Operation Take the Land: A Practical & Spiritual Warfare Training Guide for Christian Student-Athletes Fighting for a College Scholarship

By Alton Darling

Many high school student-athletes make the mistake of focusing solely on developing their athletic ability to attract a scholarship when the real challenge to achieving their dreams is actually through building character and personal development skills. Every year, countless high school seniors fail to receive scholarship offers, not because the

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aspire Publishing Hub, LLC
• Release date: Apr 11, 2024
• ISBN: 9781962611848

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Operation Take the Land

Copyright © 2024 by Alton Darling

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN

978-1-962611-83-1 (Paperback)

978-1-962611-84-8 (eBook)

DEDICATION

To God:

Thank you for a second chance.

To My Uncle Ruben:

A true soldier in the Army of the Lord.

To My Parents:

You guys are my heroes.

Table of Contents

An Open Letter to the Christian Student-Athlete

Introduction

Understanding Your Training Guide

Special Features

PART 1: Preparing for Conquest & Slaying the Giants: Offensive Warfare Principles

CHAPTER I - Counting the Cost

CHAPTER II – Establishing Priorities

CHAPTER III – Setting Goals

CHAPTER IV – Utilizing Talent

PART 2: Dividing the Land & Defending Your Territory: Defensive Warfare Principles

CHAPTER V – Identifying Traps

CHAPTER VI – Creating Balance

CHAPTER VII – Handling Adversity

CHAPTER VIII – Maintaining Accountability

PART 3: Remembering Your Blessings & Keeping Your Covenant: Unconventional Warfare Principles

CHAPTER IX – Leading by Example

CHAPTER X – Cultivating Humility

CHAPTER XI – Paying it Forward

CHAPTER XII – Leaving Your Legacy

Basic Training: Resources for Organizing Your War Campaign

An Open Letter to the Christian Student-Athlete

Dear Christian Student-Athlete,

Chances are we’ve probably never met but I know exactly who you are. I know all about your hopes, dreams, and where you want your career to end up one day. I know the feeling you get when you see all your family and friends cheering you on in the stands. I know what it feels like to be a part of something that’s much bigger than you and to form lifelong bonds with the people you grow up with. I know how it feels to have an entire school behind you because you’re their representative in the fight for bragging rights in your hometown year after year. I know the pride you feel at pep rallies and walking around campus wearing your gear on game days. I know how much fun it is to clown around in the locker room with your teammates and the excitement of getting out of the city to go on road trips. I know what it feels like turning on the TV at night to watch highlights of yourself on the news or to wake up the next morning after a big game to find your picture in the newspaper. I know what it feels like to be a team captain, an all-state performer, to play on a top-ten nationally ranked team, and even to win a state championship– twice. At the end of all of that, I know what it feels like to earn the athletic scholarship you so desperately long for.

While all the previous things mentioned are wonderful, there’s also a dark side to your lifestyle that I understand as well. I know all about your fears and your struggles. I know what keeps you up late at night and what makes you cry. I know what you obsess about, why you might doze off in class, and the difficulty of trying to maintain a social life. I know how it feels to dread going to conditioning and to have to beg people smarter than you for help with your homework. I know what it feels like to have reconstructive surgery from blowing out a knee, meaning that not only do I understand the physical pain of going through rehab, but I also understand the emotional pain of not being able to play for months at a time. I know what it feels like to be picked on and roughed up by the upperclassmen because you’re a freshman on varsity. I know how it feels to be cussed out and humiliated in front of your teammates, family and friends. And at the end of all of that, I know how it feels to deal with the politics of being both a scholarship and walk-on player at the collegiate level in different sports. I know how it feels being told you’re making a mistake from trying out a new sport and that you’re not good enough to play on the division one level. I know how it feels for someone to tell you that you need to focus on one sport only because you can’t play two sports in college. I know how it feels to be withheld from information concerning your future about what colleges are recruiting you. I know how it feels to commit to a school throughout the recruiting process only to find out at the very last minute that they promised your scholarship off er to another player. I know how it feels to be told by a college that you’re more than welcome to be a part of their program as a preferred walk-on because of your talent, but not being able to afford the out-of-state tuition to their school. I know what it feels like to not always see eye to eye with your coach and/or the people that are raising you about your future. I also know what it feels like to quit the team and wonder later if you made the right decision. At the end of all of that, I know what it feels like to come up empty-handed as you watch all the other top players in your area sign their letters of intent on national signing day.

