My Jersey Sponsor (Remix)

So, I posted a very similar blog (the first part is identical, in fact) May 2011, but when I wrote it, I thought of another comparison I could make, so I decided to hold off for a while, rewrite it with the other idea, and republish it. It's not been almost 10 months, so I figured that was long enough. If you'd like to see the original post, you can check it out here.

Soccer is a unique sport, in many ways, but right now I'm going to focus specifically on the jersey. Look at any team in the EPL, and you won't see what you see on, say, an NFL jersey. NFL you see the team name or city/state they're from with the number on the front, then the last name and number on the back. EPL, you'll see a company on the front, with a small shield on the left chest with the team name and logo, then on the back you'll see the name and number. This is also seen in many (though not all, yet) MLS teams. Why is that? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure, but there are some pretty cool looking ones out there. Each team is represented by someone different. Several of the teams are so big, and their partnerships have been with them for so long, that they become seemingly synonymous. I mostly think of Chelsea and Samsung, and Arsenal and Fly Emirates (the same used to be said of Liverpool and Carlsberg and Manchester United and AIG, but they've recently changed). Well, usually you'll only see one company in a league, but you do see Rangers and Celtic (huge rivalry) both sponsored by Carling in the Scottish League. But, you'll never see an English team with their town written on their jersey, it'll always be a company. The MLS is slowly working towards that, with a majority sporting some kind of company.
So, we've come to the part of the blog where we find the relevance of what I just wrote about it our every days lives. It's really quite simple, actually: when we were baptized, we covenanted to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. Once we've done this, we've become a part of a team, but rather than having a company be the displaying name, it's the Savior. We're to live accordingly, and make our actions in line with what Christ expects of us. We're changed, and we are representing something and someone much bigger than ourselves. Just as the company on a soccer jersey comes to almost symbolize the team itself, so should we be closely linked to the Savior. Just like when people think Fulham, they'll think FxPro, people should see us and think of Jesus Christ. We should always be living our lives in a way that would be pleasing to Him, as well as make us an example of the believer. So, wear that name with pride!

Joy to the World...Cup

What is that, you may be wondering. Well, that is the trophy that you receive if you win the FIFA World Cup. The FIFA World Cup is the largest tournament in any sport (this doesn't include the Olympics as those are several different sports. I'm simply referring to within one sport). This is the most sought after trophy out there. Every four years, 32 teams from around the world gather in one place to compete. The greatest of the greatest, the best of the best, the world's elite all come with their A-game, ready to throw down and give it all they got. This isn't just a cross town or even cross country rivalry. This isn't just for the fame and glory of your specific team in one region. This is for the whole shebang. These players represent their entire country, and are vying for world recognition. This is the WORLD Cup. This is truly the only international, worldwide tournament, which is why it's such a big deal to win it. There is no other trophy that has as much pomp, holds as much grandeur, or claims the most respect as this. It's small and simple, but is most coveted above all other trophies. Who wouldn't want a little of that?
Most soccer (football) players will never even enter into the World Cup. That's just how it goes. Only 32 teams can enter, and of all the hundreds, if not thousands of players in each country, not many will get to have that experience. Even the best players who do make it to their national team may never have that opportunity. Some countries just aren't good enough. But anyone who plays soccer and pursues it as far as they can dreams of making it to the World Cup and getting that trophy. It's something they've grown up watching and fantasizing about. For many, it's a life long goal, and for those who have realized it, it's something they looked forward to all their lives.
Before the coming of the Messiah, Prophets had prophesied of His coming. Prophets such as Hosea, Isaiah, and others gave us things to look for: they told of His birth, His ministry, and His death. The Jews looked longingly for the Savior and Messiah, one who would rescue them. Eventually, the idea became one of a political savior, one to come and rescue them from bondage and restore Israel to glory. The expected a king, a conqueror to come and lead them to power. That was not what the Christ's mission was to be. It was never intended to be, and no prophets had even hinted at that idea. He was to be born in humble circumstances, and be rather low key. He wasn't going to be a warrior or a general, and He wasn't going to fight any wars. The Christ's purpose was to save us from our sins.

