Jake's Testimony

Jake sent the following out to his Kindgom Hoops program this week, and I wanted to share it on the blog as well...

A couple of weeks ago I had a parent within the program call me up to do lunch. I was assuming this individual wanted to talk about his kids, especially since they are new to the program. However, I got a cool surprise. His first question for me that day at lunch was that he wanted to know ‘my story’ - or in more 2011 Christian language ‘my testimony’! It was a great lunch, and it was fun to share the journey God has had me on the past eight years. As I hopped back into my car that afternoon it dawned on me that I have never shared my God story with the program. My initial thought was how can I expect people to understand what we are doing as an organization if they don’t even know how this all started in my life. So, this week I have decided to share my testimony. Please note this is the abbreviated version. If I went into all the details this 'thought for the week' would be 30 pages long. I will do my best to keep it short and as concise as possible.

My journey to Christ started in college at Iowa State as God began to remove the things from my life that I had clung to deeply for so long. As I was losing so much that I had held dear, God began to bring people into my life that would show me a different purpose for living.

Over the course of the first 20+ years of my life I had created a god that was centered around me and basketball. I never really understood that while pursuing my dreams. I figured I was just pursuing a goal that I was extremely passionate about. The more success that I garnered on the basketball court the greater my desire grew for the status and recognition that came along with my success. I never understood that I had any platform greater than myself. Of course I did a lot of nice things for other people, and always had a passion for young people, but when you got down to the core of it, all of my nice actions were really to benefit me.

My college basketball career began similar to all that I had known in the past. I committed myself to being successful more than anyone else around me. Through all my hard work (or so I thought) I continued receiving as much praise and admiration as I did in junior high and high school. Then it all changed one July day in Norway. I was traveling in the summer of 2002 with the Big 12 all-star team overseas for a couple of weeks while we competed against international competition. I was playing the best basketball of my life, and without question was having the most fun I had ever had playing basketball. During the prior six months I had committed myself to losing 30 pounds, and I was beginning to see the aspirations of playing in the NBA just outside the reach of my finger-tips. It was our 2nd to last game during the tour, and during the last minute of the game I rolled my ankle pretty badly. I probably should not have played in the final game, but I said what the heck! I got it taped up and took some serious pain medication. During that final game I was 7 for 7 from the three point line in the first half, and with the adrenaline and pain medication I had forgotten about my ankle.

Then in the second half I felt something different. I could never accurately describe it, but I was pretty sure I tore whatever you can tear in your ankle. When I got back on the bus that evening I discovered that I could pop my ankle in and out of its socket. It was quite painful to do it, and I thought to myself that this can’t be normal. A few days later I returned to Iowa State and went immediately to the athletic medical staff. Within a couple of hours of bringing this to their attention I was in a tube getting an MRI. The results came back, and it showed no structural damage. They could not see anything wrong, and they thought it was just all the swelling from the sprain, and I was told it would be better in a couple of weeks.

As my junior season began in 2002 I definitely knew something was wrong with my ankle. At the same time that I was struggling with this injury God was putting people in my life that would eventually lead me towards Christ. Obviously, I had no idea that was what was going on, but as I look back on it I now I can see what God was up to. We had this manager on staff named Dave Edwards that gave me a Bible, and told me to read the book of James as it would help me deal with Coach Eustachy. A year and half earlier I started dating a pretty good looking girl, and she started to attend something called Salt Company at Cornerstone Church in Ames, Iowa. I thought it would be a good idea to attend if she was ever seriously going to date me! (This good looking girl later became my wife). On the basketball court everything looked great from the outside, but the reality of the situation was much different. I was taking anywhere from 4-6 vicodin pills per/day, and was getting shot up before every game. My ankle would dislocate 4 or 5 times per/game. I would bend over pop it back into place and keep playing. It helped that I was so drugged up that I really could not feel it anyways.

After the season was over I was in for another MRI, but again nothing. But, the doctors could now clearly see how easily I could pop my ankle in and out, so they decided to cut me open and see what was going on. To make a long story short my ankle was shredded into little pieces. The doctors went in a couple times to insert screws, repair tendons, and shave down bone. I rehabbed as hard as I could, but as I slowly returned for my senior year I knew this journey was coming to end. It is also important to mention that during all of this my head coach Larry Eustachy was in the middle of a huge scandal after a poor decision at the University of Missouri. The media was everywhere, I had a cast up to my knee for three months, and soon the guy who was responsible for bringing me to Iowa State was now resigning. Teammates were transferring and a new staff was being brought in. My previous best friend had transferred to Mississippi State a year earlier, and now my new best friend was transferring to Iowa. In the midst of all the chaos, God had started to reveal himself to me. I slowly began to understand the realization of what Christ did for me and all my sin on the cross. In September 2003 I surrendered my life to Christ and God started me on an incredible journey.

My basketball career ended at Madison Square Garden in the final four of the NIT in March of 2004. All those hours of hard work were now a distant memory. All the trials and tribulations on the basketball court were over. All the things I accomplished did not really matter any longer. Cyclone Nation was on to the new recruits and the new players that would continue Hilton Magic. Within a blink of an eye it was all over. A couple months after that last game in NYC I got married to the girl I dated all through college. I began to grow in my understanding of the Bible. I was now doing what good American Christians do! I was going to church every Sunday, I was actively a part of a young married couple’s bible study every Wednesday night, and yes I would grudgingly open my Bible on occasion to read it. My life had gone from a great adventure on the basketball court, to something that was simple, quiet, and in my mind pretty boring. During the start of this new life I had the opportunity to start All Iowa Attack alongside a successful Ames businessman, and soon found myself living a rather cushy life for being 25 years old. I was working for a successful business man, I had very little expenses, and I was making more money than anyone else my age that I knew of with the exception of my friends that went on to play professionally.

However, I was so BORED. In 2008 I was up visiting my parents over Labor Day. JJ was now 2 years old, and my wife and I had just had Jayla who was about 3 months old at the time. We had spent the morning and early afternoon on Saturday 2008 of Labor Day Weekend at the Minnesota State Fair. When we arrived back at my parents’ house everyone headed to take a nap. I was left alone to my thoughts in the basement that I grew up in. I had really been wrestling with this boredom in my life. I was used to playing in front of 15,000 people in Hilton Coliseum. I was used to a life that was always centered around goals that everyone always told me I would never accomplish. My basketball career had taken me to over half of the states in the United States, and handful of different countries. I missed the locker room. I missed my teammates. I missed the adventure of being an athlete. And, anyone who has had the opportunity to compete in athletics at a very high level will know exactly what I am talking about.

Now I was living a quiet life, coaching young people, in Ames, Iowa. I knew I was going to heaven, and I knew Jesus died for me. I was very grateful for this realization, but no matter how you slice the bread it was boring. So, with all of this swirling in my head all I really knew how do was just to tell God. I was pretty sure that I would totally offend him, but what the heck he might just answer my prayers. He always had answered my prayers from the first time I got to know him in 2003, so I thought that just maybe He would want to listen to me again. That September day in 2008 I got down on my knees and simply cried out to God. I told him how bored I was, and if there was more to this Christ thing than just going to church on Sunday, doing a bible study, and one day entering eternal life. I asked Him to show me what I was missing. Then as I closed out my prayer I told God that if there isn’t more to this journey with Christ on earth to just please take me to heaven now, otherwise I was going to drive myself nuts due to the shear boredom of my life since basketball had come to an end.

I finished crying out to God, and I wasn’t sure if He was even listening. About an hour later I got a text from a man in our church asking if I wanted to join his men’s group. I texted him back asking what time and when? He said, “6am, Thursday mornings.” For anyone that knows me I don’t do mornings. Usually I don’t go to sleep until 1 or 2am, so 6am just does not work in my schedule. Plus I suffer from something called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which I will share more about another week, but the less you sleep the more the symptoms of OCD manifest themselves. I quickly texted him back and said, “Maybe some other point in my life, but not now.” I wish I could say that was the end of the story. However, God bugged me about it all day, and the next morning for some reason I texted him back and said that I had changed my mind and I would see him Thursday morning. From this point on God began to show me that there is so much more to a life that is fully dedicated to Christ, but this did not get revealed overnight.

In our men’s group we were studying through the book of Isaiah. Most of our topic was that as men God has called us for a particular purpose, and we can either choose to join him or not. But, regardless of what we decide God’s purpose would be accomplished, so we might as well jump on his team and join in on the adventure.

Two weeks after starting this men’s group my wife and I are attending our Sunday church service when about 20 minutes into service she begins to cry uncontrollably. As any husband would do, I replayed every action that I had made in the past 24 hours that could have caused this anguish. I was sure I had done something wrong, but I was having trouble putting my finger on exactly what it was. Janel excused herself to the restroom, and came back about 10 minutes later. We made it through the rest of the service, and soon we were heading to the car with the kiddos in hand. During this walk to the car it seemed like the car was miles away. I had a huge knot in my stomach, as I was sure she was going to inform me of what exactly I had done wrong. Well, what comes out of her mouth next is not what I was expecting. Janel says, “I am pretty sure that God wants us to adopt, and when they were showing the video of the orphanage in Zambia it was like God was speaking directly to me.” I opened my car door and under my breath I said to God, “Thank you Lord that it was you and not me.” I then turned to my wife and said, “Sure that would be a lot of fun.” If only I knew what God was going to begin in our life.

About two weeks after my wife and I had officially decided we were going to adopt I got a knock on my office door, and it was the business man I worked for with All Iowa Attack. He informed me that he was selling the All Iowa Attack facility, and that I would need to find a place for our boys’ teams to practice as he could not have all those boys at his home gym practicing throughout the winter. I thought somebody had just punched me the face, and I looked up and said, “Seriously?” Oh, he was serious and I started looking for options. As I am out searching for options God is moving our adoption along. God was developing a strong passion inside of me to ensure that our adopted child would always understand where they came from. I wanted our yet to be named child to understand that God had simply allowed them to be adopted by a family from the United States, but they were not just escaping their country. Instead, I wanted them to always have a responsibility to make an impact in the place that God would call them from. With these thoughts swirling around in my head and some money saved up from individual training that I had been doing, I decided to start a 501C3 foundation called Kingdom Hoops. I had no business plan, and no idea why I was really starting this foundation, but I thought to myself if I ever needed it at least I would have it.

