I have been a Notre Dame fan for 40 years. I can hear some of you saying, “Oh, you poor thing”. The last time I saw them play in a National Championship was 1988, 37 years ago. Head coach Marcus Freeman said something a few weeks ago that inspired me and I want to pass it on to you.
“It all started a couple of years ago when I was in the Notre Dame weight room and was working out as our players were being pushed hard. And I remember thinking that you can choose to go through the motions or you can choose to go as hard as you can. And that’s when I came up with this thought of ‘Choose Hard.’ We put up a sign you see when you walk into this building that says ‘Choose Hard.’ Because when you walk into Notre Dame football, you’ve got to have that mindset. – Marcus Freeman, interview with Entrepreneur Magazine
Something else Coach Freeman said,
We’re going to choose hard today in practice, choose hard today in meetings, choose hard today in the weight room. And for the players, you’re going to be challenged in the classroom, right? You’re going to be in class with some of the most intelligent people in this world. And it’s difficult, but ultimately you’ve chosen to come here so choose hard, accept it, and know that the rewards from choosing hard every single day can’t be found anywhere else.” Marcus Freeman, interview with Entrepreneur Magazine
In the context of football, “choosing hard” generally refers to a team’s decision to embrace challenges and difficult paths to improvement and success. Freeman not only challenges his players to perform well on the field but in the classroom.
Here are some areas where you can choose hard instead of easy mode.
Strength of Schedule
Teams can intentionally scheduled games against tough opponents, rather than opting for easier matchups that would guarantee more wins. This allows them to test their abilities against the best competition and prepare for high-pressure situations.
Don’t shy away from challenges like talking to parents, doing hospital visits or doing funerals. If you isolate yourself in a youth ministry bubble, you won’t be challenged to mature as both a believer and a minister. The next time your pastor asks for a volunteer for something you deem “hard”, raise your hand.
Practice Regimen
Notre Dame, like many other elite college teams, have adopted a rigorous and demanding training schedule, pushing themselves to their physical and mental limits. This can involve longer hours, more intense drills, and a focus on discipline and toughness.
No one watches you practice but they can tell if you practiced on the field. People will also notice if you have not done the hard things in private, such spiritual disciplines as prayer, studying (vs reading) God’s word, meditating on scripture, sharing your faith fasting and others. Discipline your inner life and it will show on the field.
Play Style
Teams choose to implement complex or challenging offensive or defensive schemes, requiring players to learn intricate strategies and execute them flawlessly. This can lead to greater potential for success, but also carries a higher risk of mistakes and setbacks.
Look at your youth ministry. Look at your youth meetings. When was the last time you tried to teach your kids a hard truth or a topic you tend to shy away from? When was the last time you changed up your youth meeting to have extended worship or have students pray for one another? Of course it’s hard, or everyone would be doing it. Choose some “plays” that may take some extra time to learn but, in the end will be worth it.
Note: Discipleship is hard, that’s why I put a bundle of resources together for you.
If you’re like me, you may have started in youth ministry because it looked fun or you felt you had a gift and/or passion for the next generation. If you stay in youth ministry, you discover, like in video games, there is no “Easy Mode”.
I have “gone through the motions’, done sloppy youth ministry and paid the price for it. Not until I started to “Choose Hard” did I start to grow as a both a believer and a youth pastor.
So, I would ask you, what have you been choosing lately and is it time to start “choosing hard”, putting the work in both publicly (the ministry) and privately (your faith) ?
Choosing hard every day makes the hard things, when they come, seem easier.
If I can help you, do the hard things, let me know, I’d love to help you win in ministry and life.