I said all those things to say this: I understand everything you’re going through– the good, the bad, and the ugly. The journey you’ve decided to embark on is rough and the experience can be even more challenging if you don’t have the right information to rely on as you navigate through the process, which is the reason why this training guide exists. If you don’t have an example in your life of someone who’s experienced all those things before then you don’t have to feel like you’re going through this journey alone because I’m here to help you. When I was growing up, I didn’t have a mentor with that type of background so when I set out to create this training guide, I thought about not only what I would’ve wanted to hear during my playing career, but more importantly what I would’ve needed to hear as well. While I failed to achieve what I ultimately set out to accomplish by becoming a professional athlete, the lessons I learned throughout the years in pursuing that goal prepared me for dealing with the adversity of the real world after everything came to an end. I’m not ashamed about how things turned out for me because at the very least it kept me out of trouble and taught me about the type of work-ethic I needed to be successful in whatever else I decided to do with my life. The competitive nature of sports gave me a frame of reference in balancing the fine line between being solely concerned about my own interests versus being a great partner, father, extended family member and work colleague.

I want to salute you on your decision to be a student-athlete, and particularly one that is a believer. You could be spending your time chasing anything in the world, but you’ve decided to do something positive with your life and honoring Christ while doing so. Your efforts are special and what you do day-in and day-out deserves to be celebrated and cherished. You may run into people who will try to discourage you from chasing the dream of earning an athletic scholarship but don’t let that kind of negativity discourage you from following your heart. Many people fail to realize that the key to a student-athlete finding a home on national signing day comes more so from the development of strong character as opposed to pure athletic talent. That character is built over a long period of time from being committed to doing the right things repeatedly, even when nobody is watching. If you remain dedicated to your vision, then what people have to say about your pursuits won’t matter because the consistency of your actions will eventually speak for itself. Keeping these truths in mind, understand that you have the power to alter the outcome of your future so never let anyone else fool you into believing otherwise.

I once heard a very famous preacher say to a younger audience that he knew what it was like to be them at their age, but they had no idea what it was like to be him at his age. In the same way, I know exactly what it’s like to be you in this stage of your career, but you have absolutely no idea of what it’s like for your time as a student-athlete to be over– or even worse, to experience the feeling that you should’ve done more with your career when you had the chance. Knowing that I can see your situation from a much broader perspective, my hope is that it causes you to seriously consider the changes I urge you to make since the average ball player won’t be cut out for this type of commitment. Simple and effective, the principles are completely doable, but please make no mistake– this isn’t going to be a cakewalk. And while I truly believe that you have what it takes to tackle these challenges head on, none of it will matter if you think there’s an easier way to accomplish your dreams. I pray that the tools in this training guide will assist you in transforming your life, playing career, and most importantly your relationship with Jesus Christ. Whether using it as a steppingstone to earn degrees, traveling the country, making it to the professional level, or for so many other benefits– playing sports in college has the potential to open doors within your life that many people will never get to walk through. Above anything else that I could ever get you to understand, I want you to always know that God loves you, I love you, and we both are here to help push you toward your destiny!

Yours in Christ,

Coach Alton Darling

Introduction

Sadly, too many student-athletes enter high school and mindlessly wander through their playing career over four years, and then tragically wait until their senior year to either desperately depend on raw talent or their coaches to secure themselves a college scholarship. Sometimes this crazy and unreliable method works out in the end but unfortunately, most of the time, it doesn’t. What’s even worse to live with is that by the time they realize there was probably a much better and systematic way to have applied themselves toward getting that scholarship, it’s too late. But here’s the Good News (in both the practical and spiritual sense): not only am I going to help you prevent that sad story from happening to you through this training guide, I’m also going to show you how a personal relationship with Christ is the ultimate resource in empowering you to accomplish the goal of getting to the next level in your playing career! However, before you dig in to get your hands dirty, there is an important story from the Bible that I need to you consider. If you pay close attention and spend time reflecting in your own mind on how the analogy applies to you as a Christian student-athlete, then the following story of how Joshua and the 12 Tribes of Israel entered the Promised Land, which is what this training guide is based upon, will all come to make sense:

The Lord’s Charge to Joshua (Joshua 1:1-9 NLT)

After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command-be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua’s Charge to the Israelites (Joshua 1:10-11, 16-18 NLT)

Joshua then commanded the officers of Israel, Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days, you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. They answered Joshua, We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!

You may or may not understand the biblical significance of how any of these scriptures matter and what they mean to you, so let me provide you with some background information to help fill in the blanks and clear up any possible confusion. Thousands of years ago, God’s chosen people, the Israelites, were being held in captivity as slave laborers to the Egyptians. Throughout their 400-year enslavement,