Talent is Never Enough

There are so many talented people in the world, but why is it that so many never reach their full talent potential?  The reason, author Fred Smith says, "Is that the giftedness is usually greater than the person."  People who are talented often go about their daily routine thinking that they can succeed on talent alone.  But that is a completely false and dangerous mindset.  It takes much more than talent to succeed in business or life.  Philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, "Talent for talent's sake is a bauble and a show.  Talent working with joy in the cause of universal truth lifts the possessor to a new power as a benefactor."  But how do we utilize the talent that God has graciously given us?  What do we need to do in order to pull every ounce of talent out of ourselves?  In John Maxwell's book, Talent Is Never Enough, he writes his 13 key choices that are a necessity in order to reach our maximum potential. 

1. BELIEF lifts your talent.
2. PASSION energizes your talent.
3. INITIATIVE activates your talent.
4. FOCUS directs your talent.
5. PREPARATION positions your talent.
6. PRACTICE sharpens your talent.
7. PERSEVERANCE sustains your talent.
8. COURAGE tests your talent.
9. TEACHABILITY expands your talent.
10. CHARACTER protects your talent.
11. RELATIONSHIPS influence your talent.
12. RESPONSIBILITY strengthens your talent.
13. TEAMWORK multiplies your talent.

So, as coaches, how can we get the most out of our talent?  How can we use these principles to motivate our players?  What choices do we need to start making to reach our potential.  And players, how can you use these tips to make you a better teammate or player on the court?  We all need to take a look and examine our hearts to see if we possess these 13 qualities that will make the most of our talent.  If we are lacking then changes need to be made.  Talent is never enough, so let's pursue our full potential that God has given us and really go beyond our talent.

Taken from John C. Maxwell's book, Talent is Never Enough.

A Year's Journey

"An excellent wife who can find?  She is far more precious than jewels." - Proverbs 31:10

One year ago, I married my best friend.  Our first year's journey has been filled with its share of adventure and craziness, but I wouldn't have it any other way!  The most amazing blessing of all is an amazing wife, and I am so thankful to God for bringing me the best one! 

What do the Northwoods of Wisconsin, the Sunshine State of Florida, and the beautiful city of Rockford all have in common?  Absolutely nothing except for the fact that we were lucky enough to call each of those places home in 12 short months!  I'm not sure what we were thinking, but it all worked out.  Even though my wife LOVED living in Dunbar, WI, we opted to move to Florida for a summer, after the school year was finished.  So many memories involving pianos in our living room/kitchen, sleeping on an air mattress for a week, and cockroaches giving us mid-night visits.  Needless to say, it has been a wonderful year!  I love my wife and I am so thankful for her sticking by me through it all, good times and hard times.  I know this post has nothing to do with coaching or basketball, but I just had to let everyone know how lucky I am.  One year down, so many more to go! 

Rise Up

Rise up.  A powerful statement that can light a fire inside of you instantly.  You're down 1 with 2.2 seconds left on the clock and the ball is in your hands...what will you do?  Rise up.  Bases loaded, bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, and you're up to bat...what will you do?  Rise up.  It's finals week and you've been up all night studying for tough exams, but you are desperate for sleep...what will you do?  Give up and fail your test?  Heck no.  Rise up!  Shine!  If you are a competitor, it's in your blood.  The circumstances will not always be comfortable, but you find a way to make it happen.  No matter what your role is on the team, or what your mindset is at the moment, we all have the opportunity to get into the game and rise up.  So let's start rising up in the game that really counts and fulfill our calling to rise up.  Proclaim the kingdom of God!  Are we rising up to tell the nations about Jesus?  Do we confess to the world that Jesus is alive?  Is it our primary objective to let our light shine, regardless of the criticism and mockery we will receive?  Don't back down.  A city on a hill cannot hide.  Be bold. Be faithful. Rise up. Acts 28

