LAMBUTH FOOTBALL

2009 CHARACTER THEMES

DISCIPLINE CHARACTER TOUGHNESS EFFORT PRIDE DEDICATION & COMMITMENT CONFIDENCE TEAMWORK ENTHUSIASM POISE OVERCOMING ADVERSITY FOCUS COURAGE ATTITUDE PASSION

DISCIPLINE
The most important single ingredient to success in athletics or life is discipline. The disciplined athlete: 1. Does what has to be done. 2. When it has to be done. 3. As well as it can be done. 4. And does it that way all the time.

In the game of football an average team with discipline can beat a more talented team that lacks discipline. Success on the football field is the end result of the discipline demanded by the coaching staff and followed by the athletes. The coaches need to require discipline in order to provide structure, order and direction. The athletes need to make discipline a part of everything they do in order to be able to stay focused on those things that are important to success. -Choose to be disciplined- (Discipline yourself and others wont have to.)
Off the Field: Eat right and hydrate properly. Get plenty of sleep. Associate with people that will make you betternot bring you down. In the Classroom: Never miss class. Sit in the first three rows so you can hear and are not distracted by others. Write all assignments down in your planner. Never miss any assignments or tests. At Practice: Always be on time. Leave all personal problems/negative thoughts in the locker room. Do your best in every aspect of practiceeven the things you dont like doing. Give coaches your complete attention. Make those around you better. During The Games: Realize the importance of pre-game habitsmeetings/visualization. Stay completely focused on your assignmentseliminate distractions. Handle adversitybad calls, mistakes, etc. Be a team player. After The Game: Win with class. There are two kinds of pain when it comes to our daily conduct. Theres the pain of self -discipline and the pain of regret. Many people avoid the pain of self-discipline because its the easy thing to do. The pain of self-discipline is momentary but the pay-off is long lasting. Whoever loves discipline, loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. Prov. 12:1

RIGHT LIVING
Never do anything to compromise your integrity. Anything worth achieving is worth an honorable and honest effort. There are no short cuts to becoming a champion. You will never take any trophies or medals with you when you leave this life, but your character will be with you always. Be true to yourself, and keep in perspective the fact that even if you cant be the worlds best athlete in your chosen sport every day you can be your best person every day.
Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it piece by piece by piece, by thought, choice, courage and determination. we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance , character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3, 4 You identify yourself by what you do when no one is watching. The supervised athlete may be the hardest worker, the most selfless and responsible competitor. But how he practices when no one sees him, how he interacts with teammates when the coach is not within listening distancethats when he defines himselfhis character.

Everyone has the opportunity to make choices based on truth, integrity, responsibility, and loyaltyall of which are necessary to develop and maintain character. Character is always lost when ideals are sacrificed for conformity and popularity.

Swearing is a device for making ignorance audible.

If you cant explain it to your mother or your grandmother, dont do it.

By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Character is what you really are. Reputation is just what people say your are.

-John Wooden Character is the real foundation of all worthwhile success. A good question to ask yourself is, What kind of world would this world be if everybody were just like me?

Athletic competition will reveal character.

TOUGHNESS
The game of football requires physical and mental toughness. Physical toughness means: -Enjoying the contact that is a part of football. -Making it a goal to hit your opponent harder than he hits you. -Being willing to play through the minor bumps and bruises that are a part of the game. -Ignoring fatigue. -Practicing with an all out effort all the time. -Playing every play as if it were the only one that counts. -Winning games in the fourth quarter. Mental toughness means: -Choosing to be positive and confident at all times. -Not being afraid to make a mistake. -Learning from mistakes and letting them go. -Keeping emotions under control. -Enjoying the challenge of pressure situations. -Having the ability to get pumped up for all types of competition. -Being relentless in pursuit of goals. -Developing a long concentration span. -Never being intimidated. -Standing tall in the face of adversity. -Being able to focus on those things that are within your control.
Toughness is the ability to consistently perform toward the upper range of your talent and skill regardless of competitive circumstances. A fundamental component of toughness is physical fitness. Great coaches have always understood the connection between fitness and confidence, and between fitness and the ability to hold up under pressure. Being more physically fit means youll have the energy to fight mental, physical, and emotional battles. Becoming physically stronger deepens your belief in yourself. You become confident that you can go the distance; you simply refuse to surrender. You truly believe that you can handle anything your opponent throws at you.

