God's Coaching #53

God's Coaching #53

Do you like squash? No, not the vegetable—the sport. Never heard of it? It’s similar to racquetball. The main differences are a smaller court, a longer racquet, and a less bouncy ball. The name squash is a reference to the squashable ball.

Did you know the longest winning streak in the history of college sports comes from squash? In February 2010, Trinity College won its 12th straight national championship. That’s impressive, but this is even more impressive: The win was the Trinity Bantams’ 224th team victory in a row. The last time Trinity lost was February 22, 1998—that’s more than 12 years without feeling the sting of defeat.

It all started when the college president asked the coach what it would take to compete with the bigger Ivy League schools. Coach Paul Assaiante said he would need to recruit players from other countries where squash was more popular. So he did. Trinity has had players from every continent except Antarctica. The teams looked like a miniature United Nations, with players from Pakistan, India, Sweden, England, Colombia, and more. Paul helped his guys from all over the world unite to form strong teams—strong enough that no one seemed to be able to beat them.

What’s the Score?

The Trinity College teams are a good example of what God’s Kingdom will be like one day when “the LORD will be king over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9). There will be people from every nation, speaking every language, and getting along with everyone else. In fact, the church around the world should already be like that. Even though we have different customs, languages, and ways of worshiping God, we should respect and help each other as much as we can. After all, we are all on the same team.

At the same time, we need to remember that there are also people all around us from different cultures and countries who need to know Jesus. How can we tell them about Christ if we don’t know them? Start today to make friends with kids from different races and nationalities in your community.

On the Ball

Talk to your parents or pastor about ways you can connect with and help international families in your area.

Coach’s Comment

The LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one LORD—his name alone will be worshiped. Zechariah 14:9