January/February 1990 - Vol 4 Num 1 (Second Look)

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Do It Again SWELEAVETHE 1980s behind, I wonder if someday they will be remembered as the decade when comebacks reigned supreme. With our gaze fixed fmnly behind us, we sparked the resurgence in popularity of the television series Leave It to Beaver, I Love Lucy, and The Bugs Bunny Show, and remakes and sequels like Star Trek, Dragnet, and of course Batman.

And even in the world of sports, once the exclusive province of the young and strong, the comeback swing is on. Something is luring athletes out of retirement, and keeping others from leaving the arena just yet, thank you.

Consider, if you 路will, the quest of George Foreman to pursue the heavyweight boxing title after being dethroned 15 years ago. In the world of swimming, we stand amazed that Mark Spitz, immortalized for winning seven Olympic gold medals at the 1972 Games, would even consider a 1992 Olympic comeback. Even

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Shirley Muldowney, three-time champion top fuel drag racer, has won another NHRA national event after 6 years.

Consider further the mere existence of senior tours in golf and tennis, and the Senior Professional Baseball Association.

What drives these athletes to return to competition once again?

Certainly there is more money available in sports now- prize money, endorsements, and appearance fees-than was dreamed of just I0 years ago.

Some may miss the challenge of competition. Others may long to feel the glow of the limelight once more. And perhaps some simply hope to stave off the advancing eventuality of age.

And there are other forms of comeback. Athletes must often overcome injury, or try to come back after a sorry defeat or a miserable first half.

I would submit, however, that one aspect of all these comebacks is common: the desire, the drive, the dedication to face and overcome incredible odds. Not all comebacks are successful, but it is the courageous spirit of the comeback effort that we applaud.

The athletes in this issue of Second Look have faced these challenges in one way or another.

Pitcher Dave Dravecky accomplished a miraculous comeback from surgery to compete again in the major leagues. Chuck Heater, defensive back coach for the University of Notre Dame's fighting Irish football team, reflects on his introduction to, and comeback from, coaching oblivion. And figure skater

Caryn Kadavy discusses with Kyle Rote Jr. her quest to overcome injury to capture a major title in amateur skating.

Perhaps you have faced similar challenges. The discouragement, self-doubt, and anxiety of trying to come back from mistakes, failures, or injuries is not isolated to professionals, nor to athletes. Each day we must decide how we will survive in relationships, in school, or on the job. I hope that the stories in this issue of Second Look will also challenge and encourage you to think about a comeback in an even more important area of life: in your relationship to God. We all fail in measuring up to His perfect standards, but He also offers us complete forgiveness if we will only stop runn ing away from Him, and come back to His care. Together, let's take a second look at comebacks.

4 When Comebacks Don't Come Dave Dravecky's valiant pitch for the Giants

By Rick Wattman

-Dave Burnham Dave Burnham is chairman emeritus of the lmemationa/ Sports Coalition, an association of sports ministries from around the world. He also appears regularly as a teacher on the television program Day of Discovery.

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: COVER, OTTO GRUELE JR./ALLSPORT; p. 2 (upper left) Michael Forrest; p. 2 (upper right), p. 6 (top), Dennis Desprois/San Francisco Giants; p. 2 (lower right), p. 3 (left center), p. 11 (right), p. 14 (top), p. 15, Tony Dulfy/AIIsport; p. 3 (top), pp. 16路18, Michael Bennett; pp. 4路5, Mickey Pfleger/Sports Illustrated; p. 6 (bottom), Fred Vuich; p. 7, Boston Cetics; p. 8 (left), p. 9, p. 14 (bottom), VandystadVAIIsport; p. 8 (right), Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated; p. 8 (center), p. 10, George Long/Sports Illustrated; p. 11 (top), Allsport; pp. 12路13, Jim Steere; p. 24, J. Daniels!AIIsport

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Against All Odds They came, they saw, they came back

By Fred Gildner

& CD istot't'J'qfo ust' ----P U B L IS

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Trivia Quiz Come-from-behind challenges

By Rick York

ASecondary Chance

Training lip

From bottom to top for Notre Dame's Chuck Heater

By Kristine Christlieb

Classic Concentration With Chuck Heater

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Coming in From the Cold

Coming Back to the Future

Caryn Kadavy skates onto new ice With Kyle Rote Jr.

Down and out but still welcome home

By Dave Burnham

19 For Athletes What Condition Is You r Condition In ?

By Dr. Bill Puett

Volume 4, Number 1 SECOND LOOK MAGAZINE A DISCOVERY HOUSE PUBLICATION PUBLISHER Martin R. DeHaan II; EXECUTIVE EDITOR Dave Burnham; CONSULTING EDITOR Ralph Drollinger; MANAGING EDITOR Rick Wanman; ART DIRECTOR Slave Gier; PRODUCTION Craig Grinde; PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Lauren Pedroza; MARKETING DIRECTOR Craig Finkel; PRODUCTION MANAGER Tom Felten; COVER PHOTO ono Gruele Jr/AIIspor1

SECOND LOOK is published six times a year by Discovery House Publishers. Discovery House Publishers ts affiliated with Radio Bible Class, a nondenominalional Christ1an organization whose purpose is to lead people of all nations to faith and maturity in Jesus Christ by teaching principles from the Bible. Printed in USA. Copyright C> 1990 by Disccvery House Publishers. Grand Rapids.

Michigan. Bible quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright C> 1973, 1978. 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permis· sion ol Zondervan Bible Publishers. SECOND LOOK is produced by New Focus. Inc., Vanlr Tower, Second Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92401. Subscriptions are available lor SIS/year by writing to SECOND LOOK subscriptions. Discovery House, Box 3566, Grand Rapids, Ml 49501-3566. or by calling tolllree, 1-800-283-8333.

For Subscription Services.· CALL TOLL FREE:

1·800·283·8333 ' New subscriptions, change ol

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COMEBACKS•COVERSTORY

WHEN THE

COMEBACKS DON'T COME

Dave Dravecky broke his arm and our hearts attempting his pitch to return from cancer surgery

(ri ght) Dravecky's triumphant homecoming was also a Giants victory over the Cincinnati Reds. (Inset) His scar a constant reminder of what is behi nd, Dave looks ahead expectantly to his life away from baseball

S BASEBALL'S 1989 SEASON came to a shaky conclusion and images of the earthquakeinterrupted World Series were finding secure places in our memories, so too did the year itself wind down, closing the book on the tumultuous decade of the '80s. Also ending with the '80s was a triumphant chapter in one of the most dramatic comeback quests in the world of sports: on November 14, Dave Dravecky of the San Francisco Giants retired from baseball.

His was a Cinderella story- if Cinderella could have worn cleats to a ballgame instead of glass slippers to a royal ball. Sure athletes retire with every season, but America had followed the ups and downs of

B Y RICK W AITMAN 4

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Dave's career as closely as the sporting year's many scandals and tragedies, though for an entirely different reason.

Dave Dravecky had overcome cancer surgery on his throwing arm and come back to pitch again in the major leagues. Not since watching helplessly as Lou Gehrig battled amyotropic lateral sclerocis had the nation so intimately identified with a ballplayer's struggle with illness. Yet on August I0, 1989, a capaci ty crowd witnessed heartwarming history in the maki ng as Dravecky started for the Giants against the Cincinnati Reds. He had not pitched in Candlestick since May 2, 1988, and the scoreboard flashed a giant "Welcome back, Dave!" Some who had come from out of town simply to see a professional baseball game in venerable Candlestick Park were treated to a very special celebration indeed.

Less than I year earlier, on October 7, 1988- ironically Dave and Janice Dravecky's tenth wedding anniversary-doctors had removed the

tumor and nearly half of the deltoid muscle of Dave's pitching ann. ("Thrown A Curve," Second Look, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1989) It had been a season of pain and frustration for Dave, in a year that held great promise.

