Purpose Beyond the Game: A Season of Gratitude

Photo by Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash

by Brock Sawyer | Vision Sporting Goods

As the season winds down and we approach a time traditionally reserved for thanksgiving, it's worth pausing to reflect on what truly matters in athletics. Beyond the scoreboards, the championships, and the highlight reels lies something far more enduring: the relationships we build, the character we develop, and the gratitude we cultivate along the way.

The Foundation of Gratitude

"When you wake up every morning and get to do what you love, that's not work—that's a blessing," Coach John Wooden once said. The legendary UCLA basketball coach understood something fundamental about success: it begins with appreciation for the opportunity itself.

In our pursuit of excellence, it's easy to focus solely on outcomes—the wins, the personal records, the accolades. But the coaches and athletes who leave lasting legacies are those who recognize that the journey itself is the gift. They understand that every practice, every setback, and every moment of struggle is shaping something greater than athletic performance; it's shaping character.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Notice the phrase "in all circumstances"—not just in victory, but in defeat. Not just when everything goes according to plan, but when injuries derail our season or when we fall short of our goals.

Gratitude in the Midst of Competition

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, after stepping back from competition to prioritize her mental health, shared a perspective that resonated far beyond the gymnastics world: "I'm more than my accomplishments and gymnastics, which I never truly believed before." This statement reflects a mature gratitude—one that appreciates the sport without being defined by it.

When we express gratitude for our abilities, we acknowledge they are gifts, not entitlements. Coach Tony Dungy has long emphasized this principle: "The secret to success is good leadership, and good leadership is all about making the lives of your team members or workers better." Gratitude, he suggests, isn't just an individual practice; it transforms how we lead and serve others.

The Gratitude of Preparation

Distance running legend Eliud Kipchoge, the first person to break the two-hour marathon barrier, offers a powerful perspective on daily gratitude: "Only the disciplined ones are free in life. If you aren't disciplined, you are a slave to your moods. You are a slave to your passions." His gratitude manifests in the daily choice to train with purpose, to honor his gift through disciplined preparation.

Every early morning practice, every extra rep, every film session—these aren't burdens but opportunities. Coach Vince Lombardi famously stated, "The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." There's an implicit gratitude in giving your best, regardless of the outcome.

Colossians 3:23-24 reinforces this principle: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Our effort itself becomes an act of thanksgiving when we recognize the One who gave us our abilities in the first place.

Teammates: The Gift We Often Overlook

Soccer star Megan Rapinoe once reflected, "I think the best part about being on a team is not being alone in your pursuit of greatness." In an age of individual branding and personal highlight reels, this wisdom can get lost. Yet ask any athlete about their most meaningful sports memories, and most will describe moments shared with teammates—not individual accomplishments.

The relationships forged through shared struggle, mutual encouragement, and collective pursuit create bonds that outlast our playing days. These teammates push us to be better, hold us accountable, and celebrate our victories as their own. They deserve our gratitude not just on game day, but in how we show up to practice, how we communicate, and how we sacrifice personal glory for team success.

As Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,…" The team environment provides the perfect context for this kind of mutual encouragement.

Coaches: Architects of More Than Plays

Behind every great athlete stands a coach who believed in them—often before they believed in themselves. These mentors invest countless hours not just teaching technique and strategy but shaping young people during their formative years.

Pat Summitt, the legendary Tennessee women's basketball coach, understood this deeper purpose: "Responsibility equals accountability equals ownership. And a sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or organization can have." She taught her players to take ownership not just of their athletic development, but of their character, their education, and their impact on others.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who led Duke to five national championships, often emphasized that his role extended far beyond X's and O's: "A basketball team is like the five fingers on your hand. If you can get them all together, you have a fist. That's how I want you to play." His gratitude for his players manifested in building unity, trust, and mutual respect.

These coaches sacrifice time with their own families, pour their energy into developing young people, and often receive criticism when things don't go well. They deserve our gratitude—expressed not just in words, but in our coachability, our effort, and our willingness to embrace their vision for the team.

Proverbs 27:17 captures this relationship beautifully: "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." The coach-athlete relationship, at its best, is one of mutual refinement and growth.

Opponents: The Unexpected Gift

Tennis champion Arthur Ashe offered a perspective that challenges our natural inclination: "You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy." Our opponents, in this light, become partners in our pursuit of excellence.

Without competition, we'd never know how far we can push ourselves. Without opponents who challenge us, we'd never discover our true capacity for resilience, determination, and growth. They deserve our gratitude—and our respect—because they help reveal who we can become.

This doesn't mean we don't compete with intensity and a desire to win. Rather, it means we recognize that the person across the field, court, or pool is also someone created in God's image, pursuing their own dreams, and worthy of dignity. We can compete fiercely while remaining grateful for the opportunity to test ourselves against worthy competitors.

Philippians 2:3-4 applies even in competition: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

The Gratitude of Setbacks

Perhaps the most difficult form of gratitude is thanksgiving for our struggles. Yet some of the most powerful testimonies in sports come from athletes who learned their greatest lessons not in victory, but in defeat.

