Train Up a Child... Prov. 22:6

Proverbs 22:6

I was struck by a passage I heard this past Sunday in Church.


I believe this should not only apply to parents but to coaches as well.  It is unfortunate that we read headlines about the Rutgers Basketball Coach, we hear coaches yelling obscenities at players and officials, and we see coaches trying to take advantage of their influence with their players.


Three things I think every coach should remember:

1.  "Train Up a Child" - Instead of the phrase "Train a Child,"  many versions of the Bible use "Train Up a Child" which I like. I know their is a tough love model, and the tear a team down before you build them back up model, but coaches have to be careful.  When does tough love and tearing the team down stop Training a Child Up?

2.  "In the way he(she) should go" - All coaches preach how athletics and competition teach us life lessons.  This is where the rubber hits the road.  The decisions made (good and bad), the level of performance (high and low), and the outcome of the game (win and lose) are all part of the equation and how we handle them as coaches will be remembered much more than the outcome of the game.





3.  "He(she) will not turn from it" - Many of our athletes will be coaching their own teams and their own children someday.  I have seen a few of my athletes go on to be coaches and new coaches often repeat the things they learned from their coach.  It's scary to think about, but the way a coach acts will not only influence your current team, it will influence how they influence their team and children down the road.