BEFORE PRACTICE

Five minutes. A circle on the mat. One page read out loud before practice starts.

Every devotional in this sport is written for one girl reading alone in her room. This one is built for a team standing together.

Forty short devotions, each one about ninety seconds to read aloud, each ending with a question the team answers out loud - and a note for whoever is leading, because most coaches have never done anything like this and are quietly nervous about it.

WRITTEN TO BE SPOKEN

Short sentences. Nothing that trips the tongue. No page that singles anyone out or embarrasses a girl standing in that circle. And every question is concrete enough that a shy fourteen-year-old will actually answer it instead of staring at the floor - never "how is your walk with God?"

FOUR SECTIONS

- How we treat each other - the new girl, gossip, the teammate you find difficult, encouragement that is not empty

- How we work - showing up, the unglamorous positions, corrections, a skill that will not come

- When it is hard - losing, falls, injury, being replaced, wanting to quit

- Who we are - identity beyond the scoresheet, gratitude, seniors, what this team will have been

IT WORKS FOR A TEAM THAT IS NOT ALL BELIEVERS

Some of your athletes believe. Some are unsure. Some are only there because everyone else is. Nothing in this book pressures anyone to declare anything - no altar calls, no "if you don't believe you're missing out". A girl who is not sure can stand in that circle comfortably, and that was a design requirement, not an afterthought.

FOR WHOEVER IS LEADING

The opening chapter covers how to run the five minutes: where to stand, how long it should take, what to do when nobody answers, when to let a silence sit, what to say if a girl says something heavy - and permission to skip a page that does not fit the week.

WHAT IT WILL NOT DO

No page suggests God rewards faith with wins. Nothing touches weight, food or appearance. Where a devotion comes near injury or a teammate who is struggling, it points toward a trusted adult rather than toughing it out.

Perfect for cheer coaches, gym owners, team moms and senior athletes. Scripture is quoted from the King James Version, which is in the public domain.