Before I could blink it was the spring of 2009. Our boys’ teams were now practicing at a facility in Ankeny. I had a foundation all set up, and was headed to Africa for the first time ever with no plan, and no idea what I was actually doing. In May of 2009 my All Iowa Attack partner and I decided to go different directions which removed me from the comfort of his umbrella. Our first adoption attempt had fallen through and cost us an enormous chunk of money in fees that we could not recoup, and we were choosing to start the process all over.

The rest is really history filled with a million different God stories along the way. God forever changed my life in 2008, and I will most definitely never be the same. In it all I became a believer in 2004, but God truly took my life from me in 2008. He continues to grow me, and challenge me daily. I have been in a place the past 18 months where I have nearly lost everything. There is no money any longer in my savings and retirement accounts. Most of my life makes little sense to the world. However, I take great comfort in knowing that Jesus said He would use the foolish things of the world to shame the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). The adventure I was looking for has most definitely been found in Christ. He has taught me how to give up my life for His purposes. He is teaching me how to fully trust in His word and promises. I have seen His Glory shine when all seemed lost. One prayer, on one fall day, had changed everything. God showed up like I could have never imagined. There are many days I want to quit. But, then I think how easy it would have been for God to quit on me when my god was me and my dreams. Who knows where the adventure will lead, but I take great comfort in knowing that I am still part of a team, now God’s team.

Jake's Thought for the Week

I haven't been posting Jake's 'Thought for the Week' regularly because I know that many of those who read this blog already get his newsletter every week! But, I really wanted to post this one that he sent out yesterday to the families in his Kingdom Hoops program. I thought it offered some great insight for parents of children in athletics. I always pray that I won't be one of those 'crazy' parents yelling in the stands while my kids play sports! :) Youth sports can bring out the absolute WORST in people...I've seen it first hand....but I loved reading Jake's reflections here of how his own parents shaped and supported his athletic career positively....here are his thoughts:

I was thinking about basketball and the development of young people this week and I thought it might be beneficial for everyone if I gave some personal feedback from a slightly different perspective. I am going to share with all of you what I feel my parents did well in regards to guiding me during my athletic pursuits. Next week I am going to share the things I wish would have been different. In my opinion there is not a more important external factor of success for an athlete than how their parent’s guide them in the process. Obviously there are always examples where we can show the contrary to what I may describe below, but from my perspective these are the things my parents did best that helped me reach my goals on the basketball court and off.

Basketball was my thing not theirs. I am not sure I can make this statement any more clear. From the start of my basketball career in 3rd grade when I was just playing on eight foot hoops it was always my decision and my passion to play basketball. From the time I started pursuing athletics, which included both basketball and baseball, my Dad always said, “Son this is your thing, and your Mother and I will always do whatever necessary to provide you the opportunities you desire. However, if we are going to provide the necessary resources for you to pursue your goals we will expect that you pursue it with excellence. If we ever feel that you are not providing the effort necessary to reach your goals then we will not provide the necessary resources for you to continue to pursue a particular activity.” Other than that simple advice it was always my dream, my adventure, my passion and never theirs.

My Dad was always honest - he never sugar coated things. My Dad was probably the most honest person I have ever met. He never sugar coated things just to make me feel good, but yet never offered an opinion unless I asked for it in some way. Here is one example I will never forget: I was in the 5th grade and we were in the finals of a league that our team participated in. I got fouled with 3 seconds left in the game and we were down one point. I missed both free throws and we lost the league championship. I was crying in the car on the way home and he brought down the rear view mirror in order to look at me. He then went on to ask me one simple question. He said, “Why are you crying?” In my mind I wondered if he had even been at the game. He proceeded to ask the most important question of my young basketball career. He said, “How many free throws have you shot over the past six months?” Well the answer was simple, as it was none except when it was mandatory at the end of practice. I gave him my answer and his reply was, “You can’t be upset about not accomplishing something when you have first not put in the time to accomplish it.” His response was simple and shaped my dedication towards excellence for the rest of my basketball career. I have a ton of examples like this one, but this particular one should give everyone the idea of the honesty I was parented with.

I always had two choices: Quit or Work Harder. This one is simple. Whenever I complained, became frustrated, didn’t think something was fair, or wanted a different role on a team my Dad would state the following, “You can quit or you can work harder and that choice is completely yours. However if you quit you won’t play on a different team until next year.” He taught me that complaining and discontentment was always going to be there as an athlete and it would ultimately be in my hands to work harder in order to overcome the adversity I was facing.

It was always my responsibility to talk with the coach not theirs. In my fourteen year basketball career my Dad only spoke to one of my coaches twice and both times I was included in the meeting. The first time was when my high school coach called my Dad and I in for a meeting notifying us that he was moving me up to varsity as an 8th grader. The other time was at 14U AAU Nationals. My Dad and I asked to go to dinner with my AAU Coach to discuss what things I was going to have to do in order to play college basketball. My coach was Mark Wilson - one of the all-time great point guards at the University of Minnesota. That conversation at AAU Nationals did more to shape my career than any other single event. Other than those two instances it was always my responsibility to talk with the coach. If I did not have enough courage to set up a meeting then the problem was not big enough to bring to a coach.

My parents let me grow up despite it scaring the daylights out of me. Oh gosh where do I even begin. I guess two stories pop into my head right away. I was entering the 7th grade and I came running home from school one day telling my parents all about the Five Star All American camp in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I told him how all the best players were going to be there and that I knew I could compete at that level. Two months later during the middle of June I was on my way to Pittsburgh. My Dad brought me to the airport and walked me to the security check-in. He gave me a handshake and told me to go to gate 4, get on the plane when they call my seat section, and then someone from Five Star basketball camp would pick me up at the baggage claim in Pittsburgh. I was scared out of my mind, but survived and ended up being selected for the All-Star team at the camp. My highlight of that camp was playing with Tyson Chandler in the All-Star game. He finished with 17 dunks during the game and was named MVP. Last year he was the starting center for the Dallas Mavericks. This was one of my first experiences learning how to navigate through this world without my parents by my side, and it was the start of developing an independence that helped me reach many of my goals.

The other great thing they did was when I entered high school and started playing 15U-17U basketball. The night before I was ready to head out for my first AAU high school tournament we had one of our famous family meetings at the dinner table. My Dad said, “Son, if you want to be great you will have to learn how to take care of your body. Moving forward your Mother and I will not travel with you to anymore spring/summer tournaments. You will ride in the team vans. You will need to learn to take care of your body - get the right amount of sleep, room with people who have different interests and cultures than you, and begin to develop independence for your own success. You can’t rely on your Mother and I to do this stuff for you the rest of your life, and if you ever go play college basketball you will need to learn to become responsible for taking care of yourself.” As always I was nervous, scared, and doubted his wisdom, but as I grew up it was that responsibility that they gave me that helped shape me and allowed me to reach many of my goals.

My Dad worked with me on the emotional and mental aspect of being a basketball player and left the skills, offenses, and defenses up to my coaches. Only on a very rare occasion would my Father ever give me a basketball suggestion, and if he did it was usually something very simple. He would maybe encourage me to hold my follow-through longer or do a better job being on balance. My Mom would just say make your free throws. They never talked about the offense, the coach, or any of my teammates. If I discussed any of those things in a negative way my life was probably on the line.

However, my Dad spent countless hours helping me on the mental aspect of being a great athlete. It could be the quotes that he stuck in my shoe before every varsity game for five years. It might have been the long rides home from a game after I lost my self-control which happened more times than not. He taught me how to think as leader and an athlete that strived for excellence. My parents left the coaching of the team and basketball related skills up to my coaches, but they took the responsibility of developing my leadership skills and emotional composure during difficult situations.

I could never hear my parents during a game. No matter what game I played or where we played I could never hear them during a game. My parents sat in the same spot for every varsity game. They sat in the upper row over in the corner. They would cheer and clap but they never coached me from the stands and never embarrassed me with the officials. I knew they were there at the game supporting me, but I never remember hearing them at a game. It allowed me to focus on what I needed to focus on no matter how much was on the line in any particular game.

They taught me what it meant to be great. The best lesson of greatness I ever received was prior to my eighth grade year. I was being recruited by every private high school in the St. Paul / Minneapolis area. I was trying to make up my mind of whether I would attend Tartan High School (which was my home public high school), Cretin Derham Hall, or St. Thomas Academy. I was wrestling with the decision because Tartan High School was coming off a 1-21 season and had not been to a state tournament in over 25 years and never won a state championship. Both St. Thomas and Cretin Derham Hall were both athletic powerhouses. One night my Dad knocked on my bedroom door and said, “I know you are struggling with this decision but great players make others great. If you really think you are going to be a great player then traditions and prior championships don’t matter. Great players create traditions and lead teams to championships.” I chose to attend Tartan High School. During my senior year we walked off the floor with a State Championship and Tartan High School went on to appear in the Minnesota High School State Tournament for 11 straight years.

They taught me the importance of failing. In other words they were never afraid to let me fail. They never protected or hovered over me. There were more nights than I could count that I went to bed crying, frustrated, discouraged, or even angry. Those moments taught me so much. They taught me how to bounce back. They taught me how not to quit in the face of adversity. They helped me grow, mature, and reach my goals. I always learned way more when I failed than I ever learned when I succeeded, and it was because my parents were not afraid to let me fail.

