SportsLeader Virtue = Strength

VIRTUE OF THE WEEK - TOUGHNESS !INTRODUCTION TO START PRACTICE/GAME !Our virtue this week is TOUGHNESS - The strength to work hard and to work smart always motivated by a cause. We’ve shown TOUGHNESS quite a few ties this season (name some specific examples) and I’m really proud of you all for that. !PRAYER !Lord, sometimes we are tempted to do things that are wrong. Help us to be tough and to use our will to always do what is right. Give us the strength and the wisdom to remember that You are always with us and that You can help us overcome any temptation. May we practice the virtue of toughness today by not complaining when things get a little challenging. !Does anyone have any prayer intentions? Who wants to lead us in a Glory Be? !STORY TO TELL IMMEDIATELY AFTER PRAYER !JESUS WAS A STRONG, TOUGH MAN !Matthew 4: 1-11 – Jesus uses his will to reject temptation !Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. !The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread." ! He said in reply, "It is written: 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.'" !Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you and 'with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" ! Jesus answered him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'" !Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me." !At this, Jesus said to him, "Get away, Satan! It is written: 'The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.'" Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him. !

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SportsLeader Virtue = Strength

QUESTION TO ENGAGE PLAYERS !1. How does Jesus use his will? Fasting and rejecting temptation. 2. Do you think this was tough? Oh yeah. 3. So a person doesn’t give in to temptation right? We use our will. We stay tough. 4. How can we fight temptation on our team? Always speak well of others, encourage one

another, never give in to laziness … !!RESOLUTION TO WORK ON DURING PRACTICE/GAME !Let’s practice the virtue of toughness today by not complaining when things get a little challenging. !Coach, praise the team when they do something challenging without complaining. !MENTORING MOMENT TO SHOW YOUR PLAYERS THAT YOU CARE ABOUT THEM !Ask individually as many players as you can during practice the below. !Is our team TOUGH enough? !Tell me about your favorite moment of the season thus far. !END OF PRACTICE/GAME PRAYER !Thank you for giving us such an awesome example of TOUGHNESS, Jesus. You said no to temptation over and over again. Help us to be TOUGH like You. Thank you for the example of (name a few teammates who lived the virtue during that practice). Help us all to be tougher this week by not complaining and eating our vegetables. Amen. !WAY TO LIVE THE VIRTUE OF TOUGHNESS THIS WEEK !We will not complain when Mom or Dad serves us vegetables and we will eat them because they are good for us. !Remind players to tell their parents and siblings the story. !!VIDEO CLIP ABOUT TOUGHNESS !Click on the below link and consider emailing this to all your parents to have them watch with their kids as a way to help foster the virtue of the week. !You could also consider bringing your tablet to practice and showing the video to your players as well. !http://www.sportsleader.org/video/these-two-brothers-made-lebron-james-speechless !

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SportsLeader Virtue = Strength

!TOUGHNESS QUOTES FOR THE WEEK ! *Each day this week communicate the quote of the day. In person, email, text, tweet … whatever works best for you !!MONDAY "Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself." - Abraham Joshua Heschel !!TUESDAY “Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.” – Albert Einstein !!WEDNESDAY “In life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: hit the line hard.” – Theodore Roosevelt !!THURSDAY “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers !!!FRIDAY “A champion pays an extra price to be better than anyone else.” – Bear Bryant !!SATURDAY “There is no shortcut, victory lies in overcoming obstacles every day.” - Anonymous !!SUNDAY “Without labor nothing prospers.” - Sophocles !!

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SportsLeader Virtue = Strength

VIRTUE IMAGE ! *Share this image with your players to create a visual to help them understand how the virtue of charity is a strength. !!TOUGHNESS !* The strength to work hard and to work smart always motivated by a cause. !

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