11/27/2025
I am Thankful to be a small part of these kids lives and with a new season, comes new goals and opportunities. Over the past few years, I notice more and more kids becoming anxious and scared of making mistakes. Afraid that they’re upsetting their parents and coaches. Kids are always looking into the stands or sidelines/dugout for approval or to see if they have upset someone. This upcoming season our goal is to instill the following:
What you do is NOT who you are.
Your identity is not defined by your performance. Athletes are wired to chase perfection, always training, always evaluating, always focused on the next 1% of improvement. But because of that mindset, we’re often trained to see the negatives before the positives. And slowly, without realizing it, performance becomes tied to our worth. Your self-worth is not determined by what you do, how well you play, or what a coach, teammate, parent or anyone else thinks of you.
Winning external battles will never create internal peace. We don’t work from the outside in — we work from the inside out. Confidence, purpose, and identity start in the heart, not on a scoreboard. We must teach athletes that their value is not based on their abilities. That belief is a lie and one of the biggest traps in sports. Performance is a dead-end road when it becomes your identity. One injury, one mistake, one roster move can take away a position, but they can’t take away who you are.
Your identity is anchored in something unshakeable:
You are a child of God, created in His perfect image.
You were made to be loved, not to perform. Your abilities, your sport, your health — those are blessings and gifts from God, not the foundation of your identity.
And for parents and coaches: our love and support should never be conditional. Never based on stats, wins, or highlights. Our performances do not change God’s love for us and they shouldn’t change ours for the kids we lead.