They taught me the importance of what a commitment meant. My word was my word. A commitment meant a journey together. It meant no matter how big the mountain was or how long we were in the valley I would be there with my teammates. My parents also never allowed me to forget where I started, or how I had gotten there, and who those people were in my life that helped me reach my goals. It was a great lesson that was taught to me over and over and over while I was growing up. It has helped sustain me through many difficult situations both in college and after when it would have been so easy to quit.

Those are just a few of the things that my parents did that had a huge impact on my journey as an athlete. Not everything was perfect and I will share those things next week. God blessed me with the passion and desire to pursue basketball and my parents did a great job of allowing me to pursue my goals at the highest level.

Have a great week!!

Jake

Jake's Thought for the Week

My favorite book of the Bible is the book of Acts. I believe the book of Acts gives all of us the exact example we are looking for from God in regards to how we are supposed to live in a broken world - how we are supposed to be willing to give up everything for the purposes of God - how we are supposed to step out in blind faith trusting that God will provide - how we are supposed to keep coming back even after we are beaten and fall down. My favorite story in Acts shows how God often uses 'fools' of the world to shame the wise and allow God's glory to be known.

My favorite disciple in all of the Bible is Paul. In my opinion, Paul probably had the single biggest effect on the spread of the gospel throughout the nations and his story is told in detail in the book of Acts. He lived a life that I strive to live each day not by what I say, but by how God empowers me to live. However, Paul was not always the great disciple Paul. Paul was an extraordinary sinner. In fact his name was first known as Saul and he had a strong reputation for taking bold stands against Christianity - he in fact started out as a murderer of people who professed faith in Jesus.

Then one day the Lord appeared to Saul and called him out for his sin against God's people. God placed scales on Saul's eyes making him blind. Soon after this God sent a man named Ananias to place his hands on Saul's eyes. The scales were removed and Saul's sight was restored. From this point on God used Saul, who was later renamed Paul, to spread the Gospel across the nations.

What has always fascinated me about the story of Paul was that God took away his sight and then restored it, allowing him to see the world differently. I often asked the question why his sight? Why not his ability to walk, his ability to hear or why not just perform some great miracle for him to believe? As I pondered these questions I began to look at my own life and I noticed my own blindness. Maybe I was not the Saul who did not believe in God, but I had been the Saul who was blind to God and his purposes for my life. Slowly God began to remove those scales from my eyes and my world would never be the same. I am still blind in many areas of my life where God is working or calling me too, but every time I sit down to pray since studying the book of Acts I try to end all my prayers with the following: God please give me the eyes to see what you see and my heart to break for what breaks yours.”

I used to see Kingdom Hoops / All Iowa Attack by the end results on the bracket boards, the trophies that surrounded the gym, and the number of players we helped to get to play college basketball. I used to see my own personal success on how much money I had in my Orange Savings Account. I used to see my worth on the assets that I possessed. Then my life changed when I opened my Bible and began to pray that God would remove the scales from my own eyes.

AND THIS IS WHAT I SAW THIS PAST WEEKEND AT THE HAWKEYE SHOOTOUT -

I saw a swimming pool full of boys and girls from the spectrum of farm communities to the inner city, laughing and playing together.

I saw a young man who once gave me great joy if he simply said "hi" to me, laughing and smiling as he did cannon balls into the swimming pool.

I saw another young man play with poise throughout the weekend despite his Dad showing up to watch him play, when just a year ago we completely lost him emotionally for about six months when his Dad showed up to this same tournament.

I saw a girl become one of the leaders of a team that despised her just less than six months ago because of my decision to have her replace one of their most liked teammates that had decided to leave the program in the fall.

I saw a young man begin to understand just what God may be calling him to after years of failure and unwillingness to listen.

I saw five guys on Friday night that had the opportunity to be part of the Hawkeye vs. Cyclone rivalry. I remember these young men reaching for this goal just a few years before, and now they have an incredible platform to be used.

I saw a team come together that has been made up of three teams that never really saw eye to eye on the basketball court and who come from drastically different backgrounds.

I saw a spirit and glow in young lives as they walked onto the floor of Carver Hawkeye Arena preparing for the championship games.

I saw two boys on a team hug after a semifinal win who just four months ago would warm up as far away from each other as possible.

I saw God working in a program that has such a bigger purpose than just basketball.

And yes I did see those three championships :).

I returned home on Sunday night to another week but then I saw -

God working in a good friend's life.

I saw 18 Kingdom Hoops players playing in the high school game of the week.

I saw God working in my life.

In a single picture emailed to me I saw God confirming everything he is calling us to do to help change lives. I saw two kids who were not long ago searching for answers in a third world country accomplish an awesome goal at their junior college.

I saw a two year battle with the United States Embassy in Ghana lead to a 55 second interview for the approval of our next host student that will attend Pella Christian.

When I saw these things over this past week, I saw God.

Have a great week.

Jake

Jake's Thought for the Week

Not sure what was going on with blogger this morning, but it would not let me post. Seems to be working now. Jake has his thought for the week done, so I will post it today:

Excerpt from the book A Hole In Our Gospel: by Richard Stearns (President of World Vision)

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” - Romans 10:14-15

We had traveled for hours up the Mekong River in a wooden boat. Our purpose was to visit a pastor of a small house church, a man named Roth Ourng. Pastor Ourng was a small man with a big smile. He eagerly bade us to climb the stairs to his small bamboo house on stilts. Pastor Ourng’s day job was rice farming, but he also pastured a small church of eighty-three members that he had started a few years back. His congregation met in his tiny home each Sunday morning to worship.

As we sat with Pastor Ourng, we talked about his community, his congregation, and farming. He was eager to know about churches in the United States and whether we had Bible commentaries and study guides that helped us understand scripture. His only book was a Bible in the Khmer language, a treasure to him. “But,” he said, “this is a difficult book, and I would love to have other books to help me understand it.” I realized that in comparison, I lived in a nation literally drowning in Christian books, commentaries, and resources.

Pastor Ourng showed us the handmade two-stringed musical instrument that served as his church’s “orchestra.” For a wedding or special celebration, he said, his church would send runners in two different directions to two different churches, thirty miles in each direction, to borrow their guitars. Then the next day they would run them back. This made me think of my own church’s million-dollar pipe organ.

After a while I asked him, “Pastor, living in a country that is more than 90 percent Buddhist, how did you come to be a Christian?” The story he told me was confirmation of the power of the whole gospel in action.

“Five years ago, “he said, “World Vision came to our community and began to work. I was suspicious of these outsiders to our community and was convinced that they had their own hidden agenda. You see, in Cambodia, since the genocide by the Khmer Rouge, we are always distrustful of strangers. But these people from World Vision [also Cambodians] set up a TB clinic to care for those suffering from TB. They improved the schools our children attended, and they taught better agricultural methods to the farmers to improve our yields. But I was still suspicious and even angry, convinced that they were up to no good. Why would these strangers help us? I thought."

“One day I decided to confront them, and I went to the World Vision leader and demanded to know why they were here. His answer took me by surprise. He said, ‘We are followers of Jesus Christ, and we are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are here to show you that God loves you.’"

“I said in response, ‘Who is this Jesus Christ that you talk about?’"

“The man went and got me this Bible that you see here today and gave it to me. He told me that everything about Jesus was in this book. That night I went home and read the book of Genesis. I was truly amazed because in this Genesis I met the God I had wondered about all of my life. I met here the God who created heaven and earth, the Maker of the universe. The next morning I ran back and told him what I had read but said that I still did not know this Jesus he talks about. He told me he would take me to the city to meet with a Christian pastor that would explain these things to me. Some weeks later he took me and friend to meet the pastor. He opened his Bible and read to us many passages about Jesus and explained the good news of salvation. At the end, he asked if we wanted to become disciples of Jesus and commit our lives to Him. We both said yes and that day committed to follow Christ as our Savior.”

I was overwhelmed by this man’s story. His encounter with Christ began with Christians who came to serve the poor – nursing the sick, educating the children, and helping increase food for the hungry. So compelling was this service that it provoked questions in the mind of a curious man: Why are you here? Why are you helping us? The answer to these questions was the gospel, the good news.

“Pastor, that is a wonderful story,” I said. “Now, what about the eighty-three people who worship at your church; how did they come to follow Jesus?”

“I was so excited to learn about Jesus,” he said, “that I had to share this good news with everyone I knew. These eighty-three, they are my little flock.’"

Wow. There, in a bamboo house in Cambodia, I heard echoes of the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). And I knew I had just witnessed the whole gospel – in action.

Have a great week!!

Jake

Jake's Thought for the Week

Enjoy this thought as it gave me great peace and encouragement throughout a crazy past week...

God pushes you toward a deeper faith
by Rick Warren

"This means tremendous joy to you, I know, even though you are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations. This is no accident—it happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold . . ." (1 Peter 1:6-7 PH).

In order to build your faith, God will give you a dream; then he'll urge you to make a decision; but then he'll allow a delay, because in the delay he matures you and prepares you for what is to come.

The truth is you'll have difficulties while God delays. This isn't because he doesn't care about you or that he's forgotten your circumstances; rather, it's one of the ways he pushes you toward the deep end of faith.

As God delays, you'll face two types of difficulties: Circumstances and Critics. This is a natural part of life. God designed it this way because he knows we grow stronger when facing adversity and opposition.

When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt into the desert toward the Promised Land, he had one problem after another. First there was no water. Then there was no food. Then there were a bunch of complainers. Then there were poisonous snakes. Moses was doing what God wanted him to do, but he still had problems.

David was anointed king, and then for the next several years he was hunted down by Saul. Joseph had a dream of becoming a ruler, yet he was sold into slavery and thrown into prison on a false charge where he languished, forgotten. Imagine the difficulties Noah had building a floating zoo!

The Bible says that when Moses died, Joshua was appointed the new leader. Moses led the people across the desert and then Joshua led them into the Promised Land. Did he get the easy part? The Bible says that when the Israelites entered the Promised Land there were giants in the land. Even in the Promised Land there were problems!

