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US Sports Track & Field: Three Training Tips For Coaching 400m Runners and Spain STUNS Team USA in women's 4x400m showdown.

 

• By Grant Young

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Creating effective 400-meter training programs for runners presents unique challenges that test both physical and mental endurance. 

The 400m, often described as a "sprint" with a significant aerobic component, demands a delicate balance between speed, strength, and stamina. One of the primary difficulties is achieving the right combination of attributes to excel in this middle-distance sprint. Coaches must tailor training regimens that develop explosive power while also building the aerobic capacity needed to sustain a high pace throughout the race. 

Another challenge lies in managing fatigue. The 400m is a brutally intense race that requires athletes to push their limits, often resulting in lactic acid buildup and overwhelming fatigue. This necessitates a careful approach to recovery, ensuring that athletes can train effectively without risking injury or burnout. 

The mental approach to a 400m race is different from shorter sprints; athletes must cultivate a mindset that allows them to maintain focus and push through discomfort, especially during the critical last 100 meters where many tend to falter. 

Logistically, coordinating training sessions for a group of 400m athletes can be complex. Different athletes may require varied intensities, distances, and recovery times, making it challenging for coaches to provide individualized attention during group training. 

Training 400m runners requires a comprehensive strategy that addresses physical preparation, fatigue management, mental toughness, and effective coaching dynamics, making it a demanding but rewarding endeavor. 

A few effective tips from trusted track and field trainers can go a long way toward curating a safe and effective training program for 400m runners. This is why we’ve pulled three training tips from coaches whose decades of experience show they know what they’re talking about and included them below for your use. 

Hasani Roseby - Training Schedule

Hasani Roseby is entering her 15th season as an assistant head coach (and fifth as the team's associate head coach) at Tulane University. During her time with the Green Wave, Roseby has coached five All-Americans.

While in her own career at UCLA, Roseby was a three-time All-American and a member of UCLA's NCAA Division I National Championship Team in 2004.

In her ‘Hasani Roseby - 400m Training and Race Strategy’ clinic, Coach Roseby details what her team’s typical training schedule looks like. 

On Mondays, her focus is speed endurance along with weights. On Tuesdays, Coach Roseby asserts that she prefers to focus on lactic acid tolerance. These are typically longer, more intense workouts that actually occur on the track. 

The reason for this is that these workouts require longer recovery times — which leads to Wednesdays, which are rest days for Coach Roseby (aside from lifting weights in the morning) and getting treatment.

Wednesday is often used to work on small mechanical things during the season. There will be some drills that address these mechanical alterations, but these will be low-intensity and ideally brief. 

Thursdays are focused on either speed or speed endurance, depending on the time of the year. And Fridays will be a tempo workout (along with lifting weights). 

During the season, her athletes will only lift weights twice per week, and not on Fridays because that’s when they’re traveling to compete. Then in the offseason, Saturdays and Sundays are off while those days are meant for competing during the season.

For Coach Roseby, rest is just as important as training, so she wants to give them ample time to recover in the offseason.

Deino Scott - Training Ideas

Deino Scott is the head track & field coach at Seattle Preparatory School, a position he has held since 2003. One of the most respected members of the track and field coaching community, Scott has seen dozens of his former athletes go on to participate in intercollegiate athletics. He has coached over a dozen athletes who have won state championships, including two who set state of Washington records in track & field.

Coach Scott’s ‘The 400 Meters for Beginners’ clinic contains several valuable training ideas. 

One rule he has is that his athletes never run a full speed, full-intensity 400 during practice. This is because he feels that doing so creates fear for runners, as they’ll be stressing too much about their time when that should never be the main focus during practice. 

In addition, since some runners are more inclined to speed and some for endurance, the crucial aspect to nail down in training is pace, which they can lean on when it’s time to compete. 

Tony Holler - Speed vs. Endurance in the 400

Tony Holler is the track coach at Plainfield North High School. Tony retired from teaching chemistry after 38 years in the classroom and has 43 years of coaching experience (football, basketball, and track). Tony Holler is a member of the Illinois Track & Field Hall of Fame and created the revolutionary "Feed the Cats" in 1999.

In his ‘Tony Holler - Sprint The 400’ clinic, Coach Holler discusses how it’s easier to create endurance than to create speed. 

This is important for coaches to understand because volume in 400m training does not equate to better speed. Because speed is so hard to create, some coaches will overwork their runners because they think that will make them faster.

But in reality, typically it’s the opposite that occurs, with their runners getting burnt out due to overuse and more exposed to injuries than they’d be with a proper training regimen. 

“If you chase two rabbits, you don’t catch either one.” Coach Holler says this to emphasize that his training sessions are always focused on improving one specific thing rather than several.

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The Rock Almighty: Salvation by Repentance and Belief: Are godly works necessary in the salvation process?

