Serving Isn’t Just for Tennis

(What Does It Mean to Be a Teammate)

If you’ve spent any time around Wichita State University Track and Field, you already know this:

Track and field may look like an individual sport… but it’s built on team.

You’ve got your lane. Your race. Your mark.

But behind every PR, every breakthrough, every podium moment—there are teammates who helped you get there.

And that’s where this truth hits home:

You weren’t just recruited to compete—you were placed here to serve.

Beyond Performance —-

In Ephesians 2:8–10, we’re reminded that we are saved by grace through faith—not by our works. But then it says something just as important:

We are created for good works.

In other words:

You don’t serve to earn your identity…

You serve because you already have one.

Athletes feel this tension all the time.

Performance can start to define you.

Run well → you feel valuable but Have a bad meet → you question everything

But your worth was never meant to ride on your results.

Your identity is secure.

The Best Teams Serve Each Other—-

Take a look at great teams across sports—whether it’s Wichita State Shockers or championship programs anywhere else—what separates them isn’t just talent.

It’s culture.

And culture is built on this:

Teammates who serve one another.

That looks like:

The distance runner encouraging the sprinter after a tough race. The thrower staying late to help a teammate dial in technique. The injured athlete still showing up, still investing, still leading. The quiet teammate who notices when someone’s struggling and steps in.

That’s what makes a team strong.

Three Ways to Serve Your Teammates—-

1. Show Up Fully

Not just physically—but mentally and emotionally.

Be present at practice.

Be engaged in conversations.

Be locked in when others compete.

Serving starts with showing up.

2. Speak Life

Your words carry weight.

Encourage effort, not just results. Call out potential in others. Celebrate small wins.

One sentence at the right time can change someone’s entire season.

3. Sacrifice the Spotlight

Not every moment is yours—and that’s okay.

Celebrate someone else’s PR like it’s your own. Run your leg in a relay for the team, not just your time. Do the unseen work that helps others succeed.

Real teammates don’t compete against each other—they compete for each other.

You Have an Assignment—-

Here’s something to think about:

What if God placed you on this team—not just to perform, but to impact someone else’s life?

The freshman trying to find their place. The senior carrying pressure. The teammate silently struggling.

There are people waiting on the other side of your obedience.

Not someday.

Right now.

Don’t Be a Passive Teammate —-

One of the biggest dangers—on a team and in life—is passivity.

Showing up but not engaging. Listening but not investing. Being present but not contributing.

That’s not how teams grow.

That’s not how leaders are built.

The strongest teams are made of active servants.

This Week’s Challenge—-

Before your next practice or meet, ask yourself:

“Who can I serve today?”

Then act on it.

Encourage one teammate. Help one person improve. Check in on someone.

Small acts. Eternal impact.

Final Thought—-

You were never meant to just run your race or compete in your event.

You were meant to build something bigger than yourself—a team, a culture, a legacy.

So step in.

Step up.

And start serving.

Because the best athletes…

are the best teammates.