Baptist and Reflector
BRENTWOOD — Mark Moore, executive pastor at Third Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, has coached travel teams in baseball and knows firsthand the challenges of playing sports while maintaining a commitment to God and church.
He offers five tips on maintaining a healthy balance.
(1) Take a stand. The secularization of our society demands that we, as Christians, take a stand. Keeping church commitment in balance with baseball (and other sports) will not be easy, but it can be done. The bottom line? Your child’s faith.
(2) Be skeptical. Ask questions. Playing for a team or program needs to benefit your child in some way. Paying a large fee for uniforms and a coach’s salary gets you nothing.
(3) Use this as an opportunity as your platform to share the gospel. You’ll create significant relationships during a summer. Use that to be a witness.
(4) Protect your child. You, as the parent, are the only one who knows what is best for your child.
(5) If you choose to play on a travel team, wait until your player is 15 or 16 years old. Travel ball at younger ages is pointless and benefits no one but the ego of the parent and the pocketbook of the coaches.
