Who Do You Play For? #360

Who Do You Play For? #360

If you’d like to hear this message instead of reading it, tune in to the Living Your Legacy Podcast.

“Who do you play for?” has been said by thousands of coaches when addressing their team. But this question is much bigger than a halftime motivational speech. Questions like, Why am I getting out of bed? Why do I keep getting up and keep going? Who am I doing it for? Who do I play for?” is something we should ask ourselves every day.

Let’s start with a myth. If your main reason is to build your name or status using the guise of your family. Then sadly, you will eventually lose motivation and give up because your why is existing on the surface level. It can't last on the surface. Hear me, there’s nothing wrong with trying to advance in your career as long as it’s for the right reasons. However, this is where it gets sticky, because the majority of people won’t go below the surface, as they prefer the name on the back of their jersey more than the front. When this happens, unfortunately, no one will remember the name on the back because you didn’t fight for the name on the front.

Finding your why and your who can be a difficult, painstaking process because you’ll have to overcome your fear of losing, not succeeding, or watching others advance. For example, it’s hard for a basketball player to make the extra pass and allow someone else to receive the praise, even if it’s for the betterment of the team. But without the extra pass, the victory wouldn’t be possible. Just make the extra pass so the team wins.

When you realize that your prized possession that you’ve been holding onto is no longer your prized possession and you’re willing to give it away so that your family benefits, you’ll care more about the name on the front of your jersey than the back. You’ll have found your why, who you play for, and who you’re willing to lay down your life for. At that moment, you’ll become a member of the legacy legion and start living your legacy every day for those who matter most.

There’s another truth about the jersey you’re wearing. Do you remember that our head coach bled in that jersey for His team? He took the criticisms, the lashes, and the nails for his players so we wouldn’t have to. Our coach put His team ahead of himself when He could have chosen otherwise. He even invited the worst player at the last minute to join His team by saying, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” It was never about His title or His glory while He led and impacted others on earth. It was and is always about who He played for and His team. So the next time you doubt your role on His team, remind yourself who play for. And if it’s been awhile since you’ve been on the team, just surrender and ask the coach if you can rejoin His team. I bet He’ll throw you a jersey and welcome you back.

Your legacy is about who play for and why you do it. Here are a couple of ways that you can remind your players of your why because they are the who. Make a family jersey with your last name on the front and everyone’s first name on the back. Construct a family shield or sign that unites every member. Or you can create a family logo or saying that is imprinted on various items. Then during holidays give your players a gift with your family design on it. When your team believes “our” name is more important than yours there will be nothing they can’t accomplish. No one will care who gets credit because the team succeeds and every member will be living your legacy. A legacy that won’t be forgotten because its repeated and instilled for generations to come. So, who do you play for?

So if you want your team to know that you play for them visit, lighthouselegacies.com and learn how. Also, listen to the Living Your Legacy Podcast. Check out Your Story Matters: The God Stories and read my chapter.