Northland Changed My Life

I've been away from Northland for 5 years, but I realize that a piece of my heart will always be there.  There have been so many people from that place that God has used in my life to change my heart and help me grow as a follower of Jesus Christ.

I came in as a freshman in 2006  with a bitter heart and a lacking desire to be at a "Bible College."  I had the opportunity to play golf for Coach Dennis Scott and I did everything I could to be the best golfer I could be.  Health issues and a bad attitude kept me from being the best, but Coach Scott was always there to encourage me and point me in the right direction.  He was a great coach and a great adviser throughout my college years.  I'm thankful for Coach Scott.

There was one golf trip that Coach Scott couldn't go on, so  coach Pete Wehry took us instead.  Coach Wehry was the Dean of Students at the time and I was lucky enough to draw the short straw and share a hotel room with him.  The first night I was reading a coaching book called "Wooden" and that was enough to spark a conversation with this Peter guy.  Ever since that trip, Coach Wehry has been one of my best friends and wisest mentors.  I couldn't even count the number of times that he opened his office door to me just to hang out or do homework.  Many of those times turned into discipleship sessions where I was struggling and cried my heart out to him.  He just listened and then would point me in the right direction and pray with me.  He gave me my first coaching "job" and has been there for me ever since.  A group of us basketball guys used to skip "freshman seminar" and go over to Joel Widmer's house and watch TV.  One day we skipped and Coach Wehry was speaking that day.  He talked to us - we never skipped again.  He was the true definition of a coach.  I'm thankful for Coach Wehry.

In 2007 Coach Wehry took over as the head men's basketball coach and athletic director, thus leaving his post as the Dean of Students.  The guy that took over for him was Paul Whitt.  I am the luckiest student alive to have had these two men as Dean of Students because there is no doubt in my mind that I would've been kicked out of Northland about 20x if it wasn't for these two guys believing in me. No one else could have understood why we had to miss curfew...by 7 hours....on our way back to campus from the Sweet 16 in Detroit.  He also had this amazing "man cave" at his house and I'm not sure if there is a person I have watched more sporting events with than this man.  His family took me in and made me feel like their own son.  I can't even express how grateful I am for Coach Whitt and his family.  I'm thankful for Coach Whitt.

At Northland, I built relationships with people who are my lifelong friends.  They grew with me and challenged me in every aspect of my life.  My best friend, Nathan Pettit is getting married in July.  He was the best man in my wedding and now I am honored to be the best man in his.  I still remember the first time I met him, but I'm going to save that story for my best man speech.  He is the true definition of a friend.  I'm thankful for Nathan.

These stories could go on for ever because there were so many amazing people at Northland.  The people there are what made Northland special.  I could go on and on about the countless people that have impacted my life and remain close friends.  All of us were challenged by the word of God every day by people who genuinely cared for us. We were around gospel-centered people constantly and were loved by everyone on that campus.  My life changed because of Northland and the people that were there.  It's hard to hear about the adversity they are facing right now, but I'm thankful that the heart of Northland will never be closed.  That university loved and served me well and in return I was taught how to serve and love others.  I'm thankful for Northland.

3 W's of Relationships

In most cases, players have to walk together and work together before they can win together.

Walking relationship - Initiate a walking relationship with your teammates.

This is generally done off the court. What do you know about your teammates? Their families? Their likes and dislikes? Their struggles? The benefits of walking with your teammates include the biblical admonition of "bearing one another's burdens." For you to know how to encourage your teammates, you need to walk with them. Criticism requires no relationship with the one you are targeting, but if you walk with someone, you will be inclined to encourage him rather than criticize him. In addition, those who walk with someone else will also be inclined to pray for him.

Working relationship - Cultivate a working relationship with your teammates.

A walking relationship with teammates facilitates a working relationship with them. This dynamic generally happens in practices, in the weight room, on the track, and wherever else you work together. How much more inclined are we to work hard with our teammates when we first walk with them? Working together builds unity, establishes trust, and defers our own interests to those of the successes of our team. Do you like to go to work? If you say "yes," you like the players around you and are willing to be patient with their weaknesses and embrace their strengths for the benefit of team success.

Winning relationship - establish a winning relationship with your teammates.

Contrary to "bottom line" enthusiasts, the scoreboard is not the end-all in athletics. We are obligated in obedience to "run, that we may obtain"[the prize]; however, many "wins" exist apart from the final score.

Team goals that preclude a winning score are often "small wins" that, in time, accumulate and ultimately translate into wins on the scoreboard. These "small wins" share a common characteristic: teammates. A winning relationship with fellow teammates happens because the walking and the working relationships have already been established and are continually being enriched.

Now that we are in the off-season (on-season), individual workouts take center stage. As you hone your skills, eliminate weaknesses, and strengthen your body during these months, consider what steps you will take to walk and work with your teammates. Have you thought about initiating those first two w’s – walking and working - with your teammates? Imagine what could happen if a team was already walking and working together going into next season! “Small wins” would undoubtedly produce wins on the scoreboard. More importantly, the team would be able to fulfill its true mission better than ever before: to use the platform of athletics in ministry opportunities all around us. And it would be a true team effort!

This article was written by former BJU Bruins Assistant Coach, Larry Hunt.

5 Things Every Coach Can Give His Kids

One of my favorite parts of the Final Four is the opportunity to learn how to become a better husband and father through various ministries and workshops.  This past weekend, Carey Casey shared with us "5 Things Every Coach Can Give His Kids," which I thought was very good and wanted to share it.  Casey is the CEO of the National Center for Fathering.  Here are the notes that he gave us at the NABC Convention in Indianapolis.





1. He/She Needs a Living Example

• Set the example for expressing emotions responsibly.

         - Show them it's okay to be emotionally vulnerable.  Don't shut down and don't shut them down.
         - Research shows that most men are comfortable showing just one emotion - anger.
         - Learn to regulate anger and other negative emotions.

• Set an example for what it means to respect women.

         - Boys get most of their ideas about women and how to relate to women from their dad and key father figures

          - Words and comments must communicate respect.

• Be the example of the kind of husband a girl should look for.

2. He/She Needs a Plan for the Future

• Vocational training
• Relationship training
• Rights of passage
• Skills, attitudes, and value planning

3. He/She Needs Moral Benchmarks

• Respect for authority
• Young men need to be held accountable
• They need to know the boundaries

4. He/She Needs a Respect and Purity Monitor

• You must be a respect and purity monitor
• Be sure to do everything you can to help him/her protect their innocence and purity
• Having integrity will carry them for a lifetime

5. He/She Needs Words of Comfort

• Allowing them to express their feelings
• Actively listening to them
• Responding with empathy

6. When a father or father figure is engaged, girls do better:

• More secure
• More confident
• Does better in math
• Likely to marry a man who has similar features as her dad

You can learn more about the National Center for Fathering at www.fathers.com