Those who looked for the Savior were well acquainted with the many prophecies of Him. He was the most anticipated of births. Everyone wanted the Messiah to come. It was a long awaited arrival. Just like the players who practice and train all their lives to have the opportunity to play in the World Cup, and achieve amazing glory of winning, the Jews longed for the greatest prize of all: Salvation. However, just like those players who, while hard working and achieving much individual success, just couldn't achieve the grandeur of the World Cup, there were many who missed the wonderful gift from our Heavenly Father. They disregarded this humble Jesus as simply a carpenter's son, and no one of real significance. Because of their own pride, they rejected the Man they had been waiting for their whole life.
Jesus Christ and his Atonement are the greatest things to happen to us as humans. Because of the gift of the Father of His Son, and the gift of Christ of the Atonement, we are able to have Salvation. As much as I'd love to win the World Cup, this is a much better award. I'll take it. Remember this this Christmas season, and don't worry about the little things. Remember: Christ is the reason for the season.

LDS FC: Our Manager

You thought I was done, didn't you? Well, the game of football doesn't only happen on the field! There's a lot done on the sidelines, by the supporting cast. The manager is a noble position to hold on the football club. It takes years and years to work your way up to that spot, and then several more years to be someone of note. You really have to perform well under pressure, and whip your team into top shape to be regarded as a manager.
There are many notable coaches and managers out there who have worked their way to a solid grounding, including Carlo Ancelotti, Arsène Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson, Andre Villa-Boas, Jose Mourinho, and Bob Bradley. These men are incredible in their line of work, and are just as renowned, and sometimes even more renowned, then their players. Much as it pains me to admit such things about Wenger and Ferguson, give credit where credit is due. The manager is the one who calls the shots. He organizes everything, from practices to workouts, strategies and game plans, and makes sure everything runs just as smoothly as possible. They need to know the game inside out and backwards, but more importantly, they need to know their players.
A good manager knows each of his players strengths and weaknesses, where the perform the best, and how they react under any circumstance. They know their players almost perfectly. And because of this knowledge, they can make the perfect lineup against another team. Their understanding of what threats the other team brings, and their own team's potential and capabilities allows them to make the best possible decision. Even when others, including the players themselves, don't understand just what the manager was thinking, he knows what he's doing and (usually) is making the right call. He stays in the background, not on the field scoring the goals, but if it wasn't for the manager, nothing would get done.

Ok, I think it's pretty obvious where I'm going with this... process of elimination would lead you to the conclusion that the manager is none other than our Heavenly Father. He knows us all perfectly! He knows our strengths and weaknesses, and how we'll react under any situation. He knows where we would fit best, what purpose we can accomplish, and who we would work with. He knows exactly what threats Satan has in store for us, and is thus able to make the perfect line up to fight him. He gives instructions to the players, from the background, the sidelines, and encourages where He can, but He can't (and won't) come on to the field and play the game for us. He can't score the goals or block the shots, He can only give us top notch leadership, and help us to train and practice to prepare ourselves. It's still our game, and we're still the players, but we have the best Manager ever to help us to win! No one knows the game, His own players, and the other teams' players better than our Heavenly Father. All we have to do is listening to his advice, cause it's good. He knows what's up. Nothing out there is a surprise to Him. There are no trick plays, no secret weapons, no sudden, last minute switch ups that He doesn't know about, and the He can't combat. The team is only as good as its manager, and is there any better manager than God, Himself? He's undefeated! And undefeatable. So, that cup is as good as ours, as long as we're willing to play as a strong, cohesive unit, and listen to the counsels of our coach!

Unlike our Heavenly Father, however, not all mangers are perfect...

