ordeal that took place in the Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers series. This past week Lebron James was fouled extra hard by Paul Pierce when driving to the basket. That wasn’t the big story though. The big story came when the mother of Lebron James walked on the court, defending her talented

Brian Conklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17164116118246686987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-72677863706513088542008-05-13T10:56:00.004-05:002008-05-13T12:48:16.371-05:00

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23 I love sports! I love it for many reasons but one of the reasons I really love sports is because of what it reveals to us about ourselves and about God. Having the opportunity to coach tennis has given me an even

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-5765094280378604582008-05-12T07:42:00.003-05:002008-05-12T07:47:06.711-05:00

Bonnie Richardson ran. She threw. She jumped. And finally, she accepted the 1A team championship for Rochelle High School. She was the only athlete from her school to qualify for the state meet. It was the first time a single athlete had won the girls’ team title – by herself! For the record, her marks in the field events were: high jump (5 feet, 5 inches), placed second in the long jump (18-7

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-51956481758644861732008-05-09T15:44:00.003-05:002008-05-09T16:26:11.902-05:00

I came across this incredible video and story again this week. Team Hoyt is comprised of a father and his paraplegic son who compete in triathlons and ironman races together. The ironman race consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile marathon run. I don't know the spiritual condition of these two men, but as I watched this video, I realized there are several spiritual

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-5008216442494846002008-05-07T15:44:00.001-05:002008-05-07T15:45:59.718-05:00

Last week this country lost a pioneer in the coaching world. Coach Will Robinson died at the age of 96 after becoming the first ever black Coach at a Division 1 program. He broke the barriers and united the sports world with people of all races. Sports today have become a common language to so many people. There are teammates and coaches all over the world who don’t speak the same language

Brian Conklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17164116118246686987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-79598356206371054852008-05-06T15:40:00.003-05:002008-05-06T16:22:18.735-05:00

In learning what it looks like to compete for Christ, I have found that a total release of everything you have may look different in different situations. There is strategy to consider. In my last post, I talked about the fear that many athletes experience when it is game time. Many times they will tense up and not compete with the freedom from sin that comes from a relationship with Jesus. As a

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-64406139813473835482008-05-05T08:34:00.005-05:002008-05-11T20:11:47.303-05:00

Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked her first home run in her college career with two runners on base in a playoff game against Central Washington University. While rounding the bases, she missed first base. As she started back to tag it, she collapsed with a knee injury. She was only able to crawl back to first but could do no more. She would been called out if her own

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-68926788327184701392008-04-25T10:30:00.004-05:002008-04-25T11:10:25.788-05:00

Last week I had the privilege of attending a conference called "Together for the Gospel" in Louisville, KY. Over 5500 pastors and laymen assembled together under the banner of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to hear preaching, worship through song, and fellowship with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Preachers such as John MacArthur, John Piper, CJ Mahaney, RC Sproul, and Al Mohler delivered

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-37910682065373253802008-04-23T14:25:00.001-05:002008-04-23T16:23:25.912-05:00

If you spend time with me it won’t take long to discover that the Cleveland Indians are a hot topic in my life. You can also draw the conclusion that it pains me deeply to watch the ace of the Tribe, CC Sabathia, struggle mightily to kick off this season. He still has all the tools to be the best pitcher in the majors, but right now he seems lost out on the mound. It comes down to one word:

Brian Conklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17164116118246686987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-58405011506816905302008-04-22T10:15:00.003-05:002008-04-22T10:52:20.877-05:00

"...As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." - Joshua 1:5 It is amazing to watch the athletes I coach in practice begin to really understand what it is they are being taught. It is really cool when you see the ball come off their racquet with increased speed and accuracy that certainly was not there before. Now remember, that was practice. Now we

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-64940617488381090692008-04-21T16:53:00.003-05:002008-04-21T17:16:22.428-05:00

Romans 5:3-4 "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." I often have athletes come to me who are having a tough time adjusting to collegiate athletics and are thinking about quitting. They tell me that they aren't having fun anymore because of the level of competition, the lack of

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405411351493577859.post-25716304453013326022008-04-17T12:52:00.001-05:002008-04-17T13:00:40.458-05:00

Romans 4:12 “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” It’s that time of year --- after battling the winter elements in Nebraska, the Lincoln half-marathon and marathon are just around the corner (May 4). A friend of mine has her sites on a repeat run at the Chicago marathon this year. In the 2007 marathon, as she

FCA Nebraskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356384955212065381noreply@blogger.com