Team Player

SCRIPT TITLE

Team Player

AUTHORSHIP

Matt, Kelly and Tracy, modern-day students on the same sports team

COSTUMES

Matching tee-shirts, shorts and athletic shoes

PROPS

Athletic gear (duffel bags, shoes, soccer balls, etc.)

SETTING

In the team locker room following a devastating turn of events.

SUMMARY

A student athlete discovers that when one player breaks the rules, the whole team pays the price in this modern-day parallel to Samson's story.

INTRODUCTION
The Bible tells the story of a guy named Samson, who was one of the judges who led Israel. Samson was tough, smart and good. Most of all, he was known far and wide for being incredibly strong. He was so strong that he once tore a lion apart with his bare hands. He was so strong that he once took on 30 men and killed them all single-handedly. Samson was the kind of guy that would be picked first to play on a professional sports team today!

But, Samson wasn't perfect. In fact, he made a lot of bad choices. And, because he was a leader of Israel, sometimes his bad choices had terrible consequences for the entire country! Someone in today's drama is going to learn, just like Samson did, that when we sin, we don t just hurt ourselves. We hurt other people, too.

DRAMA

MATT, KELLI and TRACY enter. They throw their sports gear around in a huff.

MATT:    Man, this is the absolute worst thing that ever happened to me!

KELLI:    Yeah. We had the championship in the palm of our hands. It was so close, I could taste it.

TRACY:    (a bit sheepishly) Hey, c'mon, Kelli, there's always next year!

MATT:    Not for me! Next year I'll be too old to play in this league.

KELLI:    Me, too. We'll probably never get this close to a championship again in our entire lives! My life is over! Just kill me now, and get it over with.

TRACY:    Yeah, but, there's more to life than this silly old game. I don't know why I got so into it in the first place.

KELLI:   (surprised) What are you talking about, Tracy? You're the team captain, aren't you? Yesterday, you said you wanted to win no matter what! You said you would do anything to win! And now you think it's just a silly old game? What s the matter with you?

TRACY:     (hiding something) Oh, I don't know.

During the following dialog, TRACY tries to fade inconspicuously into the background.

MATT:    What I want to know is, why? Why did our team have to forfeit the game without even playing? Did we do something wrong or something?

KELLI:    The coach said someone was caught cheating. Someone stole the other team's game plan and was trying to use it against them to help us win. Man, who would do that?

MATT:    I don't know. What do you think, Tracy?

TRACY:    Huh? What?

MATT:    Well, you're the team captain. You know the whole team better than anyone else. Who do you think the cheater is?

TRACY:    Well, I uh...

KELLI:    It would have to be someone who didn't think we were good enough to win fair and square.

MATT:    Someone who wanted to win no matter what!

KELLI:    (making a realization, turning to face TRACY) Someone who would do anything to win. Right, Tracy?

TRACY:    (defensively) I ... I don t know what you re talking about.

KELLI:    You told me yesterday that you would do anything to win the championship. (another realization) And then you told me you bumped into the other team's captain after last week's game. You stole their playbook, didn't you, Tracy?

TRACY bows her head in shame, acknowledging her sin.

MATT: Tracy! I can't believe it! Why?

TRACY:    I ... I don't know. I thought it would be my little secret. I didn't think anyone would ever find out. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I guess I really blew it, didn't I?

KELLI:     You got that right! You robbed me of my only chance to play in a championship game! Thanks a lot, Tracy! Some captain you turned out to be! I don't ever want to talk to you again! (she stomps off stage)

TRACY:     (sitting down, defeated) Wow! I never realized how much one bad decision could hurt so many other people. I'm really sorry. I wish I could take it all back. (pause) I suppose you don't want to be my friend either, huh?

MATT:    Well, to be honest, right now I'm really angry at you. But, you seem really sorry. I'll probably feel like forgiving you in a day or two.

TRACY:     Wow, thanks, Matt!

MATT:     No problem.

They pick up their gear and start to exit.

MATT:     Hey, Tracy, did you ever hear of a guy named Samson, from the Bible?

TRACY:     Yeah. He was the guy with the really long hair and big muscles. Why?

MATT:     Oh, nothing really. It's just that you sort of remind me of him.

TRACY:     Which part? My hair or my muscles?

CONCLUSION

Tracy learned that when one player cheats, the whole team suffers. The same thing happened to Samson. His sin caused bloodshed between Israel and other peoples. His sin also caused him to miss doing the work that God wanted him to do for his people. God wants us to live holy lives, to avoid sin at all cost!

What does it mean to be holy in your life? Being holy might mean treating your parents with respect at home. Or, not going along when a friend plans to steal something at the store. Or, not looking at someone else s paper when taking a test at school. When we choose to be holy, we help ourselves and the people around us. When we choose to sin, we hurt ourselves and the people around us.

PRAYER POINTS

God, we want to be holy, just like you are. Please help us to avoid sin at all cost.
Help us to remember that when we choose to sin, we hurt ourselves and others.