In Denial

Injuries are part of life in the amateur and professional athletic world. Almost all athletes will deal with an acute or chronic injury at some point. Even though it may be a fact of life for the skilled athlete it doesn't mean they always handle it well. My own athletic training experience reminds me of the psychological difficulties associated with physical injuries.


Last week I read an article in USA Today talking about off-season injuries that affect athletes. One of the pitchers interviewed, Jeff Samardzija of the Chicago White Sox, said of these injuries, "In this game, you deny until you die." I took it to mean you don't talk about how you sustained an injury away from baseball, but I think it also applies to the mentality surrounding injuries overall. If you are in complete denial you can pretend they don't exist.

There are two different ways to view this: it's about denying responsibility for our actions and also trying to deny the truth about the severity of our injury. The first motive is a protective mechanism to keep the truth away from others and even ourselves. The latter is an effort to pretend nothing is wrong so that we can keep the lifestyle we have grown accustomed to. Neither approach is healthy (obviously) and represent a deep desire for us to cling to a part of life we are unwilling to part with even if it's time for it to pass.

What we desperately need to make it through this phase is a health dose of honesty. While that may not make a shoulder repair itself any faster, it will set our emotional, mental, and spiritual lives on the right path for healing.

That's Mine

The picture above brings back fond memories of my athletic training days at Mainland High School and the great staff I worked with. What makes the picture exponentially special is the Olympic gold medal around my neck. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that allowed me to snag a picture for posterity's sake. It's a picture sitting prominently on my shelf in the middle of other important memorabilia.

While the picture might portray a different reality to the unknowing observer the gold medal doesn't belong to me. I did nothing to earn it and even though I wore it briefly, that didn't make me an Olympian. 

Genuine faith is the same way. We can call ourselves faithful because of our family heritage or our regular church attendance, but without personal experience it doesn't mean much. It's not genuine to say we have faith because our grandmother did or because we never missed a Sunday service. Faith only becomes our own when we put the effort in to battle through understanding and real life application. 

Without individual investment we're just wearing what someone else has earned.

Effective Treatment

When I worked in athletic training there were injuries that were obviously acute--meaning they had occurred as a result of immediate trauma on the playing field. This could be a broken bone, a serious contusion, or a flesh wound. While sometimes serious, the course of action was fairly well laid out for immediate treatment and recovery.

Things became more complicated when you were unsure if the injury was acute or chronic. Some damage would go unnoticed by an athlete until it finally compounded enough to appear. These could actually be the result of chronic conditions and while acute treatments might alleviate immediate pain they wouldn't address the underlying problem.

We can be guilty of this in how we handle problems in our relationships and our community. If we don't recognize the ongoing nature of issues we end up throwing temporary solutions at them without having a lasting effect. To be truly effective we need to recognize the root issue and find a way to address it. It's the difference in dropping one meal off for a family without groceries or working together to change the factors that have contributed to the lack of food. One will be immediately appreciated and short-lived while the other corrects the root cause.

If we fail to recognize the difference between acute & chronic issues we can keep ourselves busy, but never truly be effective in fixing the problem.

Calm Yourself

Anytime an athlete I was working with was injured and panicking, my first priority was to get them to calm down so I could assess the situation. I would ask them to close their eyes, breathe in slowly through their nose, and then breathe out their mouth. This simple act of regulated respiration would help them to focus and find peace in the middle of their pain.

This meditative exercise is helpful even when the stress we are feeling isn't physical. Our circumstances can threaten to overwhelm us and we might feel that things are spiralling out of control. It's in these moments that we need a reminder to slow down our breathing and find a place of peace. A worship song by Matt Redman poetically describes how God wants to help us in these times. The lyrics simply say, "I'm breathing in Your grace and breathing out Your praise." That is exactly the reminder we all need when we feel harassed and helpless.

Wasting Away

Atrophy (noun): degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse; wasting away

I've seen the effects of atrophy up close. In athletic training we would work with athletes returning from broken bones and periods of immobility who had to work to rebuild muscle tissue. In ministry I have witnessed people who have neglected important disciplines long enough to forget how to do what used to be instinct. Both areas represent an important fact for all of us: if you don't use something you will lose it. It may not be gone forever, but it will take some work to get back to a comparable state. This is a life principle that applies to physical activity, spiritual disciplines, relationships, and overall positive life habits.

If we want to avoid a personal regression we can't ignore the practices that brought us to a place of growth. Rest when it's necessary, but be consistent in doing the things that bring good health to all parts of your life. Nothing healthy was ever achieved by wasting away.