A Post Inspired By Jimmy Fallon, The NBA Lockout, and Jesus Christ

"With no scheduled games, players don't have to travel to 30 different cities, unless they want to visit their kids."  I heard this tonight during Jimmy Fallon's 'Pros and Cons' segment on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.  It really made me think of the sad reality, that this is probably true for a good amount of NBA players.  With so much temptation on the road there is no doubt in my mind that many NBA players struggle with purity.  I was reminded of the testimony of former NBA player, Wayne Simien, who experienced this temptation first hand.  During his rookie season, as soon as he walked in the locker room, his teammates were taking cash money bets that he would fall to temptation.  Once they found out he was a Christian, they immediately tried to make him fall into sin.  How soon would he cheat on his wife?  How long would it be before he was in a club getting wasted?  How many women would he get with that night?  These are only a few of the temptations that were out there for Wayne.  Praise the Lord that he had a great mentor and friend in another former NBA player, A.C. Green.  On road trips out west, A.C. would stay with Wayne in the hotel room to keep him accountable.  There would be other close people to Wayne that would always stay with him on road trips no matter where they were playing.  My point is that Wayne was wise and knew that he needed people to hold him accountable or else the chances would be greater that he would fall to Satan's lies.  The lies that say sin satisfies.  All glory to Jesus that Wayne's teammates never won any of those bets they placed on him!  People that don't know Jesus do not understand this.  They chase an ambition that doesn't satisfy.  We need to realize that only JESUS CHRIST can satisfy.  As Christian coaches, we need to pray for other coaches and our players as we are on road trips that we can all stay pure and holy before a righteous God.  I wish I could expound on this more, but I just had to get it off my chest.  I hope players at all levels, especially the NBA, realize that they will never be satisfied by earthly pleasures.  I hope and pray that the quote from Jimmy Fallon penetrates the hearts of coaches and athletes, because it's really not funny.  It's a reality and it's sad.  Coaches: Stand up for Jesus.

The Coach's Wife

I just read a wonderful article about Auburn's offensive coordinator, Gus Malzahn, and the impact his wife has on his coaching career.  As a young coach and a newly wed myself (just over 10 months :-), this article was extremely impacting on me.  Just reading their testimonies and how Jesus Christ and the scriptures are the center of their marriage was encouraging.  I am so thankful for my wife and everything she puts up with on a day to day basis.  Be encouraged, coaches, by your wives and don't ever take them for granted.  Love them, acknowledge them, and let them know how important they are to your ministry as a coach.  Without their constant support, your job would be extremely difficult.  I know that reigns true in my life and I am so thrilled to have a godly woman to walk by my side through this crazy journey called coaching!  Here is the link for the article if you are interested in reading it for yourself: Buckle Up

I Am Second

I just wanted to take some time to post some awesome videos from the I Am Second website.  If you have not ever heard of I Am Second, I strongly encourage you to watch these videos.  The link to the website is www.iamsecond.com Pass them along.  Enjoy!

WAYNE SIMIEN - Kansas Jayhawks, Miami Heat

LECRAE - Rapper

TONY DUNGY - Former NFL Coach

JOSH HAMILTON - Texas Rangers

Are You Unashamed?

 This week on ESPN's "Outside the Lines," Denver Broncos quarterback, Tim Tebow, was the center of attention (again).   Broncos fans are crying out for Tebow to be their starting quarterback, although he is only worthy of the 3rd string spot on the depth chart.  I encourage you to watch the video that aired on OTL before reading the rest of this post.  Here is the link: OTL: Polarized QB (Tim Tebow)

