How one New York Mets Coach Focuses to ‘Reflect Christ’ in NLCS
By Movieguide® Contributor
New York Mets pitching coach, Jeremy Hefner, helped the Mets reach the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Mets “led MLB with a .230 opponent batting average, struck out the second-most batters (1,455), and posted the seventh-lowest team ERA (3.96),” Sports Spectrum reported.
So, what makes Hefner so special for the Mets? His deep-rooted faith in Jesus Christ.
In an episode of the Sports Spectrum Podcast with Jason Romano, Hefner explained how balances the pressures of leading his men on the field but also helping them be the best version of themselves off the field.
“Sometimes I need to be quiet, and I need to listen,” Hefner said on the podcast. “I need to be humble and lift others up and let them talk because I don’t have all the answers. I fall short on this daily, and so, how can I reflect Christ that way?”
“Jesus was very relational,” he added as his main goal is build a relationship with his guys. “Everyone He came into contact with, He was very intentional with the words He said and then how that influenced the people in that relationship and then also the people around them.”
One piece of Scripture that has helped Hefner along his coaching and playing journey is Romans 12:3.
“Paul reminds us that self-awareness is something that we all struggle with sometimes,” Hefner said in an interview with his former college, Oral Roberts University. Either thinking too high or too low at times. So, I ask God to give me the wisdom to listen first and speak up only when necessary. Always looking to learn and not be the expert in the room.”
One of the Mets pitchers, Reed Garrett, spoke about Hefner in the New York Post last month.
“I trust him more than any coach I’ve ever trusted,” Garrett said of Hefner. “He is a genuine human being who cares about you as a person, not just a player. … He’s just a good individual who cares about us and wants us to be the best we can be.”
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