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Start a League.
Seven years ago, I volunteered to help a friend who was running a football
ministry by putting up a website. Just like the mafia, once you're in, you're
in. A few years later, the box of league documents and the paint machine were at
my house and I had to figure out how to run a football league. Thankfully, my
friend didn't desert me and helped me along the way. Other brothers jumped in
and we carried the load together. Over the last six years, I have learned a
little bit of how to serve in a sports ministry. I'm hoping some of what I share
here can help you learn some things quicker than I did.
Over the years, I have watched men and boys come to Christ
that never would have heard the message had it not been for a little pointy pig
skin. I have learned a little bit of how to serve in a sports ministry, and I'm
hoping this guide will help you put together your own league and share the joy
of watching men come to Christ.
Football is a great way to bring the gospel to people who probably won't be
setting foot in a church on Sunday. Start a league, and they will come. Boys and
men love football, and it is a great opportunity to spread the good news to
those who would never hear it.
Running a football or sports ministry is easier than you think. Here is an
overview of how to get going:
1) Start with a pastor. Have a pastor oversee the spiritual side of the
ministry. Having an established man of God overseeing the ministry will help
keep everything in line with scripture. If you have several churches involved,
make the offer to all participating churches. Pastoral participation is a good
thing. The players seem to have a respect for pastors that they don't have for
others. Just remember, these pastors are busy marrying, burying, and counseling.
Treat their time as a very valuable commodity.
2) Next, get an evangelist (this could be one of the pastors). Find a guy
who has the gift of evangelism, someone who is comfortable speaking to young
men, and someone who connects. Find a guy who is positive and uplifting and
emphasizes the GOOD in the good news. Remember, all the work you put into the
football end pays off with the 20 minutes you get to share the gospel every
week. Eph 4:11 says that "some are called to be evangelists." I cannot
over-emphasize the need to find a guy who is called. If you don't have this guy,
pray, and God will provide him.
3) Find one or two guys who are willing to handle the nuts and bolts of the
football end (more details below). You must provide a good football product.
Guys come out to play football. Good football is the draw. It must be a well-run
football league. From personal experience, this works best when the league
leaders don't also run a team.
4) Next, you will need some team leaders. These are guys who are willing to
organize teams, make phone calls, and collect money. It usually ends up costing
the team leaders money to run a team. Find guys that feel the investment (money
and time) is worth the payoff (doing the Father's work and sowing the seed).
Don't overburden these guys. Just let them organize a team and show up. Trust
that the Lord will do the rest.
5) Fields and Insurance: Start looking for fields early. Soccer has taken
over the world and green space can be scarce. If you're fortunate, a local
church will be willing and available. If this is not the case, check the local
parks and schools. Public facilities will always require liability insurance. In
all cases, insurance is a good idea, as it minimizes your personal risk and
liability in case a friendly lawyer comes to visit.
Here are a few tips I have learned over the years to run a good football league:
1) Parity: Try to make the teams competitive with each other. If one team
is substantially better than the others, it takes away from the playoffs. Some
teams will go out and get players to compete (I've done this myself). Others
will get left behind. The NFL has a salary cap and it is the most successful
league in the world. No one knows who is going to the Super Bowl. Every team has
a chance. Don't let your league end up like Major League Baseball. Spread the
talent around. Find talent for the teams that need it. Move talent from the
teams that have too much. Don't let competition and recruiting distract from the
real purpose of your league. You can have the NFL or you can have baseball, and
in my opinion, the NFL is a lot more interesting.
2) Referees: You can get officials from your local referee association or
you can try to officiate the league yourself. If you can find guys who are not
playing, get them and pay them a little bit. Do not get different guys every
week. Get a crew of about six guys and use three of them every week. If you do
not have the personnel, hire the local officials.
3) Internet: Put up a basic website with schedules, standings and scores.
Web space is cheap these days. Anything else (pictures, forums, etc.) adds to
the league but is not necessary.
4) Service: Remember, the reason for the football is the message, and they
can't HEAR if they are not HERE. Make every effort to have as many at the field
as possible. Be flexible. Work with the schedule to help leaders with time
conflicts. Place the message at a convenient time. The pastor serves the league
leaders by keeping them on course spiritually, the league leaders serve the team
leaders by providing them a good place to play, and the team leaders serve the
players by giving them a team to play on. We are called to serve, not to rule.
Matt 20:26 says, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant."
5) Safety and Rules: Put in football rules that promote safe play, but don't expect
non-Christians to act like Christians. You can't clean the outside of the cup
until Christ cleans the inside, (Matt 23:25) so make rules that apply to the game. Every
league has rules. Those I've posted on this site have been developed over many
years. If a player is unsafe, we take him off the field. If a player swears or
has a bad attitude, we have them do push-ups. When the guys know the rules and
the consequences for breaking them, it usually solves the problem, but don't
push legalism on to non-Christians. 1 Peter 5:3 says "Don't be tyrants,
but lead them by your good
example". If a guy swears or has a tantrum on the
sidelines, praise God, he's in the right place. Remember, Christ had UNLIMITED
PATIENCE with you. (1 Tim 1:16)
6) Budget: Do a budget before the season. Remember the following: paint
(3-6 cans per field per week), paint machine ($80-$100 one time expense),
cones, cost of field, insurance, trophies or T-shirts. Don't overspend. The
money has to come from somewhere. Keep the cost of playing as low as possible
for the players, and you will draw more people. Your team leaders will also
appreciate a low cost league.
7) Conflicts of interest: Have the guy who makes the football decisions
during the season be someone who is not playing or is otherwise affiliated with
any team. It has been my experience that if league leaders are team leaders, you
risk the potential of their looking biased, regardless of what decisions they
make. Also, don't let team leaders have any say in penalties, suspensions,
discipline, schedule changes, tie-breakers or other disputes, or someone will
walk away with a bad taste in their mouth. Let the leaders set the league up and
make the rules, but once the league starts, turn that over to a
non-leader/non-player. Don't let appearances be a stumbling block to the purpose
of your league, which is bringing men to Christ.
Feel free to email me for assistance or with any questions you may have. I will
post questions and answers here, and otherwise add to this FAQ as needed.
The Rock Football League is committed:
· To
witness. Using football as a means to introduce men to Jesus Christ.
· To
breakdown racial barriers.
· To
eliminate denominational division.
· To
encourage, love and build up the body of Christ.
· To
aim for humility, patience and submission.
· To
educate. Using Gods Word.
Doug Braun
League Coordinator
ROCK FOOTBALL
braun@rockfootball.com
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