God does this because he is building our faith and character. When we finally come to a place where the difficulties become so bad, where we've reached our limit, where we've tried everything and exhausted all our options, it is then that God begins a mighty work through us: ". . . I know, even though you are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations. This is no accident—it happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable, than gold . . . ." (1 Peter 1:6-7 PH)

Jake's Thought for the Week

Every Sunday evening or first thing Monday morning I take an hour or two to step away from the non-stop emails, the ringing of the phone, and all the craziness that often surrounds the daily responsibilities of the Kingdom Hoops program. I attempt to step back and admire what people all over the world are doing for the purpose of glorifying Christ. Many weeks I will steal the materials I read to use as the thought for the week. Usually the items I share from others have motivated or challenged me in some way.

As we drove home from another great weekend of basketball I was over-joyed with the improvement many of the players are making on the basketball court. While I was filled with elation from the success of the weekend I was left scratching my head as gripes and complaints began to come in as they do after every weekend. We have certain parents bargaining with other programs about the potential of their kids playing with them while they are playing with us. We had another weekend of players bailing out at the last minute based on what roster they were on. I have a girls program complaining that I do not care about the girls just the boys. Now this was no surprise to me as these are the regular standards of a Sunday evening or early Monday morning. When I become my most frustrated I always rely on the fact that God is using me for the kids and families that want to fully utilize the gifts they have been given to ultimately glorify Christ. This simple truth keeps me motivated and burning with enthusiasm each day.

As I drove home Sunday night I asked God for wisdom in trying to relay to all of the parents & players what we are trying to do at Kingdom Hoops. As I began my readings Monday morning I came across a recent post on the blog ‘Kisses from Katie’. Please Read…………………………………………………………

Post from Kisses from Katie Blog: www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com

I have recently been humbled by the privilege to get to know twenty of this community's women on a very personal level. Juliette was a prostitute, sneaking quietly away from her home after her children had fallen asleep and selling her body to be able to put some food on the table for them in the morning. Veronica was brewing alcohol as a quick way to make money to support her children, one of whom was literally dying of starvation. On days when alcohol didn't sell, she would bring the mash that it is made from home to her family and they would swallow it until they fell asleep. She was making her children drunk so that they were unable to feel the pains of hunger. Todi, widowed after her third child was born, had recently taken in her sister's five children after her sudden death. "What was my choice?" she asked when explaining the situation to me. "God says I look after the orphans, I look after the orphans." Ten of them sleep together on the floor in a home about half the size of my giant kitchen table. Jja Jja Maria looks after her three grandchildren though she can barely walk due to severe back pain. Kasifa only has use of one arm as a result of polio when she was younger but uses her one good arm to pick through the trash for some food for her 6 children. They each have a story that would blow your mind.

As I read this all I could think about was how blessed we are. I get to coach basketball, we have a huge facility, and we get to use our gifts and talents to maximize the platform given to us by God. I read the excerpt above and could not fathom how we so often miss the joys in our life because we are upset about a loss, a coach, playing time, or a perception. When I drive home after practice each night I get to lay my daughter down to sleep after she gives me a kiss followed by 10 giggles. Each night I get to walk into a room where JJ and Sam sleep that would be twice the size of most houses in Africa. I get to do devotionals with them and talk about how they saw God work in their lives that day. I get to hold my wife’s hand and share some of the stories from the day. I get to wake up to “Hiii Daddy!” from my little girl while JJ grills me about the number of meetings I have on that particular day. I get to challenge young men and women to strive for more. I get to have a young boy put his arm around me this weekend and say thanks for getting him a meal that evening. We get to share in the high’s and low’s with young people as they strive to reach their goals on the basketball court while helping them as they search for their place in this fallen world. I get to receive an email from a young man in our high school program last week who tells me he is ready to commit more of himself to become successful. He says he is ready to fully utilize the gifts he has been given because he wants to be the first member of his family to graduate college.

I am certainly not mad or upset about the weekly complaints that are excusing many of our world’s young people from ever accomplishing all that God has designed for them. Rather, I am simply challenged to begin to see the small joys God has blessed all of us with each day. I am challenged to ask God if there is more that I can do? Am I fully maximizing all that he has given me? Yes, Kingdom Hoops is an elite basketball program in the United States garnering great success on the court but winning a basketball game or a big trophy is not what God ultimately wants from us. Instead he wants us to use those successes to open the doors where God’s work can really begin. Who knows what God has planned for all of us but I know it is more than emotionally living based on personal success on a basketball court.

The Kingdom Hoops program is definitely not designed for everyone. I simply pray daily that through basketball God will allow us to accomplish all that he has intended for his purposes! When we get frustrated over what happens in a basketball game, in the classroom, or in any other arena where frustrations seem to shine so brightly, just imagine if you were that parent whose children were starving – whose family members were dying. What if you were the one having to sell your body so your children could eat the next morning? God has a plan for all of us even though some days we will not understand it, but after I did my readings today I know he has blessed all of us ten-fold and now it is our responsibility to do great things with it!

Have a great week!

Jake

Jake's Thought for the Week

PURPOSE
(An excerpt from the book Uncommon by Tony Dungy)

What kind of world do you want?
Think anything
Let’s start at the start
Build a masterpiece
History starts now
Be careful what you wish for
Start now.
~Five for Fighting, “World”~

SO WHY ARE YOU HERE, anyway? Why are you wherever you happen to be at the moment you read these words?

I believe that God knew that you would be in the spot you are in right now, with the passions and gifts that you have and the platform that only you enjoy. I believe that the imprint you are meant to leave on this world is not accidental or coincidental. Your life has been intentionally designed by God to have a uniquely significant and eternal impact on the world around you.

Think about that for a moment – your life has been intentionally designed by God to have a unique and significant impact on everyone you meet, and many you may never meet. What if we all lived our lives embracing that idea as true – what would our lives begin to look like? What would we attempt to do that we never would have attempted otherwise? What difference would we begin to make in the lives of those around us? What would our communities begin to look like? What would our schools begin to look like? How many of our children and youth who find themselves with no hope for tomorrow would suddenly begin to see the possibilities in their lives? What problems in the world that seem too big to resolve would begin to be addressed?

Though I do think there are things that each of us can do to improve ourselves and our lot in life, I believe first and foremost that I operate from God’s grace. That grace is not a license to do whatever I choose but rather an understanding that despite my best efforts, I will fall short in my striving for God, and that’s okay. Falling short is not the goal, but it’s still okay. When it happens, I get up, dust myself off, and press on toward the mark.

And as I press on, I think that I am called to ask, “What kind of world do I want?” Anyone can complain, but I need to be prepared to offer thoughts on how I can improve – myself, my home, the United States, and the world.

I read last summer that Indianapolis’s public schools had the nation’s lowest graduation rate for males – 19 percent. That’s fewer than one in five. My goal shouldn’t be to cast blame but rather to determine what I can do to make an impact on that statistic, even if it’s “only” for one kid. One kid, or one small group – and then another and another. And, who knows? As the word gets out about one-man crusade, maybe someone else will join the effort. How many kids could we reach then?

We have all seen people less fortunate than ourselves, others who seem to have little hope for anything to change in their lives without some external intervention. We have all been saddened as we watched people in less developed countries die from starvation or disease for want of food, medicine, or other things that we take for granted. We may not have the full solution or the wherewithal to solve these problems ourselves – but we do have our passions and abilities, and we can begin to make a difference today.

I believe my purpose is this: to serve the Lord and use all that He has given me to help others to the best of my ability. When I’m staying focused on that, it allows me to find the joy and abundant life that Christ promised, even if we don’t win the Super Bowl or I don’t meet every goal that I have for my life.

We’re not always going to reach those things we really desire; in fact, failure may happen more often than not. But we can find peace and happiness in the knowledge that we’re striving within our real purpose that honors God. If we’re striving only for ourselves, then we’ll be dissatisfied, always yearning for more, while the world waits.

Strive instead within a purpose – your purpose – that honors God.

Have a great week!

-Jake-

Jake's Thought for the Week

Over the past few weeks some of Jake’s Class of 2010 players made their final decision of where they will be playing college basketball. Below is a list of recent commitments. You should recognize at least one of the names. :)

Zach McCabe: University of Iowa
Dau Jok: University of Penn
Trayvonn Wright: North Dakota State
Branden Stubbs: Cedarville University
Trevor Hook: Upper Iowa University
Donivine Stuart: Bradley University
Nana Yaw Sapon-Amoah: North Dakota State
Riley Stuve: Indian Hills JC
Drew Bentley: University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Austin Hennings: Mid-America Nazarene University
Chad Malloy: Grandview College

So, Yaw has officially decided on North Dakota State! We better start shopping for a winter coat NOW! :)

And, here is Jake’s Thought for the Week – an excerpt taken from Tony Dungy’s book Uncommon: Chapter 17

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
-Robert F. Kennedy-

I REALLY WISH I HAD learned more about failure when I was young. I didn’t realize just how often it would rear its ugly head. I saw successful people – either in their jobs, in sports, or with their families – and didn’t have much of an appreciation for the hard work and the setbacks that go along with that success. I’m often introduced today as one of only three people to win a Super Bowl as a player and as a head coach. What they don’t always say is that there were twenty-seven straight seasons that ended in disappointment between those two Super Bowl wins.

The beauty of what I’ve learned through a life in sports, however, is that failure happens – regularly. And failure, as it turns out, is a constant in the human experience. I’ve also learned that if you’re afraid of failure, you won’t try to do very much. But if you’re going to chase meaningful dreams and do significant things, you have to be willing to come up short sometimes. I hope that you will fail less than I have, but even so, we all fail. Count on it. The more I learned about those people I admired for their successes, the more that I also began to admire them for the way they handled failures. Success is really a journey of persistence and perseverance in spite of failure.

In some way, failure feels like a dirty little secret because people rarely want to discuss their own failures. But in reality, we’re all wearing masks to cover our shortcomings, all thinking that the feelings of self-doubt and misgiving are ours alone. Nothing could be further from the truth; failure is part of being human.

