Practice...Yes, I Said Practice!

Over the past few weeks we lovers of sports have been bombarded with the images of Tim Tebow and his escalation to super stardom. Tim Tebow's performance as a Denver Bronco has been impressive to say the least. In short order, he has become one of the most polarizing sports figures in recent history. A lot of this is due to his open display of faith and his love for Jesus Christ. But most of it has been regarding his on field play during the last nine games. During the first three quarters Tebow has played poor enough to be ranked the worst starting Quarterback in the NFL, but in the fourth quarter he has been inspired. He has led his team to a 7-2 record since he took over behind center. He has helped his team rally to become a contender in the AFC West, which is amazing for a 2nd tier NFL team.

When the season began he was the 4th string Quarterback coming out of camp. They say his performance in practice is less than NFL like. Some analysts have said "He is a competitive force of Nature....he just wins". They say the 4th quarter is "Tebow Time". Others have said "He's not a practice player, he never has been..." WHAT! He's not a practice player? Hold on, as a youth soccer coach I believe the use of statements like this are completely irresponsible. There are millions of youth players around the world that we have been "preaching to" that practice is where you work hard, preparation is the key to performance, and effort can overcome talent. Tim Tebow is a role model for our youth in regards to his mental toughness, faith driven existence, and his ability to not listen to naysayers. But lets not get this twisted, poor practice for almost all others means poor performance during games. Maximum effort during practice is a requirement, not a recommendation. Preparation fuels the competitive spirit, it sharpens the blade. So before we endorse this message and sell the image to our children, think of the message we are sending. Poor practice breeds poor performance!

Oh, by the way just in case you have the idea this is all about sports...this attitude spills over to every thing we do in Life, School, Work, Relationships, Athletics, and most importantly Faith! Best wishes Tim Tebow...keep following the Lord!

Is this the message we want our youth to hear? I'm just saying...