David Tarkington

When Sportianity & Christianity Collide

The largest religion in our culture is being challenged. People who adhere to this religion are having their faith questioned. 

This religion is known as Sportianity. Adherants gather weekly, and sometimes more than once a week, to celebrate and fellowship together. Some meet in large open-air facilities. Others meet in smaller venues. Others are proponents of the "house church" movement and gather with a small group of friends in homes. The more missional of the followers meet in public places known as Sports Bars, to engage with others in the community. 

Just as with all religions, different denominations have developed.

There are the Footballists and Basketballists. These two denominations, like many other mainstream ones, are divided. There are the College and Pro sect within each denomination. Sometimes they can fellowship together, but often they stay in their own arenas.

There is also the Baseballians. There is a small offshoot group here called the Collegians, but the vast majority are Major Leaguians. 

For the most part a follower of a certain sect is very faithful, but there are those - we call them "stadium hoppers" - who tend to just go where the biggest crowd is at the time. 

Meeting places for these denominational groups can be found throughout the nation. However, there are some pretty strong regional groupings. Where I live, the SECers dominate. I must say that recently, the SECers have expanded their mission program into Texas and most likely will continue to grow in that region.

In the north, there are some unique religious groups. These are known as Hockeyists. They're a uniquely northern denomination, but with snowbirds and the retirement of many, there have recently been more of these people spotted in the southern parts of the nation.

We can laugh about this, well at least I can, but at the same time it brings to mind some questions. As a follower of Jesus Christ, where does this sports world fit? I'm a proud member of the Y-chromosome club. I enjoy sporting events. I have my favorite teams. I have the hats, the shirts and the jackets with logos embroidered upon them. I enjoy going to the games. I like cheering for these athletes who do amazing things on the field of play.

So, does God care?

Does God have a favorite team?

There are a number of teams with religious names. Does that mean God likes them more? Is God a fan of the Saints, the Angels, the Padres or for my Catholic friends - the Cardinals? Or, as some have stated, is God a fan of the Denver Broncos because Tim Tebow is the quarterback?

I'm not a Tebow-basher. Neither am I big-time Tebow fan. I like him. I respect him. As a brother in Christ, I admire his willingness to verbally give glory to Jesus Christ. The Tebow story has pushed Christianity to the forefront of the sports page. This is why it's so interesting. Two of the nation's top religions are meeting - the religion of Christianity and the religion of sports. 

I think this is why so many people have a problem with Tebow. Much has been said about "Tebowing" and his camera ready prayer poses. Tebow even reached a pinnacle in pop culture. He was parodied on Saturday Night Live.

Does God show favor to certain athletes or teams?

NO - God doesn't show favor as many would define it. God doesn't care that Team A beats Team B so that a person's Fantasy numbers will go up. God doesn't show favor so those who have bet on games can beat the spread. God doesn't love the Christian on Team A more than he loves the Christian on Team B. 

YES - God does show favor on His children at times. This word "favor" has been used by some who teach a false prosperity gospel. This is not the biblical definition. A good biblical example of one in whom favor was shown is Daniel. There are others like Moses, John the Baptist, etc. 

Whether God is showing favor on Tim Tebow or any other athlete can be debated at length. Regardless of the influence of God in a football game, there is only one reason He would show favor on anyone - that is to bring Himself glory.

I don't believe God cares if the Broncos win. I do believe God cares about Tim Tebow just as he cares and loves all His children (regardless what team they're on, or even if they never even make the team.)

Even the fictional coach in the film "Facing the Giants" understood this. Win or lose, God receives glory. He said this over and over.

I like this quote former University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy made after his team was beat soundly by the University of Alabama in the 2009-2010 BCS National Championship Game. ABC reporter Lisa Salters interviewed McCoy and McCoy responded to a difficult question about how it felt watching the game from the sidelines, with the question alluding to how difficult it must have been that his college career ended so abruptly in the biggest game of his life.

Said McCoy: “I always give God the glory. I never question why things happen the way they do. God is in control of my life. And I know that if nothing else, I’m standing on the Rock.”

Win or lose - this is right response. To God be the glory.

Can You Believe What These School Employees Did?