"When I started for the Giants ori opening day, and we beat the Dodgers 5-1, I thought, 'This is going to be Dave Dravecky's year,"' he recalls. "God certainly had a different plan for us in 1988." He started four more games for the Giants that year, complaining of stiffness in his left shoulder after each outing. Following arthroscopic surgery in June, he made one last start in a minor league rehabilitation game. Allowing II runs in less than three innings, he left the game-and the season. The cancer was diagnosed in late September and the operation perfonned a week later. The All-Star hurler instrumental in the Giants' 1987 drive toward the National League West chan1pionship was down and out for 1988.

The tumor was gone but it was uncertain whether Dravecky's future in baseball was as well. He remained optimistic, however, confidently

expecting to report to spring training after his winter-long rehabilitation. And throughout their ordeal with the disease and recovery, Dave and his wife Janice exhibited an unnatural sense of calm and acceptance in spite of the uncertainty of their situation.

"I wouldn't be truthful if I said I didn't have any concern at all," he told Second Look at the time. "But I can honestly say that during that period, for the first time in my life, I experienced peace that surpasses understanding. This was a tremendous relief for our family."

At home in Ohio, his therapy progressed remarkably well. Late in March he was amazingly allowed to report to training camp. And then came the opportunity to test the arm in game situations. The first was a historic event on Ju ly 23 at Hebert Field in Stockton, California.

Before a standing-room-only crowd of well-wishers and media, Dave threw a complete-game five- hit shutout for the San Jose Giants (Class-A). Pleased with his progress after two additional completeSECO N D

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game victories, the Giants and his doctors determined that Dravecky was ready to return to the majors.

The miracle had happened. Dave Dravecky had come back. On August 10, 1989, amid repeated, thunderous standing ovations, Dave not only returned to pitch before the home crowd, he also earned a win for his team against the beleaguered Reds. He was back, and it wasn't a token appearance. "I thought, 'Okay, here we go, back in baseball. Everything's going to be fine.' I was back in the groove. I was one of the guys again," says Dave. "I could start getting in gear for what lay ahead for the rest of the season, and I could start looking ahead to the playoffs."

Then suddenly Cinderella 's other glass slipper smashed in pieces on the infield grass. In his second start, at Montreal, the humerus bone in his pitching arm snapped as he delivered a pitch. His comeback season was over almost as soon as it had begun, and now he lay writhing in pain on the ground. His ann was broken, but surprising to some, his faith was intact.

"What is so unique about this is, why didn't my ann break before August I0, when I came back? As I went along, I built up strength. Why didn 't it break in those three rehab games? And why was I allowed to come back and pitch as well as I did, and then to break my arm 5 days later?

"Those are questions where I see the hand of God. So for me it wasn't 'Why God?' but 'What is going to happen next? There is something big going on here, and I'd like to know what it is."'

The doctors had warned that a break was a possibility. As part of the procedure to remove the tumor, the bone had been temporarily frozen and would be brittle for some time. Still there was hope for Dave's career.

The break, when healed, would make the bone stronger than before. He faced his newest challenges with bynow familiar confidence.

"I expressed the hope that I would come back again to play if it was at all possible. After breaking the arm that first time, all indications from the doctors were very optimistic of my being able to come back. The arm was going to be stronger and there was no reason for me to think otherwise. Retirement was the furthest thing from my mind."

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FRED VUtCH

Dave Dravecky has had to confront some difficult questions in his life and career. He says, "Sometimes we see God as working in our lives only to bring about our success. But what's more important is the process we go through in the experience. God is watching closely how you respond in that trial or adversity- whether you're going to place your complete trust in Him or not."

Dave chose to put his complete trust in Jesus Christ, regardless of the final outcome of his comeback bid. And he discovered an interesting thing. "God doesn't care about baseball," he notes. "He doesn't need baseball to accomplish His work.

"I had been blessed with the ability to play baseball. It was my God-given talent, and the profession that I chose." But that didn't guarantee he would always be able to come back. Does that mean God didn't care about Dave? Or was He doing something in his life more important than baseball?•

Though uncertain about the long range outlook for his arm, Dave and Janice are still excited about whatever their future may hold 6

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Although unable to play, he remained an active part of the Giants' stretch run. "It was important to me to be in the dugout with my team during the pennant drive because I wanted to lend support to them. They had been with me through thick and thin, through the whole year of 1988 and 1989." So in spite of the drain on his recovering body, Dave stayed with his team through the pressure-packed end of the season.

It was during the jubilant celebration at the mound after the Giants had captured the National League championship that Dave was inadvertently bumped by another player. He knew at once that the brittle arm had been broken again.

"It was a freak accident, but when I look back, I realize that it was all part of the process of coming to a decision to retire," he reflects now. "And really all that means is that I want to be available to what God has in store for me from this point on. Baseball is over. I was given my day in the sun- it was for a season. Now I have this window of opportunity to share what has happened in my life. And it wi ll be for a season. However long that is, I want to be prepared for it."

His time now is spent in preparing the manuscript to tell the full story of his experience. Appropriately to be titled Comeback (from Zondervan Publishing House and Harper & Row, San Francisco), the release of his book will be timed to hit bookstores with the start of the 1990 baseball season. Dave says he'll be busy promoting the book in the Spring, and expresses no disappointment at not being able to be a part of the upcoming season. "When I look back, I have no regrets about my career of 7 years in the major leagues. I've had the opportunity to be part of an All-Star game, where I felt out of place among some legitimate all-stars as far as I was concerned. And what an honor it was to be in two World Series and three playoff series."

But if a reporter asks what is the most memorable moment of Dave's career, he can be sure of the answer. "It was in 1981, when I was in the San Diego Padres' farm system. A teammate led me to open the Bible and see what it mearit to me in a personal way."

This teammate challenged Dave that he needed to have a personal relationship wi th God by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ.

It is that relationship which Dave Dravecky credits for the ability to come out on top of the challenges he has faced. "If it weren't for Jesus Christ, who knows where I'd be. I' m sure most people think I'm in the pits, but I don't think I am. I'm as excited as I've ever been about the fut ure, even though I don't know exactly what it is."

Dave will never play baseball agai n. That much appears certain. The risk of continuing to aggravate his ann is too great. He relied heavily on medical advice to direct and then terminate his playing career, but his trust has remained in the One who gave him hope in the darkest times. And he is confident that whatever the future holds, there can be no greater comeback than that. "We're goi ng in a new di rection. We're going to start a new life. God has given us a peace about that, and the desire of our heart is to be in His will. I'm actually going to be able to retire, and come out of retirement and then start all over again."

For Dave Dravecky, comebacks are right in style. •

Championship after finishing the regular season fourth in the Eastern Division. Which of these players was voted to the AIINBA second team?

A. Bill Russell B. Don Nelson C. John Havlicek D. Don Chaney

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In the 1977 National League Championship Series, the Philadelphia Phi llies were one out away from taking a twogames-to-one lead in the best-offive series. Name the aging Los Angeles Dodger whose drag bunt with two outs sparked a comefrom-behind victory and turned the series in Los Angeles' favor.

14. Who was the coach of the 1968-69 Boston Celtics?

15.

The 1978-79 Boston Celtics fi nished with a 29-53 record. They improved to 61-2 1 in 1979-80. Which of these players was on both teams?

A. Larry Bird B. M. L. Carr C. Chris Ford D. Gerald Henderson

2.

Name the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher who was shelled in his two appearances in the 1971 NLCS, but came back to pitch two complete-game victories in the World Series.

16. Who was the rookie from Minnesota who helped put the Boston Celtics over the top as they won the NBA Championship in 1980-81?

3.

The 1971 World Series saw the Pittsburgh Pirates overcome the Baltimore Orioles' twogames-to-none lead to win the World Championship. Who led the Pirates with five Series RBI? A. Willie Stargell B. Bob Robertson C. Richie Hebner D. Roberto Clemente

4.