 

• Author James Rondinone

Does this salvation message advocate that godly works are necessary in the salvation process? By necessary, I mean that without evidence of such, the person was either not saved or lost their salvation. The salvation message of repentance and belief supports the teaching that we as Christians are spiritually created for the purpose of eventually performing good (godly) works. However, let’s find out whether godly works are indispensable or not for the substantiation of our faith by looking at some Scripture sections.

Let’s begin by going to the book of Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

This verse tells us that we’re God’s workmanship (His work of art or a masterpiece104), created (made a new spiritual creature) in Christ Jesus. For what purpose? For the purpose of performing good works (good deeds; the actions which Christians are to perform;105 our faith is demonstrated by our works).

So, what I’d like to ask in this respect is, what are good works?

Some would say that good works are works which Christians are told they should perform as conveyed by the Word of God such as visiting the orphans and widows in James 1:27, providing shelter and food for fellow believers in need in James 2:15-16, giving financially to support those who convey the Word of God in Galatians 6:5, etc. And while I’d agree that these are works that Christians should perform, what’s often not mentioned is what should the motivation be behind these works before we choose to implement them? You might respond by saying that this doesn’t make any sense. What are you talking about? If we’re participating in these actions, then our motivation must be right. Agree?

What I’m really talking about is something that we’ve already discussed with respect to one of the questions that was asked before about this particular dispensation, i.e., the Church Age.

That is, what causes a believer to have fellowship or be a partaker of God’s nature?

Do you remember what the answer was to this question? It wasn’t like the answer in previous dispensations that talked about obeying God’s instructions in terms of doing this or doing that, but it was being filled with the Spirit. Do you remember this answer now? This is really what should be encouraging us on a day-to-day basis. If this isn’t the case, then what’s moving us is our sin nature.

Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Some would suggest that a Christian has the right motivation when they obey the Word and do what it says. At times, this is true, and at other times, this isn’t true. Have you ever gone to church or been involved in volunteering to do this or that, and in your mind, you either really don’t want to be there or are harboring ill will in your mind toward someone while you appear to be acting spiritual? With that said, we could say that godly works are good works that evidence the graces of the Spirit while the believer is operating under the guidance, impulses, and energy of that life.106

Unfortunately, in some cases, good works become a measuring stick as to whether someone is either saved or whether they’re about to lose their salvation. Some might say that if a believer evidences no good works at all, then they were probably not saved in the first place. Others might say that if a believer evidences a small number of works and stops altogether or no good works at all, then they’ve lost their salvation. They base these conclusions on verses which they believe support their claims. So, let’s take a look at these verses that talk about good works and determine whether they substantiate one’s salvation.

We’ll begin by going to the book of 1 John.

1 John 2:3-4

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

This verse says that we, as Christians, know that we know Christ if we keep his commandments.

What does it mean to know that we know Christ?

The first word know means to come to recognize. The second word know, means to know in a personal way, to be intimately acquainted with a person’s intentions and character,107 and to have evidence to show that we’re a Christian.

We’re told that what causes us to know that we know him in this manner is by keeping his commandments. This begs the question.

What are Christ’s commandments?

If you were to have asked me in my younger years in the faith, I would’ve quickly said the Ten Commandments. Well, the word commandments in Koine Greek are transliterated to the English as entolas, which means precepts (various commands) that were conveyed to the church by the apostles and/or by Christ when He lived on earth as pertaining to this era. If the word commandments in Koine Greek were transliterated by a different word nomos, then this would be referring to the Mosaic Law, and as such, we could deduce that this was talking about one aspect of it, i.e., the Ten Commandments. What this verse is telling us is that if we were to keep (habitual observance of) His commandments (directions), then some examples of such could be as follows.

●Love one another with a pure heart fervently. 1 Peter 1:22

●Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

●Stop surrendering any part of ourselves as weapons of wicked purposes to do evil. Romans 6:13

●Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

But for those who say I know him intimately (professes a fellowship with him108) and they do

not observe or operate in his commandments, then they’re called a liar (one who makes a false profession) as indicated by the fact that the truth of God’s Word isn’t evident in their behavior (because this is someone who lives under the power of their sins,109 in such a person the truth [isn’t] a dynamic, controlling influence,110and they’ve lost the ability to recognize truth). So, what this verse is saying in effect is, if a Christian isn’t operating in the filling of the Spirit but claims to be, there will be no evidence of godly works because they’re living according to their sin nature, which will evidence carnal characteristics.

Let’s find out more about whether godly works are essential by going to the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 5:8-9

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

The writer of Hebrews says that though Christ were a Son, the Son of God, yet He became personally and practically acquainted with the true meaning of obedience as pertaining to the things which he suffered (in terms of the suffering it entailed111; in the deepest sorrows of the body and the soul112).

9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

And being made perfect (when [he’d] finished his course of tremendous sufferings, and consummated the whole by his death and resurrection113), he became the author (the causing; the source) of eternal salvation (to be saved forever) to those who obey him (of those [who’ve] put their faith in Jesus Christ114). Obedience isn’t talking about keeping one’s salvation by performing good works. But rather to obey Christ has to do with an unbeliever’s response to the gospel, whereby their salvation will be eternal.

