by Eddie Pipkin

Image by Mo Farrelly from Pixabay

This week in the blog you get a two-fer.  Two stories about the mindset of a winner, one about never being happy with the status quo and one about never assuming the status quo will continue to be the status quo.  Whether you are a championship tennis player or a journeyman quarterback in the NFL, there are always ways to get even better and to be ready to open the door when opportunity knocks.  Ministry happens in teams, too (as does all of life), and if we make the best uses of the chances we’re given and the tools we’ve been provided, we can be sure, as a certain Broadway character proclaimed, that when the time comes, we’re “not throwing away our shot!”

First, we consider the plight of the NFL backup quarterback.

Bench warming quarterbacks in the National Football League are some of the most talented athletes on the planet.  They have been playing the game their entire lives; they have led highly ranked college teams in pressure cooker situations; they have highlight reel skills.  For various reasons, they find themselves in the second-in-command position.  They find themselves in a unique situation in which they must prepare fully just as the starting quarterback prepares.  If there is an injury, the backup can be thrust into the leadership role at any given moment with the game on the line, and their level of preparation and practice will determine the success of the entire team.  It takes a special person to fully engage that intense level of prep, knowing it may not ever even be put to use.

This article in The Athletic, “Life as a backup NFL QB is a mental and emotional whirlwind” captures the unique context in which they find themselves, detailing their complex responsibilities:

Most importantly, a backup quarterback has to study, compete, and believe he can win games if he gets the chance, without hoping for the circumstances that would lead to it.

It starts with figuring out how to balance ambition with selflessness.

Many of you in ministry careers or volunteer leadership find yourself serving as a second-in-command.  Some of us thrive in such an environment, learning at the feet of a caring and supportive mentor.  Some of us chafe in a subordinate or secondary role, feeling hemmed in, underutilized, or underappreciated.  It’s challenging when you feel like your ideas are discarded, your talents and potential contributions unrecognized.

If you can’t let resentments and self-pity go, you will flounder.  Counter-intuitively, you will likely sabotage your progression to greater opportunities (having allowed your sour attitude to poison your usefulness).

Journeyman signal caller Josh McCown characterizes the proper attitude for serving in a supporting role:

You understand that you’re part of something bigger. For me, it was a tale of two careers. (I played) one half as the guy trying to scratch and claw to become a starter … the thing that everybody dreams about. Then … realizing a couple of things: I wanted to bring value to the team no matter what role I was in. That larger ecosystem, I just wanted to help.

His approach is the right approach, and it’s a biblical approach.  We use the talents and skills we’ve been given to support the overall mission; it’s not just about personal success; it’s about the progress of the entire organization as it works toward achieving the larger vision.  McCarthy explains how he finds purpose and fulfillment in the role:

It’s selflessness, and inherent joy for the game and joy in the love of watching your teammates succeed … the starter in your room, and then the greater good of the whole team. I think that’s what those guys share.

That’s the perfect attitude for any team member to have in any role in which they are serving.  That and the continual preparation to step up into a larger leadership role when duty calls.  There is something sacred about taking that kind of preparation seriously.  Even if you never have the chance to step into an expanded role, you will be better in the role in which you are serving if you are committed to learning more and understanding more.

That thought takes us directly to our second reflection, a meditation on the attitude of tennis champion, Carlos Alcaraz, who won the U.S. Open a couple of weeks ago.  He is simply not content to be “one of” the best players in the world.  He is committed to innovating, tinkering, and challenging himself, finding surprising new ways to improve his already stellar game.  (John Wesley – had he been a tennis fan – would have loved this guy: Alcaraz is the personification of “moving on to perfection.”)

The article, “‘Everything’ matters,” describes the meticulous concentration Alcaraz employs that leaves no stone unturned and no possibility unexplored in finding nuanced adjustments that surprise his opponents and delight his fans.  Attention to detail and determination to experiment set him apart:

Here’s the thing about trying to beat Carolos Alcaraz at tennis, he is never quite the exact same player from tournament to tournament, match to match, set to set, game to game, or even point to point, really.

Part of that is because he’s always trying to find ways to improve, including a remodeled serve that has gone from a vulnerability to a strength this year.  Part of that is also Alcaraz’s ability, and willingness, to do a bit of everything, even in Sunday’s crucible of a Grand Slam final against his biggest rival. . . .

How many of us can say that we are that passionately committed to getting better at our craft?  How many of us are willing to risk a sure thing?  We can keep doing things the old, comfortable ways.  Why would we instead take some risks to achieve a bold, new outcome?  If we do, though, we can find new ways to win.  We can surprise and delight and have fun doing it.  And if we are in a subordinate position, the people who mentor and manage us will notice this buoyant, positive, change-producing attitude and will be excited to give us more responsibilities and more challenging assignments.

What are your strategies for serving joyfully as a second banana?  How do you contribute to the success of the team from a supporting player role?  Are you always looking for ways to up your game, carefully observe and learn from others, and experiment with your techniques and skills to make them even better?  Share your stories and questions in the comments section below.