The stories continue to pop up every year or so. It seems that teachers, principals, school employees and coaches are doing things that literally threaten to destroy western civilization as we know it. It's hard to believe that all around our nation, parents willingly allow their children to be taught by these heinous people. How could a sane mother or father even consider putting their child under the tutelage of someone such as this.

That's right.

It's happening all over.

Teachers, coaches and sometimes even principals are daring to . . .are you ready for this? They are bowing their heads.

What!?!

I know, I know, you're upset. You cannot believe this is happening. Thoughts like "What is this world coming to?" run through your mind. It's a travesty.

The latest evil culprits were football coaches in Sumner County, Tennessee. This is the county where my brother lives, so he alerted me to this story last night. Apparently, the players on this local public middle school team gathered for a student-originated, student-led prayer time. The coaches were there as well, not leading, but they dared to bow their heads while the students prayed.

That's right. Bowed their heads.

That's it.

And that's what started the fire.

Channel 4 (WSMV) in Nashville covered the story. Here's a portion of their coverage. . .

During a student-originated, student-led prayer, four coaches bowed their heads. They didn't say a word.

But the principal and the district found out.

"We've been telling our principals to kind of be looking for those things, because that is kind of a shift in how things have been done," Sumner County Schools spokesperson Jeremy Johnson said. "It can in no way appear like it's endorsed by Sumner County Schools personnel."

Channel 4 asked if bowing one's head qualified as endorsing.

"It depends on what it looks like," he said. "That's where you kind of get into the gray area that we're having to deal with."

Each coach had to sign a letter stating he understood the district's revised policy.

Staff can be there when students pray but can not appear to take part, even outside school hours.

Of course, people in the community were shocked. Some are angry. Some who haven't stepped foot in a church for decades will claim to be Christians just to have something to argue about, no less.

This is just the most recent story. There are high-profile stories similar to this every year. Now, public school employees and legal advisors, even in our county, are instructing coaches and teachers to step back, not close their eyes and not to bow their heads for fear of being sued. The Sumner County policy was put in place following a lawsuit brought to the district alleging violations of the "separation of church and state" by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU.) 

I am a supporter of our local schools. I support our teachers, administrators, coaches and all in our community committed to serve and lead our children. Our church has been supportive for years and connected with our local schools strategically as a "business partner."

The initial reaction when I read stories like this is to get angry and to focus too much on the politics of the battle. The focus I must have, and we must have as children of God is the Gospel. 

David Landrith is the Pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, located in Sumner County. On his blog this morning, he shares some solid truths regarding this story.

Regarding the ACLU lawsuit, I believe the school system is headed in the wrong direction.  In my opinion, they have made two serious mistakes:

First, they have over-reacted out of the fear of a lawsuit.  Because of this fear, they are instituting policies that are unnecessary and that I believe are unconstitutional.  The irony is that in responding to the ACLU’s claims in an excessive way, they may actually be violating the First Amendment rights of teachers and students.

The idea that a coach or teacher cannot bow their head out of respect for student-led prayer is, quite frankly, ridiculous.  Additionally, to tell the teachers that they cannot attend “See You At The Pole,” which occurs before school hours, just doesn’t seem to be constitutional.  Maybe the ACLU should represent the teachers!

Secondly, there is a lack of clarity in what the actual policies are.  As the rules are handed down the line, there have been all kinds of prohibitions communicated. The student pastors of our county were told one thing in a meeting that is not always the practice at schools in the county.

I don’t know if these are official policies or not,  but teachers have expressed to me that it is being communicated to them that they cannot do certain things; things like to wear or display a cross, have a Bible on their desk in their office, have scripture verses displayed in their personal work space, listen to Christian music in their office, or participate in a prayer at a Christian organization such as FCA or Bible study.

Maybe this is official policy and maybe it is not.  If it is, again it seems to be a violation of the teachers’ First Amendment rights on the free exercise of religion.  If it is not, someone should make clear to the teachers and the community what teachers can and cannot do.

This the United States of America!  You can’t ban people from practicing their faith in the marketplace – whether it’s a Muslim, Buddhist, or a Christian.  Christianity should not be favored over other religions. However, Christians should have the same rights as everyone else.