Down three games to one in the 1968 World Series, the Detroit Tigers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals by winning the last three Series games. Who led the Tigers with II hits and 8 RBI? A. AI Kaline B. Norm Cash C. Willie Horton D. Jim Northrup

5.

Mickey Lolich led the 1968 Detroit Tigers with three World Series victories. Which other Detroit pitcher was also victorious in the series?

A. Denny McLain B. Earl Wilson C. Don McMahon D. Joe Spanna

6.

Who was the Detroit Tigers' outfielder who played shortstop in the 1968 World Series to make room in the lineup for veteran AI Kaline?

1.

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Minnesota Twins four games to three during the 1965 World Series, despite losing the first two games. How

17.

Name the team that faced the Los Angeles Rams in the 1979 NFC Championship game, after finishi ng last in its division the previous two seasons?

BIRD, CARR, FORD, OR HENDERSON : Who survived the '78路79 Celtlcs roster?

many total runs did Minnesota score in their four losses?

A. I B. 2 c. 3 D. 4

pitcher won 20 games in 197 1, after losing 19 the previous year?

A. Rick Wise B. AI Downing C. Steve Carlton D. Phil Niekro

8.

The 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers won the NBA Championship after finishing last in the Pacific Division the previous season. Which of these key players was also a member of the 1975-76 Blazers?

A. Dave Twardzik B. Maurice Lucas C. Herm Gilliam D. Lionel Hollins

Whose six RBI led the 1965 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers in their World Series comeback over the Minnesota Twins?

A. Lou Johnson B. Jim Lefebvre C. Tommy Davis D. Ron Fairly

9.

After losing the first two games in the 1981 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the next four games from the Yankees, avenging their losses to New York in 1977 and 1978. Who led Los Angeles with seven RBI? A. Steve Garvey B. Pedro Guerrero C. Ron Cey D. Steve Yeager

10. Which National League .

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12.

Who led the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers in scoring during the regular season with a 20.2 points-per-game average?

A. Bill Walton B. Maurice Lucas C. Lionel Hollins D. Bob Gross

13.

The 1968-69 Boston Celtics won the NBA

18.

What was the first team to win the Super Bowl after losing the Super Bowl the previous year?

19.

Name the first team to win the Super Bowl by overcoming the opponent's fourth quarter lead.

20. Name the first Wild Card team to win the Super Bowl.

Answers:

1. Vic Davalillo; 2. Steve Blass; 3. B. Bob Robertson; 4. A. AI Kaline; 5. A. Denny McLain; 6. Mickey Stanley; 7. B. 2; 8. D. Ron Fairly; 9. B. Pedro Guerrero; 10. C. Steve Carlton; 11. D. Lionel Hollins; 12.

B. Maurice Lucas; 13. C. John Havlicek; 14. Bill Russell; 15. C. Chris Ford; 16. Kevin McHale; 17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 18.

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI, January 16, 1972, after losing to the Baltimore Colts the year before; 19. The Baltimore Colts trailed the Dallas Cowboys 13-6 at the start of the fourth quarter in Super Bowl V; 20. The Oakland Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV. SECOND

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HE TEST OF THE TRUE CHAMPION is not in never failing but in rising every time you fail."

These immortal words of the late Vince Lombardi have been repeated time and again, but they echo clearly the stuff of legends. Lombardi transformed a rag-tag band of unknown football players into the Green Bay Packers dynasty of the 1960s. The drive and determin ation he instilled in his men made them believe victory was within their reach- no matter what the score COMEBACKS or who the opponent.

It is precisely this spirit that spurs us to hope our favorite team can stage a dramatic come-frombehind victory, beating the odds and confounding the prognostications of experts. Our hearts are warmed as we witness the drama of an athlete coming back from injury, whether on the gridiron, the baseball diamond, or in the arena.

The archives of athletic competition are replete with accounts of those who have faced outrageous odds and yet prevailed.

Who didn't cheer as Dave Dravecky overcame a cancerous tumor in his throwing arm to return and pitch again in the

major leagues? (See Dave 's story on page 4.) We marveled as American discuss thrower AI Oerter kept coming back, capturing the gold medal in four consecutive Olympic Games ( 1956-68). His biggest challenge came at the 1964 Games in Tokyo, when he tore muscles in his rib cage before the final stage of competition. With his body screaming in agony, Oerter unleashed a throw that not only gave him the gold, but established an Olympic record as well.

But an accounting of this writer's "Most Memorable Sports Comebacks" would be incomplete without mention of Greg LeMond's 1989 Tour de France victory, the • FEATURE USC-Notre Dame football game of 1974, and the USA hockey team's quest for Olympic gold during the 1980 Winter Games.

AGAINST ALL ODDS

From underdogs to top dogs, these blue chip overcomers rose to the occasion

BY FRED GILDNER

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Greg LeMond: Heart Like a Wheel JUST WHEN EUROPEANS thought it was safe to go back in the Tour de France, out peddled a pesky American named Greg LeMond. So what if he had won thi s, the world's most presti gious bicycle race, in 1986--he was the only non-European ever to have done so.

Amid public controversy and concern over his uncertain recov-

ery from injuries, the 28-year old cyclist from Wayzata, Minnesota, did what the experts deemed virtually impossible. LeMond overcame a 50second deficit in the final 15.2-mile stage of the 1989 Tour de France to win by 8 seconds-the narrowest margin of victory in the race's 86year history. But comebacks were nothing new to this wiry competitor.

After posting his first Tour win in 1986, fame and great expectati路ons greeted him. And so did tragedy. On April 27, 1987, while turkey hunting with his brother-in-law, LeMond was accidentally shot.

Pellets lodged throughout his chest and abdomen. He had holes in his back, legs, arms, and hands, and suffered from two broken ribs. I His long recovery underway, the American rider had stints with three different Eu ropean racing teams in as many years. Rumors began to circulate that his most recent sponsor had paid too much for damaged goods. 2 The 1989 Tour would prove otherwise.

LeMond and archrival Laurent Fignon exchanged the ri ght to wear the coveted yellow jersey, symbol of the Tour's overall leader, four times over the last 17 days of the grueling 2,030-mile, 23-day event.3 But within the chest of Greg LeMond beat the heart of a champion and it gave him the ever-so-slight edge he needed.

"The last 2 years have been the most humiliating of my life," reflected LeMond. "Riders and team managers thought I was through, and that made me more determined than ever to retum."4 And what a return! The only American ever to have won the Tour de France had come from behind and won it again.

USC-Notre Dame, 1974: lora! lora! lora!

THERE WAS NO JOY in Mudville-er, Los Angeles, that is, on Satu rday, November 30, 1974. Late that afternoon, the murky grey sky cast an uneasy pall over the University of Southern California Trojans' home turf, deepened by the fact that the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame were in town. And the defending national collegiate football champions hadn't journeyed all the way from South Bend, Indiana, for an ice cream social.

It is called The Game- perhaps the greatest national rivalry in college foo tball- a classic matchup extending back to 1926.

On this occasion, with ruthless

VANOYSTADT/ALLSPORT

DOUBLE PUMP: Greg LeMond got a handle on the race and overcame a 50-second deficit on the last day of the 1989 Tour de France, shocking the critics and capturing his second Tour victory

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linle did the Notre Dame faithful fear what was about to unfold.

precision, the Irish scored repeatedly, downs, the dust settled and the rout was amassing an embarrassing 24-0 first half complete. Trojans 55, Irish 24.

In just 16 minutes and 54 seconds, advantage. Only a seven-yard pass from the University of Southern Californ ia Pat Haden to Anthony Davis with 10 seconds remaining saved USC from rang the cash register for 55 points in being completely shut out. Even the one of the most ex plosive comebacks ex tra point was blocked ! Iris h 24, ever seen on the college gridiron-or Trojans 6. any gridiron for that matter. His analyLittle did the Notre Dame faithful sis a complete understatement, victorifear, nor the national television audience ous USC coach John McKay conceded, dream, what was about to unfold.