The topic of failure belongs in the general category of facing adversity. The difference, I suppose, is that failure is viewed as a result, while adversity is seen as something you work your way through. To truly accomplish your goals, however, I think failure has to be viewed as part of the process. Thomas Edison said that he didn’t fail repeatedly; he merely found ten thousand ways not to make a lightbulb.

The journey through adversity is inevitable if we’re striving for improvement. If things are progressing smoothly, where’s the need for self-examination and growth? Why would we stop and evaluate how we could have done something better if we were always successful, always reaching the outcomes we have set our sights on? Our players lift weights constantly and have refined their bodies in the process. They have learned through adversity and failure of being beaten by someone stronger on the other side of the line that they need to improve to succeed. My Dad, the physiologist, explained to me that in weight lifting, the muscle fibers are broken down when they are stressed, which then leads to muscle growth. The same is true for other kinds of growth.

Through pressure, stress, and adversity, we are strengthened – in our character, in our faith, and in our ability to get out of bed again and give it one more try.

I was recently talking about hardships with James Brown, the studio host of the The NFL on CBS. He said that he has been called an “overnight success,” and then he shook his head and laughed. “Yeah. After the first twenty years of toiling, sure… then it was overnight.”

To me, this shows toughness. Our players so often talk about being “tough,” but I’m not sure they grasp what that truly means. Toughness is shown in how you respond to adversity. Can you respond without losing your footing and your direction? If so, that shows me that you’re tough. Life is messy. We don’t always get a happy ending, and sometimes the middle isn’t so happy either. You never really know how tough people are until they encounter the rough spots. We’re all tough when things are going our way. We’re all tough when we’re getting the breaks. That’s easy.

But the truly tough ones are the ones who stay grounded in their values and focused on their goals when things are challenging. When things in life don’t go according to plan, the tough man will exhibit a determination to reach their goals no matter the obstacles.

I try to give our players some latitude and allow them to fail so they learn to respond to problems and then grow. Toughness, even on the football field, is more appropriately thought of as mental, not physical, endurance.

People often ask the question, “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?” Obviously, there are no easy answers to that question. But I do know this: God is constantly working in us through it all, molding and shaping us into what He created us to be, and it’s in the valleys of our failures where He is working hardest, making us into something uncommon.

Have a Great Week!!
Jake

Jake's Thought for the Week

Jake's thought for the week is this awesome article:

Ben Zobrist has one of those stories. The ones that make kids play harder, dream bigger and aim higher. The ones that inspire even the most improbable of visions. The ones that seem to spotlight the magnitude and sovereignty of God. Undrafted and unscholarshipped out of high school, Zobrist thought his baseball days were over when he finished his senior season at Eureka High School in Eureka, Ill. Like a typical senior, he weighed his career options and college choices, and even looked into a Bible college in Kansas City. But midway through the summer, he still didn’t know where to go or what to do.

Only one thing was clear in Zobrist’s mind. After accepting Christ as his Savior as a 5-year-old under the direction of his Christian parents and then fully surrendering to Him as Lord of his life in high school, Zobrist knew he wanted his life to make a difference for the Kingdom of God. The rest was all just a little
confusing.

“I did a lot of questioning that year and trying to figure out where I was going in life,” said Zobrist, sitting down for a preseason interview with STV at the Tampa Bay Rays’ spring training facility in Port Charlotte, Fla. “I had a lot of anxiety that I had to release to the Lord. Finally I just said, ‘You know what? I don’t need any of this. I’d rather have peace. I’d rather trust God and let Him take care of it all.’ And that’s when everything started opening up.”

Still undecided about where to go to college at the end of June, Zobrist took one last shot at baseball by participating in a nearby skills showcase for coaches and scouts. One of the coaches on hand was NAIA legend Elliot Johnson from Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.). In the young Zobrist, Johnson saw potential no one else did. He offered Zobrist a place on the team and reported back to his coaching staff. Soon, they, too, were believers in Zobrist’s ability.

“We could tell he was a good athlete, but we had no idea he was going to be a big-leaguer,” said Chad Gassman, who served on Johnson’s staff at the time and is currently the head coach at Waldorf College (Iowa) and manager of the Cape Cod League’s Hyannis Mets. “But when he walked on campus that first year, you could tell by the way he approached the game that he had the potential to be something special. He was a quality person, a hard worker and a skilled player.”

As a pitcher and infielder at Olivet, Zobrist developed his skills on the field but impressed others by investing equal if not greater effort into his spiritual growth. He led the campus FCA Huddle, contributed to the team’s spiritual development, and even made an impact on his superiors.

“I almost hate to say it, but even as a coach he kept me accountable,” Gassman said with a laugh. “He made everyone around him—his teammates and coaches—stronger. Whenever you’re with Ben, iron truly sharpens iron.”

While Zobrist’s spiritual leadership and maturity spilled over onto those in the clubhouse, the young infielder was himself learning valuable lessons about the God he’d come to know.

Prior to attending the skills showcase that had sent him to Olivet Nazarene, Zobrist had asked God for clarity regarding his future. When God delivered so obviously by giving him streamlined direction, Zobrist began to consider God’s sovereignty in a new way.

“I’d asked for clarity, and clarity came,” Zobrist said. “Coming through that was a ding factor for me. I thought if God did that for college, then maybe He would do that for my spouse. Maybe He would do that for my career someday. Maybe He would make all these things happen in such a way that I wouldn’t have to question—I would just trust. That was essentially what started happening in my life.”

Throughout his time at Olivet, Zobrist continued asking for clarity. After a quality career with the Tigers, Zobrist prayed about and made the decision to transfer to Division-I Dallas Baptist University for his senior year. It was another God-ordained, prayed-up decision that paid off, as Zobrist was noticed and selected by the Houston Astros in the 2004 MLB Draft.

Unlike many major leaguers, Zobrist didn’t have to spend much time in the minors. Midway through the 2006 season, the Astros traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays, and he immediately took over as the team’s big-league shortstop. He endured two up-and-down years but altered his swing prior to the start of the 2008 season and returned to the team with a powerful bat—one that helped the Rays to their first World Series appearance in franchise history.

Zobrist continued his individual success in 2009, earning his first MLB All-Star nod and ranking among the American League’s top 25 in six major categories. And as his on-the-field stock has risen, so has his fame.

“I feel really humbled by the fact that I have a platform,” said Zobrist, who maximizes his status by speaking at faith-promoting events. “We have a passion to use where God has placed us in order to help kids pursue a relationship with Christ. The fruit we need to bear should be in multiplying believers, and we want to help them focus on the gospel and help generate a passion for Christ inside of them.”

The “we” Zobrist mentions is where his story takes a deeper spiritual turn.

Rewind back through his baseball career to his freshman year at Olivet when one of Zobrist’s teammates—a senior who was already married—introduced Zobrist to his wife’s sister via e-mail, thinking the two might hit it off.

Only a junior at Iowa City High School, though, young Julianna Gilmore was focused on a future that included more performing and singing than dating.

“Sure, I liked boys, but I was pretty career-focused on music,” said Julianna, now an independent Christian recording artist whose first release The Tree was widely praised in the media for its unique spin on Christian music. “I knew I was heading to Belmont University in Tennessee, so Ben and I talked on the phone, but we both knew it wasn’t really the right time.”

After a casual dialogue, Zobrist and Julianna decided to postpone communication indefinitely knowing that, if God wanted something to develop in the future, He’d make a way. The two parted ways on friendly terms and left it all up to divine circumstances.

It didn’t take long for God’s hand to move. A few months later, Zobrist was traveling with his team to Florida for spring games when he spotted a familiar face walking into the lobby of his Daytona Beach hotel. It was Julianna, whose family was also staying there.

“That was crazy,” Julianna said. “I was from Iowa; he was from Illinois, and we saw each other totally randomly.”

Added Zobrist: “It was obvious that God was bringing her back into my life. It was just a little glimpse. Nothing had changed circumstantially, so we didn’t start communicating immediately again, but from then on I just couldn’t get her out of my heart.”

Unable to forget about her, Zobrist eventually decided to take action by sending Julianna a casual e-mail. Little did he know how interesting his timing would be.

She had just ended a rough relationship and was frustrated with men. So, when Julianna received Zobrist’s e-mail, she felt more confused than ever.

“I just started bawling to my best friend, ranting that he was just this guy who was kind of in my life, but kind of not,” Julianna said, chuckling at the memory. “I told her that, from that day on, I was going to pray that God would either put him in my life or take him out, because I was tired of being teased by the idea of a mature, godly man.”

In Julianna’s eyes, Zobrist had already earned respect based on their previous interaction. She’d seen his maturity in the Lord and noticed a difference in how he treated her. Both her father and brother, who had gotten to know Zobrist through baseball, loved him—a small miracle in itself considering their protective nature. Now, it was time for something to change. It was time to either go for it or cut it off.

Refusing to take the lead in the relationship or try to control what would happen between them, Julianna went to the Lord with her own intentional prayers for clarification. Just two weeks later, she received her surprising answer: Ben Zobrist standing on her Tennessee doorstep.

By this time, Zobrist was a senior at Dallas Baptist and a teammate of Julianna’s brother. On a whim, the two boys had driven up to surprise Julianna on her birthday.

Talk about a birthday gift. Instead of flowers or candy, Zobrist knew what he would offer Julianna: a Christ-centered, intentional relationship.

“She was just this awesome, godly woman, and I’d kind of had her on a pedestal for a while,” Zobrist said. “I just decided to put myself out there and see if she had any interest.”

She did. But, according to Julianna, it was the result of divine intervention.

“It was just so clear that God was the One who wanted us together,” she said. “I’d been praying intentionally, and Ben had felt an urgency to know if I felt anything for him. I was finally like, ‘OK, Lord, I get it.’ We started dating that night.”