LDS FC: Keeper

Alright, your patience has paid off, and we're up to the keeper! You've got to have mad respect for keepers. One man is in charge of a goal 24 feet wide and 8 feet tall... that is quite the area to cover, and when you've got 4 or 5 guys trying to kick the ball in any open space they can find, it gets pretty difficult. Plus, the amazing things soccer players are able to do to those balls, like curving them amazing amounts, it's phenomenal what keepers are capable of. If it gets to the point where the midfielders and defenders just can't keep the striker from taking a shot, then it's all up to the keeper. He'll do anything he can to stop it. If it's a corner kick, he'll come out a little bit and try to punch the ball out. If the ball is rolling in, just a little ahead of the offender, he'll slide out to meet it, and try to diffuse the situation right away. And if the shot is to the opposite goal of where he's at, he'll dive for it. There are some great keepers out there that seem to have slinky spines, lightning reflexes, and psychic abilities to know where that ball is going. Some great keepers include Iker Casillas, Oliver Kahn, Edwin van der Sar, and, of course, Tim Howard. If you need rock solid confidence in your keeper, put in the bald American brick wall that is Tim Howard. You'd think he slows down time the way he's always in the right place at the right time. Oh, 2 unguarded Argentina strikers 10 feet in front of the goal? No problem! That's Tim, unstoppable! That's the purpose of the keeper: to save....

Any guesses? That last part gave it away. So, on our little club we got here, who would be our keeper? None other than the Savior and Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Besides the obvious and blaring reason, being that Jesus saves, we have other reasons. The Keeper is the last line of defense, often the last thing separating the striker from a goal. It's up to him to keep the ball out when all else has failed. When everything seems to be falling apart, and Satan seems awfully close to scoring on us, we still have the Savior. When we've done everything we could, but it just isn't good enough, we still have Christ and his Atonement to save us. And what fantastic saves they are! It's impressive when a keeper blocks a penalty kick. The striker is lined up, 12 yards from the goal, with a major upper hand. It's incredibly difficult to know exactly what he's going to do. Is he going high, middle, or low? Left, right, or center? Upper corner, just inside the post, or dead center? But, when a keeper can pull of a save, it's amazing. Well, Christ can certainly pull off a save like, a seemingly impossible save, in the most necessary time for it. We can always rely on Him, for He will always stay cool under pressure, and perform at His best all the time. No matter how skilled the striker, no matter how tense the situation, He will always make that save. Jesus Saves!

LDS FC: Defenders

With the ball moving rapidly up and down the field, it's everyone's job to make sure it stays on the right side of the field. However, if by some chance you let the ball slip past and it's making its way towards your goal, don't worry... you've got defneders! These guys are tough! They've gotta be quick and agile, they've gotta be strong, and they've gotta have stamina like none other! These guys are the main thing keeping a striker from taking a shot, and it's a lot harder for them to score when they can't even get a shot off. Simple logic, there. Yes, these guys will often be up towards the front when their team has the ball, lending support to their team, helping out where they can, but they'll still be back a little bit, and ready to book it back the other way if there's a loss of possession. And of course, within the defense there are different roles. Like with midfielders, some are more offensive and some are more defensive, you'll see the same with defense. Some will be up a little farther, some will stay back. There's always gonna be one who stays back, known as the sweeper (the position my brother played). There main purpose, their focus, is to make sure the goalie doesn't have to do a darn thing! They want that ball out of there, and back on the other side of the field! Some great names in defense are players like Puyol, Pique, John Terry, and Carlos Bocanegra. They're central in making sure that the team wins.

We often hear about our first line of defense being the Prophet. The Prophet and Apostles are special men, set apart to be special witnesses of Christ. The Prophet receives revelation pertinent for the world, and the Apostles have oversight for the Church. Thanks to them, we can know how best to defend ourselves against Satan and his attack. We can look to these men, by reading the Engisn or watching Conference, and Apostles and Prophets from the days of old, through Scriptures, to find out what Satan wants to do, and how we can stand up to him. It's an amazing gift they have, and they share it with all of us. They want us to be protected, as does our Heavenly Father. That's why He calls Prophets, to make sure we're not left in the dark. When we lose the ball, and it's heading back the other way, we have out defenders who can stop the other team, and get the ball back where it needs to be. Thank God we have Prophets and Apostles, true inspired men of God, who lead and guide us in our day to day lives. We have a brickwall defense, so long as we heed their council and listen to what they say. They're not just giving us good advice, they're giving us words of wisdom, straight from our Heavenly Father. They are the BEST defense we could hope for! 

