Champions Today

In our program at Bob Jones University, we have focused our attention on becoming #ChampionsToday.  This mindset comes from a talk that Adam Bradley of the Hardwood Hustle gave to our team this past January as we were visiting Washington DC.  By focusing on building championship habits in everything we do, we began to see positive change within our team both on and off the court.

Our motto is "Live Christ."  We are a Christian university and our main goal is to glorify Jesus Christ in everything we do.  We want people to see Jesus through our daily actions and words.  The mindset of being #ChampionsToday has given everyone in our program an opportunity to give praise to Jesus by the way we do everything.  The way we workout, pay attention, study, behave in the dorms/hotel room, behave on the bus, practice, take notes, etc. are all indications of us being champions and living the way Christ would live.  As we bring the summer to a close and begin focusing our attention on academics and basketball, we are striving to carry out the mindset of being #ChampionsToday and ultimately bringing glory to Jesus through the way we do everything!

Follow our program on Twitter & Instagram @BJUBruinsMBB

The Final Four: More Than Meets The Eye

No person can even argue that March Madness is the most wonderful time of the year.  If you disagree with that statement - stop reading right now.  I'm only joking - KEEP READING!  I promise you that this will be worth your time.

As a basketball coach and someone that is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), I have the privilege of attending the Final Four every year for their annual convention. Although this convention is intended for professional and personal development, the question that is most often asked to me is, "do you get to go to the games?!"  I understand that it is only natural for people to ask that question when they hear I will be at the Final Four, but I always count it a blessing when I get to inform them that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the Final Four.

Despite the countless clinics, sessions, parties, dinners, and meetings that the NABC provides, there is also an emphasis on ministry with coaches.  Organizations such as Nations of Coaches, Athletes In Action, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes really do an outstanding job of providing coaches with the most important things that fit their needs.  Whether they know it or not, coaches need Jesus in their programs and they need biblical truths pumped through the hearts of their athletes.  These ministry groups spend countless hours mentoring and training people to help equip coaches with the necessary tools that will change their programs forever.  The sessions and panel discussions that are put on by these ministries are valuable resources for developing a biblical worldview in relation to coaching.

If you ever get a chance to come to a Final Four, or if you are a coach and have never heard of any of these events, I urge you to check them out sometime.  There's no greater experience than building relationships with other coaches that share the same heart beat as you.  They love basketball and everything that comes with it, but ultimately they love Jesus more and desire for their players to know Him.  Coaching is more than X's and O's and the time spent learning how to develop men of character will help make your program a TRUE success.

I am so thankful and appreciative of the people that have invested into my life as a young coach.  While some people view the Final Four as an opportunity to network, find a job, and party with their coaching buddies, I view it as an opportunity to grow in my walk with Jesus Christ and help develop me into a better husband and father.  No vocation influences as many lives as coaching does, and I am blessed to be a part of something that will impact lives forever through the game of basketball.

Some upcoming events to check out if you are in Dallas this weekend:

SATURDAY

FCA Coaches' Luncheon - 12:30 pm | Dallas Ballroom

It's Gametime! - 5:00 pm | Dallas Ballroom

SUNDAY

Coaches' Bible Study - 8:30 am | Press Club

Worship Service - 10:00 am | Dallas Ballroom

Core Values

Core values are essential in any group or organization and they play a crucial role in accomplishing the overall vision and mission.  Often times when you think of a successful company or team there are specific words that come to mind that portray that specific group.  Our men's basketball program at Bob Jones University has made the effort to promote certain core values to build our foundation upon.  Coach Neal Ring and our staff spent a lengthy amount of time praying and talking through these values and came up with a "wheel" that provides a visual illustration to our players of how we expect them to become successful.  There are three parts to this "wheel" and they are our mission, our core values, and our vision.  Everything we do begins with a single heartbeat, one that every member of our program must buy into in order to attain our overall vision. 

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission statement is at the center of the "wheel" and it reads,

"Bruins' men's basketball exists to develop student athletes who glorify God and to prepare them to always LIVE CHRIST." 

 

We believe that no matter what we are trying to accomplish from a basketball perspective, it will have no effect unless we are doing it for a bigger purpose.  What is our bigger purpose?  It is to glorify God and live Christ.  If we are simply coming to the gym every day in hopes to win games and get the ladies we have missed our true calling.  Our purpose is so much greater that the excitement, the wins/losses, and the cool gear.  We want to be used of God to impact lives for eternity through the game of basketball.  This sounds well and good, but simply stating this is not enough.  We need to have a plan of action and that is found in our core values.

 

CORE VALUES

 

Our core values are the pieces of the puzzle that we must live out if we hope to accomplish our vision.  There are four main values that we stress to our program.