"Yes, it's fair to say that this is probaThe Irish kicked off to USC's Davis bly one of the wildest things that ever to start the second half. He took the ball happened on a football field."6 two yards deep in his own end zone, TWO GAMES: USC's veered to his left, skated down the sidedefense stopped Notre Dame after giving up 24 1ine, and in the span of 13 seconds invaded Notre Dame's endzone, electri- points and 257 yards in the first half (above), while the fy ing the muted Los Angeles crowd.

Trojan offense, with key The I 02-yard kickoff return gave the plays from Anthony Davis Trojans a tremendous boost, but the (#28, below), compiled 255 WHAT SPORTS FAN wort h his of their 400 yards after the pride of South Bend would soon dispopcorn and Cracker Jack doesn't get a intermission cover that the heavy artillery had yet to tear in his eye at the mention of the open fire. Irish 24, Trojans 12.

1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team? The thrill of victory On the Trojans' next possession, Davis struck pay and the agony of defeat intertwined as the best and the dirt again, and the lead was trimmed further. Irish 24, brightest from many nations gathered for the quadrenTrojans 19. nial head-to-head competition.

With USC's offense ignited, the defense caught fire But as the crises of the modem wor:d multiplied and as well. Cornerback Danny Reece forced a fumble, and intensified, the Games had taken on political ove11ones. linebacker Kev in Bruce recovered for USC. Two Daily headlines and nightly newscasts bro ught Haden passes, one Davis dash, and a two-poi nt conver- Americans face-to-face with world tragedy: the hostage sion later, and USC had taken the lead fo r good.5 crisis in Iran; the Soviet invasion of Afg hani stan.

Trojans 27, Irish 24.

Against a backdrop of global conflagrations, the Winter The Trojans, now in total command of the field, never Olympics began in the sleepy li ttle village of Lake looked back. Like the Hollywood version of a naval bat- Placid, New York. tle, the juggernaut Trojans kept firing shells into the Amid the splendor of individual performances, the sinking, smoking hull of Notre Dame. The men of Troy unheralded USA hockey team was quietly gathering had just begun to fight. After four more USC touch- attention. This group of collegians and post-college

1980 u.s. Olympic Hockey: The Impossible Dream

ALLSPORT

amateurs had come together scant months before. They sought to meld into a team by barnstonning the North American continent for 61 games of seasoning against a variety of competitors.

Just 2 weeks prior to their Olympic confrontation, the Soviets had crushed the Americans in New York 's Madison Square Garden, 10-3. And no wonder: the Russians had not lost an Olympic hockey game in 12 years and were the odds-on favorites to extend their streak. They carried a perfect record from these 1980 Games into their first Olympic meeting with the boys from the USA. Facing the challenge as defin ite underdogs, the Americans more than held their own, even though the Soviets outshot them, 39- 16.7 The veteran Russian players worked in disbelief against this upstart group of kids in red, white, and blue.

With the deafening chant of "U-S-A, U-S-A" reverberating through the Fieldhouse, it came down to the spectacular net play of goalie Jim Craig and team captain Mike Eru zione's 25-foot slapshot score with I0 minutes left to play. This combination iced one of the grandest victories in the annals of American sport- a stunning 4-3 upset.

Though the gold medal was now nearer, it was yet distant. If this tired bunch of scrappers was unable to conquer a tough Finnish team on Sunday, they would leave Lake Placid with wonderful memories, but no medal at all.

Down two goals to one going into the final period, the Americans faced their final challenge. They had not come this far to be denied, however, and had gained valuable experience in coming from behind. They had tied the Czechs with only 27 seconds remaining, and had spotted leads to both Norway and West Gern1any before winning those matches. They had also trailed the Soviets three times on the way to their miraculous upset.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, ABC TV's

play-by-play announcer AI Michaels exclaimed, "Do you believe in miracles? Yes !" Phil Yerchota, Rob McClanahan, and Mark Johnson had all found the Finnish net, giving the Americans a 4-2 victory and clinching for their team the dream of every Olympian.

In the privacy of our homes, joyous shouts and tears flowed unchecked. The young centurions held and twirled their sticks skyward, hugging and mobbing each other. Goalie Jim Craig, draped in Old Glory, carefully scanned the crowd for a look of affirmation from his widowed father. And that's when we got a collective lump in our throats.

Hard work. Sacri fice. Commitment. Discipli ne.

Heart. The millions of cliches vented on occasions such as these serve only to underscore why a comeback of any sort is such a thrill to the spectator. The athletes who meld such a formula for success into a tangible, dynamic victory have truly beaten the odds ... to reach the unreachable star. •

CHECK PLEASE: On the Ice or in the air, the Soviets were unable to deter team USA from their appointed rounds (below) which Included this emotional celebration (left) after overcoming the Russians' quest for gold for the first time since another American team had done so in 1960

Fred Gildner is a freelance writer with a passion for sports. In college he observed NCAA Division 1-A football from the trenches. He was public relations director for Julius Erving's Sports Focus and also worked for 3 years with Athletes In Action. He currently resides in southern California, where he would like to see the Raiders return to Oakland and the National League adopt the designated hitter rule.

I. "LeMond is No Lemon as He Rolls With the Punches to Finish First," Los

Angrlrs Timrs, July 24, 1989, part Ill, p. 3.

2. "Vive LeMond!" Sports 11/ustratrd, July 31, 1989, p. 14.

3. "LeMond's Fantastic Finish Has Fit Ending." Las Angelrs Timts, July 24, 1989, part Ill, p. 8.

4. "Vivc LeMond!" p. 14.

5. "Davis Rallies USC; Troy Buries Irish, 55-24," Los Angeles Timrs, December I, 1974, part Ill, p. 8.

6. "Trojans Ecstatic, Call Wild Victory Fantastic," Los Angrlts Timts.

December I, 1974. part Ill, p. 10.

7. "Americans Put Soviets on Icc, 4-3," Los Angelrs Times, February 23, 1980, part Ill, p..7.

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\ COMEBACKS • INTERVIEW

COMING IN FROM THE COLD Her dreams of an amateur title chilled by injuries, skater Caryn Kadavy Ji'gures on an exciting pro career WITH KYLE ROTE JR.

c

ARYN KADAVY began •kaaag ;,.

1972 when she was only 4 years old. Having established herself as a solid intemational competitor by winning events in Canada , Yugoslavia, England, and the Soviet Union, she also captured medals at the U.S. Nationals from 1985-88, and was the 1987 World's Brame Medalist. Now a professional skatet; in this interview she talks with Kyle Rote lt: aboll/ the ups and downs of her career on the ice.

Kyle: Even though you staned skating when you were young, it took a while for you to get people's attention. Did you lose any aspirations because you weren't getting the medals earlier?

Caryn: When I finally made it to Nationals in 1985, it was unbelievable because it took so long. But I placed third without having been there before and that was a big step.

Before then it did get discouraging, and I wondered when I was ever going to make it.

But I always loved skating and what it gave to me-l never wanted to quit.

Kyle: One of the big challenges you faced was the lack of name recognition. In the 100-yard dash, if I'm faster than you, it doesn't make any difference who's better-known.

But the judging in skating is a little different, isn't it?

Caryn: It was hard coming up and getting recognized in the skating world. Carlo Fassi [who coached several world-class skaters including Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill] saw me in a competition and was impressed with the way I skated.

He asked me to train with him, so I moved to Colorado Springs in 1984, and the exposure J. got there really helped. It was a competitive a!mosphere and on occasion judges came in to observe my compulsory figures and skating programs.

Kyle: Would it be fair to say that it was perhaps Carlo's name more than your name that got people's attention? Why would he invest his time in a girl few people had ever heard of?

Caryn: I think it was a risk for him, but I know he felt it was worth the risk. He knew there was a chance for me. I was known in a certain sense, but the judges were still waiting for me to prove myself. I was improving rapidly: I had all of my triple jumps, but I needed the training, the programs, and more consistency. So when I went to Colorado, it was a combination of everything that was finally put together.

