They're only boys

Last week we started two new sessions at Victory. We've been entrenched in the lives of high school athletes since September and will continue to be through August. The beginning of January is when we get the ball rolling with younger athletes - middle school and youth.

The younger athletes are exciting for me. They're so vibrant and they bring a fresh energy to Victory at an optimal time. January can be a difficult month for high school wrestlers for a lot of reasons. Having the younger athletes around helps me maintain the positive energy needed to get some of the high school athletes through it. I also like working with middle school kids because they're "under the radar."

From a purely athletic standpoint, they're under the radar because many haven't accomplished the things they will when they get older. That's simple. They're also under the radar because of their potential to do great things as boys. Our culture usually writes off boys and girls because they're young, however, I believe there are great things in store from them simply because they're young.

We do our best to meet the athletes where they are and speak their language so they can understand what we're trying to build into them. We strive to give them tools to increase the likelihood of them achieving their athletic goals. We also speak life into them and speak directly to their potential as young men. This is where it gets the most exciting. Grades 6-8 are prime time for defining moments. These will shape the rest of their existence. They walk through the doors already on the hunt for wisdom and life lessons that resonate with them. I know because I have indelible memories from that age that affect my daily life today. I flood them with quotes, nuggets of truth and pieces of wisdom in hopes that I can deposit something in them so they will never be the same.

Additionally, I believe these young men are uniquely positioned to have giant-sized impact on those around them. I believe it because the Bible uses youngsters to make a difference frequently. Luke mentions that at age 12, "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52). This is a very clear objective for us to follow with these middle school boys. To empower these young men to do great things, this week we will cling to 1 Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

I'm also reminded of the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels - Jesus feeding 5,000. In this story, according to John, one of the main characters is "a boy with five small barley loaves and two fish" (John 6:10). Through the resources of a boy, Jesus was able to impact over 5,000 people. This is quite profound if you think about the boy. The disciples initiated a conversation with Jesus that the large group was very hungry. Andrew pointed out a boy with some food. What's amazing to me is that this boy is the only person in the entire group who didn't need a miracle at that time. He had all of the food he needed. He was set. Then a couple of old guys with beards approached him and his food. The Bible doesn't mention what type of conversation ensued, but it is clear that this boys food reached the hands of Jesus. Jesus used this boy to initiate one of the most impacting miracles of all time. And he was just a boy.

Some of the young athletes enrolled at Victory are looking for a "miracle" in their own life or need that defining moment to help them become the men they were created to be. Others, however, will be the miracle that God is intending to use in the lives of others. Either way, I believe God is going to move in the lives of these young athletes. And they're only boys.