EFFORT
When a mans ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7 No one can ask more of another person or of himself than to give his best effort. Effort is one of the qualities over which each person has complete control. It is one of the major keys to success and represents the heartbeat of the team. Personal effort reflects a players passion for the team and its objectives; collective effort develops respect between teammates. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3:17 Reasons for giving less than your best effort: -laziness -lack of self-discipline -lack of mental or physical toughness -short attention span/inability to stay focused -being negatively influenced by others -ignorance -arrogance -inability to set goals Reasons for giving your best effort at all times: -quickest way to improve -builds confidence -shows the coaches that you want to play -makes you less likely to get injured -makes those around you better -effort is contagious -team success depends on it -allows you to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with hard work -eliminates the possibility of regret -develops habits that will stay with you in all areas of your life
Welcome the tasks that make you go beyond yourself.

The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender. Champions work hard even when no one is watching. It is easier to work hard than to explain why you are not.

PRIDE
Pride should not be confused with arrogance or conceit. Good pride is a feeling that is developed as a result of consistently doing things the right way. It comes from discipline (focused attention and effort), unselfishness (the team comes first), accountability (everyone can be counted on), and ownership (of the collective behavior of the team). Successes are shared, trust established, communication is open, and everyone has a sense that they belong. A complete commitment to the purposes and values of the team exists.

Pride means giving your best effort in everything that you do. Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, and not for men. Col. 3:23 When a team develops pride through hard work and consistent effort, they refuse to let another team get the better of them, and take away what they have worked so hard to achieve. Personal Responsibility In Daily Effort
Good pride comes from responsibility. Successful teams and individuals take responsibility for whatever happens. They do not blame others, or make excuses, or say that is not my fault. They know that if they only tackle the difficult tasks when it is convenient or by being pushed, they will never succeed. These teams do the tough jobs and take on challenges on their own. When things go wrong, they look first to themselves and get back to work on the factors over which they have control so improvements can be made. Problems are approached head on. They realize that in order for the team to get better, changes must occur and challenges must be confronted. They are not afraid to analyze their strengths and weaknesses and devise a plan to bolster their strengths and attack their weaknesses, because they are driven by excellence.

When you have PRIDE, you never give up.

DEDICATION & COMMITMENT

Athletic success as well as success in any area of life is dependent upon setting goals, and having the dedication and commitment to achieve those goals. Your talent is what God put in before you were born. Your skills are what you put in yesterday. Commitment is what you must put in today in order to make today your masterpiece and make tomorrow a success. As an athlete you need to: 1. Understand that any dedication to success includes the sacrificing of instant gratification for long-term achievement. 2. Learn what it takes to succeed, so you can be dedicated to what it takes. 3. Develop an attitude that reflects an appreciation of whatever process helps you to develop into a more effective performer. When youre interested in something, you do it only when its convenient. When youre committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results. No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62
Average athletes: Dedicated/Committed Athletes: -Quickly scan the scouting reports. -Review the scouting reports thoroughly. -Just show up for practice. -Mentally prepare for practice. -Rely on coaches for motivation. -Set individual goals for each practice. -Often lose focus at practice. -Practice with focus and intensity. -Are only concerned with themselves. -Look for ways to make those around them better. -Dont take care of the details. -Eat correctly, re-hydrate, and get plenty of sleep.

To get the true measure of an athlete, note how much more he does than is required of him.

CONFIDENCE
And without FAITH it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

Confidence comes from: -Mental Preparation.

Studying scouting reports, watching film, and focusing on assignments during practice allows you to perform in games with confidence. When you know your assignments everything becomes automatic.

