Leadership Tips & Training Halftime Coaching Hints

This time of year I often reflect upon my days as a high school cheerleader. Each week we looked anxiously toward a new football game that would bring excitement, along with challenges. We planned all week for the pom-pom routine, the drill team practiced their dance steps, the football team went through their drills, the band marched in the parking lot each afternoon, all in preparation for Friday nights' game. We would kick off game day events with a pep rally, where we would perform our pom-pom routine. It was also the time in which we would infuse the fans with enthusiasm for the game. Once the game started, we were all in our places full of hope for a victorious end.   When halftime arrived, the band and drill team would perform and entertain those fans in the bleachers, while the cheerleaders rested. Depending upon what the scoreboard read, the coach would be in the locker room giving the team a pep talk or a "stay the course" talk. Halftime was a vital part of the game either way, as it was the time for rest, reflection, and revival.

Each First Place session begins with preparation and hope for a victorious end. Each First Place session has a halftime, as well. The sessions are 13 weeks in length, so the seventh week would be considered the halfway point or halftime of the session. When you reach this point, the leader, or coach, must determine what the members need: to rest, to reflect, or to revive their motivation. Let's look at some halftime coaching tips that will help meet each of these needs.

Rest

Are your members tired? Do they seem to be overburdened or overwhelmed with the commitments? Plan a halftime retreat. It doesn't have to be a weekend retreat in a conference center. Use the seventh week of your session as a "spa" day, located in your First Place meeting room. For our "spa" day, I invited one of my members, who is a cosmetic consultant, to come and give the members a manicure. The aerobics instructor at our church came and led us through stretching and relaxation exercises. Then we talked about our goals and the commitments we needed to follow in order to meet our goals. We discussed ways we could simplify our lives by asking others to help us with our First Place goals. We ended our time together with flavored coffee and a First Place dessert. It was very restful!

Reflect

Do you have members that are losing weight, memorizing scripture and encouraging their fellow First Place members? Are there members in your class who seem to be floundering in their commitments and have shown no progress? If you are like most leaders, you have both members in your class. The seventh week of your session can be used as a reflection day. It is a great idea to have your members write their goals out the first week, and then ask them to put them in their Bible study. When the halfway point comes, ask the members to take out the list of goals to see how they are doing thus far. Ask them questions such as, "What are you doing well?" and "What goal needs more effort on your part?" Have them separate into pairs and reevaluate their goals. They may need to change their goals or tweak them, so that they will be attainable. They may have set their goals too high or too low. Have them rewrite their goals, if needed, and put them back in their Bible studies. Let them know that this is the day to begin again with a fresh start.

Revive

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25

The seventh week of a session can be a critical time. It is the time when some members want to drop out, others plateau in their weight loss and some begin to lose their focus. The leader must be a coach at the halftime of each session. It is revival time! Plan a "Halftime Celebration" to reward those who have made it halfway to their goals.   Use this celebration as a way to re-motivate those who have lost their focus and need a new starting point.   Reward those who have also kept their commitments of scripture memory and attendance. You may want to ask a motivational speaker to come and bring a message of hope to your members. Decorate the meeting room in a football theme and serve healthy snacks, such as pretzels, fruit, or smoothies. Use your imagination and creativity to make the halftime celebration fun and exciting. The goal is to restore and revive their motivation and determination in their quest for balance.

As a leader, you too need a coach in your life to help you rest, reflect and revive. I would encourage every leader to find an accountability partner, who will coach you through those "halftimes" of leadership. The Lord is our ultimate coach with Whom we should spend time, daily seeking His wisdom as we lead others. Leaders also need a coach with "skin on," who will be there to ask us the hard questions and encourage us when we lose our motivation. First Place has several ways to help coach you through your sessions. Subscribe to the free leader email newsletter, Leadership Lifeline; attend area leader meetings, workshops and rallies. Our main First Place halftime celebration for leaders is the annual Leadership Summit, where leaders come for rest, refection and revival. Make plans today to attend one of these "coaching" events and come out this session a victorious leader!

Lead on!

Nancy Taylor
Leadership Training Director



Nancy Taylor is the First Place Leadership Training Director and joined the First Place staff in 1997. Nancy teaches leadership principles to First Place Leaders throughout the country and at Houston's First Baptist Church where she coordinates all the First Place groups. Nancy also speaks at First Place workshops, rallies, retreats, and conferences, where she delights her audiences with humor and encourages them with boldness. She writes a monthly article, which includes helpful tips for leaders, for the First Place E-newsletter, and was a contributing writer to the Today is the First Day devotional book. Nancy is the resident First Place Bible Concordance because of her love for Scripture memory.