Impact Sports
Player Development Program
Character Conditioning – Week 2
Theme: Integrity
I.
From The Bible:
Proverbs 10:9 (New Living Translation)
“People with integrity have firm footing, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.”
Psalms 25: 21 (New Living Translation)
“May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope (faith) in you (God).”
Titus 2:6-8
(New Living Translation)
“(Verse 6)…(coaches) encourage (teach) the young men (your players) to live wisely in all they do.
(Verse 7) And (coaches), you yourself must be an example to them by doing good deeds of every kind. Let
everything you do (your conduct) reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. (Verse 8) Let your
teaching (and your conduct) be so correct that it can’t be criticized. Then those who want to argue (judge,
criticize & condemn you) will be ashamed because they won’t have anything bad to say about us (you).
{Players…now re-read the above Bible passage and replace the word “coach” with the word “player”, or
even better, replace it with your own name. Also, replace the words “the young men (your players)” with the
word “others”. Notice how this encouragement applies to both coach and player.}
II.
Opening Thoughts:
Why should coaches instruct their players to “live wisely in all they do” and to model that kind of living? So
that you, the player, will learn how to live that way, so in turn, you can impact or influence others to live that
way. And the best way to teach someone something is to make sure that your “walk matches your talk.”
That you “practice what you preach.” That’s integrity! Being true to yourself. If you can’t be true to
yourself, you can’t be true to others. So be completely honest with yourself and others. Ask yourself the
following questions: “Am I who or what I say I am?” “Can people trust me?” “ Do I have a good
reputation?” (or better asked) “Do I have good character?”
John Wooden, legendary UCLA head basketball coach stated: “Be more concerned with your character than
with your reputation because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what
others think you are.”
A person of character is a person with integrity. A person of integrity is someone who is trustworthy and
honest. A person who is trustworthy and honest lives in a wise manner, basing his life on things that are
right and true (moral & ethical principles). As a result of being this kind of person, people will follow your
example or do what you ask or teach because your actions match your words. You will have a positive
influence on then.
A good way to check your strength of character and integrity … to see if you are an honest and trustworthy
person … is to ask yourself, “Who am I when nobody’s looking?” “Am I the same in public as I am in
private?” These are tough questions, but you must know who you really are and be true to who you really are if you
are going to be who you can and should be. You must have the courage to be true to yourself if you are going to be true
to others. The amazing thing about all this is: your reputation will then take care of itself, because you’ve taken care of
your character first. Reputation simply reflects your character. And remember, if you are a person of character, you
will be a person of integrity and that’s how you can I.M.P.A.C.T. others.
Bible Passage: Psalm 26:1-3 (New Living Translation) A TEST OF YOUR CHARACTER:
*** If God asked you about your integrity, could you say the following to Him?” ***
“Declare me innocent, O Lord, for I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and affections. For I am constantly aware of
your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth (I have lived wisely).”
From The Book, Becoming A Person Of Influence (How To Positively Impact The Lives Of
Others), By John Maxwell and Jim Dornan (Note: Occasionally my thoughts are inserted with the principles
used from this book; They will be italicized to set them apart)
“The need for integrity today is perhaps as great as it has ever been. And it is absolutely
essential for anyone who desires to become a person of influence. Integrity is the foundation upon which
many other character qualities are built, such as respect, dignity and trust. If the foundation of integrity is
weak or fundamentally flawed, then being a person of influence is impossible.”
All you have to do is watch CNN or ESPN (or for that matter practically almost anything you tune
into on TV) or read the newspaper or listen closely to the lyrics of most of today’s songs to see a lack of
integrity and character in our society. Government officials, entertainers, TV preachers, mothers & fathers,
businessmen, professional athletes and many others who are examples of this type of decline in integrity are
becoming more and more the top stories the media reports on.
How did we get this way? Slowly over time! Our society has gradually slipped away from the values
and principles (a moral and ethical code… a set of absolute or ultimate guidelines and standards) that in the
past provided a firm foundation for families and individuals by which to live. Webster’s New Universal
Unabridged Dictionary describes integrity as “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of
moral character; honesty.” Because more and more people in today’s society no longer adhere to (stick to;
bind themselves to) moral and ethical principles, as a nation we have created cracks in our culture’s
foundation, as well as cracks in the foundations of our lives…cracks in our integrity…cracks in our
character.
“Think of integrity as having benefits similar to that of a house’s foundation during a huge storm. If
the foundation is sound, then it will hold up against the raging waters. But when there are cracks in the
foundation, the stress of the storm deepens the cracks until eventually the foundation – and then the whole
house – crumbles under pressure.