Wow.  Quite a story, huh?  I want to start out by saying that I have the utmost respect for Tim Tebow.  Obviously I don't know the guy personally, but his willingness to stand up for the gospel is unreal.  He truly is unashamed.  "For I am unashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."" - Romans 1:16-17.  In the face of ridicule and adversity everyday, Tebow somehow manages to keep his powerful testimony.  How does he do it?  I mean, he has everything at his fingertips that the world says should make him satisfied.  Women, money, fame, all of it.  But amidst the scoffers and haters he still holds fast to his faith in Jesus Christ.  This is a pure example of bearing fruit and living out the life of a believer.  So many athletes talk a good talk and say that they love Jesus and want to serve Him, but how many are truly sincere?  Tim Tebow is one of a few athletes that I have seen who truly walk the walk of a follower of Jesus Christ and isn't afraid to proclaim His name.  Every young athlete out there should look up to Tebow and take a lesson from his walking testimony.  We as coaches need to take a page out of Tebow's book and live a life according to the gospel.  If your coaching buddies want to go out and get drunk, be unashamed of the gospel and say no.  "But coach, I need to go out drinking with other coaches so I can network and get a job."  No you don't.  "But coach, if talk about Jesus all the time with coaches who don't believe the same things I do I will get laughed at and lose my opportunity of coaching college basketball."   Maybe.  But in the big picture does it really matter?  The only thing that matters is eternity and in the big scheme of things following Jesus is the only thing that matters.  Your coaching career is not what matters.  The championships you win don't matter.  Being unashamed of the gospel is what matters.  Tim Tebow is unashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ and he has to take persecution on the biggest of all stages.  So coaches, man up, humble yourself, and follow Jesus Christ.  Live your life so God will say, "well done my good and faithful servant."  I feel burdened for men such as the the comedian in the video, John Oliver, who are destined for an eternity in Hell and don't even realize it.  Let's continue to pray for lost souls and keep bearing fruit everyday!  Live a life worthy of the gospel and proclaim the name of Jesus every chance you get.  I challenge you to coach with integrity and follow Jesus Christ.  Are you unashamed?

"All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.  The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." - 1 Peter 1:24-25

Remember to Die

Remember to die.  This isn't a phrase that we usually say to someone, but it should be the first thing to cross our minds each day.  The apostle Paul is a great example of this discipline every day.  In 1 Corinthians 15:31, Paul makes it known to the church at Corinth that, "I die every day!"  Before you navigate away from this blog because you think its creepy, hear me out.  Remembering to die may be the most important things you ever do and it could be very essential in a successful life.  Jesus calls us to die to self so we can be alive in Him.  "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." - Philippians 1:21.  We need to die to ourselves, to sin, everyday.  Jesus Christ bore our sin in his body on the tree so we can do that (1 Peter 2:24).  The world is alive in sin and alive in themselves, but that is the recipe for disaster.  We need to make a conscious effort to avoid sin at all costs.  We need to be dead to it. As coaches, it is vital that we wake up every morning and remember to die.  Having a spirit of humility is the secret to success in any profession.  Humble yourself and be willing to die to yourself.  Be excited to die to your sin.  Fight it.  It's not an easy task to fulfill, but it is the direct calling from God to believers.  Remember to die every day so that we can obtain the Kingdom and live a life worthy of the gospel.  Wake up!  Be an example! Next time you roll out of bed have one thing on your mind.  REMEMBER TO DIE!

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends of faith - and that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." - Philippians 3:8-11

The 15 Book Challenge

In 2010, I was inspired by Alan Stein and I made it my goal to read 50 books in one year.  I was proud to accomplish that goal, but it wasn't easy to do.  I was reading on average 1 book per week and that wasn't including the Bible everyday and all the school books I had to read also.  As I sat down to read tonight, I realized that so far in 2011 I haven't been reading nearly as much as I did last year.  I think I have only finished about 15 or so books in 8 1/2 months this year, and that is not something I'm proud of.  Although one book a week isn't an easy task, I remember how good it made me feel and I want to start that again.  So, for the rest of 2011, my personal goal and challenge to you is to read 15 books.  15 weeks, 15 books.  I really believe that as a Christian coach, it is important for me to be educating myself and growing each day.  Stepping up responsibility and setting aside an hour a day to read my Bible and other books is crucial.  There is so much out there that I don't know and if I want to ever succeed as a Christian, a husband, a father, or a coach, I really need to commit time and effort into quality books.  Especially with basketball season approaching quickly, I feel an even greater responsibility to get in the Word and hit the books.  I know that we are all busy, but the busier you are, the more I want to challenge you to read 15 books.  For all you student managers, graduate assistants, and coaches out there who are serious about success and growth, do this.  I promise you that it will encourage you and enlighten you.  John Wooden is quoted as saying, "When I am through learning, I am through."  Don't ever be through learning, and what better way to gain knowledge and grow than to really dig in books and the Bible.  I would love to hear from you if you know of any good books out there that are "must reads" or have really impacted your life.  Encourage one another and keep me updated on your progress!  Happy reading.