The next section of Scriptures that we’ll look at contain these words, but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved that appear to say that if a believer continues to do this or that until their days on earth are over, then they’ll be saved. Is this what this is saying? These verses are found in the book of Matthew. Let’s go there.

Suggested Reading: Matthew 24:1-31

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Jesus was with His disciples on the Mount of Olives. While there, they asked him three questions. The first had to do with when the city of Jerusalem, its temple, and the Jewish state would be destroyed. The second had to do with when He would return. The third was as to when the end of the world would take place. If you or I were allowed to ask Jesus three questions, I wonder what these would be.

He responded by telling them that there would be a future time called the beginning of sorrows when certain things would indicate that the end of the world was near.

Some of these things that would indicate such are that there will be:

●Those who will claim to be the Christ and deceive many.

●International wars, civil wars, famine, pestilence, and earthquakes in different places.

●Believers who will be afflicted (punished) and put to death, and because of such many will stop believing in Christ, even turning one another over to the authorities.

●Iniquity or wickedness abounding everywhere, and subsequently, brotherly love will no longer be a characteristic of those who follow God.

●The occurrence of an abomination (a sacrilege; idolatry) that will occur in the temple area.

●A declaration of the gospel of the kingdom made to everyone living on the earth.

While it’s true that most of what will be going on here has been going on since civilization began, however, what’s noteworthy here is that there’s a few things that are declared to happen that didn’t happen before or hadn’t happened in a long period of time. For example, everyone in the world will have heard the gospel, the temple at Jerusalem will be rebuilt so that Jewish worship will be reinstituted, almost everyone on earth will be killed, the world as we know it will come to an end, and the Messiah of the Jews will return to the earth to intervene and set up His earthly kingdom.

Some believe that there will be a period of seven years in the future called the Tribulation Period, during which time these events will occur. Just before this time period begins it’s believed that a world ruler will arrive on the scene of international events and intervene at a time of possible world annihilation and bring about world peace. What might accompany this is a possible treaty which will be signed and held up for three and a half years. Unfortunately, at the end of the three and a half years, it’s alleged that this leader will do something that will cause this agreement to collapse.

15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

The way Scripture describes it, this ruler apparently becomes full of himself and decides to enter the temple area and place an image of himself in it to be worshipped, and then all hell will break loose. This decision changes the peaceful climate of the world into one of full all-out assault with one main target, and that’s to annihilate the Jewish nation. So, the next three and a half years will be filled with intense warfare. And when it appears that total annihilation will be the result, Christ will return with his heavenly army and intervene.

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Now, we’ll take a look at the words some say mean that if a Christian endure unto the end, i.e., obey Christ by performing good works, then they’ll be saved. There’s much-divided consensus as to what this verse means and to whom it was written, but what follows is one explanation of it. First, let’s try to address to whom this was addressed. Many believe that Matthew chapter 24 relates to the prophecy given by the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel in the book of Daniel chapters 9-11.

Apparently, Daniel received this prophecy during the third year of the reign of Cyrus the Great of Persia, who defeated the Babylonians unto whom the Jews were in captivity as slaves for many years, according to Daniel chapters 10-11. This prophecy indicated to Daniel what would happen to God’s people both in his time and in the future. So, there you have it. This prophecy and the verses we’re looking at were written for the Jews of the Babylonian captivity.

What about the Christian church? Are they still on the earth at this future time?

The prophecy of Daniel predicted that following the end of the Babylonian captivity, the Jews would begin the return to their homeland, and certain events would take place over about four hundred ninety years, the last seven of which wouldn’t transpire until the end of the world. During the four hundred eighty-three years, they would begin to rebuild their temple; they would resume worship under the institution of the Mosaic Law, and they would reject their coming Messiah and crucify Him on a cross. The amount of time allotted to this prophecy was seventy years, but only sixty-nine weeks were accounted for. So, you guessed it, the final week or the last seven years pertains to this seven-year period would take place just before the end of the world and Christ’s second coming.

As for where Christians fit into this picture, it’s believed that they’ll have been removed from the earth just prior to the beginning of these initial peaceful and then cataclysmic events by an occurrence called the Rapture. Therefore, the protocol of enduring to the end or of continuing to obey Christ’s commandments until the end of the world doesn’t apply to them because they’ll not be here. Just to restate this for emphasis, those that shall endure to the end will be saved doesn’t apply to Christians but to the unsaved Jews and Gentiles.

Revelation 14:9-10 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

Scripture indicates that this dictator will become severely wounded but will miraculously recover. In commemoration of this, an image, statue, or inanimate object will be built in his honor, and somehow it will come to life, and as such, the peoples of the world will be forced to worship it. There will also be some type of a mark (maybe of a chip of some sort) that every person will be required to receive either in their forehead or hand in order to be able to buy or sell any goods. Those who decide to worship the beast and his image of the beast will incur the wrath of God.

