The Courage to Begin

Trying something new is hard. Full stop. It asks more of us than just effort—it asks for vulnerability. The kind that puts you in unfamiliar spaces, around unfamiliar people, with no guarantees of success. And if we’re honest, that’s usually the part we want to avoid.

Recently, my daughter became my teacher in this.

At 15 years old, she decided to play softball for the very first time. Not pick it up casually. Not mess around in the backyard. She stepped into an evaluation—knowing she would be compared, assessed, and seen. Watching her walk onto that field, I realized something: I was about to learn far more than she was.

As a coach, I spend a lot of time talking about doing hard things. About leaning into discomfort. About choosing paths that prepare us to stand out in a culture that often rewards comfort, conformity, and control. We tell athletes—and people of faith—that growth rarely happens in safe spaces.

But it’s one thing to talk about it. It’s another thing to watch someone you love live it out.

The gospel has always required courage. Following Jesus has never been the easy route, the popular route, or the comfortable route. It’s a call to step forward when you’d rather step back. To trust when the outcome isn’t clear. In many ways, starting a new sport feels surprisingly similar. You don’t know where you stack up. You don’t know how long it will take. You just know you’re being asked to begin.

And here’s the truth I couldn’t shake that day: more often than not, what prevents success isn’t a lack of skill or development—it’s the unwillingness to take the first step. We wait until we feel ready. Qualified. Confident. But readiness rarely comes before obedience.

At B3rd, we believe faith, sport, and excellence intersect in these exact moments. Moments when courage shows up quietly. When vulnerability becomes a doorway to growth. When the decision to try becomes more powerful than the fear of failing.

So let this be your encouragement: step out. Start the thing. Have the conversation. Say yes to the calling that makes you uncomfortable. Faith isn’t proven in what we already know how to do—it’s formed in the brave decision to begin.

Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is take the first step… and trust God with the rest.