-Hard Work.
The physical preparation during strength and conditioning workouts, and the consistent effort put forth in practice helps increase your belief in yourself. You gain confidence when you know that you have outworked your opponent.

-Remembering Past Successes.

As a part of your pre-game preparation visualize times when you have been successful. Replay in your mind your own highlight tape.

-Being able to let go of mistakes. The biggest mistake an athlete can make is to be afraid to make one.
Everyone will make mistakes. If you can learn from mistakes, let them go, and move on to the next play you will be successful. Athletes who let mistakes erode their confidence and play with a fear of failure will not perform to their potential.

-Making the choice to be confident.

Use positive self-talk. To increase your self-confidence, say, think, and imagine positive thoughts. Use key words or phrases to motivate yourself and prevent negative thoughts or images from taking over your mind-set. You should expect to be successful, not hope or wish to be successful. Lifes battles dont always go to the stronger or faster man, but sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.

Confidence comes from being PREPARED.

TEAMWORK
Championship teams are made up of people who are concerned about something beyond themselves.
-One of the most important fundamentals of successful teamwork is the elimination of selfishness. Selfishness on the team level or with any individual player will destroy a team faster than anything else. -A team first attitude allows people to accept roles that make others better. Great teams have individual players who each make their own unique contribution to the groups success. -Roles can either be a force that binds the team together or creates jealousy between individuals. If value is shown equally to every role, it is easier for each role to be embraced by every player. The more each individual squad member feels like they are part of the team, the more they will contribute. -The power of an effective team is directly proportional to the effort each team member brings to their individual skills and role.

The team must always come first. Dont let your teammates down speaks to every situation in which athletes can find themselves. Teamwork allows ordinary people to attain extraordinary results. There are no individual winners on a losing team. What sets apart championship teams is the degree to how deeply committed the members are to one another. If your goal is to play together and play hard, then winning takes care of itself. A champion team will beat a team of individual champions. In unity there is strength. Everyone on a championship team doesnt get publicity, but everyone can say hes a champion.

ENTHUSIASM
Rejoice Always. Pray Constantly. Give thanks in EVERYTHING, for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. Great teams demonstrate enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is both powerful and contagious. Enthusiasm spreads. It is very difficult to excel in any activity that you do not love. You must learn to put your heart into your work and not be afraid to let it show. A true competitor brings enthusiasm to the field every day. The real secret of success is enthusiasm. Enthusiasm brings on excitement. Excitement produces energy. Energy generates extra effort. Extra Effort develops success. Motivation will almost always beat mere talent. Enthusiasm is faith set on fire. Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do. It is impossible to excel at something you dont enjoy. Find a way to enjoy the challenge.

PASSION = ENTHUSIASM

POISE
I have fought the good fight , I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith. II Timothy 4:7

It is easy to be positive and focused when everything is going great, but an athlete needs to be able to maintain a sense of composure even when things are not going well. Being able to remain composed in any situation leads to consistent performance. The statement the team that loses its poise will probably lose is very true in any sport that requires any measure of skill or concentration. The player that can recover quickly from mistakes is less likely to repeat them. Being in control of your emotions when you are facing adverse situations is a key ingredient to becoming a great competitor. In athletics, poise should be demonstrated at all timeswith yourself, your teammates, your opponents, and officials.
The key to winning is poise under stress. When you lose control of your emotions, when your self-discipline breaks down, your judgment and common sense suffer. How can you perform at your best when you are using poor judgment?

Maintain you composure even when your opponent is taunting you, breaking the rules, or giving you cheap shots. The thing that you can do to him that would have the greatest impact, is to defeat him.
What every athlete should know about poise:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Poise is an indicator of self-control. Body language indicates attitude, and attitude will dictate behavior. Loss of poise has negative mental and physical effects. During times of adversity an athlete needs to gather himself and his thoughts. 5. Athletes need to control emotional responses to events that are out of their control.