LDS FC: Midfielders

Midfielders are athletes to be admired. They're offense, they're defense, they're everything! They run more than most humans do, and will usually run about 8 miles a game. They have to have speed, agility, ball-handling skills, stamina, energy, and good reasoning skills. They need to know when they need to focus on defense, and when they should be offensive. They're often called upon to set up the play, or to make sure the ball stays in their range. They often have opportunities for glory, given the chance to take a free kick, or drive towards the goal, or even get a good shot. They'll get goals, too, but they need to know when they need to play the second fiddle and give it up for the strikers. Though they may not be the main attraction of a team, midfielders are invaluable in their contribution to the team. Even though the middies aren't up there scoring goals all the time, I guarantee you know at least a few: Landon Donovan, Frank Lampard, Xabi Alonso, Florent Malouda, Michael Bradley... Just to name a few. It's also not uncommon for middies to fill the role of Captain because of their versatility and the incredible assets they make to the team.
So, in terms of LDS FC, who are the midfielders? Why, the members, of course! Sure, the strikers are more likely to score a goal, but if you look at stats, what position do you think almost always has the assist? The middies! And where's a goal without an assist? Usually not there. The members of this Church are missionaries, as well, just without being set apart and without the name tag. They share the gospel with their friends, and help them come into the fold. Without the work of the members, missionary work just isn't as effective. Just like the midfielders, members play all roles: They play the part of friend and missionary. We can befriend the people, no doubt, but first and foremost, we are the missionaries. We're just to teach. When a member shares the gospel with a friend, and invites them to come and take the missionary discussions, that person automatically has a friend to help them. A familiar face, someone to sit by in church, and to ask questions of between discussions. Sure, it's the missionaries who teach them and set them up for baptism, but the role of the members are invaluable. The comfort and added testimony a member can provide makes such an impact on the situation. It is almost impossible for an investigator, in that situation, not to feel the Spirit, and be converted! Members are the middlemen of missionary work, making it possible for us missionaries (the strikers) to help people receive the restored gospel. 

LDS FC: Forwards

To explain the title of my blog: A soccer team is usually called a football club (even here in America). English teams aren't like American teams where there's a city and a team name, it's usually just the area they represent. For example, we see Fullham FC, FC standing for Football Club. They are the Football Club from Fullham. Also, Chelsea FC, Wolverhampton FC, etc. It's even seen in MLS, with teams like FC Dallas, and Toronto FC.
I'm back on a soccer kick! (No pun intended. Seriously... I hate puns). I'm also on a series kick. I enjoyed writing an on going idea, and am going to attempt that again. This time, I will be writing about soccer.
What's so amazing about soccer is the versatility of each player. A good soccer player is a defender who attacks, and an attacker who defends. They'll be up and down the field, running their tails off, working whatever position they have to at the time, ensuring that the other team doesn't score, and their team does. However, while they are able to fill any role, there's still a reason they play their specific position. They're especially good at whatever they do. Today, I'm going to focus on the forwards.