After a year and four months of dating, the Zobrists were engaged. They married on Dec. 17, 2005; Julianna’s senior year.

“Ben is very dedicated to everything he puts his mind to,” Julianna said. “That goes for his job, for the way he dated me and pursued me, the way he’s been my husband, and now the way he’s been a father to our son. He is just constantly talking with the Lord and trying to learn more about being the man God wants him to be. He has this amazing leadership strength from God through the Holy Spirit, and I respect him so much.”

For Zobrist, the love and respect is reciprocated. After four years of marriage, he has seen the blessings of his godly wife and counts it a privilege to be her husband, especially considering the path she could have taken.

A standout performer and singer at Belmont, Julianna had options for a full-time career in music. Even now, producers say she has not only the talent but also the charisma to make it big in the industry.

“I always tell people that Julianna is way more talented than I am,” Zobrist said with a proud smile regarding his wife and the mother of their one-year-old son, Zion. “She could be a very out-in-front-of-everybody musician if she wasn’t willing to stay with me all year long and to be at home with our son. She sacrificed a lot of her career to be able to be a wife and mother first. But our family roles are important to us.”

Instead of pursuing her music career, Julianna first pursues the family that God gave her. She remains active in the music industry, but only if it allows her to travel with her husband. Not willing to waste her talents, either, she exercises them creatively by scheduling shows that coordinate with her husband’s travel schedule.

In striking this kind of family balance, both Ben and Julianna hope to set a positive example not only for other married couples but also for their son as he grows.

“Zion needs a father figure; he needs to see Dad on the job working hard and Mom working hard to allow us to stay together,” Julianna said. “Ben is always saying that I sacrificed being a rock star to be his wife and a mom, and I told him the other day, ‘Heck yes I did! And I would never want it any other way.’ I would never want Zion to grow up and hear a reporter say that I could have done this or that. If that happened, I’d say, ‘Yes, I could have, but praise God I didn’t. And I wouldn’t change a moment.’ I want to be his mom, and I want to be Ben’s wife.”

Through their commitment to staying together on the road and at home, Ben and Julianna Zobrist have also developed a unique ministry. It’s not rare to see a flier advertising an event that features the testimony of the MLB All-Star and the special music of his wife.

Churches, specifically, are an important target for the Zobrists. While they understand that God has given them a platform to share their faith among both believers and non-believers, they have a specific desire to reach out to and build up fellow Christians.

“So many of us in the church need to be evangelized, too,” Zobrist said. “It’s important to make sure the gospel keeps going forward in our own hearts. We are still learning how to do that, but we know that Christians need to be encouraged, and we want to do that however we can.”

One way Zobrist has been able to reach that audience has been through FCA.

Active in the ministry throughout high school and college and even attending FCA Leadership Camp at the ministry’s former National Conference Center in Indiana, Zobrist makes frequent appearances at ministry events.

“Ben is really one of a kind,” said Tampa FCA Multi-Area Director Glen Shamblen, who enlisted the Zobrist speaking/singing duo for his 2009 banquet. “That night Ben just opened his heart and shared what Christ meant in his life. He literally stayed until he and I were the last pair to leave. He signed everything brought to him. Several times, I even saw him go to his knees so he could speak to younger children at their eye-level. Both he and Julianna took time with everyone who wanted it, and they made such an impact.”

Beyond the Tampa banquet, Zobrist also has made several appearances at area high schools through FCA, has spoken at the ministry’s local auction, and has even spent time ministering to groups of regional Huddle Coaches.

For Zobrist, reaching out through FCA is a natural fit.

“I loved my time in FCA as a student-athlete,” he said. “And now it’s been a great organization and a great vehicle for us to reach out to the community and reach the fellow believers who are on our hearts. We love when Christians are reaching into the community and schools and spreading the gospel.”

Through his and Julianna’s appearances in these settings, Zobrist also is able to take a particular stance that sets him apart from many of today’s pro athletes, even those who are Christian, and that is his desire to share the whole truth.

“Even as Christians, everyone wants us to give a message about hard work and character, but the message we carry is an exclusive message—one about Christ and His mystery,” he said. “I know that I’ve glossed over it in the past. I’ve failed to mention sin and what Christ has actually done for me in taking my penalty on Himself. I’ve failed to mention how unworthy I really am, and that that’s why Christ had to die.”

It’s a heavy message, but one that Zobrist feels compelled to tell. He’s heard enough of the “fluff” and knows that the gospel—the full gospel—must be shared in order to make the impact it should.

“The last thing we want people to do is come away from a message about Christ thinking that it’s just about trying to become a better person,” he said. “Christ didn’t come just to make us better people. He came to die for us and to let us know that He was the better person. I want people to know that everything good in me comes from Him and not my own effort.”

In a world that glorifies batting averages and Gold Gloves, that message packs a punch, especially when it’s combined with the testimony of a beautiful rock star who loves the Lord just as much.

They’ve heard the statistics—the ones that tell how kids from the millennial generation admire entertainers more than any other public figures. So, Ben and Julianna Zobrist are using their time in the spotlight to redirect all watching eyes and point them to the cross.

“It’s really kind of sobering when we think about the responsibility we’ve been given,” Julianna said, “but it’s such an opportunity to spread the gospel and make disciples, which is why we’re here. We are both trying hard, but we’ve both learned that success only comes when we abide in the Lord and just walk with Him and love Him and the things of Him. When we do that, it will be obvious where we stand.”

Zobrist agrees.

“In Scripture, we’re told that if we stay connected to the vine, we are going to bear fruit,” he said. “The way we bear that fruit may not be the way people think, but what God has taught me over the years as He’s kept me in the game is that ministry can happen anywhere—wherever we work; wherever we go—but it has to happen in our own hearts first. Then, He will take our lives and connect them to those around us. It doesn’t matter if it’s a baseball field, a clubhouse, a backyard or a neighborhood. Wherever we go, we will be His vessels.”

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

JAKE

Jake's Thought for the Week (is back!)

Well, I am sure you’ve noticed by now that Jake did not keep up with the blogging world, and has abandoned his blog. I don’t blame him….he’s a busy guy and blogging is a lot of work. So, I decided to start posting his ‘thought for the week’ on our family blog again. I know many of you Kingdom Hoops Team Sullivan readers already get the TFTW in your inbox, but this will give a chance for the others to get in on it too. And, I’ve really been missing having the TFTW recorded on here, because someday when I get around to it, I am going to print my blog as a book for a keepsake, and it will be nice to have all of our thoughts in order by date, all in one place. B/c we’ve been traveling to tournaments on the weekends, it seems like it will be better to post it on Tuesdays, because he normally gets it emailed out with the announcements on Monday evenings. Sound good? Welcome back Jakey. Here it is for this week:

There are days I ask myself what is greatness? Is greatness defined by how many wins you record as a team? Is it defined by trophies that surround a facility? Is it defined by fully reaching ones potential? Over and over in my mind each week I try to define greatness within the Kingdom Hoops program. Many times this past 18 months I have tried to find a definition to measure greatness amongst our program and for our athletes. As my definition constantly has changed I have always been brought to the basic foundation for greatness in the Kingdom Hoops program and it is this: Are we maximizing the platform God has given us? Are we doing everything in our ability to increase what we have been given?

I believe this definition fully defines greatness within the Kingdom Hoops program. But I often struggle with the basic concept of what exactly it means. I know for me I too often wrap this loose definition around success on the basketball court. Did we win or did we lose? Of course I caught myself doing it again this weekend. The Kingdom Hoops 17s had just lost a heartbreaker in the first round of the championship bracket as Team Impact hit a three as the buzzer sounded and knocked us out of the tournament.

After the game I was frustrated and disappointed and was going over a million different things we could have done to put the team in a place to win that game. As I was pouting I headed over to court 4 in the Fieldhouse USA facility to watch our 17U red team play in the opening round of the bronze bracket. As I arrived my mood did not get much better as I watched the red team fall behind 23-12 to All Dream Sports out of Houston. With four minutes left in the first half I was becoming more frustrated with our lack of enthusiasm in the game and now my pouting became more like sulking in my personal pity.

Then God reminded me, like he so often does, of what defines greatness for us as an organization. The bleachers across from the team bench began to fill up. It was not filling up with your normal spectators such as parents and other family members. It soon began to fill up with Kingdom Hoops players. As we fell behind 23-12 it all began. After a spirited time out down 11 points I heard some boys’ begin cheering, stomping, clapping, hooting, and hollering. As halftime approached we cut their lead to four and the players in the stands continued to get more excited as the game went on. What was most amazing to me was that the players who were leading the ruckus in the stands were the 17U boys who had just gotten beat. Kingdom Hoops Red went on to win the game 50-34 and I saw 30+ boys as excited for the red team as if they had won themselves.

Sometimes in the craziest of times God has a way of reminding us what is important. To us, God’s greatness within the Kingdom Hoops program will be measured every day by situations like this. It will be measured by the impact we get to have on the young lives in our program each and every day. And, even more importantly, it will be measured by the lasting impact our players will leave on each others’ lives.

Jake's Thought for the Week

Jake has started a blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, from now on you can find his Thought for the Week and many other thoughts and insights on his own blog. Here it is:

http://kingdomhoops.blogspot.com/

Happy Monday!

Jake's Thought for the Week

Each Monday I will be posting Jake's Thought for the Week which he sends out to all the parents of the players in his Kingdom Hoops program. Here it is for this week:

Be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. -Samuel 12:24-

A LEAP OF FAITH
(Excerpt from the book Faith & Doubt by John Ortberg):

Doubt always comes. Here’s the sad truth about the mountain-top: no one is allowed to remain there permanently. Everyone has to return to the valley of ambiguity.

This means that we can expect that our sense of certainty about our beliefs will ebb and flow. Sometimes doubt will come. But – and this is the important part – doubts do not always come because we have been given new evidence against our faith. One of the biggest illusions we have about our minds is that they are generally governed by reason. But our minds are not logic machines. What seems true to us in one moment can change drastically in the next.

