For the last five years, I have interviewed athletes, coaches, owners, and many individuals who are involved with sports on my podcast, “Rabbi on The Sidelines.” Over and over again, I ask them, what is the key to their success. They never answer with statistics and championships. Instead, they tell me what is inside their hearts and souls, how they overcame challenges, and what life means when the stadium goes dark and the final buzzer sounds.

Yesterday, at the inaugural Faith.Connection.Sport (FCS) Conference, hosted at Sinai Temple in collaboration with the tech company, Fabric, Olympians and NBA and WNBA champions gathered to share their faith journeys and how faith continues to be a guiding light in their lives.

My partner in this endeavor is Tamir Goodman, known as “The Jewish Jordan.” Tamir received a basketball scholarship to the University of Maryland, as the 25th best player in the United States in 2000 but happily returned that scholarship because he would not play on Shabbat.

This morning, he spoke to our Sinai Akiba Academy middle schoolers, and interwoven with high level basketball were the most beautiful teachings from our tradition.

He explained how one moment in our lives has the opportunity to change everything. One pass on the court, one prayer in the chapel, one act of chesed, kindness.

This week, we will read of a simple law regarding Shabbat: “Do not labor on Shabbat.” Rashi comments that even on the Sabbatical year, when the land lies fallow, do not forget to rest every seven days and have a Shabbat of your own.

This seems so simple, and yet, we know how difficult it is. Chris Rix, from the Federation of Christian Athletes explained that the professional football playbook is very big, but then he held up his Bible and said, “But this playbook is the playbook to life.”

Lisa Leslie described her challenging journey to become the face of women’s basketball nationally and internationally, winning eight gold medals. But she then she reflected on what it means to rest, the value she sees when the Jewish community invites her to a Shabbat dinner.

And finally, Coach Bob McKillop, Steph Curry’s college coach, who in 2018 took his team to Auschwitz, delivered a resounding address about what it means to coach ourselves.

As I listened to athletes and coaches for many hours, it was quite apparent that the common theme in allowing them to do their work successfully is to take a moment off, to rest, to reflect, to contemplate, and then recharge for what challenges may lie ahead.

 May we each recognize that gift of rest and use it wisely.