God's Coaching #108

God's Coaching #108

In a battle between a 1,200-pound beast and a 150-pound man, who do you think would win? At the 2010 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Cup in Las Vegas, the man came out on top most of the time. But winning meant the bull riders only had to stay on the bucking bulls for eight seconds. Of course, when there’s a massive beast thrashing around, staying on it for eight seconds can seem like an eternity. At the end of the competition, Brazil proved it had the best bull riders in the world by defeating teams from the United States, Mexico, Australia, and Canada.

Brazil scored an impressive 1,330.25 points at the PBR World Cup to easily outdistance the second-place US team (972 points). Brazil was led by Guilherme Marchi, who rode five of his six bulls and scored 432.5 points. Renato Nunes and Robson Palermo rode four of their six bulls, and each scored more than 350 points for his team. Brazilian captain Adriano Moraes said his squad “was more of a team this year.” US captain J. W. Hart also felt his team had a great competition, as he told reporters, “I know that Adriano is proud of his riders, but not as proud as I am of my guys. Our guys didn’t lay down and fought hard.”

What’s the Score?

Bull riding is one of the most difficult and dangerous sports in the world. The bulls are huge and angry. All of the PBR competitors showed great strength and courage at the competition in Las Vegas, but the Brazilian team displayed the most consistency. Adriano credited the win to solid team spirit. He said the Brazilian riders showed a lot of maturity and accepted each other. J.W. had equally great things to say about his team.

The Bible says to love each other with brotherly affection and “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10, ESV). When players work together for the success of the group instead of for individual accolades, the team does better in the end. More than wins or losses, God cares about whether you treat your teammates and opponents with respect.

On the Ball

If you play on a sports team, what do you say about your teammates? Do you show them honor? Lifting up your teammates can help you have more success.

Coach’s Comment

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:10 (ESV)