XV:V Sports

WHY WE FORGET GOD IN COMPETITION

Most Christian athletes genuinely want their faith to matter in sport. You want to compete in a way that honors God, and you want Christ to shape your mindset, your identity, and the way you carry yourself.

But competition has a way of speeding everything up.

As the pressure rises, your attention naturally shifts. You start thinking about performance, outcomes, mistakes, or what’s coming next. And before you realize it, your focus has moved from God to performance.

It’s not that you’ve stopped caring about your faith. It’s just that in the intensity of competition, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s most true.

It doesn’t take much to lose perspective in competition.

So the question isn’t whether your faith matters to you. It’s how you remember it when everything around you starts moving faster.



WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING AT SOMETHING

Scripture gives us a helpful picture for understanding this.

“Let us run with perseverance… fixing our eyes on Jesus.” - Hebrews 12:1–2

The Christian life is, in many ways, a life of attention. We are always looking at something—whether it’s the scoreboard, our opponent, our last mistake, or the expectations we feel.

And whatever we consistently look at begins to shape how we think, feel, and respond.

That’s why throughout Scripture, God gives His people reminders. These aren’t meant to distract them from life, but to help them stay anchored in what is true in the middle of it.

A focal point works in a similar way for athletes.

A focal point is a visible reminder of a biblical truth that helps bring your mind back to God.

It’s not about stepping away from competition or reducing intensity. It’s about directing your attention rightly within it. In other words, you don’t need less focus in sport—you need a better focus.



CHOOSE YOUR FOCAL POINT

Before your next practice or competition, take a moment to choose a focal point.

Pick something simple and visible—something you’ll naturally see throughout the flow of a game or practice. It could be a mark on your shoe, a wristband, a line on the field, or even a spot in the gym.

Then connect that physical reminder to a short, meaningful truth:

“God is with me.”

“My identity is in Christ.”

“I play for an audience of One.”

The goal isn’t to constantly repeat it or force it. Instead, use it during natural pauses—between plays, during timeouts, or whenever there’s a break in the action.

Down time is reset time.

Over time, this simple practice can help bring your attention back to God in the middle of competition, not just before or after it.



This is a simple practice you can share with others as well.

If you’re a coach, parent, or teammate, try asking this question:

“What do you tend to focus on when pressure rises?”

Most athletes have an answer, even if they’ve never said it out loud. From there, you can help them choose a focal point—something they’ll see regularly—and connect it to a short truth they can return to.

Encourage them to use it during the natural rhythms of competition. The goal isn’t to pull them out of the moment, but to help them re-enter it with the right perspective.

In doing this, you’re helping them be formed in how they think, what they trust, and where they look when things get hard.


Learning to acknowledge God during the intensity of sport doesn’t happen automatically—it takes intentional habits. A focal point is one simple tool to begin building that awareness over time.

If you’ve ever struggled to keep your perspective when the game speeds up, this article is worth exploring further: Focal Point: A Simple Practice for Remembering Christ During Competition

Here are a few other resources we have created to equip you to live faithfully in sport.

Why do we forget God during competition? Most Christian athletes genuinely want their faith to matter in sport. You want to compete in a way that honors God, and you want Christ to shape your mindset, your identity, and the way you carry yourself.

Coronado HS Women's Soccer had a great game against cross-town rivals Monterey High School, Friday night Feb 13th. Here are a few shots from the night before the storm rolled in.

Coronado Ladies Soccer vs Lubbock High Lady Westerners

Supporting a brand new local travel ball baseball team, the Hub City Riots! With each shirt purchased through XV:V Sports, $3 will go back into the team!

Good luck Riots on your upcoming summer league and future tournaments!

BREAKING: Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Mahomes Foundation have announced they’re awarding $150,000 in college scholarships to support high school seniors in Kansas City, the Tyler, Texas area, and the Lubbock, Texas area.

Each region will receive five $10,000 scholarships, recognizing Class of 2025 students who exemplify academic excellence, leadership, and community involvement.

So glad he’s our Quarterback‼️💛♥️

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