Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw’s Pre-Game Prayer: “God Just Be With Me”

Clayton Kershaw
“Clayton Kershaw” by SD Dirk is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Clayton Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ star pitcher, is a deeply religious man.

The 29-year-old with a stellar career record is known in the baseball universe as the youngest pitcher from 1985 to pick up a Cy Young Award. He also was the star performer in ERA, strikeouts, and victories within the National League. However, in a media interview, the baseball player claims he regards his life as more than career success.

Clayton Kershaw’s Pre-Game Prayer: “God Just Be With Me”[/tweetthis]

In the video titled 'I am Second', shot in 2012, Kershaw shares a metaphor, comparing the skill of pitching to living a life. When it is time to pitch, he says that there is no point to hyper-focus on the ball's destination. Instead, he recommends that the player must throw the ball with maximum force towards that glove. Most of the time the ball reaches its intended destination.

The player then compared the pitching incident with life. Kershaw said that there is no point in precisely planning one's life. Even if one plans, God may have other plans in store. It is thus important to put faith in the almighty. He said he stopped trying to be the master of his own destiny when he got included in the Major Leagues. He said that God helped him, even though he did not actively look for Him. For Kershaw, there are priorities other than money. He believes that for a successful player like him, it is important to have a legacy off the field. He claimed he measures his success by how many individuals he can positively affect through the platform of success that God gave him.

Kershaw, along with his wife, are practical in their faith by getting involved in African mission work. They have begun to construct an orphanage exclusively for children who require hope and help. Kershaw's Challenge is a Christian charity which offers much needed opportunities not only in African countries like Zambia, but also in Dallas and Los Angeles inside the United States. The charity also has operations in the Dominican Republic.

Kershaw is never hesitant to show his faith in Jesus Christ. He said his faith has kept him grounded all his professional career. In an interview, he said  that only Jesus can show the way to heaven. He mentioned that he became religious from high school. The faith has only become stronger since then. 

Resources

Follow the Conversation on Twitter