Thomas Oban: Maintaining Character in Victory and Defeat

Losing on any level of sport begins to take its toll on the average athlete.  Shadows of doubt about one's own abilities and the abilities of the team can begin to creep in, and confidence begins to fall away as the losses pile up.  Even if everyone has tried their hardest, losing still tends to leave a sour taste in the mouth of its victims.  Indeed, when difficult situations arise, and losing's victims become more and more plentiful, it is not hard for athletes to lose their determination, self-confidence, and focus.  Yet, even in the face of adversity, there are still those rare athletes who refuse to take losing for what it seems to be.  Instead of becoming one of losing's victims, this type of athlete learns his lessons and goes about making sure he remains steady both on and off the field.  Even when losing, he maintains a high level of confidence, encouragement, and work rate at a point when many would view it as pointless.  Indeed, this type of athlete is a rarity, but he can be exemplified by looking no farther than junior right-fielder Thomas Oban.

Oban's time on the Covenant Scots baseball team has not been what many would consider easy.  Playing for a young and improving program, Thomas has seen his fair share of obstacles, hurdles, and difficulties.  In his freshman year, for example, the team found itself faced with a losing record.  Thomas was batting below 2.50, and he was ranked in the NAIA's top 25 for fielding errors.  These growing pains were difficult, and Thomas, like others, began to be discouraged by the results.  "Losing was hard.  It tested my faith.  But the worst part of the season for me wasn't the losing; it was looking back and realizing that I had been content to lose."

With a solid academic track record, a reputation for being highly involved in student affairs, and an eye for law school in the future, few could have blamed Thomas if he had decided to be content with losing and shifted his attention elsewhere.  However, he has stood by the team and helped carry them to their best season in recent memory, winning 9 of their last 14 games en-route to beating Bryan College in the AAC post-season tourney.  "Losing is hard, but it tests your faith and gives you the opportunity to come out on the other side stronger mentally, spiritually, and physically.  What was different this year was not merely a larger number in the 'win' column. What was different was being part of a team that was not content to lose."  It is attitudes like this one that reveal why Thomas is so successful.  He's willing to learn from his mistakes, and he's quick to reveal that when winning does arrive, it is not all about himself.  When asked to whom he attributed his recent success, he replied with a very humble answer.  "God the Father, from whom all strength, skill, and passion flow. And to me this isn't just the canopy statement to qualify me as a Christian. I've been unmotivated, apathetic, and frustrated too many times to think that I've got this far on my own strength."

Indeed, relying on his own strength could very easily have landed him off the diamond and into other areas of life, but he has stayed around and helped lay a good foundation for the team.  "I try to be a servant and an encourager in hopes that this is an effective way of leading."  And its effectiveness appears to be showing up, as noted by freshman pitching sensation Tyler Smith who said, "Thomas shows what it truly means to be a Christian athlete both on and off the field.  He's a good leader and example to us all."  It is traits like these that have also helped land Oban the NAIA Champion of Character nomination, as voted on by fellow players and coaches, and traits like these that he should hope will carry over into his future as he looks to law school and beyond. 

Fortunately, he has allowed his time on the baseball team to teach him some valuable lessons about life and character in the midst of both victory and defeat, and more importantly, he has kept his mind focused on the One to whom he attributes his success. "[Playing baseball at Covenant] has taught me to actively pursue excellence; as a Christian athlete that translates to holistic concentration, passion, and determination in other areas of my life.  One of my favorite moments on the Covenant baseball team happened freshman year when my teammate Sam Hogan launched an opposite field home run against Bryan College. He ended up going 3 for 4 after adding a couple of doubles on about as good a day at the plate as anyone could have.  After he scored for maybe the third or fourth time that game, I came up to him and said 'Wow.  You are smokin' the ball today,' to which he replied, 'God is good, brother.'  It doesn't get much better than that."