I agree with David and he spells this out more in his blog post here. 

While I read this stories and think "Wow! That's unbelievable!" the realization comes to me that it will just be a matter of time when we are facing the very same thing here in our county. Remember, it wasn't that long ago that Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns County was in the news for similar reasons. There was also the story out of Pensacola regarding the athletic director and school principal.

Now, I'm not hoping this happens. I know our school district leaders are praying, oops. . . hoping it never happens. I'm no prophet, but . . . it will happen. This is more than a political battle. It's more than a Constitutional issue (BTW - the separation of church and state is not in the Constitution.) It's a spiritual issue. 

Pray for our schools, our teachers, administrators, coaches and all employees in the school district. Those who are believers in Christ cannot just "turn that belief off" when they go to work. Pray for them.

Makes you wonder if men like Tony Dungy or Joe Gibbs would have been able to coach high school football, doesn't it? The photo above is of Dungy and his Indianapolis Colts praying together in the locker room.

Real Men Run Away Sometimes

What does it mean to be a real man?  We work through the definition in our Men's Church and other meetings.  We have a definition of what it means to be real.

R- reject passivity

E - expect the greater reward

A - accept responsibility

L - lead courageously (Thanks to Robert Lewis and Men's Fraternity for the clear definition.)

I was talking to one of our men today in preparation for the junior high boys' mentoring program we're involved in.  This Friday we are discussing the issue of temptation.  I shared that when dealing with temptation, this is when a real man runs away.

It seems strange to use that phraseology, but it's true.  As a man, I often want to take on the challenges of life and run full bore into the battle.  However, there are some things that, as a real man, it is best for me to run away.  

Do you struggle with any secret sins or consistent temptations?  Let me rephrase that "I know you struggle with some sort of secret sin or constant temptation."  I believe we all do.  We tend to categorize sin.  I think that is to make us feel better.  We put serious sins in one category and little ones in another.  The truth is that in God's eyes, and I know you've heard this, a sin is a sin.

OK, so here's the deal.  We all face temptation.  By the way, to be tempted is not a sin.  How do you respond when temptation comes.  I face temptation.  There are a few areas, one especially, that I know is a weak spot in my armor.  I know when the Enemy will tempt me in this area.  I know how he's going to do it.  I know the lies that he says.  I know all this.  But. . .you know what?  I still find myself at times falling.

Yep, alert the media - I still blow it!

The frustrating thing is I know I'm blowing it.  I know the strategies the Enemy uses, yet I sometimes walk right into his trap.  You may be just like me.

So, what's a man to do?  RUN!

There are areas in each of our lives where bowing up and jumping in is just not the smart, or right thing to do.

Here's a good example.  Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers is an MVP candidate this season.  He is one of the major reasons the Rangers are preparing to play in the American League Championship Series.  With all the negative things we hear about professional athletes nowadays, Hamilton is a breath of fresh air.  Oh, don't get me wrong.  Hamilton is far from perfect.  He would tell you that.  Yet, as a Christian, he is a transformed man.  He is a child of God. . .with weaknesses.  He story is exciting now, but a few years ago, it was anything but.  He was considered a bust as a baseball player.  This was not because he didn't have talent.  It was because he was continually falling into problems with his drug and alcohol addiction.

He came to know Christ and his life was changed forever.  He's married and has children and is playing a game for a living.  What could be better?  However, he knows where his weaknesses are.

Back in 2009 photos hit the internet showing Hamilton drunk and partying with a couple of ladies in a bar.  Neither of the women was his wife.  This was another athlete in scandal.  He had been very vocal about his faith and his recovery, and yet here were the pictures showing him in very compromising positions.  Hamilton didn't deny the photos were of him.  In fact, according to reports he had immediately confessed this indiscretion to his wife and to the Rangers organization.  It was months later the pictures hit the web.  Yet, he still needed to comment.  Here's what he said:

"I'm embarrassed about it. For the Rangers, I'm embarrassed about it. For my wife, my kids," Hamilton said. "It's one of those things that just reinforces about alcohol. Unfortunately, it happened. It just reinforces to me that if I'm out there getting ready for a season and taking my focus off the most important thing in my recovery, which is my relationship with Christ, it's amazing how those things creep back in.