Several years ago, when I lived in Southern California, I had a friend who liked to hang glide. He took me up on a mountain to watch him. He said he was going to give me a gift up on the mountain. We went up there, and it was beautiful. When you’re on a mountain, the sight is scenic and inspiring.

Other people would hang glide off that same mountain. It was a popular spot. After we arrived, some people came over and gave us a little lecture about safety and showed us the equipment. They showed us how strong the harnesses were and explained the aerodynamics of hang gliding. They talked about how the odds of death related to hang gliding are only about one in one thousand. They gave us this lecture while we were sitting in a parking lot – in safety. I believed what they said. It all made sense. And then my friend said, “Okay, now here’s the gift that I’m giving you today. Today you are going to hang glide with me. Today you are going to jump off this mountain.”

I walked over to the edge of the cliff and stood there. What do you think happened to my sense of certainty as I moved from safety over to the edge of the cliff? Do you think my sense of certainty and safety went up or down? It went way down. My mind was suddenly flooded with doubts. What if the harness unbuckled? What if the wings failed? What if there was a rogue tornado? What if I was attacked by a large bird? I saw my body splattered down there on the ground.

Objectively, nothing had changed from the parking lot to the edge of the cliff. I had received no new evidence that would incline me intellectually to think that hang gliding was less safe. I had no new information, yet my mind was suddenly flooded with doubt. That is what often happens when I move from safety to the edge.

I had a choice to make. You don’t “partly” step off a mountain. Either you jump or you stay put. This is sometimes called “the leap of faith.” If you want to fly, if you ever want to soar, you have to take that leap. Your mind may have all kinds of fears and doubts running through it, but if you want to fly, you have to take the leap. And I did. It was fabulous. I’ve never done it again, but it was pretty cool.

The idea of a leap of faith has frequently been misunderstood. It does not mean choosing to believe an impossible thing for no good reason. Sometimes people talk about it as if it is the “leap” in which you ignore evidence, give up on reason, and embrace fantasy. But leap is a genuinely free action. Any freely chosen commitment is a leap, such as the choice to marry or to bear children. The move from innocence to sin is also a leap.

The leap of faith is a “leap” because it involves making a total commitment. It can be made for good reasons – reasons we have carefully considered. But it is nevertheless a leap, because we have to commit in spite of our fears and doubts, for there is no other way to soar, no other way to fly.

Certain fundamental decisions in life require 100 percent commitment – passionate engagement. And some decisions, generally the most important ones, require total commitment but do not give any guarantees.

But, if I leap, if I trust, I do not know for sure what will happen. What I do know is this: If I don’t leap, if I don’t trust, if I don’t hope, if I don’t ask, I will never soar. I will never know. I will live and grow old and die standing on the side of that cliff.

Have a great week,
Jake Sullivan

Jake's Thought for the Week

Each Monday I will be posting Jake's Thought for the Week which he sends out to all the parents of the players in his Kingdom Hoops program. Here it is for this week:

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

The thought for this week is the following post from the blog: http://www.therebelution.com/blog/

I’m Just Not A Shower Person
I still remember my first shower. It was a horrible experience. I was eight years old and all I had ever known was baths. Baths were neat and tidy ordeals where the water flowed in from below my head and – provided I didn’t splash too much – stayed below my head.

I found showers to be an entirely different beast. The water, rather than flowing as a solid stream that was easily visible and avoidable, sprayed out as nearly invisible and unavoidable droplets that seemed to have a magnetic attraction to my eyes.

I did not ask to be promoted from Junior Bath Taker to Junior Shower Taker, but my parents had set the date for my graduation and protesting made little difference. It didn’t help that my twin brother Alex loved showers and had taken one earlier that week.

Before I could draft my formal petition, let alone get anyone to sign it, I found myself staring up at the dreadful shower head just as a brave soul stares down the barrel of his executioner’s gun.
However, once the trigger was pulled and the shower head began rumbling and hissing, my courage melted away, and I was screaming before the first drop hit me.

You see, in my mind there was no moral difference between making your child take a shower and stripping that same child naked and locking him out of the house during a thunderstorm. It was abandonment. I wasn’t a Water Nymph. I wasn’t a shower person. I was a bath person and I was happy that way.

The funny thing is that this morning, nearly ten years later, I took a shower and didn’t think twice about it. I even purposefully let the water spray on my face! It is incredible that what then seemed to be an impossible hurdle is now part of my everyday routines.

We’ve All Had “First Shower” Experiences
You probably can remember something in your own life that at the time seemed entirely beyond you. Maybe it was something as simple as tying your shoes or riding a bike without trainings wheels. Maybe it was learning to read or solving basic math problems in 2nd grade. These are things that are easy for you now, but were enormous challenges at the time.

My question for you is: What has changed? What is the difference between the enormous challenges of a child and the enormous challenges of a young adult?

What’s the difference between a difficult 2nd grade math problem for a seven-year-old and a difficult Algebra problem for a 15-year-old? Though an algebraic equation operates on a higher plateau than a double-digit multiplication problem that is compensated for by the fact that a teenager operates on a higher plateau than a child.

What’s the difference between my 12-year-old brother curling 15 pounds and me (at 17 years old) curling 35 pounds? Is it not likely that we would be equally challenged by our respective weights due to our different levels of strength?

Compare learning to dance with learning to walk. When you contrast the motor skills of baby with those of a young child you should conclude that though dancing is more complex, it is not necessarily more difficult.

As a musician I can attest to the fact that my difficult piano pieces in Level 9 were no more arduous than my difficult pieces in Level 3. The only variance was my level of skill and tolerance for practice. It is just as difficult for a seven-year-old beginner to practice “Chopsticks” for 30-minutes as it is for a music major in college to practice Lizst’s “Hungarian Rhapsody” for three hours.

If A Baby Can Do It, Why Can’t We?
With those examples in mind, I return to my question: What has changed? What is the difference between the enormous challenges of your childhood and the enormous challenges of your young adulthood?

And perhaps a more important question: What is the difference between the way you responded to those challenges as a child and how you respond to them now?

I constantly hear fellow young adults say things like, “You know, I did Algebra 1/2, but I’m just not a math person,” or “I’m a terrible speller, my brain just doesn’t work that way.” I’ve had other teens tell me, “I’m just a quiet person. I don’t like communicating much,” and “I’m such a compulsive shopper. If I see something I like I can’t help but buy it.” Or what about, “I’m just such a blonde!”

While I don’t doubt that many teens find math, spelling, communication, self-control and intelligence incredibly difficult, I find it very hard to accept that these difficulties should begin to define their personhood.

We would think it was crazy if a toddler said, “You know, I tried to get potty-trained, but I’m just not a toilet person.” But we sympathize with a fellow teenager who says that he’s “just not a people person.”

If a young child said, “I tried tying my own shoes, but my brain just doesn’t work that way,” we wouldn’t say, “That’s alright Johnny, we’ll just have someone else do it for you for the rest of your life.” But if we have trouble spelling we say, “It’s alright, I’ll just make sure I always use the spell checker.”

Low Expectations Strike Again
The fact is that as we get older we begin defining our limitations as what comes easily to us – and our rate of growth in competence and character slows and falters.

When we were children our limitations were not defined by difficulty. Our limitations were not defined by failure – even repeated failure. So what has changed? Why do babies, with inferior motor skills, reasoning ability, and general physical and mental strength, why do they have a nearly 100% success rate in overcoming their big challenges, while teenagers often falter and fail before theirs?

We Expect More of Babies Than We Do of Teens
The truth is that we are incredibly susceptible to cultural expectations and once we have satisfied our culture’s meager requirements we stop pushing ourselves.

Why does every healthy baby learn to walk while very few teenagers are sophisticated enough to have mastered the Waltz? One is expected, the other is not.

Why does every normal baby overcome communication barriers by learning to talk while very few teenagers overcome barriers between themselves and their parents by learning to communicate? One is expected, the other is not.

And why do we sympathize with the poor “non-math” teenager while we admonish the “non-toilet” six-year-old? Because using the toilet is a basic skill that is necessary for life, but unless they plan on becoming an engineer, most people never use Algebra.

We live in a culture that expects the basics, but nothing more. We live in a culture that expects for you to get by (i.e. be potty-trained), but not to thrive.

The Rebelution’s challenge to you is this: Have you really found your limits or have you merely reached a point where our culture’s expectations no longer demand that you succeed?

We Are Capable of Much More Than Is Expected
If you were abandoned in a foreign country with citizens who spoke no English, you would pick up the native dialect. And if your high school required everyone to complete Advanced Calculus in order to graduate you would find a way to do it.

Both necessity and expectations have incredible power to require much of us and make us strong, or to require little of us and make us weak. We live in a culture where few people do more than is required, yet that is the secret of effectiveness in the Lord’s service.

The application of this post goes far beyond math and language, dancing and speaking; those are simply a few helpful examples. The important question we must ask ourselves is: “Am I unable to do certain things, or am I simply unwilling to invest the time and effort necessary to succeed?”

This Is A Serious Issue
Classifying yourself as “this-kind-of-person” or “that-kind-of-person” is one of the quickest ways to greatly increase or majorly hamper your potential. Adults who at one time decided they “just weren’t computer people” are missing out on all the convenience and power of technology.

A person who decides early in life that he is “just not a public speaker,” and then stops striving for excellence in the area of public communication, has no doubt lost dozens of opportunities to impact the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people.

History is jammed full of examples of “extremely shy people” who not only overcame their fear of people, but also became famous leaders and communicators. Calvin Coolidge, the United States’ 30th President, is just one such example.

One of the most devastating classifications that can be made is when a person classifies themselves spiritually as “not really one of those extreme Christians.”

Millions of young people, even Christian young people, live through years of spiritual weakness and build up loads of regret simply because they found their identity in being a rebel.