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PHOTO BY JIM STEERE

Kyle: This Cinderella story, which it really has been-coming out of Erie, Pennsylvania, finishing second to Debi Thomas at Nationals in 1986-all of a sudden began to crumble a little bit. Tell us about what happened at the 1987 Nationals.

Caryn: That was a hard competition for me. I started off on a bad foot in the compulsory figures. It was devastating, but you have those days in competition.

Then in the short program I fell doing my double axel, and again, there's nothing you can do. It's embarrassing, and I can look back and laugh at it now, but at the time it was traumatic. I wondered, "Why do these things happen to me?" and "I don't know if I can do this." But I had great support from my family, from other coaches, friends, and even competitors who said, "You can do it. Just go out there and give it your all."

That really helped me, and my long program went very well. I was pleased because I fought back from a horrible start and did well enough to take third and earn a place on the world team.

Kyle: Because you only took third at Nationals, however, your coach felt it would be more difficult for you at the World Championships, and that another of his skaters, Jill Trenary, was the one to watch. How did that affect you?

Caryn: It's hard when you're taking from a coach and he also has another competitor skating at the same level. Carlo is an excellent coach, but it was difficult for him too. And it was hard for me to know he was fully on my side.

Everyone was always wondering who was getting more attention, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be the best I could be, and I wanted Carlo to help me to do that. Jill, who was first at Nationals that year, and I were at the same rink, and she got a lot of publicity and attention. It was hard and it hurt a little, but that's when you really have to rely on your family a lot, to have other people around for support.

Kyle: Some people would have expected you to be jealous, and they certainly would have expected you to be fru strated with the way things were going. But somehow that didn 't seem to bother you.

Caryn: I had to put the controversy aside and say, "I'm going to work as hard as I can and do the best three events I can possibly do." I really didn 't care what happened- ! just had fait h that God was with me through it all. I didn't even care what the judges wou ld judge me on, because I knew I was ready.

Everyth ing staried falling into place and I couldn 't believe how well I was doing. That performance at Worlds was something I' ll never forget- having a standing ovation and being able to perfonn under the pressure I felt from people wanting me to produce. But I came back and captured the bronze medal, and went on from there toward the next year and the Olympics.

Kyle: There will be a lot of people reading this article who have their own "National competition," with management over them or some other relationshi p where they may feel a sense of jealousy or frustration.

What you have said can certainly speak to all of us. But it goes even fu rther because heading into the ' 88 Olympics you began getting sick.

Caryn: I had worked hard from the '87 Nationals on through Worlds to prepare for the Olympics, and it 14

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One of the highlights of Caryn's career was the standing ovation she received for her long program at the 1987 World Championships as she overcame everyone's but her own expectations and captured the bronze medal (above). After withdrawing from the 1988 Olympics due to illness, Kadavy's performance at the 1988 Worlds (below) was strong enough to earn her a seventh place finish, in spite of nagging injuries and limited training time

was going so well. But I woke up the morning of the short program and wasn't feeling too well. I practiced that day for the first time at the Olympic stadium and I was miserable. They said I had a fever and thought maybe it was the 24-hour flu, so I rested that afternoon.

After that I felt I had enough energy, so I went out and was able to do my short program.

Kyle: But that was it. You had to withdraw after that?

Caryn: That's right. Even though I was too sick to continue, I'm very thankful to have memories of doing a great short program up there. Just to skate at the Olympics was something I can 't descri be. Being part of the Olympic village and the opening ceremonies-the hype of it all was incredible.

But I went through a lot of emotions too. If you don't have your health, you cannot skate, so you have to think about who you are first. Going on and skating became a secondary thing. Sure, it 's part of my life, but I'm a person too, not just a skater.

I suppose everybody goes through these kinds of learning experiences, and we could easily just sit around in a depression and kill ourselves. But I try to look at them in a positive sense, that God will show me the way and that He'll guide me through any stonn. I still have all my abilities, and I can grow from here, wherever I am.

Kyle: All of us in sports tend to look to public acknowledgment to affinn us in the level of our performance. But you' re saying you were learning to be content within your own sense of expectations, almost as if the only ones you have to please are yourself and God. Caryn: Yes, that's the main thing. It's hard to do, because we all get distracted in a lot of ways, but we need to believe in God and His promises as we go through each day. We should also learn to be content with ourselves-who we are and what we have done.

We go out there to do the best we can with the abilities God has given us, not trying to be more than we are.

We always want to be our best, but we don't want to get greedy either.

In many ways, that was a really tough year for me.

VANDYSTAOT/ AllSPORT

Not only did I go through the Olympics being ill, but I also had two surgeries late in 1988, I changed coaches after the World Tour, and I had to withdraw from the 1989 Nationals because I got tendinitis.

Kyle: So your health problems short-circuited the path we've seen with other skaters: Olympic success into a lucrative professional career. How did that dream, if it was a dream, fit into your life?

Caryn: Right now I'm going through a transition period, hav ing turned pro as of November I, 1989. It took me a while to make that decision, through all my illness, to get to a point in my skating where I was strong enough to make the decision properly. I searched my heart and really wanted to go on and be a professional. I wanted an amateur title, but I took my shot in 1989 and all these things happened.

I know it's going to be tough, because it's different from the amateur world. Professional skating is more for myself, whereas amateur skating has its rules and you' re always competing against another person. Now I can do whatever I want to a particular piece of music to express the type of person I want to be. That's exciting because I feel I have more to offer in that sense.

Kyle: There are a lot of people who look at their lives and say to themselves, "If I could just get this job," or "If I could just change my circumstances," then everything would fall into place. But as we look at your situation, you did not go into pro skating like a Rosalynn Sumners or a Dorothy Hamill, with an Olympic medal or national title where you would be offered large sums of money. Is that at all fmstrating to you?

Caryn: I' m not really thinking about the amount of money I can make. I'm not the national champion or the world champion, but I've had great success during my involvement with skating, especially for as few years as I had on the world and national scene.

ALL THAT GLITIERS: Caryn sparkled at the 1987 World Championships in Cincinnati, overcoming the specter of a disappointing performance at Nationals

It's scary turning pro, because you

.................................................

don't know if it's the right time... And you can't turn back, either.

Obviously I want to be able to make some money, because this is my job. I hope to get back some of the sacrifice I have put into the sport, and also be able to help some of the people who have helped me along in my career. But I won't be making as much as people who have won the Olympics or have a title, and that's reality.

But some other people may not be as happy or content with their lives as I am, even though I'm not making as much. We don't always know the whole story, and there's so much more involved than just money.

The main thing is to find that inner peace and to be content with God's plan for your life.

Kyle: And you didn 't feel that you missed out on a chance to make a big comeback to claim a national title?

Caryn: Not at all. I actually looked at it as a positive thing to move on, not like giving up a chance to come back in amateur skating. For a while I thought, "Maybe I should go on." It's a scary step lllrning pro, because you don 't know if it's going to be the right time, or if you're ready. And you can't turn back, either.

But I feel very secure and confident with my decision. I don't think I'm going to regret it, because I am ready.

Kyle: In an industry that has created perhaps as many victims as it has victors, Caryn, it sounds like your commitment to God and the support of your family have allowed you to become one of the champ ions of the comeback. You've faced a series of very difficult circumstances and you 've been able to respond to all of them. We wish you the very best, knowing that if you'll stay in touch with God, He'll always give you the power to overcome whatever hurdles the future may hold. • A former pro soccer player and three-time winner of ABC-TV's "Superstars" competition, Kyle is also a TV sports commentator and speaker from Memphis, Tennessee. His interviews with sports personalities appear in each issue of Second Look.

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HERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COACHES. Iowa quarterback Chuck Hartlieb took the snap and There's the guy who's fired and the guy who's dropped back to pass. Heater sat watching the play from his command post high above the field, knowing going to be fired."