"Honestly, I hate that this happened. But it is what it is. You deal with it. I realized that, obviously, I'm not perfect, in this ongoing struggle, battle, that is very real. A lot of people don't understand how real it is.

"As soon as it happened, I called my support system -- my wife, the Rangers, and told them what had happened. I was absolutely open and honest about it.

"I went to get something to eat. Obviously, I eat at restaurants that have bars in them all the time. I wasn't mentally fit to go in there, spiritually fit, and it just crossed my mind, 'Can I have a drink?' Obviously, I can't."

He owned up to it.  He wasn't proud of his sin, but there was no excusing it.  Repentance and forgiveness are the healing elements.  Consequently, there was no story anymore.

So, here we are a year later.  The Rangers have clinched the AL West and the celebration is going to begin.  How do professional sports teams celebrate these types of victories?  With champagne, of course.  So, how's Josh going to deal with this?

(From MLBFanhouse.com) Josh Hamilton, whose bouts with alcohol and drug abuse nearly ruined his career, avoided the Texas Rangers' locker room celebration -- and the beer and champagne showers that followed -- as the team celebrated its first Western Division title in more than a decade.

Instead, Hamilton opted to speak at church not far from where the Rangers were playing in Oakland on Saturday.

"So it would be kind of hypocritical of me to come in here and douse myself with alcohol and smoke cigars and then go out there and talk about Jesus," Hamilton told The Dallas Morning News.

Some teammates wanted to pour bottles of water on Hamilton and he told the newspaper several days ago that he thought about wearing goggles along with a wetsuit and or raincoat to avoid making contact with the alcohol.

"I'm excited and what happened yesterday as far as the guys celebrating in here, that's part of it,"Hamilton told ESPNDallas.com on Sunday. "It's not for me. I'm not saying that I wouldn't have liked to have been in here with them. I just felt like it was in my best interest if I didn't participate. But it's amazing that it just so happened to work out that we clinched the same day they are having Faith Day and I'm speaking out there."

That is a real man.  A man who knows his weaknesses.  He knows who he is and who he is not.  He decides the only thing he can do is to not put himself in the situation where the temptation will overpower him.  As the Bible says, God always provides a way out.  

This is true for all of us.  Whether your temptation is alcohol or drugs like Hamilton's or maybe the most prevalent temptation among Christian men - pornography, or maybe something else like gluttony, gossip, greed, etc.  Joseph is our example from Scripture.  When Potiphar's wife was tempting him sexually, he did not go to her and "play with fire" thinking he could handle it.  He ran away.  He was still accused, but he knew and God knew that he had done nothing wrong.

Integrity - "without wax" - that's what God is calling from men and women today.

Back to Hamilton.  Last night the Rangers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS.  It was time for another celebration.  What was Hamilton to do?  This actually made Yahoo! News today.

This time, the Texas Rangers’ celebration started with Josh Hamilton(notes).

Left out of the party when the club clinched the American League West title in late September, Hamilton on Tuesday night dashed into the visitors’ clubhouse and into a torrent of ginger ale after the Rangers beat theTampa Bay Rays in the AL division series.

“The guys really doused me good,” he said later, having slipped out of the clubhouse when the ginger ale ran dry. “They gave me a lot of hugs and congratulations.”

He smiled and raised a green plastic bottle of soda. He’d pushed a pair of ski goggles to the top of his forehead.

“You know,” he said, “this stuff burns your eyes just like that other stuff does.” 

Hamilton’s life and baseball career were nearly ruined by years of drug and alcohol abuse. Still fighting that fight, Hamilton led the Rangers to their first AL West title in 11 years, won the AL batting title and is a leading MVP candidate.

Yet when they laughed and sprayed each other with champagne after clinching the division in Oakland, Hamilton stayed dry and sober in the trainer’s room. His teammates brought him along this time, laying in wait, armed with Canada Dry bottles, and together they carried on for 10 minutes after their 5-1 victory at Tropicana Field. 

“It meant a lot,” he said. “It just says a lot about my teammates, them understanding the sensitivity of my situation.”