Michael Jordan, often considered the greatest basketball player of all time, once said: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." His gratitude for failure shaped his legendary resilience.

When injury sidelines us, when we lose the championship game, when we don't make the starting lineup—these moments test our character. They reveal whether our gratitude is conditional or deeply rooted. They challenge us to trust that there's a purpose beyond what we can see in the moment.

Romans 5:3-4 speaks to this paradoxical gratitude: "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." The setbacks that feel like endings often become the foundations for our greatest growth.

Parents and Supporters: The Invisible Team

Behind every athlete is a support system that often goes unacknowledged. Parents who drive to early morning practices and weekend tournaments. Families who rearrange schedules and budgets to support athletic pursuits. Fans who cheer from the stands regardless of the score.

Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, one of the most decorated female athletes in history, has often spoken about her family's role: "My family has always been there for me. They've made countless sacrifices to help me achieve my dreams, and I'm forever grateful." This acknowledgment reminds us that we don't succeed in isolation.

Our gratitude for these supporters should manifest in how we represent them. When we give our best effort, display good sportsmanship, and maintain perspective, we honor the investment they've made in us. When we lose gracefully and win humbly, we reflect the values they've worked to instill.

Gratitude as a Competitive Advantage

Interestingly, gratitude isn't just morally right—it's also strategically smart. Research consistently shows that grateful people experience better physical health, improved mental resilience, stronger relationships, and greater overall satisfaction. For athletes, this translates to tangible benefits: faster recovery, better focus, stronger team cohesion, and sustained motivation.

Sports psychologist and author Dr. Jim Afremow notes: "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others." When we approach our sport with genuine thanksgiving, it transforms our experience. Practices feel less like obligations and more like privileges. Teammates become brothers and sisters in shared purpose. Challenges become opportunities for growth rather than obstacles to resent.

This doesn't mean we lose our competitive edge or settle for mediocrity. Rather, it means we compete from a place of abundance rather than scarcity, from confidence rather than insecurity. We play with freedom because we're grateful for the opportunity itself, regardless of the outcome.

Living Out Gratitude

So how do we move beyond gratitude as a nice sentiment and make it a transformative practice? Here are some practical ways to cultivate thanksgiving throughout your season:

• Start with daily reflection. Before bed or in the morning, identify three specific things from your sport that you're grateful for that day—perhaps a teammate's encouragement, a personal breakthrough, or simply the health to compete.

  
  

• Express it verbally. Don't just feel grateful—tell your coaches, teammates, opponents, and supporters what you appreciate about them. Specificity matters. Instead of a generic "thanks, coach," try "Thank you for believing in me when I didn't make varsity last year and continuing to work with me."

  
  

• Show it through action. Gratitude is most credible when our behavior aligns with our words. Arrive early, stay late, encourage struggling teammates, clean up the locker room, mentor younger players—these actions speak louder than any verbal expression of thanks.

  
  

• Maintain perspective in victory and defeat. When you win, acknowledge your teammates, coaches, and opponents who pushed you to be better. When you lose, resist the temptation toward bitterness and instead ask what you can learn and who helped you along the way.

  
  

• Serve beyond your team. Use your platform as an athlete to give back—whether through youth clinics, community service, or simply being a positive role model. Gratitude naturally flows outward to others.

A Higher Purpose

Ultimately, gratitude in athletics points us toward a higher purpose. We compete not just for personal glory, but to honor God with the gifts He's given us, to build character that will serve us long after our playing days end, and to impact others through our example.

Retired NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, known as much for his faith as his football, captured this perspective: "I'm not going to Heaven because of what I do. I'm going to Heaven because of what Jesus did. My job is to love and serve others." He understood that athletic success was a platform for something greater—loving and serving others.

This is the ultimate reframe: Our sport isn't primarily about us at all. It's an opportunity to glorify God, serve our teammates, inspire younger athletes, and develop character that will shape every area of our lives. When we see it this way, gratitude becomes not just an emotion we feel, but a lens through which we view everything.

Conclusion: A Season of Thanksgiving

As this season draws to a close, what will you remember? The wins and losses will fade. The statistics will become footnotes. But the character you've developed, the relationships you've built, and the gratitude you've cultivated—these will endure.

Coach Wooden, whose wisdom opened this reflection, left us with another profound thought: "Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out." This is the essence of gratitude—not denying reality or ignoring disappointment, but choosing to find meaning, growth, and thanksgiving even in imperfect circumstances.

So in this season of thanksgiving, take time to reflect. Thank God for the gift of your abilities. Thank your coaches for their investment. Thank your teammates for their partnership. Thank your opponents for pushing you to excellence. Thank your supporters for their sacrifices. Thank even your setbacks for the lessons they've taught.

And when you step onto the field, court, or track next time, do so with a heart full of gratitude—not because everything has gone perfectly, but because you recognize the profound privilege of competing, growing, and pursuing excellence alongside others.

As 1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

This season, may we play with purpose beyond the game. May we compete with gratitude. And may we give thanks always—not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day we're blessed to be part of something bigger than ourselves.

"In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich." — Dietrich Bonhoeffer