More Than a Championship
Tonight, after a tough, hard-fought State Cup playoff match, I received the following message from the opposing coach. I’m sharing this not to highlight a scoreline or a result, but to praise the Lord for how He used this moment.
Of course, I would love to finish the season next weekend by winning the championship. But what happened tonight is so much better than that.
Hey Coach
I have played and coached this game two seasons per year - fall and spring - since I was 5 years old. So over 100 seasons of soccer.
Today was my last ever game and like you I have a son on the team and this was likely his last game as well. I have coached some of those boys since they were 8 so I have many that were like family.
The ending on the field wasn’t what we hoped for. But the witness you and your team provided was the best ending I could have ever hoped for. I had a chance to talk a little about my faith after all that and it was a blessing.
As a Christian it is so refreshing to see the way your team carried itself at the end. Over the years I have forgotten many if not of all the goals and specific moments we all think are so important in that moment.
I have no doubt I will never forget today. God bless you and your boys’ witness.
Best of luck to you
James Martin
After the match, both teams stayed on the field. For many of these young men, it was the last game they would ever play together after years of being teammates, some since childhood.
We invited the other team to pray with us. At first, only one young man immediately stepped forward. Then, one by one, the entire team joined. We shared words of encouragement, spoke openly, and prayed together.
You could feel the Holy Spirit in that moment. Hearts were open. Walls were down. What began as competition ended in unity.
Soccer teaches us a lot about discipline, perseverance, and teamwork. But moments like this remind me that the real purpose goes far beyond trophies, goals, or championships. Long after the final whistle fades, what remains is how we treated one another and whose name we represented.
Tonight, God was glorified and that is a victory that will never be forgotten.