PYAA Ponytails and Coaching Outside the Box
My youngest daughter loves softball. She loves the practices, the uniforms, the friendships, and the games. She also loves winning, and since she has been on some good teams with good coaches, she has done a lot of winning. Laura has a drive to be better, and through this winter we have even hired an excellent hitting coach who has given her weekly lessons. Beverley and I also have loved watching her and her teams play, it is a wonderful way to spend an evening or a Saturday. We are not like some softball families who eat, sleep, and breath softball, but we really enjoy it.
Last weekend was the beginning of the PYAA Spring season, and we were overjoyed to be back out at the Turner Field Complex for try outs/evaluations. I was sitting beside the field with the other parents when Rudy, the PYAA commissioner came over to talk with us. “We have 20 12u girls (Ponytails), and we can just do one team. Or, we could have two ponytails teams, but we don’t have another coach.” If anyone would do this, let us know. As I sat there I felt like it was one of those old timey alter calls in a Baptist Church. “Will someone come forward?” I thought about it, and I decided to “walk the aisle” and “answer the call.”
I have a great assistant coach who has a daughter on our team who attends our VBS. Also, Matt and Alyssa O’Quinn are helping with our team. We’ve started practicing, and our games start in April. It is a great group of girls who work hard, and I already knew several of them from children’s events at May Memorial.
I know that I will enjoy coaching these girls this season. I’m glad I can do this with Laura, I enjoy being outside, and I love softball. But there is another reason, and the other reason is why I liken that commissioner’s speech to a Baptist Alter Call.
I am convinced that the most important call we experience as Christians is NOT to be inside our building, secluded and apart from our community. I love us being together, praying, reading scripture, singing hymns, etc. It is wonderful, a little slice of heaven. But I think the best image of the church is not of the church “gathered” inside of a building, but a church sent into the world. And for me this is a way I can be sent into our community.
Over the next few months, I will have the opportunity to build relationships with a team of middle school girls and their families that I pray God will use for something more than softball. I pray this is an opportunity to be a good example for Jesus and for May Memorial Church. Even though I haven’t said anything about it, they know that I’m the pastor at May Memorial, and I pray that God’s gentle Spirit will use this opportunity.
I must tell you that I am a little (a lot?) anxious about coaching softball. Matt O’Quinn is helping get things going and I’m learning a lot from him. For me this is really stepping outside of the box. But I believe that is what God calls me and you to do. Take a risk. Step outside of the box. Be the church sent, not just the church gathered. God did not create the community for the Church. God created the Church for the community. May we find new ways to open doors that we may follow where God leads us.
And may Laura continue to be on a winning team.