During our football season, whenever we were down by a lot at halftime our coach would tell us, "You're getting outwanted. They have more will to win than you do."

Any competitor wants to win. But our coach did have a point in that some want it more than others. They tend to play harder because of their will to win. One reason desire is so important is that it motivates us in everything we do. A player can try and try to force himself to give outstanding effort, but he won't be able to keep it up for long unless the final goal of winning motivates him.

Last summer, as I sat in Yosemite Valley looking up at the famous El Capitan rock formation, I realized that I needed to come to grips with some things that I did not like about myself. I took out a piece of paper, and on it, I made three columns. At the top I wrote “Who am I,” “What do I want to change,” and “How am I going to get there.” As I started to write, I found if difficult to be honest with myself. But after I was done, I realized two vital things: (1) Nothing could happen without Christ, and (2) my days of self-fulfillment needed to end.

Some athletes are motivated by challenge, others by the thrill of winning. Others still are provoked to excellence by the fear of losing. What motivates us to compete at our highest levels? How do coaches and teammates stir us to be our best? We’re certainly not all wired the same.

Hockey Chat:  Being great at hockey skater is not instantaneous. Hockey coaches that teach young kids know that there are stages to learning.  It’s starts with balancing on skates then to moving forward, skating backwards, and then eventually backwards crossovers. Each stage is difficult for the student but it builds them up and makes them better.

“I was telling myself 20 times a hole (to) keep my focus, keep my focus, keep my focus,” Michael Campbell said, “and it worked.” Michael Campbell began the final round of the 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst four shots behind the leader. However, he was one of only four golfers who shot under par on the final day, while those atop the leader board crumbled, giving him a two-shot victory over Tiger Woods.

Campbell’s focus on the golf course paid off—to the tune of $1.17 million. “I worked really hard for this, ups and downs from my whole career,” Campbell said. “But it’s worth the work. It’s just amazing.”

Imagine fielding a ground ball, throwing it to first base, and no one is there. Imagine running the bases, coming into third wondering whether to keep running, and no base coach is around. We depend on our teammates and coaches to be there. When we commit to a team, we commit to be there—win or lose, good or bad. We depend on our teams, and they depend on us.

Off the field, life is similar. When times are tough, we expect our friends to be there. When we arrive home—needing a meal, support, and love—we expect our parents to be there. When I come home at the end of the day, I expect my wife to be there. More importantly, when life is good or bad, I expect God to be there.

Most historians believe that modern tennis emerged sometime around the mid-1850s and was based on a similar French game that was invented as far back as the twelfth century. Since that time, the sport has evolved at a rapid pace. From a greater emphasis on power to the size and consistency of the racquets—outside of the rules and prevailing etiquette—there isn’t much left today that resembles the original discipline. Maybe that’s why doubles tennis is so intriguing. There’s something about it that makes you wonder if that’s how the game used to look and feel—with a high value placed on serving and volleying, finesse and creativity.