Faith or Excellence? Choose And
One of the tensions Christian coaches and athletic directors often feel is the perceived need to choose between faith formation and competitive excellence. Are we here primarily to develop disciples, or are we here to win? During my conversation with Darren Keizer, Athletic Director at Dordt University, we talked about why that may be the wrong question altogether. Instead of choosing one or the other, Christian athletics should embrace the power of “and.” We should pursue excellence in our sport and intentionally form athletes in their faith.
That philosophy is evident in Dordt’s Defender Way. Their athletic department is built around four pillars: commitment to the Great Commission and cultural mandate, developing servant leaders, academic excellence, and the pursuit of championships. What stood out to me was that final phrase: the pursuit of championships. Darren explained that the emphasis is on the pursuit. They want to win. They recruit talented athletes, develop great coaches, and compete at a high level, but winning is not allowed to become the ultimate purpose of the athletic experience.
I think this distinction is incredibly important for Christian athletics. Sometimes we believe that putting Christ first means lowering our competitive expectations. I believe the opposite can be true. When our identity is properly ordered, we become free to pursue excellence without allowing results to define us. We can coach hard, train hard, prepare well, hold people accountable, and pursue championships while remembering that God is doing something much greater through the process.
That is at the heart of B3rd Athletics. Sports are a platform, not a purpose. Athletics becomes one of God’s classrooms for developing people. Winning matters, but the person an athlete is becoming matters even more.
Christian athletics shouldn't have to choose between faith and excellence.
We should relentlessly pursue both.
God First. Others Second. Me Third.
-Coach Field