Confidence and Courage

I've been reading a book by the NBA's Orlando Magic Sr. Vice President, Pat Williams entitled, Extreme Focus.  A lot of great insight and especially on confidence and courage.  In one of his chapters, Williams gives us 7 ways to increase our confidence and courage and I just wanted to share those with you real quick. Here they are:

1. Give yourself permission to fail.

2. Don't listen to your doubts and fears.

3. Be prepared; preparation builds confidence.

4. Be boldly decisive.

5. When you crash, get right back into the cockpit.

6. Be boldly who you are.

7. Have the courage to do good.

I think these are great points and can be done in a way that glorifies God through coaching and living.

Control Freak

If you have ever been in a leadership role and been dubbed the name of "control freak," you know that is not a good thing.  The definition in the picture to the left sums it up perfectly.  Control freaks live by the saying, "If I don't control the world, the world will control me."  Obviously, it is crucial to be in control of your life and know the One who is in control of your life, but it becomes detrimental when you begin to try and control the lives of everyone that you come in contact with.  Relationships are damaged, families are torn apart, and people are driven crazy by you.  The worst part of all of this is while a control freak is so focused on others and what they are doing, they are undermining their own life, dreams and successes.  To avoid the name tag of "Control Freak,"  make sure that you are focused on the things that you CAN control.  When you focus on the things you can control, you will find that your dreams will become reality and you will accomplish more.  Reinhold Niebuhr, a theologian, published a prayer many years ago about allowing a sovereign God to rule our lives.  The prayer goes as follows:

God, grand me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
The courage to change the things I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference.

Allow yourself to ponder on that prayer daily and let God grant you the wisdom to control the things you can control.  Take it upon yourself to seek out the things of God and avoid becoming a "control freak."

The Power of Encouragement

As coaches, we know that in order to achieve success on any team, there needs to be an element of encouragement amongst our players.  In fact, encouragement is so important that it should never cease to be done at any point in our lives.  Positive talk was something that Coach John Wooden stressed with his team and exemplified in his everyday character.  One of my favorite Wooden maxims is, "Nothing can give you greater joy than doing something for another."  As I was working at Walt Disney World today, I witnessed this first hand.  A football team from Lakewood High School, Colorado was in Orlando for a game at ESPN Wide World of Sports.  I first encountered them in the queue line for Tower of Terror where there just so happened to be a crying little girl who didn't want to get on the ride.  She was trying everything in her power to talk her parents out of taking her on the ride, but it just wasn't working.  The parents dragged the crying girl into the elevator and buckled her in with no turning back.  All of a sudden from the queue line I hear loud clapping begin, and shouts of, "Go Emma! You can do it!" start up.  It was the group of football players from Lakewood High School.  They just kept clapping and the more they clapped, the happier Emma became!  What happened next was the coolest thing.  This little girl, Emma, brightened up and put the biggest smile on her face.  Not only did Lakewood's encouragement impact Emma, but it impacted me and many others just standing around. The clapping and cheering from these high school football players encouraged her to go on the ride and have a great time.    Now, I don't know if the coach of this football team stressed things like that within his program, but any coach would've been proud of those players for their positive encouragement to Emma and her family.  Even if those guys were just trying to be funny or if they were just goofing around, they turned a horrifying moment into a lifetime magical memory for this girl just by lifting her spirits up.  I hope that moment will impact those football players for the rest of their lives and I hope that they realize what a little positive encouragement can do for someone else.  Keep that up and it will change your season, or more importantly your life.  "Nothing can give you greater joy that doing something for another."

Confident Faith

“Confident faith” is a characteristic that we as coaches need to embrace every day of our lives.  Acts 6:1-7 is a great demonstration of “confident faith,” as the apostle Paul writes about discipleship.  The church was upset with numerous things within involving widows and therefore, the 12 disciples gave them a talk and told the congregation to pick seven men of good reputation to lead them.  The people liked what they had to say and decided to choose seven men to lead them.  The chosen seven were: Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus.  You may have never heard of them before, but we read that the reason they were so special was because Paul tells us they were, “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.”  We see at the end of the passage that the Word of God continued to be preached, the number of disciples multiplied, and even priests were being obedient to this faith!  How did this core group of seven chosen leaders accomplish this calling?  They were full of “confident faith,” and these are the characteristics that it displays.