Not far away, in the hallway outside the clubhouse, Hamilton’s wife, Katie, and various friends, including his pastor from North Carolina, beamed.

“I think that’s precious,” Katie said. “It’s so wonderful that they’re sensitive to him.”

Hamilton wore a broad smile as he passed team president Nolan Ryan.

“Nolan!” he shouted, and held aloft his bottle. “Ginger ale!”

Ryan laughed.

“Hey,” he answered. “Nice going!”

A couple of last thoughts.  Run from temptation.  It's the only way to win.  Also, it's good to have a band of brothers who understand where you're weak so they can watch out for you.  That's what the Rangers teammates did for Hamilton with the Ginger Ale.

We're Moving Up - from #120 to #102

Last year the pre-season rankings of college football teams had my alma mater - the University of North Texas Mean Green (the mascot is an eagle, in case you wonder why we're a color.  Could be because Mean Joe Greene played there, but probably not) was ranked number 120.  That sounds better than last, but that is exactly what it was.  After a few years of winning the Sun Belt and going to the New Orleans Bowl, the Mean Green has fallen on hard times.  So, what did we do?  We hired a high school coach, Todd Dodge.

Dodge was incredible at Southlake Carroll High School as coach, but so far has had a hard time bringing that success to UNT.  

Last off season many Mean Greeners (yes, there are a lot out there) were calling for Dodge to be fired, but he has been retained.  He's an offensive genius (meaning - we can score 90 points a game, but we may give away 92.)  However, this year is his last chance, many believe.

The Rivals.com rankings just came out and lo and behold, we're moving up.  We are now number 102.  Now, for those who only look at the top ten, this may not seem like a big deal, but mark my words - one of these days folks will be talking about UNT the way they talk about Boise State and Utah now.  It's going to happen.  I may not be alive to see it, but it will.

This year the Mean Green get a new state of the art stadium.  They play some tough teams out of conference this year (Clemson, Rice, Army and Kansas State - and K-State is coming to Denton to play.  This is a big deal.)  Then, it's a full slate of Sun Belt action.

You gotta have faith.  

Here's our schedule.  I know all my friends in Florida care about this:

Date Opponent Location Time (CST) Results Media   Sat, Sep 04  Clemson at Clemson, SC   2:30 P.M. ESPN U    Sat, Sep 11  Rice Denton, TX   6:00 P.M.   Sat, Sep 18  Army at West Point, NY   11:00 A.M. CBS College Sports    Sat, Sep 25  Florida Atlantic * at Boca Raton, FL   6:00 P.M.   Sat, Oct 02  Louisiana-Lafayette * Denton, TX   6:30 P.M. Sun Belt Network    Sat, Oct 09  Arkansas State * Denton, TX   6:00 P.M.   Sat, Oct 16  FIU * Denton, TX   6:30 P.M. Sun Belt Network    Sat, Oct 30  WKU * at Bowling Green, KY   2:00 P.M.   Sat, Nov 06  Troy * Denton, TX   6:00 P.M.   Sat, Nov 13  Middle Tennessee * at Murfreesboro, TN   2:30 P.M.   Sat, Nov 20  ULM * at Monroe, LA   TBA   Sat, Nov 27  Kansas State Denton, TX   3:00 P.M.

* Conference Games

Somebody Get a Proofreader for These Teams

A year ago Washington Nationals player, Ryan Zimmerman, took the field with the name of his team misspelled on the jersey.  His jersey said "NATINALS".  Yesterday one of the San Francisco (that's F-R-A-N-C-I-S-C-O) Giants, Eugenio Velez took the field with a typo.  

Nice. Here are some other uniform blunders. . . 

Check out the "Z"

Check out Gretzky's name. That's like misspelling Michael Jordan's name on a Bulls jersey (or Wizards).

Good ole Mark Brunell.  At this point, he must have been the only Redskin.