 

1. Passion - First and foremost we need to have a passion.  We need a passion for Jesus Christ and we need a passion for the game of basketball.  We need to be willing to put the required work into both of those aspects and be committed to growing consistently in them.  A passion for Jesus can be cultivated through reading his Word and seeking him in every area of your life.   When you read the Scriptures, God opens your heart to amazing things and ignites a passion to know Him.  You will be amazed how God can use you when you are actively and consistently searching for him!  A passion for basketball will be stirred when you see the fruits of your hard work.  Early mornings in the weight room, boot camp conditioning, and grueling workouts sometimes are difficult, but once you step on the court in front of thousands of screaming fans, it all becomes worth it!  Galatians 2:20

 

2. Integrity - We expect our members to be honest and trustworthy in every relationship they have.  These values need to be mutual and we will treat everyone the same way we wish to be treated.  It's the Golden Rule!  If you want to be treated well, then treat others well!  Most people do not like being lied to and they hate when someone doesn't follow through, so make sure to value everyone in all things.  The world says that the 'cool' thing to do is lie, cheat and steal, but that is totally opposite of what the Bible says.  Instead, God calls us to live a life saturated with high character.  We are born sinners and sin is a daily struggle, so please don't think it's easy to do the right thing.  But do know that with God's grace all things are possible and he will give you the strength and the desire to do what is honorable!  Luke 6:31; Philippians 4:8

 

3. Humility - Athletes are glorified in this world and sometimes they expect to be treated in such a way.  However, we have a platform to make an impact and we must display humility.  We do this by being selfless, having a grateful spirit, and acting out with servant-leadership.  When I was a camp coach at the University of Minnesota, Tubby Smith left a lasting impression of humility on me.  We were in the cafeteria when one of the campers spilled his food tray all over the floor.  From a distance I noticed all of the campers and coaches staring at this kid and some were even laughing and pointing at him.  Nobody stopped to help him.  What I didn't see was that Coach Smith had immediately gone to get paper towels and he was the first one to help.  He smiled at this kid and told him it was OK, got down on his hands and knees and began to clean up this camper's mess.  As a young coach I was in awe that a man such as Coach Smith would humble himself to serve others.  The same goes for Jesus.  He came to this world not to be served, but to serve others.  There are so many examples in the Bible about Jesus providing food, healing the sick, and just being there to share the gospel with anyone he possibly could.  He was always on the lookout to serve others and he called us to do the same.  True leadership is done through serving others.  Mark 10:45

 

4. Collective Responsibility - We are always holding each other accountable.  There is a mutual support among coaches, players, managers, and support staff.  There is no whining, complaining, and no making excuses.  The Bible says we sharpen each other just as iron sharpens iron.  A team is a powerful force and when every person is looking out for the best interest of the others, amazing things can happen.  We can cultivate this by holding players accountable for their class attendance, grades, and relationships.  If you see your teammate sleeping in class or texting during a lecture, call him out in a biblical way!  More importantly keep each other focused on reading the Word.  The most important thing we can do as a coach is to disciple our players and make sure they are doing what needs to be done to know God.  Teammates need to watch out for each other and make sure others are not doing something they shouldn't be doing such as drinking alcohol, being involved in a immoral relationship, or rebelling against authority.  When a team comes together and supports one another, there is no telling what they can accomplish!  We want our players to graduate and become godly husbands and fathers, not just good basketball players.  Proverbs 27:17

 

When these four values are lived out on a daily basis, success becomes a bi-product of the process.  If we can live out these values each and every day, we believe that they will ultimately allow us to carry out our overall vision.

 

VISION STATEMENT

 

Our vision statement is our end goal.  It is where we want to be what we want to accomplish.  We can do this by carrying out our core values and staying focused on our mission.  Our vision statement reads,

 

"We view basketball as a potent platform for ministry in this present age.  To maximize this platform, we must prepare to compete against each opponent to earn their respect; with this respect we earn the opportunity for testimony of Christ."

 

God calls us to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and to disciple others to become more like him and do the same.  Basketball is only a tool that God has given us to carry out the great commission (Matthew 28:16-20).  As a program, we want others to come to know Jesus Christ and seek to glorify him.  Of course we want to compete at the highest levels and win championships, but ultimately we are only doing that so that Jesus Christ will become famous!  Here is a look at what our "wheel" looks like:

 

 

Follow the BJU Bruins Men's Basketball team at the following:

 

Twitter - @BJUBruins

Instagram - @BJUBruins

Facebook - Bob Jones University Bruins

Online - www.BJUBruins.com

 

 

 

 



 

The Victory Is His

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 reads, "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name." (ESV)

Dictionary.com defines "Victory" as, 

vic·to·ry [vik-tuh-ree, vik-tree]

1. a success or triumph over an enemy in battle or war.

2. an engagement ending in such triumph.

3. the ultimate and decisive superiority in any battle or contest.