The forward is the attacking force. Often called strikers (which sounds way cooler!), the forward is the one most likely to score a goal. Not as apt to play defense, they usually stay farther back when the other team has the ball on the other side of the field, but that won't stop them when necessary. Their the front line, the attackers, the scorers! When the ball gets to them, they're up their shooting the ball with all their might. They make their stand in the middle, right in the box, getting right in the keeper's face. The keeper obviously doesn't want them to get the ball, cause they're strikers because they're good at putting the ball in.
Some big names that fill this role include Clint Dempsey, Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi, Didier Drogba, and, a great up-and-comer, Juan Agudelo. To someone who doesn't quite understand, they might look at a striker and think of them as a glory hog, someone who doesn't do much on the other end, stays on their half, and sometimes considered a "cherry-picker". Just because Wayne Rooney doesn't know how to stay onside, doesn't mean the rest of them are that way, too! Their role is incredibly important, as a good portion of goals are scored by them. Plus, and this isn't necessarily all the time, but I've noticed that when Clint Dempsey scores, the US Men's National Team usually wins, and when he doesn't, they usually don't... Just sayin'. Forwards are the strike force for their football club!
Well, if we compare the Church to a football club, who would be the strikers? US! The full time missionaries! We're the Church's strike force! We're out there on the front line, knocking down doors, offering service, and talking to everyone we see to try and share our message! We may not be on the defensive as much, and usually are pretty focused on one thing (that is, finding the elect), but we're still out there, scoring goals! Or, saving souls. While the forwards on the team are the main offensive group, we're the main offensive group for the Church. We're the ones that are fed the ball in the center, right their in the danger zone, and expected to finish strong! As surprising as it may seem, without 19-26 year old (seemingly) kids, the Church would be hard pressed to progress. We may seem like glory hogs sometimes, but we're not out here for us. Just like Clint Dempsey isn't on the team just to score goals and get notoriety, we're not out just for personal gain or recognition. Dempsey wants to help his team win, and so do we! But we need help. Just like a football club needs to be a well-oiled, cooperative group, relying on the support of teammates to achieve their goal, so do we rely on the help of the rest of our team........

My Jersey Sponsor

Soccer... that's right, I'm doing it again.

Soccer is a unique sport, in many ways, but right now I'm going to focus specifically on the jersey. Look at any team in the EPL, and you won't see what you see on, say, an NFL jersey. NFL you see the team name or city/state they're from with the number on the front, then the last name and number on the back. EPL, you'll see a company on the front, with a small shield on the left chest with the team name and logo, then on the back you'll see the name and number. This is also seen in many (though not all, yet) MLS teams. Why is that? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure, but there are some pretty cool looking ones out there. Each team is represented by someone different. Several of the teams are so big, and their partnerships have been with them for so long, that they become seemingly synonymous. I mostly think of Chelsea and Samsung, and Arsenal and Fly Emirates (the same used to be said of Liverpool and Carlsberg and Manchester United and AIG, but they've recently changed). Well, usually you'll only see one company in a league, but you do see Rangers and Celtic (huge rivalry) both sponsored by Carling in the Scottish League. But, you'll never see an English team with their town written on their jersey, it'll always be a company. The MLS is slowly working towards that, with a majority sporting some kind of company.
As a missionary, a very noticeable part of my outfit is my nametag. On my shirt pocket over my left chest, or on the lapel of my jacket, still on the left side, you'll see a small black plaque that reads:

 ELDER HOLBROOK

THE CHURCH OF

JESUS CHRIST

OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

It is such an honor to be wearing that tag, and to be able to look at it, and realize who I am, and who I represent. This tag bears two incredibly important names: my family's, and my Savior's. Those are who I'm here to represent. I am an agent for the Lord, acting in his behalf, and I am a Holbrook, here to do my family's name honor. Those are the names I bear. You won't see me without this tag. You'll always know who I am. I'm proud to be wearing this name. I have been given this honor, and am doing all I can to live up to the title I am given. This isn't just some tag you can go and buy at a store. You can't just get this by applying at the right place. This is more than a nametag: this sets me a part as a disciple of Jesus Christ, a missionary in his service. People recognize me based on this tag. This is my "sponsor". It is a great privilege to wear this, just as those on soccer teams feel it a privilege to wear "Samsung" or "FxPro" or "Chang". I have the best sponsor ever! 

Promotions and Relegations

Avoid that feeling!

