sports mag possibility

Recently I was approached about providing a monthly article for a sports magazine. The column will be called "Life on the Field" and use sports related analogies to look at and examine life. The magazine is in the process of coming together. Check out this piece and let me know if you think I'm on the right track for future columns.

The final whistle blows, fans from the winning team rush the field as several teammates from the bench hoist a cooler full of Gatorade over the coaches head in celebration. You’re one of the lucky ones experiencing this at the stadium right beside some accountant naked from the waist up painted red and black with nothing on his mind but showing his team devotion for an afternoon before having to crunch numbers come Monday morning.

In these moments you find your heart racing, high fives all around, as you raise a can of beer or a Coke to a friend in a clumsy adrenaline filled toast. You barely dropped a tear when little Johnny or Sally was born, but now there’s a lump in your throat the size of a trailer hitch and for some weird reason your eyes are leaking.

Now I would never say I cried at a game but a few times I had to cough twice and scratch once just to gain composure. Why is it that we feel such emotion over a ball hit long, a tackle hit hard, and Jeff Gordon getting hit anytime? (maybe that last ones just me……go Jr.) Anyways… it’s because everyone in life wants to be a winner and in that moment somehow vicariously….We win!!!

We say things like, “We sure showed them!” or “you see that run we hit?” when the only thing we Showed em’ was that we can down 2 dogs, 3 Cokes, and a nacho with the works. And the only thing we hit was the center of the urinal during half time, but I digress

You see, there’s a great deal to learn about life on the field. We all know winning feels great even if we do say, “it’s not about winning it’s just about being in the game.” Can I make a confession? I would rather win then lose every time. That’s why we love it when our favorite team takes the victory. Deep down on the inside it’s a little reminder that winning is possible.

Is it wrong to feel that drive to win? I don’t think so. There are so many things every day that you can be a loser or a winner at. To not go for the win just doesn’t make sense to me. Let me challenge you to hit one out of the park by going for a win at work when you have a choice to act with integrity or not. Catch that hail Mary pass at home by spending time with your children when you have the choice to be their hero or a big zero. Go for a win with your spouse by planning a special night so good that she can’t wait for the victory celebration.


Too often we find ourselves celebrating the wins around us as we fail to practice and discipline ourselves to win in life .We may now have to tape up just to play ball with our nine year olds, but there are some things in life that we can win big at. So don’t be satisfied with the thrill that comes by watching other’s win. Do whatever it takes in life to win and win well and just watch as your friends and family become your biggest fans. Remember this, you only play as well as you practice and you only practice well if you’re disciplined. So get out there on the field of life and go long, swing hard, aim for the fences and be the winner you always wanted to be!