That’s why it’s crucial to maintain integrity by ‘taking care of’ the little things…the small decisions
that come your way each day. ‘Taking care of’ means: making your decision or acting a certain way based
on a set of moral and ethical principles and beliefs by which you live. Many People misunderstand the
importance of that. They think they can do whatever they want when it comes to the small things because
they believe that as long as they don’t have any “major errors” in their integrity and character, they’re doing
well. But that’s not the way it works. A little white lie, for instance, is still a lie. Theft is theft – whether it’s
$1, $1,000, or $1 million. Integrity commits itself to character over personal gain, to people over things, to
service over power, to principle over convenience, to the long view over the immediate.
Character is made in the small moments of our lives. Anytime you break a moral principle, you
create a small crack in the foundation of your integrity. And when times get tough (the storms of life) it
becomes harder to act with integrity, not easier. Character isn’t created in a crisis (a storm of life); it only
comes to light (it is revealed for all to see). Everything you have done in the past – and the things you have
neglected to do – come to a head when you’re under pressure. Your true character will be revealed ‘when
the pressure is on’ (during the storms of life; when adversity hits; when our circumstances put us to the test).
Developing and maintaining integrity require constant attention. The road you have to take to do this
is not an easy one, but it’s the only one that will get you where you ultimately want to go.” That ultimate
destination is to become a person of influence…so you can positively and, hopefully, eternally I.M.P.A.C.T.
others.
So, if you want to become someone who can positively influence other people, you need to develop
the following qualities of integrity (listed below) and live them out consistently every day. In doing so, you
will build a firm foundation for your character, one that will withstand the storms of life, and be an example
for others to follow.
In Closing … do a self-examination of your integrity. See if you might have a few cracks in your
character foundation that might need some attention. Then, go through the following list of integrity
qualities and begin to apply the principles to your life, regularly and consistently. Start your examination by
asking yourself these questions: 1) “As a leader (a person of influence), if the whole world followed me,
would it be a better world?” 2) “If everyone on this earth were just like me, what kind of place would this
be?” If these questions don’t motivate you to be a person of integrity and high moral character, I don’t
know what will. Maybe this simple rule for living will do the job: “Don’t do what you wouldn’t feel
comfortable reading about in the newspapers the next day.” May God bless you as you seek to develop and
maintain your integrity!
The Qualities Of Integrity
By Which To Live And Influence Others
1. Model Consistency of Character.
Solid trust can develop only when people can trust you all the time. If they never know from moment to
moment what you’re going to do, the relationship will never deepen to a confident level of trust.
2. Utilize Honest Communication.
To be trustworthy, you have to be like a good musical composition; your words and music must match.
3. Value Transparency.
People eventually find out about your flaws, even if you try to hide them. But if you’re honest with people
and admit your weaknesses, they will appreciate your honesty and integrity. And they will be able to relate
to you better.
4. Exemplify Humility.
People won’t trust you if they see that you are driven by ego, jealousy, or the belief that you are better than
they are.
5. Demonstrate Your Support Of Others.
Nothing develops or displays your character better than your desire to put others first. Help enough other
people to succeed, and you will succeed also.
6. Fulfill Your Promises.
Never promise anything you can’t deliver. And when you say you’ll do something, follow through on it. A
sure way to break trust with others is to fail to fulfill your commitments.
7. Embrace An Attitude Of Service.
We have been put on this earth no to be served, but to serve. Giving of yourself and your time to others
shows that you care about them. Missionary-physician Sir Wilfred T. Grenfell held that “the service we
render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth.” People of integrity are givers, not
takers.
8. Encourage Two-Way Participation With The People You Influence.
When you live a life of integrity, people listen to you and follow you. Always remember that the goal of
influence is not manipulation; it’s participation. Only as you include others in your life and success do you
permanently succeed.
Further Questions To Help You Measure Your Integrity
Remember, character development is from the inside out, not the outside in. Look at the following questions and see
if they will help you nail down areas of integrity that you still need to work on:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
How well do I treat people from whom I can nothing?
Am I transparent with others?
Do I role-play based on the person(s) I’m with?
Am I the same person when I’m in the spotlight as I am when I’m alone?
Do I quickly admit wrongdoing without being pressed to do so?
Do I put other people ahead of my personal agenda?
Do I have an unchanging standard for moral decisions, or do circumstances determine my choices?
Do I make difficult decisions, even when they have a personal cost attached to them?
When I have something to say about people, do I talk to them or about them?
Am I accountable to at least one other person for what I think, say and do?
***** Don’t be too quick to respond to these questions. Our tendency is to skim through questions like these and
give answers that describe how we wish we were rather than who we actually are. Take some time to reflect
on each question, honestly considering it before answering, because character development is a serious thing.
Then work on the areas where you’re having the most trouble.
***** Remember This … If you know what you stand for and act accordingly, people can trust you. You are a
model of the character and consistency that other people admire and want to emulate. And you’ve laid a
good foundation, one that makes it possible for you to become a person of positive influence in their lives.