Wheaton Men’s Soccer Mission Statement
We will to use the gift of soccer and of athletic competition to worship God and to bring Him pleasure. As our school motto implies, we play for an audience of one:
FOR CHRIST AND HIS KINGDOM
Our Core Values and Expectations
1. We put the needs of others first- we always put the team first.
“If our life in Christ has any reality to it at all, then complete my joy, by being of the same mind, by being of the same love, by being of the same purpose. Do nothing out of selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Don’t look out for number one-- put the needs and interests of others first.” (Philippians 2:1-4)
2. We don’t whine.
“I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” (Philippians 4:11-13)
“The true joy in life is to be a force of fortune instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” (George Bernard Shaw)
3. We cultivate a commitment to love our teammates.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end. (I Corinthians 13:3-7)
It is our prayer that this list would accurately describe how we treat each teammate, and how we treat each member of the coaching staff.
4. When we don’t play as much as we would like, we are noble and still support the team and its mission.
“The true measure of a man is revealed by how he handles the tough days of life, not be how he basks in the sunshine.”
“I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, "I'm not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don't belong to this body," would that make it so? If Ear said, "I'm not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don't deserve a place on the head," would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.” (I Corinthians 12:14-18)
5. We strive to make each team member better athletically, academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
“Let’s fight the human tendency to drift towards the river of ordinary.”
6. When we have differences, we deal with them and then move forward.
"If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend. If he won't listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won't listen, tell the church. If he won't listen to the church, you'll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God's forgiving love.” (Matthew 18:15-17)
7. We work hard when we feel like it, and when we don’t feel like it, we work even harder.
“The difference between one person and another, between the weak and the powerful, the great and the insignificant, is energy—that invisible determination.” (Thomas Buxton)
“Each day is God's gift. It's all you get in exchange
For the hard work of staying alive.
Make the most of each one!
Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!
This is your last and only chance at it.” (Ecclesiastes 9:9,10)
8. We will mentally and emotionally prepare to handle the defining moments of a season with grace, character, and spiritual maturity.
What are the defining moments in an athletic season? They are the difficult moments of a season. They are the moments that define what’s really inside of us. They are moments such as:
You don’t play as much as you expect
You’ve lost a game due to a questionable call
An opponent has just played you instead of the ball
You and a member of the coaching staff have a conflict
You and a teammate have a conflict
You experience an unexpected injury that places you on the sidelines
Your team has lost a game or two that you really shouldn’t have lost
9. We will pursue excellence in all areas of our lives, not just on the soccer pitch.
Specifically
We will go to class faithfully. Other than excused absences for soccer, we will not miss a single class session.
We will observe Wheaton’s Community Covenant. To break the Covenant is a violation of integrity, whether or not you agree with the tenets of the Covenant.
10. We dream dreams and pray prayers for this team that are beyond anything that we have ever seen. No matter how great our team experiences have been in the past, we know that, with the right attitude and with the necessary effort, in God’s hands this team can become something none of us have ever experienced before.
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” (Ephesians 3:20)
