The Preseason

 

It is finally basketball season! It is middle of October, the weather is starting to change, and all you see on social media is basketball highlights (at least the pages I follow). Youth basketball, College and Professional seasons are all underway as they are entering or just finishing their preseason. One thing about every basketball preseason that never changes is, it sucks.

The preseason sucks because it is tough. It is designed to be tough and to put athletes in more demanding situations than they would experience in a game, so when they are in a game, the “tough” situation would be easier. If you know me at all, then you know this story, but the worse thing I have ever had to do in my life was run a timed mile while I was at Kent State. This was our conditioning test and the time for guards to make it was 5 minutes and 30 seconds. That was by far the toughest thing I had to do in my basketball career. However, I learned a lot about mental toughness, and fighting through adversity.

Another reason the preseason sucks, is it is a season of waiting. Waiting on the main events, which is the actual games. One thing I have realized in my spiritual life is, God likes to put us in a season of waiting to prepare us for our next point in our life. Waiting is not easy, waiting is not ideal, waiting sucks sometimes.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

During our season of waiting, God tells us to be obedient in His word. Growing our knowledge in His word will allow God to show us more about ourselves. Once we know how God wants us to act and what He wants us to do, then we can act on it. We must put ourselves in position to receive things from God.

I coached a fall league recently with my AAU team, and I caught myself trying to explain and coach them like we were in our regular AAU schedule. I had to take a step back and focus on the goal of the fall league, and that was to get better. The fall league was created to give players and teams the opportunity to play games out of the normal season. Wins and losses do not hold as much weight, how many points a player scores do not matter as much, and the objective of playing was just to prepare them for the upcoming season.

During our season of waiting, it's important we understand the process. Being obedient and staying rooted in what you are doing is crucial. It is easy to try and take things into your own hands and control the situation, but that is not what the preseason is meant to do. Teams and individuals who understand how to properly operate in their season of waiting are the ones who can best prepare themselves for the next phase of the process and put their self in position to receive the gifts God intended them to receive.

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

Follow Through!

Over the past year, I have taken on a new role and transitioned into coaching. This role was different for me because I was so used to the competitiveness of physically being on the court trying to do whatever I could to perform well for my team and myself.  If you know me, you know I never planned or wanted to coach, it was too hard for me to sit on the sidelines. However, one thing I found out quickly was that coaching involves constant communication, which is something I liked. Being on the same page as a coaching staff and as a team only improves the level of each player/coach because the expectations are laid out right in front of you. 

 God has given us access to Him. As a believer, He has equipped us with tools and weapons to fight off evil. Prayer is simply communication with God. Prayer gives us access to what God is trying to reveal in our lives and through His word. To properly pray, however you should pray according to God’s written word, not just for specific wants and needs.

 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” – Ephesians 6:18

 One of the best basketball tips I received came from my trainer and coworker at a basketball training facility called Just Hoops. We are a basketball training facility that specializes in teaching proper technique and shooting techniques to help players. I learned there are four different ways you can miss a shot. Missing to the left or right of the rim, missing short hitting the front of the rim, or missing long on the back of the rim. If you shoot the ball straight each shot, it eliminates two of the four ways to miss. All good shooters are straight shooters, meaning they rarely miss left or right. To execute this properly, hand placement and a player’s follow-through plays a big part of one’s shooting ability. The follow-through is the release of the ball from the hands.

 The more I thought about shooting, one of the most important skills in basketball, I started to think about how a simple tactic as far as one’s follow-through can help guide the ball exactly where you want it to go with proper control. In our spiritual life, God is asking us to follow-through. It is important to follow through with the plan Jesus has set and laid out for our lives. God’s word tells us to surrender to Him daily. 3 principles to surrendering to God:

1.  Being a living sacrifice.

2.  Give none of ourselves to the world.

3.  Renew the mind daily.

When shooting a basketball, just because you shoot it straight, does not mean you won’t miss. However, it does increase your odds of succeeding. In James 1: 2-8, He lays out that in your spiritual life there will be trials and tribulations. Even during trials and tribulations, you’re supposed to have joy in it and persevere through it because the plan God has set is perfect. A surrendered life means Gods-will, will flow and find you while He works in you. I encourage you today to read Ephesians 1:2-8 and follow through with the plan that God has set over your life!

When Effort is not Good Enough

We live in a world today where effort matters in almost everything you do. Effort matters in a relationship and building a solid foundation. Effort matters in the job place to work your way up and achieve success. Effort matters in the classroom to get good grades. Effort matters on the court or field to perform well in a certain sport, Effort matters. God tells us many times in His word that it does. 

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” - James 2:26

“But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work.”- 2 Chronicles 15:7

If you are reading this, you are only here because God allowed you to. Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we are still able to live a life pleasing to God. This is called grace. One thing that people make mistakes in life is, effort brings success. Success in the christian life is defined as living out your role for God’s kingdom. It is not how much money you have, or fame, or even social media followers. One thing effort does is puts us in a better position to succeed. It does not mean we will succeed how we want, but effort and work does increase our odds. 