So, in this context, those who endure to the end shall be saved refers to those Jews who will respond to the gospel of the kingdom during the seven-year Tribulation Period and subsequently have decided not to worship the beast nor receive a mark in their forehead or hand right up to the end (the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem). The word endure means to bear afflictions and persecutions faithfully. And the word saved doesn’t refer to salvation but deliverance from imminent dangers until the Lord returns and intervenes.

That was a lot of information to contemplate, but unless we’re thoroughly informed of these verses, we’ll only understand what they mean in a limited fashion. Likewise, if someone in leadership uses these Scriptures to claim evidence that good works are imperative for a believer’s salvation, you’ll know that they don’t even pertain to them, i.e., to Christians.

Let’s continue on and take a look at some Scriptures which some use to claim that if a believer is living in habitual sin and isn’t evidencing godly works, then they’re no longer saved and won’t inherit the kingdom of God.

Suggested Reading: Galatians 5:13-21

13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

The Apostle Paul was speaking directly to his brethren, "brothers and sisters," those who were already saved. Yet, after listing the acts (sins) of the flesh, he warned them that if they were to live like this, they wouldn’t inherit the kingdom of God. The words do such indicate that Paul wasn’t referring to committing a single act of sin intermittently, but to regularly committing of these sins such that their lives were characterized by these sinful habits.

Was Paul actually telling them that if they continued to live their lives in this manner, they would lose their salvation?

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Some would say definitely yes. But I think there’s another way to interpret this. What’s actually being contrasted here is the flesh (the sin nature) and the influences of the Spirit. If someone is a Christian, there will always be a war going on between these two to some degree. If we habitually choose to live according to our sin nature, then we’ll not inherit the kingdom of God (won’t be under God’s authority). This isn’t talking about Christians losing their salvation and subsequent going to hell at death, but rather, it’s talking about sanctification, i.e., their spiritual walk. Christians who choose to live this way will give no evidence of being a child of God, but it will remain that they still are.

Well, we have one more section of Scriptures to look at. These are probably the foremost ones that many believe claim that if a believer isn’t doing this or that for God, then they aren’t saved. These verses are found in the book of James, chapters 1 and 2.

Suggested Reading: James 1:22-25; 2:14-26

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

The Apostle James was addressing Jewish Christians who were scattered abroad beyond Palestine. He was instructing them to be doers (to live out the gospel message; to put the Word into practice) of the word and not just hearers only, thereby deceiving themselves (not practicing what you hear and know).

23-25a For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

After which, he gave them an example of what any Christian, who is only a hearer of the word only, is likened unto. They’re like a man who’s attentively observing and considering his natural face (reflected image; whom he used to be) in a glass (mirror). By analogy, the mirror could be the Word of God, which not only helps us see our shortcomings and defects but also provides the appropriate instruction that will help us when we find ourselves immersed in them. Some of the spiritual remedies are self-examination, name and cite known sin, and recovery (find out and memorize God’s Word as it provides for us His perspective which pertains to any area of human weakness and strength that we should reflect upon throughout each day).

If this man (any believer) decides to disregard the divine prescription for their lives and not address the issues that they see in the mirror, then they’ll not grow spiritually. However, if they looketh (attentively) into the perfect law of liberty (the Word of truth) and continueth therein (yields steady obedience to the Word), [they’ll] be a doer of the work (one who obeys God from a loving heart and pure conscience115), and as such will be blessed (happy; it will exert a good influence over his whole soul116) in his deed (doing). James then decides to provide an example of what it means to not being a doer, but only a hearer.

James 2:14-16 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

He says that if a man states that he has faith (genuine faith; saving faith), and shows no godly deeds, then can the faith in which he claims he’s operating in save him? The answer is no; this faith cannot save him. Does that mean to save him as pertaining to salvation? No, it means to save him from danger or destruction. In other words, we reap what we sow. It’s not a salvation faith that helps us in the trials of life, but an operational faith. It’s about someone who has learned how to walk in the Spirit and shows evidence of the fruit or spiritual qualities of the Holy Spirit.

So, if a fellow Christian has need of clothes and food and a fellow believer’s response to them is to Depart in peace without providing for them what they need, then their faith won’t profit (words without providing actual help are worthless;117 useless in evidencing godliness) others.

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

And so, the Apostle James concluded that faith, if it evidences no godly works, is dead (unproductive; not operational; destitute of fruit), being alone (it’s by itself and not operating according to the promptings and power of the Spirit).

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac, his son upon the altar?

In other words, was Abraham justified or made righteously (became saved) by works? No, this isn’t about salvation. He was justified (considered a righteous person before men; his faith was evident) by works (by his conduct) when he had offered Isaac, his son upon the altar.

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

Faith was a constant working partner118 with his works, and by his works was his faith made perfect (developed; brought to maturity).

