Purpose, Sacrifice, and Legacy

 

Last week, our message centered around the idea of as long as you are still breathing God isn't done with you. You have a purpose and as long as you are still here on this earth you should be working to fulfill that purpose. At the time I wrote that particular post, I had no idea that the message of embracing your purpose would fit so aptly in a volleyball practice with my travel volleyball 13U team. Thus, today's message of "Purpose, Sacrifice, and Legacy". Enjoy. 

It had been a hard weekend of volleyball, some really tough losses, and a couple of complete breakdowns, yet as the tournament was winding down our team had really stepped up their game and it appeared we were headed for a strong finish on the day. At the point in the tournament that we were, it was in place that we would be finishing with two matches regardless of whether we won the first one or not. The competition was strong, and as I already mentioned we were playing some really good ball ourselves. Emotional as much as a physical endeavor, we took the match to the limit, winning grueling long volleys and scooping up balls that nobody would have imagined could have been saved. It appeared we were on track to win, but at the end of the match we came up short and then immediately on to our final match of the day we went.

The last set had been an emotional rollercoaster as noted above, so when we immediately stepped back on the court for our last match of the day, my concern was whether our team would be able to pick themselves up and squeeze out one last dose of hard work and relentless effort. Unfortunately, we didn't. That hurt. After three decades of coaching I have worked with thousands of athletes and if nothing else is accomplished I have always wanted them to grow internally as much as athletically. The grit, resilience, and tenacity of never giving up and never quitting is a critical quality for life more so than anything I could ever hope to teach them about volleyball, yet volleyball or any other athletic competition are some of the best platforms to reinforce those powerful skills!

The girls were disappointed, parents were disappointed, and both coaches were deflated by what we had just watched. So, as the old saying goes "When life hands you lemons, you go make some lemonade!" As is our regimen after each tournament we always meet at our next scheduled practice to review our performance and map out the goals for the upcoming weeks of practice. The focal point of this particular tournament review was three life altering words, purpose, sacrifice, and legacy.

You see I believe we all have a purpose. We all have multiple purposes, we just don't fulfill one purpose in life then we're done. Instead, our purpose in life can change from one day to the next and it can also endure throughout a lifetime of hard work and dedication. The challenge is to realize that you have to give your A-game every time you step on the court of life in fulfilling your purpose. As I shared with the players on our team, you don't always know what your purpose is, but you have to always give everything you've got because somebody may be watching you that is prepared to give up on life, a relationship, or a goal that may seem too far out to obtain. If they see you giving up and laying down, then your purpose was not fulfilled. They may leave that moment thinking I'm just like that team of girls, the going gets tough and I'd rather just lay down and quit. That is not acceptable. When things get tough, we must be willing to sacrifice the easy way out and accept the attitude that no matter what the circumstances I am going to hold on to faith and trust that whatever God has planned for me is bigger than I am and whatever He wants me to do I'm going to do it with every ounce of energy left in my body! For me the definition of sacrifice is doing whatever it takes to reach a goal regardless of how I personally feel about the situation at that exact moment. This last match of the day we "played", and I use that word loosely, didn't have an iota of significance on how we would place in the tournament. We had already sealed that fate; this particular match was basically practice. But, oh how we practiced! We, as a team, couldn't claim the letter "s" in the word sacrifice, let alone the full term nor its meaning. 

Which brings me to the final term from today's trio, legacy. Siblings were present, spectators were spectating, and other teams were waiting in the wings, my question to our team was what impression did they think they left with all of those in attendance at our court? Most definitely not the one that any of us would have wanted to have representing us as we left that gym. That lasting impression, the very notion of who you are being represented by what you do and how you carry yourself makes for a legacy that will impact the lives of all those watching us as they witnessed how we handled adversity and a challenging situation. Our lives are not really about us, our lives are about how many people we can have a positive impact on during the time we have been given to impact those very lives. You may not play volleyball or any other sport for that matter, yet each day you face challenges, you deal with adversity, and most likely you encounter defeat and losses along the way. How you handle those life events is part of your purpose in the life you have been given. Giving your all, hustling even when it appears that you have lost, and understanding that someone is watching you to see how you handle a devastating situation is all part of the legacy you will leave behind with that someone who is watching. 

I am so proud of our Genesis 13 and under volleyball team. They have so much athleticism, their personalities shine every time we are together, and they are ever quick to encourage and complement each other when they do something notable on the court. That is why I can't fail them by not demonstrating by my example that we can't take a day off or even a match off from giving our best. "Today is the day that the Lord hath made I will rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24 resonated as our chat came to a close, and a last thought that I would share with any and all is this: "And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. “Colossians 3:17. Whether you are playing volleyball or if you are dealing with a life altering event, keep your head up and give it all you got. Your purpose is yet to be fulfilled, and the sacrifice you make to march forward facing your adversity will solidify your legacy for your family, your friends, and possibly even that spectator in the stands!

Coach Carter