Here's Zimmerman of the Natinals

I found these on this page - http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/a-history-of-misspelled-jerseys 

March Madness - Tips On Filling Out Your Bracket

March Madness is here. This is the best sports event of the year.  Yeah, I hear all you college football fans who think the BCS Championship is the biggest event - sorry, not without a playoff.  What about the Super Bowl - fun, but too much hype and rarely lives up to it.  As for the other sporting events that folks think are the biggest around:  Daytona 500, WrestleMania (do they even have that anymore?), the NBA Finals, World Series. . .they just don't compare.

There's something about having all these college basketball teams - many we hear about all the time, but some who find a way to win their conference tournament and end up dancing, that make it such a great event.

Just think about it, without the NCAA Tournament, unless you have a child attending one of these schools or lived near the campus, how many of us would even know about these schools from this year's tournament and tournaments past. . .

• Gonzaga
• Winthrop (shout out to Andy Crissinger)
• Butler (The Gators still grimace when thinking of this team)
• Murray State (The Racers - near where my parents live)
• Siena
• Arkansas Pine Bluff
• Morgan State
• Wofford
• Richmond
• Lehigh
• North Texas Mean Green (of course if you go to church here, you know about the Mean Green)

These schools are legit and yet, some are small and others just don't have the publicity of an ACC, SEC or Big 12 school, so this is the only chance to see them.

So, get your brackets ready and remember, you can do more than one.  Here are some suggestions:

1. Pick one bracket with your brain, not your heart, based on who you think will win each game. This is for the serious pickers who look at odds and matchups and waste way too much time studying the players' stats.
2. Pick one bracket with your heart, not your brain, based on who you'd love to see win.  It's good to watch "Hoosiers" before picking this bracket.  Underdogs are always exciting.  In this bracket, North Texas wins it all.
3. Pick one bracket as a mixture of both your brain and heart.  This is what I have done.  Though, I did not pick North Texas to win it's first game, I did pick Tennessee to win it all.  I know, I know, it probably won't happen - but they did knock off Kansas earlier this year when the Jayhawks were No. 1.  I just want to see Pearl sweat all over that orange jacket on national television.  I have UT playing Kentucky in the finals, but I couldn't pick Kentucky.  Do you know why?  Because I've never liked Kentucky.  Simple.
4. Pick one bracket based on team colors.  The best uniforms win.  In this one, Minnesota will never win a game.
5. Finally, pick one bracket based on the mascots.  Ask yourself this question, if these two mascots were to battle in real life, which would win.  In this scenario, you have to remember that the North Texas Mean Green mascot is actually an eagle.  Still, they're playing the Kansas State Wildcats, so it's hard to pick who would win.  I go with the eagle.  Other teams aren't so intimidating:  The Wofford Terriers (their mascot is the bug eyed black and white Boston Terrier), Sienna's mascot is a Saint Bernard (another dog that doesn't seem deadly, but can bring you a flask of brandy if you're trapped in the snow), Murray State's Racers (race horses) can out run the Vanderbilt Commodores so they win, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos could defeat Ohio State in this bracket since OSU is simply a nut.  However, who would win between Clemson and Missour? They're both Tigers.  You see how this works?  In this scenario, the championship game would probably have the Oakland Grizzlies playing the Montana Grizzlies.  Grizzly Bears are mean.

Well, hope you enjoy the games.  You can watch them on CBS Sports website and they even have a "Boss Button" (not that I'm recommending it) that you can click when watching at work.  When the boss comes around, click this button and a fake spreadsheet and PowerPoint screen comes up to hide the game. Funny. I wonder how much work is not done during this month because of these games?

Not that I would ever stop from working to watch basketball, but just so you know the North Texas - Kansas State game comes on at 2:40pm today. Good thing I have multiple screens on my computer and can multi-task.

Here's my bracket.  It's the heart/brain combination. 

 

In Alabama, Nick Saban Has More Facebook Fans Than God

Saw this headline and thought. . .Hmmm, Didn't know God had a Facebook Page.  Little did I know?

Well, apparently, some research has been done on this.  Why?  Who knows.  

God wins just about everywhere in the South except for Alabama, Louisiana and Florida.  Apparently, we like our Starbucks more.

For the full article, you can click here. 