25b … he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

WOW! What we can conclude is that being a doer of the Word is to put it into practice. However, putting it into practice means not being a forgetful hearer (does not just listen and forget119), that is, someone who looks into the mirror of God’s Word and, seeing any personal shortcomings and deficiencies, applies God’s spiritual remedies so that they’ll be filled with the Holy Spirit and operate in His spiritual elements of character.

Well, what do you know? We’ve finished looking at the salvation message of repentance and belief. I’d say that it seems to be scripturally sound and one of the gospel messages in consideration that would cause an unbeliever to become saved if they were to respond to it.

As I reflected on what we’ve just learned, what came to my mind is, why would someone not want to respond to this gospel teaching? Or, for that matter, why might someone in church leadership not present this as THE GOSPEL MESSAGE? I think it’s because of the way we’re conditioned. It’s difficult for us to believe that God doesn’t require some kind of effort from us to prove to Him that we mean what we say and to others that our lives have changed.

What is the next salvation message that we’ll look at next? I’ll title this one the gospel of God living in everyone. But before we go there, I found an interesting article about the gospel of repentance and belief. Enjoy!

[WHAT EVER] HAPPENED TO THE GOSPEL OF REPENTANCE AND FAITH?

July 20, 2018 by Jack Wellman

What’s changed in the proclamation of the gospel in the last hundred years or so? It’s the presentation of the gospel that’s changed.

Come into my Heart

What’s happened to the presentation of the gospel? Where have repentance and faith gone? What about Jesus’ saying, “whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” ([Matt.] 16:25). Jesus [didn’t] come to give you or me a more fulfilling life; He demands our life! If we live for ourselves, we’re dead to Christ, but if we’re dead to self, then we’re alive to Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25). I’ve heard the phrase, “Let Jesus come into your heart” a few times, but exactly what does that mean? I’m not sure Jesus would like my heart since Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it” ([Jer.] 17:9)? Besides, Jesus doesn’t only want our hearts…He demands our life and that we seek Him and His righteousness above all things ([Matt.] 6:33). We must die to ourselves before we can live for Christ, so a plea to sinner to “Let Jesus come into your heart” is neither biblical nor effective.

Jesus Loves You

Yes, Jesus loves you, but [He’s] also asking you to repent and believe (Mark 1:14-15). The saying “the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man” [isn’t] found in the Bible. Whoever [isn’t] of Christ [isn’t] a child of the Father. You are either for Him or against Him ([Matt.] 12:30). [There’s] no neutrality with Jesus, so to simply walk up to people and proclaim, “Jesus loves you” or “God loves you” is never going to bring about the knowledge that they’re sinners and they need the Savior. Yes, God is love, but [He’s] also holy, and dwelling on only one attribute can be to the others. You cannot separate one attribute from another. The only attribute of God that’s mentioned three times is that [He’s] “Holy, Holy, Holy.” [That’s] the greatest emphasis possible in Jewish literature. One man walked around the park with a sign that said, “Jesus loves you.” Well, that’s nice, but a lot of people would answer, “Well, my wife loves me [too,] and so do my children and my mom.” Can you imagine Jesus or Paul going up to the Pharisees, Scribes or lawyers and say, “I love you?”

Accept Jesus

Many years [ago,] when I was saved, maybe I said, “[I’ve] accepted Jesus,” but a few years [later,] I thought, [does Jesus really need my acceptance?] [I’d] be more concerned about Jesus accepting me! It sounds a bit condescending to Christ to say, “[I’ve] decided to accept You, Jesus,” almost as if He needed our acceptance before we could be saved; almost as if we’re saying, “He needs me to accept Him in order more for me to saved, so I guess I’ll just have to accept Him.” If we had to “accept” anything, it was the fact that we [sin] in the hands of an angry God, and that our sins had separated us from Him, so we must put our trust in Christ, not accept Him. Actually, [He's] the One Who grants repentance (2 [Tim.] 2:25) and draws us to Christ (John 6:44), and we only love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

Give Your Heart to Jesus

[There’s] the phrase, “[I’ve] given my heart to Jesus,” and I’m not sure where it came from, but [it’s] somewhat recent. I know people are saved by donating organs, but what does it mean to say, “Give your heart to Jesus.” Once more, Jesus doesn’t want one part alone…He wants all of us. I realize this is a common expression, but God is the one Who quickens the dead, not the [dead,] quickening themselves ([Eph.] 2:1-4), so we cannot give anything to God, particularly our heart, until God quickens us to eternal life by His Spirit. It’s not about giving our heart; it’s about what God gave (John 3:16).

Don’t Lose Heart. You’re Awesome

Don’t Lose Heart. You’re Awesome. This was on a church [sign,] and it just struck me as wrong. Only God is awesome. In fact, the word awesome should only be reserved for God Himself. No, [I’m] not awesome. [I’d] only say that [I’m] awful…a wretch and not deserving to be saved. The truth is, [there’s] not one [that’s righteous] and not even the one who thinks he’s the exception ([Rom.] 3:10). There are none that do good ([Rom.] 3:12). I’m awesome? Really!? It’s a nice pithy statement, but I’d like to see the chapter and verse for that one.