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
As a college football player you can be dealing with many types of adversity. Adversity can come from: -Issues you are dealing with at home or in school -Injuries -Weather conditions -Officials calls/penalties -Getting behind in a game -Making mistakes
Adversity brings the character of people down to the level of their circumstance or up to the level of the challenge it presents. The trial of adversity will indicate whether we use the experience of it uses us. Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle. More than anything else, what keeps a person going in the midst of adversity is having a sense of purpose. It is the fuel that powers persistence. Dont waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. Its okay to fail. If youre not failing, youre not growing. When achievers fail, they see it as a momentary event, not a lifelong epidemic.

Things you must understand about facing adversity: -Adversity is a part of life. Dont avoid situations where you might have to deal with it. -Adverse situations should be a challenge, not a threat. -Be self-assertive, rather than self-pitying. -Look for possible solutions, rather than dwelling on the problem. -During competition stay focused on the task at hand. -Use positive self-talk to control things from within rather than allowing adverse external factors to take control.

FOCUS
Consider it great joy whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4 When you practice or compete you can mentally be in the past, the future, or the present. If youre in the past, your mind is behind your body. For example, while you perform, your focus could be on a recent mistake, a bad call, or a missed opportunity. If youre in the future, your mind is ahead of your body as you perform. Youre thinking about what might happen. (What Ifs steal your courage and kill your confidence) If youre in the present, your concentration and your body are working together. Your focus is locked onto what you are doing at that moment. You must consistently stay in the now of your practices and performances in order to perform at your best. Focus allows you to eliminate all of the unnecessary distractions that interfere with reaching the goals that have been set. Developing a laser focus on the agreed upon goals is one of the key ingredients to team success. Focus promotes attention to detail. Greatness is achieved through the discipline of attending to detail. Focusing is a skill that can be learned; it is also an attribute that is within your control. All performances improve when there is focus.
One of the mental skills that distinguishes the athletes who are successful is their ability to adapt and refocus in the face of distractions. When you enter competitive situations, many things have the potential to distract you, upset you, lower your confidence, or put you in a bad mood. But something becomes a distraction only if you let it distract you. You can choose to be distracted by it, or choose to let it go. You dont lose your performance skills because of distractions; you let yourself lose the focus that allows yourself to execute your skills effectively. Coaching legend John Wooden always coached the process, not the outcome. Wooden never focused his players on winning, an uncontrollable. Instead, he got them to pay attention to giving a full effort and executing to the best of their ability. In doing so, he narrowed his players concentration to the process of the game.

The worlds top athletes achieve their best results when they focus only on their performance and not on the outcome.

Stay focused on those things that are within your control.

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
All things work together for GOOD to those who follow HIM
Romans 8:28 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping Your Word. I have sought You with all my heart; dont let me wander from Your commands. I have treasured Your Word in my heart so that I will not sin against You. Psalms 119:9-11

No matter what, your attitude is a CHOICE the last of human freedoms is to choose our attitude in any given circumstances
Its easier to MAINTAIN the right attitude than REGAIN it self-pity is possibly the most crippling emotional disease Your ATTITUDE determines your ACTIONS - the WINNERS edge is all in the attitude not the aptitude The people you LEAD reflect the ATTITUDE you possess who you are is whom you attract

If you learn from your mistakes and then let them go . . . you will be able to focus on the present God chooses what we go through. We choose how we go through it.
Attitude more than age determines energy.

I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 The thing that separates good players from great ones is mental attitude. It might only be the difference of 2 or 3 plays in an entire game but how you play those often makes the difference between winning and losing. EXPECT GREAT THINGS When the ball is in the air . . . expect to catch it. When we need 4 yards for a first down . . . expect to gain it. When we need to put out the fire . . . expect to scoop and score. When we must have a 3 and out . . . expect the punt return team on the field. When the ball is kicked . . . expect to see 3 points on the board. When we need a big play . . . expect to make it When the EAGLES step on the field . . . expect to walk off it VICTORIOUS!

