Coach Spotlight with Mark Leonard

I recently sat down with Mark Leonard to ask him questions about his faith, family, and coaching. Mark is the head boy's basketball coach at Leigh High School in Nebraska and he and his wife, Deana, serve as the huddle coaches for the Leigh FCA huddle.



Describe how you felt called to coach?

When I was in college, I really didn’t know what I wanted to be only that I had a love for sports and I wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. I tried several different majors in college such as Pre-Med and Accounting, but none of these areas seemed right for me. The Lord led me to try some education classes and I fell in love with the many positives that I could have in one’s life through education and with coaching. The coaching profession is difficult, but I know that by staying consistent with my philosophies, I am making a positive difference with the athletes and students I get to work with on a daily basis.

What is your favorite part about coaching sports?

My favorite part of coaching is when I see my players living up to their God-given potential both on and off the playing fields. I love to teach my players about the details that go along with each sport and help instill positive character traits that will benefit them throughout their lifetimes.

What is the biggest struggle you have as a coach?

The biggest struggle I have as a coach is keeping my priorities always in order during the sport seasons. Due to the pressures and the time commitments it takes to be a good coach, one’s priorities can easily get out of order. To overcome this struggle, I start each morning out by reading the Bible to get into the correct frame of mind for the day. My family understands how important coaching is to me and they are very supportive. As a family, we always try to eat our night meal together whenever possible. Sports are a major part of my life, but I always have to keep it into perspective that they are not the most important part of my life. My relationship with God and my family must always take priority.

How do you connect your faith in Jesus Christ with your job as a coach?

As a coach, my faith in Jesus Christ has allowed me to get through some difficult times during my coaching career where at the same time, it has always reminded me to stay humble with my coaching achievements. Through my faith in Jesus Christ, I am better able to deal with disappointments and to better put these setbacks into perspective. What Jesus Christ went through on the cross for us cannot even compare to any failures or defeats one experiences as a coach. As a Christian, I know that not all circumstances with coaching are going to be pleasant, but by keeping my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, I am able to keep a positive outlook on each season.

How do you balance family time with your coaching?

It is all about keeping your priorities in focus. My wife and I have three young children and we have made it a priority to raise our children in a Christian home. I know it is important that I make time for my family, which means coaching must be put on hold sometimes. It is important for me to be a positive role model to my family and that means making the time to be both a good husband and good father. When the balancing act of coaching starts to outweigh my relationship with God and my family, I know it is time to refocus and better prioritize what is most important to me.


Josh Reynolds
Area Director
Central-Northeast Nebraska FCA

Legacy

Long time NC State Head Women's Basketball Coach Kay Yow knows what it means to leave a legacy. Not only did she impact the NCAA record books and pour into countless lives throughout the years, she desired to max out all the way to the end, even through making the address at her own funeral through video. As you watch this video, think of what kind of legacy you are leaving. Is it for the world, you, or the Lord?

Robbie Trent
Lincoln-Southeast Nebraska FCA

Sportsmanlike Conduct?

One of my favorite things to watch in sports is when there is an amazing display of sportsmanship. I believe God desires each athlete and coach to display sportsmanship every time they step out into their athletic competition. We are commanded in scripture in Romans 8:29, “To be conformed to the image of Christ” which really is the absolute model for sportsmanship in athletics.

However, I do believe there is great caution that we need to take in our view of sportsmanship. It is crucial to look deeper into the heart of the sportsmanlike act to see if it truly is pleasing to God. What does that mean? It all goes back to the motivation of the person engaging in the sportsmanlike act. Why are they doing it? For whose Glory is it being done?

Countless times in my life I have sinned because I tried to do things because I knew it would look good to those onlookers. From a bystanders point of view it may look selfless and loving. Inwardly I did it because I knew they would think that. So when does sportsmanship become pleasing to God? Simple, it is pleasing to God when the sportsmanlike act is completed for the Glory of God and not for anything else. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

So next time you pat someone on the back or help them up when you knock them down, evaluate your reasoning for doing it. To God be the Glory!