The Sinner’s Prayer

God alone saves, so salvation [doesn’t] come by repeating a sinner’s prayer. Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved (Acts 4:12), and God is the one Who draws people to Christ (John 6:44), and even though He may use this prayer as a means to save someone, it’s not the prayer itself that saves anyone. It takes the Word of God with the Spirit of God to create the children of God. If [you’re] repeating a [sinner’s] prayer or even filling out a decision card (not biblical either), you may be giving someone false assurance or creating a pseudo conversion. Even walking the isle doesn’t save you. Again, God alone saves (Acts 16:30-31). When someone asks what they must do to be saved, we don’t say, “Here, fill out this decision card, walk the [aisle] or repeat this [sinner’s] prayer.” Jesus says we must repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:14-15).

Conclusion

In the last century or so, the church has become more [seeker-sensitive], but until we tell people the bad news about sin, judgment, and God’s wrath upon the unrepentant, they’ll never see the importance of God’s mercy. His mercy is only relevant until His wrath is revealed. That makes Christ’s atonement all the more precious. [It’s] only through Christ that we can be seen as having His righteousness (2 [Cor.] 5:21). Until a person sees that they’ve got the death penalty hanging over their head, [they’ll] never seek the Advocate (1 John 2:1). You cannot preach the gospel without preaching about repentance, just as John the Baptist said, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 3:2). The Holy Spirit convicted the consciences of those who were witnesses of and responsible for Jesus’ being crucified. The Apostle Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38). When Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry, He said, “The time is [fulfilled,] and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15). You cannot leave out repentance and faith when presenting Christ. In fact, conversion cannot occur apart from the Holy Spirit and the presence of both faith and repentance. That [He’s] “mighty to save” ([Zeph.] 3:17), is mighty good news.120

Endnotes

104Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.

105UBS New Testament.

106Weust.

107UBS New Testament.

108Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.

109The Pulpit.

110Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.

111Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.

112Barnes.

113Adam Clarke.

114The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament.

115Adam Clarke.

116Barnes.

117UBS New Testament.

118UBS New Testament.

119UBS.

120Jack Wellman. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE GOSPEL OF REPENTANCE AND FAITH? Christian Crier 21 March 2022

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New Covenant Ministries - Ministerios NuevoPacto - Harbor Church, Block Island

Sunday & Thursday Worship - Domingo & Jueves 7:00PM

My name is James Rondinone. I am a husband, father, and spiritual leader.

I grew up in Massachusetts and began my own spiritual journey early on in life.

I attended Bible college, having completed a two-year Christian Leadership Course of Study and graduated as valedictorian (Summa Cum Laude).

Studying and teaching the Word of God has been a passion of mine for over 20 years.

Want to help kids stick with sports? Prioritize fun and
 #PhysicalActivity over competition in #YouthSports programs. Learn more
 in @HealthGov’s National Youth Sports Strategy: https://bit.ly/2lQ85f6

D.C. Divas Football: D.C. DIVAS host Tampa Bay Inferno

US Sports Tennis: 4 Lessons Patrick Mouratoglou Learned From Coaching Serena Williams and Andrey Rublev vs Fabian Marozsan Rome 2025 Highlights

 

• By Grant Young

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Serena Williams is a legendary American tennis player whose career has redefined the sport and set unparalleled standards of excellence. 

Turning professional in 1995, she quickly made her mark on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour, showcasing her remarkable talent, powerful playing style, and fierce determination. 

Over the course of her illustrious career, Serena has achieved an astounding 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the highest number in the Open Era. Her major tournament victories include: 

Australian Open: 7 titles (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017) 

French Open: 3 titles (2002, 2013, 2015) 

Wimbledon: 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016) 

US Open: 6 titles (1999, 2002, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017) 

In addition to her Grand Slam success, Serena has achieved significant milestones, including winning four Olympic gold medals in singles and doubles (one singles gold in 2012 and three doubles golds with her sister Venus in 2000, 2008, and 2012). She has completed a "Serena Slam," holding all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously in 2002-03 and again in 2015-2016. Serena has also been recognized for her longevity and consistency at the top level, having held the world No. 1 ranking for a total of 319 weeks, including a record 186 consecutive weeks from 2015 to 2017. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently demonstrated resilience and the ability to compete at an elite level, even after becoming a mother. And while Serena is an extraordinary talent, even she would admit that she couldn’t reach these heights without her head coach, Patrick Mouratoglou.

Serena Williams was coached by Patrick Mouratoglou from 2012 to 2022. Together, they won 10 Grand Slam singles titles and the American returned to the world No 1 ranking.

In addition to coaching Williams for a decade, Mouratoglou has Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Coco Gauff at his Mouratoglou Tennis Academy which is very well-known for being one of the most proficient training centers in the world.

