Whether or not you are familiar with the world of sports, I think most people have a general idea of the meaning behind the phrase Bench Warmers; however, if it needs explaining, the dictionary defines it as “a reserve player on an athletic team.” Many decades of my life have included warming the bench of a gymnasium or a dugout, but I was never a reserve player; instead my role was a Strange Gift of documenting the baskets or runs scored, and helping coaches know how many time outs they had remaining. Perhaps my sentimentality for these bench experiences is heightened by the recent passing of Coach Chic Nute, the man who posed the question to me at Munford High School in the late 80’s, “Do you want to learn how to keep the baseball scorebook?”, but I treasure the moments and memories of all the Cheers, Jumps, and Fist-Bumps that have occurred over the years. To be a part of an athletic team, especially when you are not athletic, holds special meaning for me.
In his book The WE Gear, Lance Loya shares the story of a college team whose Bench Warmers were named the best bench in basketball. “[The] Monmouth Bench cohorts are perfect examples of the kinds of teammates who embrace their roles on the team, become masters of those roles, and then use those roles to make significant contributions to the team’s success.” Rather than being a distraction for what was occurring on the court, “The celebrations allowed [the Bench Warmers] to be more engaged in the game, and they energized the other players and the fans,” shares Loya. I’ll share at a later time of how critical it is that we Strengthen the Bench of our teams and organizations; but today I ask you to consider another application where Bench Warmers are crucial to providing the Cheers, Jumps, and Fist-Bumps someone might need to endure a Simple Tuesday.
In Simply Tuesday, Emily Freeman shares a different perspective of the necessity for Bench Warmers who embrace the habit of adding value to others when she reveals a personal story, not of a bench for an athletic team, but of a bench in the cove of her neighborhood. What Freeman discovered by positioning a bench on the grassy area where neighbors commonly gathered was that the Ordinary Time invested on a bench could serve as an opportunity to add value to others. “The benches simply gave us neighbors a place to be, a place to rest, a place to come together on an ordinary day.”
The Bench Warmers in Freeman’s neighborhood may not be a reserve player likely to check in at the scorer’s table, but like the Monmouth Bench Mob, they have an opening to offer Cheers, Jumps, and Fist-Bumps to enrich the lives of others on a Simple Tuesday. The community being drawn to that bench is seeking connection, “They don’t need a fixer, they need a journeyer. They just need to sit on a bench with someone else so they know they’re not alone…In my own soul, when I feel the need rise up in me for recognition, appreciation, and validation; when I feel my soul grasp and grope for worth, significance,” the bench provides, “A small, quiet, [place]…with only enough room for a few. Let’s look beyond our first impressions of the bench as a place only for the players who aren’t skilled enough to start, the secondstring, the substitutes, the leftovers, the lazy, the overwhelmed, and the overlooked.” Instead, let’s become the Bench Warmers to others, sharing Christ Himself by “burden bearing and by faith-walking,” by becoming Tuesday People who know when to offer a Cheer, Jump or Fist-Bump.
Being a Good Neighbor seems like such a simple concept in Scripture, but so difficult sometimes to put into practice. What if you are being asked to warm a bench for someone today? To just be present, to listen, and perhaps to cheer a moment when it’s someone else’s turn to shine. Do you know someone who is a fantastic Bench Warmer? Please consider sharing a simple story about them in the comments below. It might provide just the example we need to do a little bench warming of our own.
References:
Charles “Chic” Nute obituary. (2022, January 5). Covington Funeral Home. Retrieved from https://www.covingtonfuneralhome.com/obituary/charles-chic-nute
Loya, L. (2019). The WE gear: How good teammates shift from me to we. Cager House Publishing.
Merriam-Webster, Inc. (n.d.). Bench warmer. Retrieved January 29, 2022 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benchwarmer
Monmouth Bench Mob. (2015, December 4). Monmouth’s over-the-top bench celebrations are the MOST FUN thing about college basketball! Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=wIy0eLodpls
Flourishing @ Life 
I love this blog post. Being surrounded by sports my whole life, i felt a connection with that. Whether it was me on the bench for the upper classmen or the lowerclassmen cheering me on. There is a special bond of a team that goes beyond that of a normal friendship. You cheer together, suffer together and win or lose together. You can always say you did something for your team or you had the most points in the win. However, who’s not to say your teammates were the ones giving you that adrenaline so you could sustained your efforts in the game. I have always loved the saying :you are as strong as your weakest link”. I truly believe that. Being a bench warmer can be fun at times when your team is up. It can also be tough when the team is down. However, you cannot let the bad times let get in the way of trying to encourage your team. If we carry this mentality in our everyday life, we can be a shining light to thought who may need it. Awesome post.
LikeLike
Danyae Carroll
I found this to be a very interesting blog post, I was active in sports during my high school days and I’ve always been a sports fan. As both a football and baseball player, we were always taught that the energy we give from the bench is just as important as what we take to the field. I fully understand this blog and the importance of how it relates to making a difference, no matter what position we play.
LikeLike
I am truly blessed to have even read this article. Never in my life will there come a time that I view a bench the same way. The bench is not just a simple piece of wood, it’s a symbol, a unified front for collaborative thoughts, but only a few at a time. The fact that the bench only serves few shows that any connection made is more personable, more meaningful. Only with this presented in the manner that has been, would I have understood the depth of a bench and it’s true purpose. I will admit myself that I have viewed bench-warmers in the same ways as mentioned in this blog. I can only hope that others who have the pleasure of reading this feel the depth I did.
LikeLike
I agree with you, because I have also been surrounded by sports my whole life. “Bench warmer” was a title that never meant the best, but after experiencing a sport as a bench warmer and changing it for good is important. A couple girls and I would be bench warmers, but we also made the best out of it like you. We would make chants when we can, we would make sure the players or starters had everything they needed before and during the games. Sure, it wasn’t the most satisfying job, not playing, but we would make the most of our times and moments together that we enjoyed it. We appreciated it in high school when the bench warmers would help us and cheer us on during the games. I believe that this is something that should be passed on and continued.
LikeLike
This post immediately drew my interest because I kept book for basketball in high school. I also spent my early years of volleyball and some of my intramural soccer career as a bench warmer, so that is an idea with which I’m very familiar. I was not expecting the shift to a bench in a neighborhood, but it was a very interesting connection. Even though there are not sports happening around Freeman’s bench, it is still a place of community and encouragement. It is also interesting that you connected this to the Christian faith. I never thought of it this way, but I definitely have had some fantastic “bench warmers” in my life through my dad and some of my best friends!
LikeLike
Pingback: Follow Through – Flourishing @ Life
Pingback: 37 Words – Flourishing @ Life
I truly enjoyed this post. When I played sports in high school I was both a bench warmer and a starter. When I was a bench warmer in freshman year I felt useless and that the only way I could make a difference was by being on the court helping in some way either scoring baskets or assisting them. However, when I got older and was finally a starter I realized that the encouragement from the bench when a shot is missed or a mistake is made is very influential. Even when a good play is made and your team is encouraging you it makes you feel ten times better. The source of encouragement and having the sense of someone always having your back is such a key idea not only in sports but also in life.
LikeLike