My son Wesley trains with Coach Lucas Zeiler of MSM Performance Academy, and I asked Lucas to be the first guest on the Faith Forged Life Podcast. He has spent years developing young players, and somewhere along the way he realized he was teaching more than the game. As he put it in our conversation, “I’m teaching life. It’s packaged in soccer.”
What separates the players who make it
Lucas told me about a player he trained who just signed a professional contract in Mexico. What set him apart was something Lucas calls aggressive positivity. When this player hit a setback, like a bad game or a hard word from a coach, he didn’t sit in it. He talked through how he would overcome it, and then he went and did it.
That stuck with me because Scripture talks about setbacks in a similar way. James writes, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2-3, NLT). What we say out loud has to match what we believe, and for a Christian that belief rests on Christ. We can face a setback with joy because God is using it to grow our faith.
Why kids who love the game freeze up
Lucas only works with kids who love soccer, but he sees many of them freeze once they step on the field. They’re afraid of making mistakes and afraid of letting someone down, whether that’s a parent, a coach, or a teammate. He described one family who usually studied every opponent before a tournament. One weekend they let that go and walked in relaxed. Their son scored five goals in the first game and caught the attention of scouts.
Playing for approval isn’t only a kid problem. The rest of us do it at work, at home, and even at church. Scripture says, “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear” (1 John 4:18, NLT). In Christ, your approval is already settled. Jesus paid for it, and nothing on the field or anywhere else can add to it or take it away.
The car ride home
Near the end of the episode, I spoke to parents about the moments after a game. The car ride home after a bad game will teach your kids more than anything you say before the next one. They are watching how you respond when things don’t go well, and they will carry that with them long after they stop playing.
You can’t earn this one
Paul told Timothy that physical training has some value, but godliness has value in every way, for this life and the next (1 Timothy 4:8). Training matters, and Lucas pushes his players hard. But there’s one place where effort doesn’t get you in. On the field, you earn your spot. With Christ, you can’t earn it, because Jesus already paid for it.
Scripture from this episode
James 1:2-3, Philippians 4:6, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, 2 Timothy 2:2, Colossians 3:23, 1 John 4:18, Ephesians 2:8-9
Learn more about MSM Performance Academy at performanceacademy.com