In his ‘Patrick Mouratoglou - What Really Makes A Champion’ clinic, Coach Mouratoglou conveys some of the lessons he has learned from a decade coaching a tennis legend like Serena Williams, which can be used for any coach teaching tennis players of any level (don’t worry, they don’t have to be world champions). 

Importance of Admiration for Your Players - Coaching Serena

One lesson that Coach Mouratoglou believes was crucial to building his relationship with Serena Williams was to learn how to admire her abilities on the court.

While this might sound counterintuitive to what a coach is meant to do for their pupil (diagnose their weaknesses and figure out how to make them better), even coaches need to have a ‘Why’ when it comes to getting out of bed and doing their job each morning. 

This is made much easier when a coach has a genuine admiration and appreciation for the person they are coaching, both on and off the court. While it’s unavoidable that a coach and player will argue (especially in an individual sport like tennis), there needs to be mutual respect and admiration for each other if a long-term relationship is going to work over time, and Coach Mouratoglou learned this while coaching Williams. 

Noticing and Noting the Good and Bad

Of course, all coaches need to be able to notice what a player is doing wrong and work with them to correct that. But what’s perhaps just as (if not more) important is a coach's ability to notice and articulate the things that a player is doing well.

Coach Mouratoglou notes that if a player is only going to hear criticism from their head coach all day, every day, and never receive positive affirmation, not only is their confidence going to be shot by the end of the week but they will begin tuning their head coach out. 

Coach Mouratoglou likes to look at a person’s assets rather than their flaws first, which was important when coaching Williams because she had previously been coached by her father, who she of course had a strong relationship with.

Build Around Strengths, Not Weaknesses

Similar to this, Coach Mouratoglou entered his coaching relationship with Williams with a focus on strengthening what she’s already great at, rather than focusing on her weaknesses or what he believes she can improve upon. This was important for him because if she was able to improve upon what she was already great at (such as her iconic backhand), then nobody in the world could compete with her at it. 

And through addressing these strengths, the potential for one’s weaknesses (which are inevitable regardless of the player because being perfect is impossible) to show themselves during the competition is minimized as much as possible. 

Collaboration With a Training Plan

Of course, no tennis player can reach the pinnacle of their sport without knowing a thing or two about what works best for them in terms of training and preparation, both at a micro and a macro level. 

This is why a coach must be able to set their ego aside and collaborate with their player when it comes to putting a training plan together. Even if you aren’t coaching professional players, Coach Mouratoglou stresses that a player should always feel comfortable enough to voice their input on a training strategy. 

While this might not always result in you changing your training plan to cater to their desires, it’s important to hear a player out in order to gauge how they think a plan could be improved upon.

Sports help kids build confidence and grow into 
healthy, active adults. Learn how organizations, communities, and 
policymakers can use @HealthGov’s National #YouthSports Strategy to 
support youth sports: https://bit.ly/2lQ85f6

US Sports Lacrosse: Playing Sports And Injuries and Semifinals Buffalo Bandits vs Vancouver Warriors Highlights

 

• Author Jerald Shin Shapiro

If you are like any other that is involved in sports, you want to make sure that every player stays well and is always able to play in the game. Of course, some injuries are inevitable. It is easy for the children or youth to make a wrong move, adjust the wrong way, or simply run straight into the ball. If you want to help with possible injuries, there are several ways to come prepared.

The first thing that you should keep in mind is that most injuries are preventable. Of course, kids will be kids, and it will be inevitable that they will make a wrong move. However, the more you let them know about safety equipment, the less likely you will be to have major problems. You can also be sure to over emphasize specific movements in every type of game. Making them comfortable with these movements will help create an extra safety feature.

Even if you had all of the wrapping in the world to help prevent injuries, there will still be specific injuries that occur. Because you are playing a sport, you can easily expect twisted ankles, knees and arms. If this happens, make sure that you have your first aid kit with you. You can wrap the fractured or broken area until they get to a hospital. Another type of injury that may occur may be from getting hit by a ball. Having an ice pack or a way to help relieve some of the pain will help until they can get to the right area and receive medical attention, if they need it.

These are not the only types of injuries that may occur. There is also a caution that needs to be taken for things such as heat disorder. It is easy for any player to get a little too much sun, causing them to overheat, and possibly pass out. If this happens, be sure to get them in the shade and give them water. You can easily prevent this by requiring all of your players to drink water on a consistent basis.

No matter what the injury, there is always a solution. By knowing what can be expected and coming prepared, you will be able to help the players enjoy the game, without walking away with an injury. There are some stories that every child will want to tell about their game. You want to make sure that it is not about an injury that occurred.

Find tips about lacrosse drills and how to play lacrosse at the Lacrosse Rules website.