Brian Conklin
Omaha FCA Director

FCA Endurance Competitor Spotlight

Lige Reed of Minden, NE recently sat down with me to answer some questions about his participation in the FCA Endurance Ministry. Lige is on the Central Nebraska FCA Leadership Team and is an active volunteer with the FCA ministry.

How and why did you get involved with endurance races and the FCA Endurance Ministry?

I really felt called by God to do a Triathlon. Not because he was going
to make me a champion but because I needed to stretch myself and do
something that I knew I would have to rely completely on him if I was going
to finish the race. I have never been a competitive swimmer, bicyclist, or
runner so doing any one of these things would have been a challenge but to
do all three in the same race was a huge challenge that only God could pull
me through. Also as Huddle coach it gave me more opportunities with the
students to talk about training, why I train, why I started competing and
then it grew into helping them to understand why they are competing and for
whose glory.

Team FCA Endurance was relatively new when I started racing and their big
outreach question is "Why do you race". I thought this was an awesome
opportunity to give myself some accountability while I competed and trained,
that my focus would have to be completely on Christ. It was also an
opportunity to learn about the endurance world from believers who were also
competing for Christ. FCA in general is a huge part of my life with working
with students on a weekly basis to working with or at some of the state
events. Sports are a huge platform in our world today and what FCA is doing
by working with and teaching athletes and coaches is something that needs to
be done and something I wanted to stand behind, support, and make more
awareness of.

Why do you compete?

There are many reasons why I have kept on competing. After my first event
I fell in love with the triathlon world. I have played other sports
throughout my life, all team sports. But I have never seen such
encouragement and building up of people as I have seen while competing in a
triathlon, from the overall winner to the person that finishes last everyone
supports each other. Being in a small town most of my training time is just
me and God. To go out for a long ride or run is a great time to lose the
world around you and just spend time with God. It has also been a way for me
to stay healthy for my family, and be a good example for my family to lead a
healthier lifestyle. My oldest daughter at 5yrs old was able to run in her
first kids fun run last year wearing and representing Christ with her FCA
Endurance gear. One of the biggest motivators is the opportunity to run
alongside people who don't know Jesus. You can be an encouragement to them
and build them up during a hard time in the race, and you also basically
have a captive audience to start a discussion about Christ.

How do you discipline yourself to focus on the Lord while competing?

During competition and training I will recite to myself parts of the
Competitors Creed, and will try and memorize verses to get me through the
hard times. During easy training times or times during races that I am
feeling pretty good I will take those opportunities to be in prayer to God
and in Praise of God. The First verse I memorized for competing was Psalm
73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart
and My portion forever.

What races have you competed in and what are your plans for this next year?

This last year I was able to compete in the Papillion Mayor's Triathlon,
and the Dallas Running Club's 1/2 Marathon. This next year I am hoping to
add a few more races into the year that I have not done before and are a
little longer in distance.

Josh Reynolds
Central-Northeast Nebraska FCA

Is It In You?

This quote has become synonymous with the thirst quencher, Gatorade. It's unbelievable how a sports drink has infiltrated and dominated the sports world. Since the Gatorade corporation has changed their marketing approach to "G," they have put undercover operatives on campuses around the country to pass out all kinds of free "G" gear and to celebrate "G" moments, just to spread the "G" name to all that might see or hear.

This got me thinking. "G" has become extremely important to those individuals. If they are going to such great lengths to tell people about something that temporarily replenishes, why don't we do the same for God and His Gospel, which eternally replenishes. Paul informs the church at Corinth that the Gospel has become the most important thing in his entire life.

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

The only way we can follow Paul's example is to first make sure the Gospel is in us. We do this by acknowledging the fact that we are a sinner, which means we say, do, and think things that don't please God, who is holy and perfect. Then, we must realize that because of our sins, there is a debt that must be paid to God. We often try to repay this on our own, but the truth is that only One can fully pay off this debt. Jesus Christ, God's one and only perfect Son, died on the cross "according to the Scriptures" on our behalf. On the third day, Christ rose from the dead and overcame the grips of sin. He Himself says in Revelation 3:4, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Once we confess with our mouth that Jesus is the only source of refreshment we need and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, He will be in us forever.

Is He In You?

Robbie Trent
Lincoln-Southeast Nebraska FCA