The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say "I." And that's not because they have trained themselves not to say "I." They don't think "I." They think "we"; they think "team." They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but "we" gets the credit. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done. -Peter Drucker A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skills of the others. -Norman Shidle
In order to have a winner, the team must have a feeling of unity; every player must put the team first- ahead of personal glory. --Paul Bear Bryant Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work a company work, a society work, a civilization work. --Vince Lombardi Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success. -Henry Ford "Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. It is the ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." -Andrew Carnegie

COURAGE
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Your courage and unity will show them what they're up against: defeat for them, victory for you.
-Philippians 1:28

Courage is not the absence of fear just the resistance of fear. One man with courage is a majority. He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses friends loses more; but he who loses his courage loses all. Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities . . . because it is the quality that guarantees all others. As we approach tough decisions remember these truths about Courage: Courage begins with an inward battle
Have the power to let go of the familiar and forge into new territory.

Courage is making things right, not just smoothing them over

Deal in PRINCIPLE & CONVICTION not perception & popularity

Courage in a leader inspires commitment from followers

Commitment is contagious

Your life expands in proportion to your courage

dont allow fear to limit you

ATTITUDE

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He WILL direct your path. Proverbs 3:5-6
I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

No matter what, your attitude is a CHOICE the last of human freedoms is to choose our attitude in any given circumstances
Its easier to MAINTAIN the right attitude than REGAIN it self-pity is possibly the most crippling emotional disease Your ATTITUDE determines your ACTIONS - the WINNERS edge is all in the attitude not the aptitude The people you LEAD reflect the ATTITUDE you possess who you are is whom you attract

If you learn from your mistakes and then let them go . . . you will be able to focus on the present.
If you enjoy today and all it has to offer . . . You will be better prepared for tomorrow. If you express gratitude to God and others through words and actions . . . You will be aware of the value they bring to you.

God chooses what we go through. We choose how we go through it.

Attitude more than age determines energy.

If you believe you can, you can. The thing that separates good players from great ones is mental attitude. It might only be the difference of 2 or 3 plays in an entire game but how you play those often makes the difference between winning and losing. EXPECT GREAT THINGS When the ball is in the air . . . expect to catch it. When we need 4 yards for a first down . . . expect to gain it. When we must have a 3 and out . . . expect the punt return team on the field. When the ball is kicked . . . expect to see 3 points on the board. When we need a big play . . . expect to make it When the EAGLES step on the field . . . expect to walk off it VICTORIOUS!

Passion
Pauls energy for serving others I Corinthians 9: 19 - 23
Paul was a leader who was possessed by passion and discipline. Why? Because he felt consumed with his mission. Notice these truths about passion from our text: 1. Passion must precede position v. 19 Pauls position: Im free from all men. His passion: I have become a slave to all men. 2. Passion must exceed personal preferences v. 20 - 22 Paul insisted on fulfilling his mission. Compassion drove him, not compromise. 3. Be high on people, low on procedure v. 22 Paul knew what was worth dying for and what wasnt. He valued people over procedure. 4. Remain fixed on your mission & flexible in your methods v. 23 Paul remained flexible because he kept his mission in sharp focus. He committed himself to God and his goal. God hates mediocrity. His desire is for us to live everyday to the fullest. Revelations 3: 14 16 addresses how God feels about people that are lukewarm or half-hearted about the Christian life. Verse 16 says God will up chuck you out of his mouth. So how do we increase our passion? 1. Take your temperature. Find another Christian you respect and truthfully ask him/her if they think you are passionate about being a Christian. You cant start a fire for anything unless it burns in you first. 2. Return to your first love. Dont allow life to push you off your track. Think back to the time when you where more sold out as a Christian then you are now. 3. Associate with people of passion. Birds of a feather flock together. Hot coals stay hot when they remain in the fire. Find passionate people and let them rub off on you. Thought Questions: 1. What are you passionate about? 2. Take your temp. Are you hot, cold or lukewarm? Think about the time in your life when you were hot about your walk with Christ. What drove you? What made you enthusiastic? 3. Self-centered passion will skew your judgment, why?