1.    Confident faith sees every crisis as an opportunity to get better.  James chapter 1 tells us to, "count it all joy..."  Through failure and trials, we need to see that as an opportunity to become better.

    

2.  Confident faith spends its time doing what you are good at and called to do.  Don't get discouraged if you are not good at your calling right away.  You may not be good at it right away, but if it is your calling make sure to stick with it.

3.    Confident faith chooses the right people to tackle the problem.  The congregation chose 7 men who were full of the spirit and wisdom.  The right people that they chose were already in the church, but they just needed to be noticed.  Find somebody who is passionate about the fixing the problem even if they aren't experts.

4.    Confident faith trusts the team to come up with the solution.  Have faith in your team.  Don't try to do everything on you own.  The 12 disciples could have tried to fix everything on their own, but instead they allowed the church to pick their own leaders to find a solution.

Self-Discipline

"The ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not." - Brian Tracy (Taken from the book, "Extreme Focus" by Pat Williams

Coaching Lessons From Cirque du Soleil

Last night I was privileged to have a date with my lovely wife at the Cirque du Soleil La Nouba show in Downtown Disney.  Hearing that it was the best show in all of Orlando, I was very excited to go.  I am happy to announce that it exceeded all of my expectations and it even gave me some unexpected surprises that couldn’t stop me from thinking about coaching!  There were so many qualities and characteristics of the show that left me thinking, “If only I could get my players to play basketball the same way these people perform, we would win a lot more games.”  Some of the things that caught my attention were the trust, precision, focus, teamwork, and execution.

In every act of the show there was something that I could relate to coaching a basketball team.  First of all, there was a tight rope walker.  What better image of FOCUS and CONCENTRATION than someone who is walking on a one inch piece of rope, several feet above the ground.  One split second of giving up their FOCUS and it would be all over for them. 

There were also these bikers that reminded me of the X-games somewhat, but none the less were amazing.  Jumping over people, stopping on a dime, twisting and turning in ways only they know how.  I was so impressed with their PRECISION work and how they made inches seem like miles. 

Finally, I will finish off the article by telling you about my two favorite and impressive acts.  Three little girls headlined the show using toys called “Diabolos.”  The toy has two sticks with a string attached to both of them, and there is a cone shaped piece that spins and moves along the string.  You can toss it, juggle it, you name it you can do it.  Well, these girls mastered this thing and the show they put on was amazing.  They put on a TEAMWORK clinic and displayed such amazing FOCUS as they were flipping all over stage playing what looked to be the most fun game ever.  Lastly, the flying trapeze.  The TRUST that needs to be had here is outstanding.  Timing everything perfect so you don’t miss the bar or another person’s hands, or tossing a bar to another teammate.  The only way that I’m flipping hundreds of feet in the air is if I  know for a fact that I can TRUST someone will catch me or there will be a bar to grab onto at some point.  In all these acts the EXECUTION was significantly perfect and done so well.  I would recommend all you coaches to go to the show and tell me if you don’t agree with me.  This post probably makes it sound like a simple circus, but rather it was the perfect display of trust, precision, focus, teamwork, and execution that we as coaches could learn some valuable lessons from.

What Does "Coram Deo" Mean?

Coram Deo is the Latin translation for "Before the Face of God."  As coaches, this is a very important quality that we need to embrace and be an example of.  Everything that we do needs to be done, "Coram Deo."  That means what we do in practice, how we handle problems, the way we interact with our players off the court, and even how we live our lives.  Coaching "Coram Deo" not only will strive to help coaches learn about the game of basketball, but it will more importantly strive to teach coaches how to become a Christian coach.  Winning is important and no one likes to lose, but the only way we will ever become a truly successful coach is by the way we reflect our everyday tasks to the glory of Jesus.

Here are a couple links that I would strongly recommend looking at to better yourself at coaching "coram deo."

Coaches Sports Philosophy Network
Nations of Coaches