What, another soccer blog? Yes! Talk about what you know, right?
In European sports, with a focus today on the English Premier League, they have a system of relegations and promotions. In the EPL, the bottom 3 teams will be relegated to the Football League Championship, and the top 2 teams of the Football League Championship automatically get promoted to the EPL, then the next 4 compete in a playoff, the winner promoting also. It's a good way of helping out those littler teams, offering them greater advancement, and giving them a spotlight that they wouldn't be able to get. They can increase their fan base, bring in more money, and stand a better chance of getting better players and continue to improve. However, it's also kind of a slap in the face to those EPL teams who are suddenly bumped into a lower league. It really keeps you focused. Obviously no one wants to finish bottom of the table, but when the threat is leaving the league you're in and bumping down to Football League Championship, it makes it that much more meaningful (I mean, seriously, how many of you have even heard of Football League Championship?). It's got to be pretty exciting for those teams to know that they were good enough to get a shot at Premier League glory! They worked hard, and got a promotion! The possibilities are endless now: FA Cup, Carling Cup, the League, Champions League! As long as they keep their drive, work really hard, and get enough money to get the good players, all these things are possible.
We all have that chance to be promoted or relegated. We can make the right decisions, and work hard, and get to the point where we're better than we were before. We can grow and become more successful. However, once we get there, we can't just stop. We have to continue to work hard. Often you see teams getting promoted to the EPL, then the very next season get relegated back down. You can't let that happen. Once you get promoted, work hard. Do everything you can. Don't fall back into that lower level. As we progress through life, and do what we should, we'll continue to grow and become stronger. We'll have the ability to overcome trials and temptations and continue to improve. We need to be wary not to fall into the trap of complacency, because we then run the risk and losing our footing and falling. Work hard, get promoted, keep working hard, stay in the Premier League, work harder, win the League. Notice a theme there?

On the Best Football Club Imaginable

I love soccer. It is by far and away my favorite sport. The amazing skill and athleticism required to play the game is amazing. The average soccer player will run anywhere from 6 to 8 miles a game. Factor in that they play 2 or 3 games a week, and that's just 16-24 miles in game play. There's still practice, which could be up to 9 or 10 miles of running, and they practice everyday. It takes a good deal of stamina, timing, skill, foot-eye coordination (which is tougher than hand-eye coordination), and a good bit of luck. I don't know if you've ever tried to kick a ball, and make it noticeably curve, several feet, then come back and hit on target, but it's not easy. Far from it. There are players who can stand outside the box, which is 54 feet from the goal, and crank a perfect shot that curves to where it looks like it's going to not come anywhere near the goal, then suddenly curve back in and squeak in the upper corner of the goal. Players will practice so they can hit the crossbar every time from outside that 54 foot box. The talent they posses is amazing. But, soccer (or football) is still a team sport (despite what Wayne Rooney or Cristiano Ronaldo may like to think). Every person plays a huge part in the game, a major role being just support. Whether you're forward, middie, or defense, you support the rest of your team. In soccer, you're a defender who attacks, and an attacker who defends. Despite what your normal position is, your overall desire is the same as all the other player's: keep the ball from going in your net, and get it into the theirs. 10 people (because the keeper just stays in the goal, he doesn't do much else) all trying to get that little ball to the other side of the field. It would be impossible to do that on your own.
This is just like Missionary Work. My team is the Montana Billings Mission, our pitch is Montana and the Great Horn Basin of Wyoming, our manager is President Larry H. Gardner, our owner is the Lord, and we're playing our biggest rival: Satan. This is bigger than the MLS Cup, bigger than the Carling or FA Cup, bigger than the Champions League, or the UEFA Euro Cup, or even the FIFA World Cup. This isn't just for a cool trophy, lots of money, worldwide respect and notoriety. This is for the salvation of our brothers and sisters. And we can't do it alone. I can't do it without the Spirit, and without my companion. We as a companionship can't do it without the support of the members, and no one can do it without the Lord. We're all on the ultimate All-Star team: we have better forwards than Ibrahimovich, Drogba, or Messi, better midfielders than Lampard, Ronaldinho, or Donovan, better defenders than Puyol, Pique, or Terry, and better keepers than Howard or Casillas. Our forward is the Spirit, our midfielder is Christ, our defender is the Truth, and our Keeper is our Heavenly Father. How could we possibly lose?

Those who know me won't be surprised that I used a picture of Didier Drogba of Chelsea.