When you operate out of grace and faith, that means you are doing something not because of what you can get out of it, but because what was already done to give you the opportunity. I am a big believer that to succeed, you must fail. In order to lead, you must learn to follow. God has given us the opportunity to do these things because we are not punished for our mistakes. I am not saying there won’t be consequences to our decisions but I am saying we are still accepted by Christ despite these decisions. 

I recently started playing for a professional team called the Columbus Condors in “The Basketball League,” here in Columbus Ohio. We play teams scattered all over the United States. A couple weeks ago, we traveled to Michigan to play a game. My normal schedule is, I start work as a production supervisor for a packaging and fulfillment company every weekday at 7am. The other things I do throughout my days sometimes vary based on training schedules and such, but I always start at 7am. On the day we traveled to Detroit, the night before I tried to pack and plan out everything so I was prepared for the next day knowing I had a lot to do. I pack all the things I need for work, then I pack my basketball clothes and gear. 

From Columbus, Ohio to Flint, Michigan was about 3.5 hours driving. So as we take the team bus down to Detroit it was only 7 players that traveled due to other people's schedule and prior commitments.Going into this game I knew we were limited on substitutes and it was a game we needed to win to make sure we put ourselves in the best spot for the upcoming playoffs. About 2.5 hours into the drive, something popped in my head and told me to check my bag to make sure I have everything. Which I second guessed myself because I knew I packed the night before. As I went to look into my book bag, I realized I forgot the most important thing I needed to bring. My game shoes. At that moment when looking into my bag and realizing I forgot them, my whole mood changed. Immediately I started to panic and didn’t want to say anything to any of the players or coaches because I knew they would be upset that we would be down another player. 

We just arrived at the arena and I have to tell everyone. Me thinking in my head about how they would react, I said it in a hesitant way of telling them I forgot my shoes. My coach responded with, “Let me look up the closest Foot Locker.” Right there, I felt like a burden was lifted off because instead of making me feel guilty, he wanted to help. Even my teammates joked and made the situation easy to deal with because they supported me. My coach went out and bought me a pair of shoes and we won a close fought game on the road. 

Overall, a situation where I gave great effort to prepare and improve my odds in putting myself in the best position to succeed, I still came up short. Even when I did fail, I was shown grace by my teammates and coaches. In our walk with Christ, we are supposed to give great efforts for Him and His Kingdom. That doesn’t mean we will always succeed how we think we should. It does mean that God will show us enough grace and mercy to still live out his plan! Today, seek to show someone grace that might need it. You never know when it can go a long way. 

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”- Ephesians 2:4-5

The Proper Pursuit

In sports today, the training aspect has become an important part of the journey to success. Establishing a good plan, working hard at it, and succeeding it is a smart way to achieve the goals you have set out for yourself. One thing that gets confused with training today, is that it isn’t the only component needed to succeed. In all sports, but especially basketball, experience from actually playing vs training helps out a player a lot. It allows them to make live decisions on things they practice. 

Growing up in my playing career I gave more of my success to playing and having to figure stuff out on the fly. I also think training and individually working on your game is a positive. I am a believer that you need a healthy dose of both to maximize your potential. 

In our lives, God doesn't just want soul management, He wants soul transformation. Transformation comes from the expansion of the spirit. As a believer in Christ, God implants a new spirit inside of you. In order for you to get to the point of transformation, you must first develop your spirit. So the question comes, How do you develop the new spirit Christ has given you? The answer is to live a lifestyle consistent with the character of God. But also understand we are human, so not perfect but consistent. 

In life’s journey, our focus should be to become as much like God as possible. This requires:

1. Disciplining yourself 

2. Developing your soul 

3. Actually doing something vs just intending to do it

4. Align with whatever God says about an issue, not the world 

It is important for us to know the truth that God has set. It is also important for us to abide in the truth. A lot like my training vs live play example from earlier, it is important to have both to live out what God wants you to be. 

Social media is blowing up a heartfelt message NBA player Bradley Beal gave to his AAU team. Brad is arguably one of the top scorers in today’s game, so he knows the commitment, grind and skill it takes to make it at the highest level. For me, the most powerful thing he said to these teenagers was that God can give you a gift and talent but if you don't work on it and develop it, and use it the right way then God can take it away and it can be a waste. 

No matter small or large, everything good comes from God. It is to be received with thanksgiving. So, in our pursuit we must acknowledge that there are decisions and choices we have to make. God’s way vs the world's way. Focus on the right path to Godliness and strive to be more and more like God each and every day. Also, the good thing about God is, He is loving, so He is always waiting for you when you make the decision to pursue the right path. 