Chuck Heater, defensive back coach at the his job was on the line. Suddenly, tight end Marv Cook was open at the I0 yard line. He caught Hartlieb's University of Notre Dame, can joke about the insecurity of a career in coaching now that he has one of pass, pushed past two defenders, and burst into the the most sought-after positions in college football. But a endzone. The game was over, and so was Bruce's little over 2 years ago, Heater wasn't laughing. For the tenure at OSU. On Monday, Athletic Director Rick first time in his life, he was the guy who had been fired, Bay notified Bruce of OSU President Ed Jennings' decision . Within th e and his future in coaching was uncertain. hour, Bruce gave hi s COMEBACKS • FEATURE In 1987 , Heater was coaching staff the grim news. coaching defensive backs "We knew it was comunder Earle Bruce at Ohio State University. Bruce ing," Heater recalls. had never been on solid "Rumors had been circufooting at OSU. His prolating even prior to the Iowa game, so it really gram had integrity, and he'd managed to maintain came as no surprise. It was almost a relief to get a winning record. But he had one serious probfired and have it over with." lem- he wasn't Woody Hayes.

Bay call ed a press Although Hayes was conference the same day fired after he stru ck a and ann ounced that member of an opposing Bruce's career at OSU was fini shed. He also team and one of his own announced his own resplayers, the indomitable ignation in protest of the Buckeye coach left behind a very large pair pres ident 's decision. of shoes to fill. Under Hayes, Ohio State captured 13 Ironically, Bruce's firing finally won for him what his Big Ten conference titles and 4 national champirecord had not been able to-support from the fans. onships. His teams drew crowds that led the nation in Nonetheless he and his staff were out of work. attendance through most of his 27 -year tenure at OSU. While Bruce scrambled to put together a lawsuit and Enter Earle Bruce. He established an impressive record some of the assistant coaches considered their own legal options, Chuck and Debbie Heater took this tum of events of 81-26-1 during his 9 seasons at OSU. Yet despite his best efforts and a winning percentage slightly better than with unnatural calm.

"We always knew we were in God's hands," he his predecessor, Bruce never seemed able to do enough to satisfy the dynasty-conscious fans in Columbus. recalls of his sudden unemployment. "I've found that As such, the 1987 November matchup against Iowa it's in the difficult times that I feel the presence of God was a pivotal game for the Buckeyes. A win would in my life. I actually have more difficulty handling sucmean a bowl invitation and another year of security for cess than handling failure."

Bruce and his coaching staff. A loss would mean facing Heater's difficulty with success doesn't come from their biggest rival , Michigan, with a 5-4-1 record. lack of experience, however. He was a 3-year starting Rumor had it that a loss would also cost Bruce his running back for Michigan and finished as the Wolverine's fifth all-time leading ground gainer. He was job-and with him would go all the assistant coaches, including Chuck Heater. a tenth-round draft choice by the New Orleans Saints in With less than 30 seconds remaining in the fourth 1975, but made the switch to coaching in 1976. His first position was at Northern Arizona, and from there he had quarter, the Buckeyes were leading the Hawkeyes 2722. Iowa was faced with fourth down and 28 yards to stints at Toledo and Wisconsin, before finally signing on with Bruce at OSU. In all these stops he had not once go and no time-outs remaining. Things looked good for been fired. Each time he moved, it was to accept an Ohio State. Barring a miraculous play by Iowa, OSU would win. invitation to a better coaching position.

ASECONDARY CHANCE Losing his job was a trial by

I

firing for Notre Dame's defensive back coach Chuck Heater

BY KRISTINE CHRISTLIEB MICHAEl BENNE IT

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I

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In fact, the only real failure he had ever experienced was not making the final cut to play for the Saints. "Not making it as a pro player was the biggest disappointment of my life, but I got through that year and learned that you can't throw all your self-esteem into something like pro football ," says the 36-year old native of Weston, West Virginia.

When he was fired at OSU, Heater knew it was no reflection on his ability as a coach, and he felt confident that another opportunity would present itself. "I didn't think I'd be able to get another job as good as Ohio State, but I believed God would provide something for me," Heater remembers.

But the days turned into weeks. At the annual coaches meeting in December, where a lot of informal interviewing and hiring is done, nothing materialized.

Then an inquiry came from Texas A & M, and Chuck thought his opportunity had finally arrived. "I had myself all talked into settling for the job at A & M. Debbie and I decided that living in College Station wouldn't be so bad." But the offer never came. And the weeks turned into months. The peace they had in the beginning was being tested.

"Because doors kept closing, I had to confront the possibility that God didn 't want me in coaching. It made me ask myself if I was where God wanted me to be. By the first of February, I was fast closing in on having to make some decisions about direction. There were some business opportunities, but nothing sounded right," Heater explains.

Chuck's wife, Debbie, recalls what those days were like for him. "He was suffering; he was getting weary. It was hard for me, as his spouse, to watch that."

Then, at the end of February, the call came from Notre Dame's Lou Holtz.

Holtz had first heard about Heater from the late Dave McClain , who was coach of the Wi sconsin Badgers during Chuck 's 3 years in Madi son. He described Heater as one of the best defensive coaches he had ever worked with. And Holtz himself had noticed OSU 's defensive secondary during their bowl game with Texas A & M, though at the time he didn't realize Heater was coaching that position. When he had a vacancy, he remembered what McClain had said

MICHAEL BENNETT

SIDELINE OF FIRE: In

the national spotlight at Notre Dame, Heater's defensive secondary is under constant barrage from sophisticated offenses

He was suffering; ················································

he was geUing weary. It was hard

for me to watch that.

-Debbie Heater

TRAINING

m

OST EXCEPTIONAL ATHLETES have natural talent, but Chuck Heater beheves that the great ones have at least two additional qualities: the desire to compete and the ability to concentrate. "Good defensive backs have to be able to focus on the fundamentals in order to properly execute the techniques they're trying to master," he says. Heater offers these tips for developing effectiveness in the defensive secondary. e BACKWARD RUN. Defensive backs have to develop a fast, fluid backward run. Concentrate on keeping your weight forward, your chest over your knees, and your elbows close to your body, just like you would if you were running forward. Make sure your stride doesn't reach back beyond your buttocks. e MAN·TO·MAN COVERAGE. First, you have to know whether you have inside or outside coverage; that determines how you're going to

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Kristine Christlieb is a freelance writer living in South Bend, Indiana, where she also teaches ·English composition at Indiana University-South Bend. Getting to know Chuck and Debbie Heater at the church they attend together has been a pleasure for Kristine, and has also inspired her to finally begin reading the sports page along with the rest of the pape1:

TIPS

line up with the receiver. Then focus on the receiver's belt buckle, concentrating on his hips, not his shoulders or head. He'll wag his head all different directions to throw you off, but his hips will always stay pointed in the direction he's going to move. e REPniTION. Practice the fundamentals the right way so their execution is a conditioned response. During the game, players aren't thinking; they're just reacting. Repetition ensures that they will react correctly when the time comes and the pressure's on. e OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION. The most common error defensive backs make is responding to what they think is going to happen instead of what is actually happening. They think the pass is going to be deep so they react to that imagined situation. But if it turns out the pass is short, they're in trouble. Defensive backs can't let their imagination determine what they're going to do on the field. They have to focus on what's really happening. •

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about Heater, but he didn't know where Chuck was. A few days later he found out.

Holtz explains how all the circumstances came together. "Earle Bruce called and recommended his defensive secondary coach, and I said, 'I remember how well your defense played against Texas A & M. Who was coaching?' He said, 'Chuck Heater.' Well, when Dave McClain recommends Heater and Earle Bruce recommends him, then I want to talk to this guy."

Within 20 minutes of Holtz's call , Heater was packed and on his way to South Bend to interview for one of the best coaching jobs in the country. Holtz describes the outcome of the interview. "When I sat down and visited with Chuck, I just liked him. I prayed about the decision, and it turned out to be a very smart decision to make."