Although we often associate the term 'victory' with the sports arena, the true victory was won at the cross of Jesus Christ.  I have been assessing myself as a coach and asking myself the question, "why do you coach?"  Obviously there is a passion and desire to win championships, develop the skills of my players, and to reach the highest level of success that is possible.  But if the wins, success, and reputation among my peers is the only place I'm finding victory, then I have truly lost.  When I break it down to the fundamentals, there really are only three reasons I coach and they are the only things that will make an impact for eternity.

1. Discipleship within a basketball program is key.  I want to disciple my players to the best of my ability to ensure that they are growing in their walks with Jesus and that they are winning off the court as well as on the court.  It is also very important that I am being a disciple to the coaching staff around me.  One area that is often forgotten though, is the fact that I need to be discipled as well.  If no one is coaching the coaches, then we are in trouble. (Matthew 28:19)

2. Proclaiming the gospel to the nations is essential.  Throughout the season it is vital to not only be visible in the community, but also to have a presence in the world.  As coaches, we ought to make it a priority to get our teams overseas to the mission field where the gospel is scarce.  If we aren't telling non-believers about Jesus, then we are failing in our call as coaches and as human beings. (Matthew 5:16)

3. Glorifying Jesus Christ in all we do is the umbrella over it all.  We were put here on this earth by a marvelous Creator and he deserves all the praise we have to offer.  God the Father sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross for our sin, rise up from the grave, and give us victory.  He gave us victory because he won the battle over sin.  He gave us victory because he sits triumphantly at the right hand of God the Father.  (1 Corinthians 10:31)

It was the ultimate sacrifice and according to the Bible and the definition given to us by Dictionary.com, we really do have victory in Jesus!  We can worship Jesus by the way we coach, the way we live, and by the legacy we leave.  Next time you think about victory and winning a championship, check your intentions and make sure that you are doing everything for the glory of God!

Follow @CoachWingreen on Twitter!

Becoming a Bruin

Well, it feels like the past few months have been a roller coaster ride, as I've been trying to find a coaching position for this upcoming season.  I'm very excited to announce that God has opened a door for me to coach at NCCAA DI, Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC.  My young coaching career has been filled with mostly part-time and volunteer positions, so I am extremely thankful for my first "full-time" position where my job is to get paid to coach basketball!  How cool is that?!

My wife and I have spent numerous hours praying that the right position would open up, and it has.  I am looking forward to working with a great head coach in Neal Ring and being part of BJU's inaugural season of intercollegiate athletics.  I didn't think that when Coach Ring first talked to me about coming to BJU it would actually happen.  I had a lot of skepticism and was doubtful about the whole situation, but I guess good things happen when you talk to coaches at the Final Four!

I look forward to being part of a program where Jesus Christ is lifted high and lives will be impacted for the Kingdom of God.  Anyone who knows me understands my passion for basketball and my desire to use the game to proclaim the gospel message of Jesus.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to coach at an institution where I can do that.  I am also grateful for my mentors who have discipled me along the way and continue to make huge impacts in my life.  Coach Peter Wehry, Coach Paul Whitt, and Wayne Simien (there are many more coaches, too!) have been some of my greatest coaching role models and I appreciate everything they do.  I am pumped up to begin work as a Bruin and I am ecstatic to see the awesome things God does with our basketball team!

Winning the Battle

This morning, my pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in Rockford, preached an outstanding message entitled, "Winning the Battle Over Sin".  I instantly knew that I wanted to share this on my blog not only because it is so convicting and powerful, but also because he relates it so strongly to the sports arena.  His whole point was to encourage us and inform us of the necessity it is to "make war" with our sin on a daily basis.  So many times we find ourselves just doing the typical "Christian" thing and making sure we are just doing OK.  But I was really challenged in this message to take initiative and really take a "Holy violence" against my sin. He had 3 things we need from Colossians 3:1-7 that he used to make that point to us.  The three points were:

1. You must have a good OFFENSE

2. You must have a good DEFENSE

3. You must have good TEAMMATES

The entire passage talks about our utter dependence on God and how me must put on a "New Self."  I thought it was so awesome how he related sports analogies to our walk with Christ.  I was extremely convicted of my walk with Jesus and how I am playing "defense" too often.  I just want to fight sin and stay out of trouble.  But Jesus really encouraged me to take the "offensive" in winning the battle over sin.  I was also struck back by how important it is to have the right 'teammates' on your side to encourage you in your walk.  Instead of summarizing the entire sermon in this blog post, I would rather allow you to listen to it yourself.  I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to listen to this sermon while your working out in the morning or while your driving your daily commute to/from work.  I feel like this idea  of "making war" or "winning the battle over sin" really needs to be strengthened in my walk as a Christian and I believe that it can be directly translated to the way I coach a basketball team.  I hope you are as encouraged by this message as I am and I would love to hear your feedback!

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.

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