Jump to form

Introduction

The Play of the Day is a daily devotional written by sports leaders for sports leaders. It’s designed for those who live at the intersection of faith, leadership, and sport—leaders who are committed to their roles both on the field and in the lives of those they influence. Each day, you’ll gain insights from coaches, athletes, and other sports leaders who embody this mission. Expect no fluff—just applicable truths.

 

Purpose

This document serves as a guide for writing devotionals through a leadership lens with a competitive mindset, rather than from a fan’s perspective. We encourage writers to share insights rather than preach, with the hope that God will use these devotionals to foster growth in a sports leader’s faith.

 

Our Audience

SportsLife is driven by a fundamental conviction: we serve entire sports communities by first developing their leaders. While many sports ministries broadly reach athletes and coaches, we focus on depth. We prioritize developing and ministering to recognized leaders within specific sports, organizing our efforts by sport. Our target audience includes:

  • Coaches who shape culture
  • Captains who influence peers
  • Program directors who create systems
  • Leaders who bring Kingdom impact in sports

We aim for multiplied impact, focusing on depth.

 

Target Audience Characteristics

The target is a SportsLife Leader who is a Christ-centered, discipleship-driven sports leader who uses their position to:

  • MODEL Christ-like character when it’s hard, not just when it’s easy.
  • MENTOR others in Christ by investing intentionally, not casually.
  • MULTIPLY Kingdom impact by seeing their platform as a responsibility, not a status.

 

Competitive Mindset

To effectively minister to our audience’s needs, we emphasize the competitive mindset and experience. A sports leader’s journey is shaped by the relationships, emotions, and events experienced in the world of sports. When developing devotionals, we will continually ask:

  1. Does this devotional engage the competitive mindset?
  2. How does it guide a sports leader in their discipleship journey?
  3. Does it utilize stories, scriptures, principles, and questions to encourage Christ-like behavior both on and off the field?

 

Personal Experience vs. Sports Analogy

Utilizing personal experiences of sports leaders differs from employing just a sports analogy. While sports analogies can effectively illustrate a point and resonate with both athletes and non-athletes, personal sports experiences and illustrations often create a deeper connection with the reader.

  • Personal Experiences: Best connected to the world of sports, these experiences need to be grounded in scripture and be applicable to sports leadership.
  • Sports Analogies: While useful, they should not overshadow the personal journey of the leader and its application to the sports world.

Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that every story or illustration leads to actionable insights for sports leaders, enhancing their ability to bring Kingdom impact into the sports arena.

Example: Application Approaches

General Christian Application

  • Have you struggled to find your true identity and purpose?
  • Are you willing to spend time daily with God and His Word?

Competitive Mindset Application

  • What challenges have you faced as a sports leader in discovering your true identity and purpose?
  • How can daily time spent with God and His Word transform you into a Christ-centered, discipleship-driven leader?

 

Framework of the Play of the Day

Each devotional must have faith as the foundation, leadership as the structure, and the sports community as the target audience. Each day is simple and direct and follows a straightforward structure for growth:

  • THE PLAY – A devotional title and big idea (key principle) to lock in your focus.
  • THE PLAYBOOK – A foundational scripture to anchor the play..
  • THE WORKOUT – A spiritual leadership message that challenges you to grow in your faith and infuse life into your sports community.
  • THE CHALLENGE – Two questions for reflection and a specific challenge to put your faith into action daily.

This is about how you lead when no one’s watching, how you show up when it costs you something, and how you build people, not just performance.

You’re not just in sports. You’re shaping lives through it.