Only a few weeks earlier, Heater had been willing to settle for much less. "Sometimes God's time and plan are different from our time and plan. We wanted to rush things, but it had to happen in His time," he says of the patience he learned. "God worked it out better than we could have imagined-exceedingly and abundantly more than we ever dreamed possible."

In less than a year, Chuck was not only coaching at the University of Notre Dame, he was also standing on the White House lawn as President Reagan honored the Fighting Irish as the number one football team in the nation.

Now Chuck is able to put what happened in perspective. "I look back and I see God's hand. Out of the worst situation He created the greatest opportunity. All I had to do was wai t."

Heater also realizes the lasting value of the lesson from his OSU experience. "If I stay in coaching, I'm probably going to face the same or a similar situation again. You see, there are two types of coaches . . . "•

D1: Bill Puett is the founder and director tU ltimate Performance R, a training program designed to help athletes reach their potential. His clients include players in college and major league baseball, professional tennis, golf, and Olympic rowing. A pioneer in sports nutrition, conditioning, and vision training, D1: Puett outlines in this article some basic principles of conditioning for preventing and recovering from sports injuries.

i

• • • HAT HAPPENS only to "other" athletes suddenly happens to you: You suffer a sports injury that takes you out of competition. What do you do now? What could you have done to reduce your chance of injury?

I have spent many years helping athletes overcome sports injuries. The speed and degree of your recovery will depend on several important factors. Of course, the severity of the injury is important; but so are the competence of your recovery team and the type and extent of your treatment. Of equal priority are your physical condition prior to the injury and your belifff in your recovery.

I cannot overemphasize the significance of your physical condition. All athletes should have a year-round conditioning program uniquely based on their body and particular sport. It will help prevent injury and will speed recovery should one ever occur. I recommend an everyother-day aerobic workout that employs high repetition, light handweight exercises (one to ten pounds) that keep the whole body in motion rather than isolating individual muscle groups.

Strength exercises (heavy weights) tend to develop slow, bulky muscles not needed in most sports.

Ideally you should avoid doing both aerobic and anaerobic exercises on the same day. On nonhandweight days, I recommend anaerobic sprint progressions and plyometric workouts (see illustration). I also encourage slow,

COMEBACKS • FOR ATHLETES

WHAT CONDITION IS YOUR CONDITION IN! Working hard to bring consistency into view

BY DR. BILL PUEIT

PLYOMETRICS (above): While holding onto a shoulder-height bar, leap Into the air. Use arm resistance on the way down to relieve stress on the knees. Starting and ending knee flex should not exceed a 90-degree angle. Sprint progressions (not shown): first walk, then jog, stride, and finally sprint a given distance (starting with 25 yards). Then repeat. Increase the number of repetitions and the distance covered over time.

non-bounce stretching before and after each day's workout to maintain flexibility and prevent muscle tears.

One of my favorite clients is Bob Boone, veteran catcher for the Kansas City Royals. During 1985, his knees were treated with ice 4 hours a day by his team trainers just so he could play. But that soon changed.

After the season, I placed him on the conditioning program described above, along with some nutritional improvements, to strengthen his aging catcher's knees and the rest of his body.

In 1989, having been off the ice therapy since late 1985, Bob started 129 games for the Royals. In those 4 years he has won three Gold Glove Awards as the best defensive player at his position. Bob also holds the alltime major league record for number of games caught in a career. And at 41 years of age, he's still going.

Because of his great discipline and strong Christian faith, Bob works hard all year long to avoid injuries and extend his career.

This gives his team a valuable player who does not spend time parked on the disabled list! And in spite of his age, Bob is considered to be one of the bestconditioned players in baseball.

You might have noticed my mention of the important role of Bob's faith. Yes, faith in God can give us the strength and encouragement to overcome when the odds are against us.

The ultimate victory is not merely physical but spiritual. Our separation from God can be overcome by entering into a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. And that's the greatest comeback of all!

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth . .. . He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak . ... Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow wemy, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:28-31).• SE C O N D LOOK

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COMEBACKS • PERSPECTIVE

COMING BACK TO THE FUTURE When the lights are out and the party's over, there's still no place like home

EP TALKS at halftime often include such stirring challenges as, "It's not over till it's over," and "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Coaches and team captains frequently conduct emotional locker room goadings, inciting players to produce the effort

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necessary to tum the game around. Broken clipboards, thrown chalk, and pummeled lockers are often the unfortunate props of these intermission pyrotechnics.

Yet victory is not within every team's grasp.

Dramatic comebacks are never guaranteed. You may return for the second half with fire in your eyes, but a fumble at the goal line or a missed shot at the buzzer can make you feel that life is over.

Failure to overcome the deficit can be devastating.

Defeat can blind you to seeing any ray of hope for the future.

But life does continue. The lessons learned in athletic contests form character qualities that can be used- or ignored- in future struggles. What you learn in defeat, what you determine to accomplish after injury- in essence, how you choose to come back-can provide tracks on which to travel life.

A story told by the Lord Jesus Christ illustrates the life of a young man who failed, yet staged a comeback. The tale of his return provides us with a resource for help when we have failed and feel that nobody wants us around. Jesus used parables and stories like a coach, to stir us to overcome -except that the "game" He coached is life, both now and forever.

This parable teaches that someone cares and offers hope for a major comeback that will restore life in all of its fullness and meaning. In Luke 15:11-24, a young man wants to run his own life, on his own terms, without interference from his father and older brother. It's not easy to grow up in the shadow of your big brother and this young man figured he'd do better on his own. He insisted on having his inheritance "to go."

BY DAVE BURNHAM

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Usually a son would have waited until the father's death before making such a demand, but not in this case. The young man wanted his share of the estate and his hard cash now. That's what it means in verses 12 and 13 when it states, "So [the father] divided his property between [the brothers]. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had ...." Kid brother took his share and cashed it in. I don't believe he ever planned to return.

The younger son's game plan isn't spelled out, but he clearly wanted to play in the big leagues with the movers and shakers. It was party time:" ... [He] set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living" (v. 13).

Today's sports pages are too often filled with the stories of multi-talented athletes who take their strength, speed, skill, and quickness, and waste them with drugs and alcohol. It happens to athletes, and it happens in every other walk of life when God-given talents and opportunities are abused for immediate gratification. Our culture tells us we've got to "grab all the gusto we can grab-now- and let the devil worry about tomorrow."

For the younger son, to morrow came with a vengeance. His money ran out-or rather, he ran through his money. The closing words of verse 13 tell us he "squandered his wealth in wild living." How can anybody throw away a lifetime of savings? Easy. It doesn'ttake too many gambling losses, big cars, expensive parties, or busted money deals to equal bankruptcy.

There was a second calamity that hit this young man as well. We often hear the phrase, "When it rai ns it pours." In this case, it didn't rain at all. It got hot and dry- very dry. "After he had spent everything, there was a severe fam ine in that whole country, and he began to be in need" (v. 14). Out of money and out of food, the playboy had become a beggar.

His situation was desperate. So desperate that he contacted a foreigner for a job feeding hogs. Do you see the picture? A young man with a secure future had blown it. He was far from home and any friendly support systems. His job was a disgrace to his heritage as a Jew. Waiting on pigs. How low can you get? He was so low he longed to be able to eat the pigs' food. But the hardest part was, " .. . no one gave him anything" (v.

16). Nobody cared whether he lived or died. It's amazing how lonely it gets after the party's over.

This description can fit experiences in each of our li ves. The pigpens of defeat and depression are real.

Sometimes we thii1k we wi ll never get out of our situation. "Things will never be better; it's hopeless," we tell ourselves. Feeding on the slop of frustration doesn't build much strength for climbing out of the gutter. But the story's not over.

Remember, Jesus Christ is far more than a storyteller.

He is the master coach, the ultimate teacher of truth.

Now a series of steps begins in His narrative. There is a way of survival for the fut ure. Are yo u interested?

