Last week I overheard another youth worker sharing his frustration about students constantly prioritizing their sports commitments over youth ministry events.

I could relate. I have often found myself frustrated with low attendance at youth events due to scheduling conflicts with sports or other extra-curricular activities.

I can also remember how difficult it was as a teenager, trying to balance all of my church, family, school and sports commitments. The good news is, if you know about these students and their absences, they are probably at least somewhat interested in being involved with your ministry. So instead of allowing ourselves to become frustrated, how can we work to engage these students the best that we possibly can?

Don’t give them a hard time

If a student has been gone for a while, it’s always nice to let them know that they’ve been missed. However, giving them a hard time or guilt trip about it may cause them to feel ashamed or singled out. Students have even told me they would rather avoid ministry events all together rather than endure a guilt trip for being absent in the past.

Do your research and plan accordingly

Many sports schedules are easily accessible online these days. If you know a large number of students are involved in a particular sport, try not to schedule big events on game days. Additionally, most school districts enforce a mandatory dead period over summer when students are actually not allowed to practice or play any school sports. If possible, find out when this is for your district and schedule any big summer activities during that window.

Don’t expect their Sunday best

It may be necessary to remind students that they are welcome to come to youth events in their athletic attire. Many students would actually be able to make at least part of an event, but think they need to shower and change before arriving. Set the tone for this by encouraging youth leaders to wear comfortable and casual clothing so that these students don’t feel self-conscious.

Do attend their sporting events and activities

If your students can’t come to you, go to them! Ask your students for their schedules (or find them online) and attend their big games and performances. Even better, invite other students and leaders in the youth group to attend these events with you and cheer them on together. I find it helpful to compile a master list of student’s events each semester and send it to our volunteer leaders, asking them to let me know which events they will be able to attend. This ensures an adult from our church is able to attend each event, and I can fill in the gaps where necessary.

Don’t forget to ask students how their sports are going

Students who are heavily involved in sports are typically very affected by them as well. If you aren’t able to make a student’s big game, sending a text message asking how it went can go a long way to show that you care. If they show up late to an event because they came from a game or practice, ask them how it went. This can also help you to understand how their demeanor may be affected as a result.

Students these days are busier than ever. Let’s take every chance we get to show them the love of Christ, whether within the walls of the youth room or on the sidelines of the athletic field.