Berean Christian Academy closed the third academic quarter with its annual sports banquet. Coaches, parents, and student athletes enjoyed a meal and fellowship before the presentation of awards. Accomplishments were acknowledged as the volleyball, football, and basketball teams all celebrated district championships. The basketball team advanced the furthest in the state playoffs, finishing in third place. Overall, it was a successful year for the BCA sports program.

In addition to the team awards, individual accomplishments were recognized. This was a time to acknowledge those who excelled in different aspects of their sport. These awards highlighted the athletes’ hard work and growth throughout the season.

At Immanuel Baptist Church and Berean Christian Academy, we strive for balance in our young people. While they are actively involved in music and in church ministries, team sports serve as an additional avenue for personal development. Spiritual growth is our primary goal, of course. However, we believe that each young man and each young lady is unique; therefore, different opportunities help develop them in various ways. Sports can be a powerful teacher. Here are some of the lessons sports help to teach:

Teamwork is essential to achieving goals.

It takes a team working together to accomplish goals. The more the team works together, the better it will be. In life—and in ministry—the more we work with others, the more we can accomplish.

Leadership skills are developed through experience.

It is gratifying to watch a young man or a young lady learn how to lead. We often proclaim to the next generation to “step up and lead,” but they have never been taught how. Sports are a good way for underclassmen to be taught how to lead and to see examples on a ball field that they can later translate into real-life leadership.

Potential is reached through hard work.

When I coached basketball for 13 seasons, the most gratifying thing for me was to watch a team or an individual reach their potential. Win or lose, any good coach just wants to see those under their tutelage reach their potential. What a joy it is to see students achieve more than they ever thought possible!

Losing in sports teaches how to handle life’s losses.

Inevitably, losses will occur. The other team is better. Our team played bad game. A teammate was sick. A referee missed a call. Whatever the circumstance, sometimes we lose. When we lose, we must decide what to do with that loss. Will we work harder? Will we quit? What is the lesson learned? We know that there are losses in life. Many will spiral because they cannot handle a loss. While circumstances in life often are more significant than they are in a ballgame, sports can teach us lessons on dealing with losses in our lives.

As I reflect on my days at BCA and the many sports teams on which I played, there is no doubt that many of my life skills were developed through competition. I am thankful for the lessons learned. I enjoyed seeing not only my children participate in the same sports program but so many others as well. I have experienced losses and disappointments in life, but team sports taught me that, instead of quitting, I must remind myself,

“Next play.”