Sports help kids build confidence and grow into 
healthy, active adults. Learn how organizations, communities, and 
policymakers can use @HealthGov’s National #YouthSports Strategy to 
support youth sports: https://bit.ly/2lQ85f6

US Sports Basketball: How to Build a Championship-Winning Basketball Team Culture and #3 KNICKS at #2 CELTICS | FULL GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

 It's C&C (Caitly Clark) Bucket Factory Time! Now Streaming On US Sports Radio

• By Grant Young

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Building a basketball team’s culture takes a lot more than using positive encouragement and convincing players to high-five their opponents after games. Creating a solid culture that can make an impact for players both on and off the court, in the present and in the future, requires a daily commitment not only from a basketball coach but also from their players. 

And it can sometimes take years to build a program’s culture from the ground up. Yet, when a coach is conscious about the messages they’re sending, both verbal and non-verbal, the culture they’re trying to build can spread throughout their team like wildfire, and influence winning outcomes sooner than they might imagine.

Coaches like Jim Boone have laid out the blueprint for doing so. 

Coach Jim Boone moved among the Nation's top 5 winningest NCAA Division II coaches with over 600 victories in the 2023 season. His career includes two Final Fours and 6 Sweet Sixteens, taking an unprecedented 4 different schools to the NCAA Tournament. 

Coach Boone was able to bring this impressive track record of success to multiple different schools because he brought his winning culture along with him. And in his ‘Building a Championship Program: The Jim Boone Way’ course, Coach Boone shares his thoughts and philosophy on building a successful basketball program and creating a winning culture. In doing so, Coach Boone invites coaches to learn the systems and teaching methodology that has led his programs to numerous championships and milestones.

We have pulled some of his most pertinent points, giving you a taste of the value Coach Boone has imparted throughout his course. 

Possessions Are of the Utmost Importance

At one point in Coach Boone’s discussion, he notes that, among all 7 of the losing teams that he became the coach of across his career, all 7 had the same obstacle that they initially had to overcome: they were going to lose games before they started winning them. This is because, as we alluded to earlier, creating a culture of winning typically takes some time to build. 

And Coach Boone would always begin to address that by emphasizing one thing: “that our players respected and understood the value of every possession.”

All basketball coaches know that the difference between winning and losing can (and often does) boil down to one single possession. And while it can be easy to convince ourselves that the most important possession is the last one in the game, the reality is that any single possession across a game can ultimately be the one that decides a win or a loss. 

Therefore, each and every possession must be treated with the utmost care; although that doesn’t mean that coaches should get upset over every wasted possession. Turnovers and poor plays happen to every team in every game. But Coach Boone’s hope is that, if players recognize and respect the importance of every possession, they’ll be more conscious about their decision-making during the game.

Getting Back on Defense

Coach Boone then shared a quote from a coach that he admired. The quote was, “If you want your team to start getting on the track toward winning, teach them how to get back on defense.”

Now, there are many practical reasons why teaching a team to get back on defense will be conducive to winning; the main one being that a team that is always in transition is typically one that is scoring a lot of points. And so if your players aren’t also getting back on transition defense, their teammates are constantly going to be at a disadvantage on the defensive end, and will therefore concede plenty of easy baskets throughout the course of a game. And that is sure to cause a lot of losses.

But players not getting back on defense also speaks to a broader cultural issue. When a player does not get back on defense, it’s usually for one of a few reasons: they either think they got fouled and are complaining to a referee, are upset that they turned the ball over or missed a shot, or simply aren’t giving 100% effort on the court. 

All three of these potential causes point to a cultural problem that must be addressed as soon as possible if a team’s culture is going to improve. 

And Coach Boone notes that, once you have every one of your players getting back on defense every play, then that’s a sign you’re on the right track to winning games.

How You Put Practice Together

At one point in his course, Coach Boone says, “I don’t think there’s anything that translates more into winning and losing than your practice. And how you put practice together.”

Coach Boone then says that he always tried to start practice with something defense-oriented. The reason he does so is because he believes that, similar to why getting back on defense is important, defense (and specifically, toughness on defense) is the most important on-court component to building a winning culture. 

After that, Coach Boone discusses how all players do during their offseason is practice shooting and dribbling, by doing cone drills. Therefore, his team’s first month or so of practices is at least 75% defense-oriented. 

What’s more, Coach Boone stresses that, whatever they don’t do well in a practice or game during one day, they’ll do much of that during their next practice opportunity. This is so no aspect of a team’s deficiencies gets neglected, and shows to players they’ll immediately be held accountable for their mistakes. 

These are just a few of the valuable nuggets that Coach Boone drops during his course. And his overall message is that it takes every team member (head coach, assistant coaching staff, and every player, from the reading scorer to the guy at the end of the bench) to build and sustain a winning culture. But because you’re the coach, everyone will look at you to set the right example and move your team’s culture toward winning. 

Want to help kids stick with sports? Prioritize fun and
 #PhysicalActivity over competition in #YouthSports programs. Learn more
 in @HealthGov’s National Youth Sports Strategy: https://bit.ly/2lQ85f6