Closing Thoughts
I wasn’t a “shower person” when I was eight, and I’m not sure if I’m a “campaign person” at 17, but by God’s grace and through His strength I can do anything. And so can you.

Nearly a decade after my first shower, one of the great challenges of my childhood, I find myself working long hours on four statewide races for the Alabama Supreme Court. When I find myself thinking that this current challenge is going to kill me, I just remember that I thought the same thing about my first shower. Then I smile, and keep on pushing.

Have a great week!!

Jake

Jake's Thought for the Week

Each week I will be sending out Jake's Thought for the Week which he sends out to all the parents of the players in his Kingdom Hoops program.

"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13

No fear of failure: the ability to take a risk and keep the focus and attention on our call and obedience!

It might just be me but I feel as though September has flown by. Maybe it is because there are so many things happening and so many great God stories to be told. I feel so blessed to be where we are at today. Each day that I arrive at the gym I am excited to get on the court to work with the outstanding group of young boys and girls that we have in the Kingdom Hoops program. As we head into this new season I want to really hit one point home with all of the athletes we are coaching and that is: Do not be afraid to fail. We have said it a lot the last few weeks as you have probably heard us harping on the kids to push themselves to the point they are uncomfortable or can challenge themselves, and if they fail to know that it is all right.

Nothing great can ever be accomplished without failure. When I look back over my basketball career I can remember every time I failed and how much I improved because of those failures. I even found Christ through the failures of my junior and senior season in college. We were in Scandavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) with the Big 12 All-Star team and I was in the best shape of my life and playing the best basketball of my career; when all of a sudden I felt a pop in my ankle. To make a long story short I was never able to successfully jump off my right foot again and managed to lose every road game for two consecutive seasons with most of the reason being because of my poor play on the road and my inability to get lift on my jump shot because of what flying did to my ankle.

It was the first time in my life that no matter how hard I worked it seemed as though I always failed. I would walk into Hickory Park and answer hundreds of questions of why do I play so well in Hilton and why do I royally stink on the road. I would shrug my shoulders and tell everyone I wish I knew. It was amazing how God used those failures in my life to call me to himself. It allowed me to change my focus, understand what was important and ultimately it led me to Kingdom Hoops. Failure can be viewed in two ways; one it can be viewed as something you can overcome with hard work and other times failure is just being used to mature oneself - and many times those periods of maturity are going to be used for a greater purpose.

What concerns me with young people today is how much the fear of failure holds them back. It is ok to have the fear of failure as long as it drives you to reach new goals as it has done many times for me. However, when the fear of failure holds them back from accomplishing great things or trying new things, it concerns me greatly. I look at failure as God’s way of teaching us, maturing us, and many times the single thing that he uses to open new doors for us. If we never dream big, trust in God, and just TRY, who knows what great things we will miss out on!!

The fear of failure will always be there but what do we do in the face of the fear? I remember when this journey began at Kingdom Hoops and all of the apprehension that I had going into this journey. What if it did not succeed? What if it was just too much? What if it was the wrong decision? Was I ready to make this long term commitment? God are you sure this is something you want me to do? As I was wrestling with all of these decisions in November I felt God throw me back to late October 1994.

It was a cold October evening and my Dad had ran to the Blockbuster Video and brought home the movie titled Pistol Pete: The Story of Pistol Pete Maravich. My Dad and I headed downstairs and took comfort in our own little areas of the basement. This night my Dad even let me use the special quilt that usually was never allowed to be touched by anyone other than my Dad.

The movie was the story of Pete Maravich and the entire story was about him growing up until the 8th grade and gave the whole story of his 8th grade season when he made the Varsity team. It showed how hard he worked, how much time he dedicated to the game of basketball, and things he experienced while trying to reach his goals. I can still remember getting chills while watching the movie as I just knew that is who I wanted to be like.

Following the movie I put on a couple of sweatshirts and sweatpants and headed to the driveway to practice. It was about 6pm and my Mom had just finished cooking dinner and hollered outside for me to get in and get washed up for dinner. As I quickly snuck in 50 more shots my Dad opened the door and strongly encouraged me to get my butt inside for dinner and I quickly obliged.

As I finished washing my hands and scurried to the table I had an important announcement to make to my whole family. I looked at my Mom, Dad, & brother Nick and said, "I am going to start on the Varsity team as an 8th grader and I am going to be all-conference as an 8th grader." My brother laughed hysterically and as he was laughing my Dad offered me a bet. He said, "If you make the varsity team and become All-Conference as an 8th grader you can get your ear pierced." (I had wanted to get my ear pierced for quite some time) For my Dad to say something like that was quite crazy because my Dad was a military guy. Our house ran on military time, our hair was cut military style and piercings were not happening as long as my Dad was alive - despite me asking him every day for two years. So, with my brother's laughter, and my Dad’s sincere sense of doubt and hanging bet, fear struck me.

What if I can’t do it? What if the dream is just too big? Was I really willing to give up many joys of being 13 years old to spend all those countless hours in the gym to make it happen? What if I failed and never reached my goals?

Well, let's just say in the Spring of 1996 I got my ear pierced and new goals were ready to be set and new bets were ready to be made.

I am including a great article on fear from Alan Stein (one of the head Nike skills trainers among other things):

Failure Is A Good Thing!
by Alan Stein: http://blog.strongerteam.com/

I know the story is way over told and very cliché; but nevertheless it epitomizes the purpose of this blog. Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player in team sports history (not just basketball), was cut from his high school varsity basketball team as a sophomore. He has stated in countless interviews how he used that “failure” as the spark that ignited his tenacious pursuit of excellence, and eventually dominance, on the basketball court. MJ will have gone from being cut from his varsity team to reaching the pinnacle of success; when he will be inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame next week.

I truly believe the key to being successful, in any endeavor (but especially sports), is how you view failure and how you view mistakes. Most people view failure as a negative. They are so petrified by failure it becomes an immovable roadblock, and in my opinion, prevents them from attaining success. Others view failure as an integral part of the developmental process and look at mistakes as the speed bumps on the road to success. I most certainly fall into the latter group. Failure, if handled appropriately, is a key ingredient to being successful. Ask any successful person and they will confirm. Failure can teach you lessons you never would have learned otherwise (“School of Hard Knocks”), it can humble you and allow you to keep a healthy perspective, and it can be used to fuel your motivation for future success like in Michael Jordan’s case.

What’s really so bad about failure?

The main reason folks fear failure is because of the feeling of rejection they associate with it. People are so worried about getting rejected they avoid it at all costs. Do you realize how successful you could be if you were immune to feeling rejected? Byron Katie once said “you can have anything you want in life if you are willing to ask 1,000 people for it.” Anything. Think about that for second. There is a lot of truth to that statement. Ask 1,000 people? Most folks will quit after just one or two “no’s.”

I see the same fear with players all of the time. What about working on a new move? You think if you practiced that move for thousands of reps you would master it? Of course you would! Who cares if the first hundred times you did it you lost the ball, traveled, or couldn’t perform it at game speed?! If you keep working on it will eventually become a part of your offensive arsenal. One of the moves taught at every Nike Skills Academy this past summer was the Euro-step; which Tony Parker has made famous in the NBA. It is a deadly move for guards to use around the basket to elude a defender. Even the best high school and college players in the country had difficulty mastering the Euro-step; but those that did were the ones who stuck with it, rep after rep, and didn’t mind “failing” the first dozen or so times they tried it.

Jack Canfield, the creator of the Chicken Soup for The Soul series, was turned down by over 30 publishers before landing a book deal. That means over 30 people told him NO! That means he “failed” 30 times. Yet he persisted and believed in himself. Since then he has sold millions of books, inspired millions of readers, and made hundreds of millions of dollars. He is living proof of Byron Katie’s quote.

The irony is, in most cases, the person who gets the most “yes’s” in life is also the one who gets the most “no’s.” That means the folks with the most success, usually have had the most “failures” as well! One of my favorite motivational speakers is Steve Chandler, who said “if you never fail, you aren’t challenging yourself. You aren’t pushing your limits.” Amen to that.

That makes me think of one of my favorite quotes (sorry, not sure who originally said this):

“Your greatest fear should not be aiming too high and missing; but aiming too low and achieving.”

Here is another way to view this, courtesy of Mr. Chandler. Picture this; I give you a coin. I tell you I will give you $100 for every time you flip it and it lands on heads. You have 10 minutes to flip it as many times as you want! That’s it; those are the rules. What would you do? Would you tentatively sit there… scared to flip the coin in case it landed on tails? Of course not! You would flip that sucker as many times as you could… because you know the more times you flip it the more chances you have for it to land on heads (and get paid!)! You could care less if it landed on tails! Imagine having that same fervor for everything you try to achieve in life. I have tried hard to adopt that mantra in my life this past year and it has paid off in countless ways.

When strength training, when you take a set to the point at which you can’t perform another quality repetition, you have reached what is called Momentary Muscular Failure… which is a good thing! Picture a bench press for the ease of the visual. When your chest and shoulders and triceps are so exhausted you can’t budge the bar off your chest and you need to a spotter to re-rack the weight… you have just “failed.” The good news is consistently and systematically reaching MMF is an extremely productive way to increase strength. While there are certainly exceptions, I have most of my players take most of their sets to the point of momentary muscular failure every workout. In other words, I not only encourage it, but I demand my players “fail” several times each workout! And you know what? Over time they become bigger, stronger, and more powerful.

Players ask me all of the time what they can do to “get better.” Certainly an individualized prescription of skill work and player development is almost always necessary. But I can always offer one sure fire way to guarantee improvement: play with players older, bigger, stronger, and better than you are! You will get knocked around, you will get the ball stolen from you, you will get your shot blocked, and will (probably) even get dunked on… but most importantly you will get better!

For every picture perfect game winning shot Michael Jordan hit; there were countless other times he missed. Countless other times he could have won the game but didn’t. But he never let the fear of missing prevent him from taking the shot. He never let failure get in the way of success.

And neither should you.