Think about it. That's exactly what the younger brother- the "prodigal son," as he is called-did next. He thought about it.

His Attention Was Focused.

This desperate, broken young man faced reali ty. He took stock of where he was and what was happen ing to 2 2

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U USTRATION BV CHIP 8ARTHElMES

him. "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starvi ng to death! '" (v. 17). The day laborer had a better life than he did. His fat her's hired hands were eating three square meals a day.

How did he know this? I believe he remembered the character and time-proven integrity of his father. At this point the son realized his only hope for survival. "I will set out and go back to my fa ther... " (v. 18). His thoughts marked a big change in attitude.

His Attitude Was Changed.

Nobody cared whether he lived or died. It's amazing ················································

how lonely it gets aner the party's over.

He finally faced what he had done. " ... I have sinned ..." (v. 18). Short and to the point, but this was really a major change in his perspective. To this point, the whole story has been about a young man seeking his own fulfillment. He couldn't have cared less what anybody else thought. He did what he wanted to do. He was his own god. But now his mind turned in a new direction. He realized he had broken the standards of God and of his father.

His attitude was so different that he saw himself qualified only to be a hired servant. "I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men," he would say to his father (v. 19). A hired hand received only dail y wages-it was the equivalent of working for a temporary agency in the first century. He would not have the position and security he once had as a son, but at least he would have something to eat.

So instead of demanding his rights, as he had when he first left home, this son admitted his unworthiness.

Failure to meet God's standards is hard enough to admit in any century. And admitting it to himself was one thing, but the next step was crucial. He had to do something about it. He had to go home.

His Action Was Vital.

"So he got up and went to his father.. ." (v. 20). He returned home. He came back. He confessed his failures to his father and the harsh reality of his unworthiness to be called a son. But an amazing thing had been going on while this son was away: his father was actually waiting fo r him to return. Even though he had abandoned his home and made off with half of the family fortune, his dad was eager to have him back. He was even out looking for him. That's why this is such a great comeback story. It isn't just the story of a partyloving son. Instead it 's an illustration of a loving father who wants to restore his son to a vital relationship.

Do you think I'm stretching it? Just listen to the excitement Jesus relates: "But while [the son] was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for hi m; he ran to his son, threw his arms around hi m, and kissed him" (v. 20). That's quite a reception after having left confidently with his father's money and returned a beggar, rich with only the rott ing smell of a pigpen.

This story is very comforting to me, because I have been that "younger son." As a player I have "stunk up" some football games and wished I could disappear. But far worse, as a person I have also broken God 's standards. How about you? Does the story of the "prodigal son" have any refere nce to you? Some of you have a

1

Christian home, with a mom, dad, or grandparent who has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That is quite a heritage. But you may think it's a drag. You don't need any "God stuff' in your life. Moving on the fast track without restraint is your idea of real living.

Or you may not have any Christian influences in your life and you just happened to pick up this magazine. It 's different, isn't it? Why? It's not just about successful athletes who never quit and always win. It is really about a God who cares for you-when you succeed and when you fail. We're talking about a God who wants to have a personal and vital relationship with you right now and forever.

Did you notice what the father in our story did for the "comeback kid"? After running out to meet his son, he put his arms around his neck and kissed him (v. 20).

I think I know what that must have been like. When I was 15 years old, I ran a 440-yard race against the state champion. What a race! It was close, but I lost. I was so nervous and exhausted at the end that I threw up as I crossed the finish line. Talk about embarrassing- and what a mess !

Then I felt someone's arms around me. I felt a face against mine. My dad had climbed over the fence and onto the track to help me stagger through a few steps of recovery. No one pays attention to sophomores who lose and throw up-except special dads. When the prodigal's father kissed him, it meant not only that he loved him but that he also forgave and accepted him.

Next, the father ordered a robe, a ring, and sandals for his son's feet (v. 22). A robe represented honor and position. The son thought he could only be a hired hand, but the father said, "You're my son." The ring gave authority and the sandals meant he was a free man, not a slave. Slaves had no shoes, but the prodigal was restored to his full rights and privileges as a son.

As you have read the various articles on "comebacks" ~atured in this magazine, I would challenge you to stop and consider where you are in your own life. Who sets the standards for your morals? Coaches can set your training programs, but who sets the goals for your life? Do you have a personal relationship with God? Do you know how you can have one?

God created us with the capacity to honor and love Him, and to enjoy the world in which we live. Tragically, we as a race have chosen to honor ourselves and to run our own lives in whatever fashion works best for us. But inevitably there are relationships we ruin and events we can't control. Things· get out of hand, and there seems to be no hope for a "second-half comeback."

At some point you have to stop and consider God. He is the source of life and His character is trustworthy.

He also invites us to come to Him. He even made it possible by sending His Son to die for our sins so we could be forgiven and accepted into His fami ly.

The father celebrated the return of his son who was "lost, but now found; dead, and now alive." God, the Father, offers us forgiveness of our sins, the privileges of a son, and the freedom to serve Him and to enjoy an<! use His creation for His glory. Take a moment to consider this story as it relates to you. Don ' t waste another minute! Return to a vital, loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He longs to celebrate with you when you come to Him. •

BIBLE STUDY

ASECOND LOOK AT COMEBACKS Like athletes, entertainers, politicians, and drug addicts, churches can fa ce serious setbacks-and are capable of great comebacks. Do you ever think about the church you attend, or one you have considered attending, in terms of its "fading away" or "coming back" ? Let's explore a "comeback church" mentioned often in the New Testament.

1.

Read Acts 20: 17-31. What did Paul predict would happen to the Ephesian church?

2.

Read the following passages, which were written years later. In each case, do you think Paul's predictions had come true yet?

• Ephesians 1:15- 19

• 1 Timothy 1

3.

Look closely at 1 Timothy 1:18-20 (see also 2 Timothy 2:16-18). Compare the results in verse 20 with those in 3:1-15.

4. Read Revelation 2:1-6, written even later. Did the Ephesian church make a comeback from the ailments listed in 1 Timothy?

5. What were the church's problems according to the same passage in Revelation?

8. From what you've learned, what threatens the spiritual health of a church?

7. Accordingly, how does your church "stack up"? Is it dropping in the standings, or making a strong comeback?

8. How about your personal life? Are you in need of a spiritual comeback? What are you doing to protect your life from false teaching or apathy? How important is your church in that process?

-Ralph K. Drollinger

LIFE AFTER THE SUPER BOWL THE

MEDIA ATIENTION is enormous. The cameras of the nation and the eyes of the world are on New Orleans, the site of Super Bowl XXIV. It's all we hear or read about in the weeks before the game. It seems that some people don't think of anything else.

But when it's over, except for the difference in size of the paychecks the winners and losers take home, nothing really changes. Life goes on. We still drive our cars, take our exams, and brush our teeth. One football game, in spite of the hype, does not disturb the cosmos one iota.

An event is coming, however, that will change everything. It may not attract the same media build-up as the Super Bowl. It may not be on the minds of an entire nation. But this event will profoundly affect everyone.

It is the return of Jesus Christ. Nothing will ever be the same, for those who know Jesus as personal Savior will see the King of kings and Lord of lords. The old will pass away; everything will be made new. Sin, death, and suffering will be over forever.

Now, that's a comeback worth waiting for!

Adapted by permission from Our Daily Bread Campus Journal, ©1990.

This helpful devotional series is available free of charge from Radio Bible Class, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49555.

SE C OND

LOOK

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The Long and Winding Road Bac:k Even when you're down by 20 points at halftime, your coach may still be confident that you can overcor>:1e your opponents. But what if you're not so sure? Sometimes it only gets worse. How can you com1 bacKfrom a failed comeback bid?

~econd Look magaz!ne addresses a variety of life's difficult questionslike comebacks- wtth a fresh approach.

ID

TAKE ASECOND LOOK AT THE REAL ISSUES IN SPORTS ... AND LIFE. Second Look Box 3566 Grand Rapids, MI 49501 -9963

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