Impactful Confidence

Over the past weekend, I came across a picture of Kobe Bryant. As a fan, I was surprised because I never saw this picture before. After looking at it a little longer and sharing it with my friends in our group chat, two things stuck out to me about this picture:

1. Kobe shooting a ridiculous, impossible looking shot with confidence.

2. The defense is still contesting it, just as if it were a regular shot.

Kobe shooting difficult shots was very common in his career. Being able to make tough shots is why he is considered one of the best scorers of all time. Even knowing all of that, looking at him attempt to shoot behind the backboard with so much focus on his face lets me know that a big part of him thought the shot was going in. Now that's confidence. 

In your spiritual life knowing who Jesus is, accepting him as your savior gets you into heaven. Your faith + works and obedience builds confidence in trusting God to be in control over your life on earth. Confidence comes with knowing who God really is. Even when things look impossible, you know you have a God that can make things possible. To experience that, you must align within His will. 

"and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him." 

- 1 John 3:22

When you go back and look at the picture of Kobe, notice how well the defense is trying to contest and block a shot from a player that is behind the backboard. Kobe was that much of a threat to the defense behind the backboard just as if he were standing right in front of the rim.

This makes me think about our personal lives. The devil will not stop. He will trick and try to deceive you into thinking he can play good defense on you. He wants to attack you where you are most vulnerable. That is why sometimes in our life it feels like one bad thing comes after another nonstop. Biggest key and fact you must remember however, is the game is already won with Jesus. He is the ultimate teammate, coach, and player. Following Him guarantees victory. 

So even knowing Kobe didn't make that shot, it's impressive how much impact he still had from every spot on the court with the ball. We all need to be more like Kobe and build our confidence up through the Lord so we can be an impact in all aspects of life!

Be Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving! All around the world today, people are celebrating and gathering with their families and loved ones. One tradition my family does every Thanksgiving is after we pray, we go around the room and say what we are thankful for. Normally, I will say I’m thankful for my family or health, something really general. But over this past year, one thing I am truly thankful for that goes overlooked is God’s grace that is given each day. Many times we take no notice of how we survive and get through each day and are blessed with every little thing we receive specifically for that day. 

Not everyone is as fortunate to share a memorable and pleasant Thanksgiving that is portrayed throughout the media and what we see in some people’s lives. When I was in college, one thing my coaches made a staple of was us serving the less fortunate around this time of the year. It humbled us, gave us the opportunity to help someone else in need, but also let us see different types of reality based on whose eyes it’s coming from. Big meals, sharing laughs and enjoying the company of people you care about are some of the best parts of Thanksgiving but for some people it is just another day here on earth. 

I think about my playing career now that I have played at all levels, and often I tell myself that one factor can change so many things down the line. I have seen many players become successful based on just a short amount of time of dedicating themselves or focusing. Also, I have seen many scenarios where players did not become as successful as projected just by doing the opposite or making just one bad choice to take away those chances of being successful. This also is true in our everyday lives. One choice or decision we make can have a positive or negative impact on our future. All it takes is one choice. The good thing that comes from this is, God gives you the opportunity to change whatever situation or scenario you're in around. If you know me, I love a good comeback story, but what people often miss is the route or help that caused that comeback to take place. 

So as we go on about our Thanksgiving, I encourage you to either be the light in someone else’s life that might need that comeback story or make the decision to get back on the right path to make your comeback a possibility for God to handle! 

“I always thank my God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus.”

 - 1 Corinthians 1:4

Look Up, Not Out

 When you are face to face with your circumstance, you have a couple options: run from the truth and find excuses, or make a divine change of direction. Overall in life, everyone faces something. Rather it be financial issues, loneliness, relationship problems or even addictions, there is always something to complain about that isn’t going our way. God allows trials we don't control and consequences to sinful behaviors to teach us a lesson. Biggest truth that we must first understand is that we are not perfect. So, there will always be something that happens to us or that we cause because of that. 

Not too long ago my friends and I did a bible study lesson on encouragement. How to stay encouraged through issues we face and how to encourage someone else through their problems. My biggest takeaways were:

• Do what’s right without wanting a reward. Your reward is your relationship with Christ.

• Stay rooted and grounded in God’s word so you know exactly how to handle issues when they arise. 

• Be someone else's support system even when they aren't asking for it. 

• Have a community/ group of people or friends you can talk to openly about problems. 

• Give effort and intentionally make time to be present with Christ. 

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” - Matthew 6:33

When I think about the playbook (bible) that Christ has laid out for us, it makes me think about my sports career. I played for a number of coaches, basketball and football and what they all had in common was how set they were on following that playbook. They spent countless hours developing it, tweaking it, adjusting it to fit their team’s personnel and teams we played against. I can honestly say, the most successful teams I've been on and the teams where I had the most fun, we followed the coaches playbook. No, every play didn't work out perfectly. And no, we didn't win every game. But we stayed true to the plan because we trusted not only the playbook, but the coach that created it. 

When we face tough times in our life, God is telling us to trust and follow His playbook (His word), So, I encourage you today to look up and follow what God is saying on how to handle whatever issue that needs handled in your life and do not look out in the world and into your own understanding to find the answer. God is the perfect coach, so if we are willing to trust human coaches, bosses, and teachers then we should surely put Christ in the head of our lives.