Be a Coach Worth Remembering

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” 2 Timothy 1:1-2 NIV

“A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.” This is a sign, given to me by the parent of one of the young runners I had the blessing of coaching many years ago, that I have displayed in my office in a place where I can see it every day. The sign reminds me that a coach can play a huge role in someone’s life, and that it’s just as important for me to teach a person to run well as it is to instill confidence in a person’s ability to do life well… something sports and the right training has the potential to do. This confidence, I’ve come to know, can literally change a person’s future.

Which is the very reason I wanted to hear more of my friend and fellow runner, Zach’s, story after he called to tell me that he wouldn't be able to make it to a running event we were partnering on because he would be attending an unexpected Celebration of Life service for his beloved college running coach on the same day instead.

“It means a lot to me that you want to hear more about coach Al [Al Cairus] and the impact he had on not only myself, but thousands of others as well,” Zach wrote in an email later that day. He continued to say that, “He was an incredibly inspirational, philosophical, and genuine man, who gave his entire life towards bettering every runner that came through the program - not only within the sport, but life as well. I’m going to share with you a tribute a good friend of mine wrote for him, which is featured on the DIII Glory Days website. It’s incredibly well written and encapsulates everyone’s feelings towards Al and his passing.”

And this is just some of the beautiful tribute his friend Ryan Root (class of 2014) penned about a coach who lived out his God-given purpose and inspired others to do the same….

“There is no one in my life, outside of my parents, who has had more of a profound impact on making me who I am today than Al Carius, and my world changed on September 9th when I heard that he had passed. For 50+ years, Al built and maintained one of the most dominant cross country programs in NCAA history at any level...

You’ve probably heard that North Central’s training is a grind. Some people may look at that and think Al was a dictator, a ruthless taskmaster who accepted nothing but total commitment to the sport, but that isn’t the truth. Routinely, you’d hear Al extol the virtue of finding the “small daily wins.” The success of his runners wasn’t built in special, secret workouts, but on the shoulders of consistency, and Al was the beacon we all followed. Every morning at 6:30 AM, we would round the turn onto Loomis Street and see Al’s beaming smile. He’d shout a joyful “good morning, boys!” Then, in turn, we would respond, “Good morning, Al!”—all before he would head off on his own morning run routine, a little slower in those years than it used to be. He had a way of making the mundane fun and the discomfort of racing worthwhile.

I never heard Al talk about winning national championships; the only performance guidance he gave was to “maximize our God-given abilities…” His goal was to become the invisible coach; to give us all the tools we needed to succeed…”

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

Wow, right? And while Paul might not have been a “running” coach per se, he did know a thing or two about running and urged all believers to run in such a way as to get the prize. In this way, Paul was a spiritual coach to many including young Timothy. And by referring to Timothy as “my dear son,” we can tell that Paul took his mentoring role seriously and cared deeply about this young pastor and his future. As his coach, Paul wanted Timothy to maximize his God-given abilities and spiritual gifts to serve the Lord and “run in such a way as to get the prize.”

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” 2 Timothy 1:5-6

And this “running in such a way as to get the prize,” Paul knew, meant that Timothy would need to be encouraged to grow “the sincere faith” that was passed down to him and was now living in him. For that reason, Paul reminded the young pastor to “fan into flames the gift of God” which was in him through the laying on of Paul’s hands. Paul knew that it would take deliberate measures, focus, and exertion for Timothy to reach his full potential and so coached him to take personal action. You see, God gives each one of us individual gifts—but it’s our job to grow them and mature in these gifts so we can utilize them to the greatest extent of our capability. Paul wanted to incite Timothy to keep his gifts burning hot for the Lord so he could be a disciplined spiritual athlete who was able to keep his eyes on the prize and remain strong, steadfast, and on course until the end.

“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” 2 Timothy 1:13-14

Furthermore, Paul also knew that he would not always be there to coach Timothy and so was discipling him in such a way as to pass on the baton, saying, “what you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” Like a good coach, Paul wanted to give Timothy all the tools that he needed to succeed.

So, knowing that it's the job of every mature believer to coach a younger believer, find someone in need of mentoring and take your job seriously my friend. And if you're a person who's new to the faith, seek out a coach. It will mutually benefit the both of you and the body of Christ as a whole since it will ensure that we are all accountable to continue running the race and that the baton will be passed on to the next generation. 

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Paul's example of making disciples by being a spiritual coach to those who are new to the faith. Lead us to those people in need of a mentor Lord, and lead those people to us that we might make disciples that will serve to spread the Gospel like a wild fire. Help us to stir up others to use their God-given talents by our words, deeds, and personal example. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!