10 Years

This year marks a decade since I transitioned into full-time ministry from the high school level. In fact, I have now spent more years as a pastor than I did as a teacher/athletic trainer. While I couldn't possibly do justice to a comprehensive list, there are several things that I have learned in the last ten years:

• You have to work just as hard to maintain your own spiritual relationship while working in ministry as you do out of it.
• I was working as a pastor and caring for people on a deeper level long before I ever figured out my calling.
• Just because I accepted my calling as a pastor doesn't mean I won't miss what I left behind.
• The biggest focus for athletic trainers is in the prevention of injuries even while we respond to the immediate hurt in front of us. Working in ministry isn't that different. We strive to lead people to Christ and equip them for ministry in hopes of preventing personal catastrophe even as life calls us to step into the midst of tragedy and triumph.
• Working in the church is the hardest thing I have ever done--no doubt about it.
• I have to work to intentionally protect my family as they will endure harsher scrutiny in the ministry than anywhere else but perhaps politics.
• The satisfaction of seeing lives committed to Christ, miraculous healing taking place, relationships restored, and incredible acts of generosity is greater than I could ever have imagined.
• Even though I have come so far in my own journey with Christ there is still so much more room for growth than I originally envisioned.
• You have to intentionally create your own rest opportunities in ministry as there are no complete down times. If you don't honor the Sabbath (no matter what day of the week it needs to be) you won't be sustainably effective.
• No matter how much satisfaction I took out of my former career (and it was a large amount), leading a church is what I was created & called to do. 

I clearly see how God has been preparing me for this journey my entire life. I am thankful that He is patient with me and continues to mold me for what He has in store next. I am also forever grateful for those that have influenced & invested in me over the last ten years. I'm eagerly anticipating what comes next. 

An Ounce of Prevention

The most important job of an athletic trainer is prevention. While we are schooled in injury evaluation and rehabilitation we would much rather invest our efforts in making sure they don't happen. That is why (in my former career) I spent time coaching athletes in nutrition and hydration for the best physical fueling. It's why we emphasize training and physical conditioning that is sport specific. We evaluate playing conditions and correct improper technique that could lead to debilitating results.

The thought hit me the other day that my calling as a pastor isn't that different. While I might get caught up in dealing with problems after they happen, most of my time should be spent in teaching and preparing so that damaging decisions don't occur. Much like athletic training I can't guarantee a trauma free event, but I can invest my time in prayer and preparation to set people up for the best possible outcome. I know that I would much rather spend time in leadership and character development instead of crisis management in the aftermath of injurious decision making.

Go Hard

When I was working in athletic training we were always cautious with athletes who were returning from an injury. Not only we were focused on rehabilitating the physical injury, but we had to help the athlete develop the confidence to return to action. There is always great danger in an athlete returning from injury and being tentative. They were more susceptible to further damage by playing with less than 100% focus and energy.

In Mark 12:30, Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It isn't a dictatorial principle of God, but is instead a measure of protection. He knows that we won't be successful or reach our goals if we not completely invested in following Him. Not only will we fail to see the completion of His vision in us, we will be more susceptible to the schemes of the enemy. Pursuing a 100% self-investment is the only way to see spiritual victory.

Assume the Position

When I worked in athletic training there was a phrase that we would hope we wouldn't have to use when dealing with injuries. It was something that we only said when it was a serious incident and one in which we suspected that damage had been done to the cervical spine of the athlete. It was simply, "assume the position." When given as a directive, it instructed the other athletic trainer to stabilize the head and neck so that no other potential damage could occur. It instantly put you on alert and had you waiting further instructions as the current situation was handled. It was not something that was used lightly, you took your responsibility very seriously and were ready to follow through on the best plan of action.

The "assume the position" phrase came to mind tonight in a slightly different light as we talked about the Biblical account of Samuel hearing from God. The idea was that we need to strategically position ourselves to be available to hear from Him. It requires humbling ourselves to his directives, being on alert for what He might have to say and taking this privilege and honor very seriously. It means eliminating distractions and other competing noises so that we can effectively hear from God and then do something with it.

It's not easy to do with the multiple layers of influence on us and with the noisy distractions we surround ourselves with. If we desire to eagerly and obediently fulfill our calling in Christ however, it's essential.

Influence: The College Years

I was blessed by several leaders in my college days and they taught me a lot of things that I was able to use in my early career in sports medicine as well as leadership lessons that I still carry with me.

I was able to support myself in college by waiting tables and eventually managing one of the restaurants. My general manager as Rich Katzman. Rich taught me valuable lessons in customer service, dedication to those that you are serving and how to build a team. He was also passionate follower of Christ and showed me how that could exist in the regular world. We shared a mutual respect and I still remember him tearing up when I moved to Florida to begin my teaching career.

There were three gentlemen at Lipscomb University who influenced me more than any other. Lynn Griffith and Kent Johnson were two of my professors in the Exercise Science department and Brent Oliver was the Head Athletic Trainer. All three of them put up with me and my idiosyncrasies and were a vital part of the development of my philosophy of athletic training, my work ethic, and my faith.

More than that all of three of them are good, godly men who showed me that being a Christian was different than I had once thought. I fondly remember hours of conversation with all three of them and I am grateful that they took the time to invest in a young man who was still trying to find his way. The three of them were constantly educating me and most of what I learned had little to do with the subject matter at hand. They are true heroes to follow and I still find myself reflecting on lessons from almost 20 years ago.

They are probably unaware of their impact on me and the countless others that they have cared for over the years, but that does not lessen their influence. Thanks gentlemen, for caring and being willing to be used for more far-reaching purposes than you know.