L E G A C Y

Who are the coaches and players in your team’s history that are still impacting your lives today? Take a moment to recall their names, their faces, their unique gifts and abilities. They are a heritage for you, like a letter written to each of you to challenge and to encourage.

The Apostle Paul wrote these words in his second letter to his friends in Corinth, Greece in chapter 3 and verses 2 and 3, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” Paul’s friends were the living evidence of his passion for people and his love for God. It’s similar for us.

Players are the evidence of a coach’s skill, passion, and commitment. They are the coach’s legacy, like a letter written on human hearts and bearing his/her signature. Coaches love to tell the stories of their favorite players from the past. They are letters known and read by everybody. The players who come through this program behind you will be your legacy. Your lives, your commitment to the sport, and the stories shared about you will be a letter written to them. It’s up to each of us to determine the content of that letter.

The stationery for these letters is most remarkable. It’s far more durable than paper or even granite, it’s written on the hearts of players and coaches. Their hearts are immortal and will permanently carry the legacy we leave with them.

As you prepare to compete today, I pray that this passage will encourage you to write the best lines of your legacy on the field of competition.