"God answers my prayers everywhere except on the golf-course."
Don't be proud
Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:16
If you are going to succeed in the tough world of professional sport, you have to have something about you. If you don't believe in yourself, who else will? If you don't think you are the best, no one else will. There is nothing wrong with self-confidence. The world of sport is not a place where you find many small egos! There is a great deal of self-importance. How do we balance self-confidence and pride?
I remember some years ago telling a Christian player at a Premiership club that there was a Christian YTS player at the club. After training one day, the first team player went and found the YTS player and offered him some encouragement in his Christian life. The YTS player could not believe it! The first team usually had as much dealings with YTS players as Jews with Samaritans.
One way that you can stand out as a Christian in the world of sport is by showing a little humility. Rather than insisting on preserving your status, if you treat everyone you meet with respect - the Chairman and the doorman - you will be noticed.
This humility is not contrived or forced. It is based on spiritual truth. Your humility is a recognition of who God is and who you are in relation to him. Your identity is in Christ, not in your achievements.
Jonathan Edwards used to take a point of thanking the officials who measured his jumps. They may not have been able to triple jump as far as Jonathan but they were of equal importance in God's eyes.