Every athlete knows what it feels like to step into the arena.
The lights.
The pressure.
The expectation.
Players, coaches, and fans feel it in their own way. Something about the arena brings out both our strengths and our insecurities.
The arena is where preparation meets reality and where who we are is revealed.
But arenas are not limited to sports. Life has arenas too. The classroom, the workplace, thelocker room, the home… these are places where our identity is tested, our purpose is challenged, and our character is shaped.
Here are three lessons the arena continues to teach me:
1) Identity must be settled before you step inside the arena.
Whether you’re stepping into a game, a classroom, a work meeting, or a difficult conversation at home, the arena exposes what you depend on for your worth.
In the sports arena, players, coaches, and fans often feel the pull to base their identity on performance, approval, or outcomes. In life’s arenas, it can look like chasing success, comparison, or the pressure to measure up.
I have learned this the hard way. The arena will expose any identity built on something temporary.
When our identity is secure in Christ, we lead, compete, and respond from a place of freedom rather than fear. Identity is not something you earn after a win. It is something God establishes before the moment even begins.
A settled identity keeps the arena, in both sports and life, from controlling you.
2) Courage grows when purpose becomes greater than fear.
Every arena comes with unknowns. There is pressure. There are moments when stepping back feels easier.
Players feel it on the court.
Coaches feel it when making tough calls.
Fans feel it when they are emotionally invested in the moment.
And in life’s arenas, courage is often tested in different ways. It may be the fear of failure at work, the uncertainty of change, the weight of leadership, or the risk of stepping into something God is calling you toward.
Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is remembering why you stepped into the arena. Purpose brings clarity in competition, and it brings the same clarity in the arenas of family, calling, relationships, ministry, and work.
When your purpose is rooted in something eternal, courage becomes a natural response, no matter the arena.
3) Influence happens in the everyday moments.
The arena is not only about competition. It is also about influence.
In sports, influence shows up in the way players treat teammates, how coaches respond under pressure, and how fans model character and support.
The same is true in everyday life.
Influence shows up in the tone we use at home, the way we handle stress at work, the patience we show in difficult moments, and the way we lead when no one is watching. Sometimes, the way we respond to a frustrating moment speaks louder than any highlight ever could.
In both sports and life, influence is earned long before any scoreboard tells a story. Small moments inside the arena often make the most significant impact outside it.
Step Into Your Arena
Wherever God has placed you, on the court, in your job, with your family, or within your church, that is your arena.
Show up with identity.
Show up with purpose.
Show up with faith that God is at work in each moment.
Your arena is where God shapes you and where He uses you to shape others.
About The Author
Caleb McKisic is an experienced sports director and ministry leader with over 10 years of experience in managing recreation programs and sports leagues. He is the Founder and Director of Conquerors Sports Academy and leads the sports ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC.
A 2013 graduate of Bob Jones University, Caleb holds a degree in Health, Fitness, and Recreation. He combines his professional expertise with a personal mission, remaining deeply passionate about reaching the community for Christ through sports.
When he isn’t directing leagues or on the field, Caleb enjoys spending quality time with his family, including game nights with his wife, Kayla, and their children, Elaina and Lyla. He also loves going on adventures with his dog, Shadow. A former collegiate athlete, his favorite sport remains soccer.