A Day at Upward

Upward Basketball is a ministry we have hosted at our church for seven years. Each year hundreds of children participate in our basketball and cheerleading leagues.  This year it's up to almost 350 participants.  This means we have games Friday evenings and all day Saturday for eight weeks.  That plus the practices makes for a very busy and full week of sports ministry here at First Baptist.

On Saturdays, I get to watch as people come and go and as games are played.  In the afternoons I put on my striped shirt and referee for four or five games.  Then, normally around 7:30pm or 8:30pm I coach my son's team.  I get a variety of perspectives: spectator, referee, parent, and coach.

Here are some things I've noticed during these Upward games. . .

• Even in the leagues where no score is kept (Kindgergarten - 2nd grade) every parent and coach knows the score.  Some kids do, but not all.
• Apparently it's a big deal with the Chick-fil-A chicken biscuits arrive on Saturday mornings.
• It's impossible to referee a game where both coaches and all the parents think you've done a good job.
• "Dribble it, pass it, we want a basket" is the most used cheer.  Every cheer squad does this cheer and if you're here all day you hear it over and over and over and over. . . 
• A day eating nachos and cookies normally ends in a stomach ache by the end of the day, yet I still find myself eating nachos and cookies all day.
• Girls like to play basketball wearing earrings, makeup, necklaces and nice bows.
• Our referees don't get paid.  I am one, so therefore, we're getting what we pay for. :-)
• Some folks really get uptight about the Upward colors.  It's funny.  This year the colors are orange and blue and Gator-haters are having a really hard time wearing the uniforms and coaches shirts.  I just tell them it's Boise State colors.  They change every year.  Will probably be red and black again next year.
• Parents yell at their kids while they play, thinking they can hear them.  Most of the time the kids can't hear anyone.  At least that's what I tell their coaches when they get frustrated because the players aren't doing what they say.
• For many players, the end of game trip to the concession stand is the highlight of the day.
• The longer the day gets, the shorter my temper gets. Not a good thing.
• The older girls wear the best looking socks.
• The computer doesn't always make the teams equal.  This is very frustrating to me.
• All in all, Upward is the best sports program I've seen with the focus it has.
• Games starting at 8:30pm.  That's just too late.
• The ladies that work and set up the concession stand are incredible.
• Unbelievable referees (excluding me).  These folks donate all their time.
• Amazing to see this many people volunteering so much time for the kids in this community.
• A loose basketball just hit the fire alarm pull button.  Now the alarm is going off.  Fun.
• God is all over this program.  Praying that many lives will be changed.

These are just some observations.  You should come out sometime and cheer these kids on.

High School Basketball Manager Gets Chance to Shine

Much like Jason McElwain did a few years back for his high school basketball team, another student has been allowed to play in his team's final game.  This time it was David "Chubbs" Stillman.

I'm a sucker for a good sports story. . .

From Rivals.com . . .

A Special Night for Stillman in Missouri

by Dallas Jackson

Kirkwood (Mo.) High senior basketball player David "Chubbs" Stillman had a game he will remember forever on Monday night.

And it was all by design.

Stillman, who is a special needs student at Kirkwood and has been the team's manager since his freshman year, suited up for his high school - and scored six points.

"This night was planned to give back to Chubbs for all he has given us the past four years," Kirkwood coach Bill Gunn said. "He made the night special."

Stillman, who started, entered to his name being blasted over the loudspeaker and chanted from the stands.

"It was so much fun," Stillman said. "Having my brothers, sister and family there also made it special."

The decision to start Stillman was an easy one for Gunn.

"We wanted him to experience putting on the jersey, starting and having the opportunity to play for Kirkwood," he said.

And play Stillman did.

Stillman did not simply log minutes after the game was decided. He was in for the tip, re-entered the game before halftime and again twice in the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter was when Stillman shined, knocking down a 3-pointer midway through the period.

Teammate Hunter Ward, a senior, said it was great to see Chubbs out there competing.

"We were all so glad and proud to see him out there smiling and having a blast," Ward said.

Putting a smile on the faces of his teammates will be the lasting memory of Stillman on the Kirkwood community, but this night would have an ending that no one could have planned.

With the game already decided, Gunn called a timeout and put Stillman back into the game.

"When Coach Gunn called timeout to get Chubbs back into the game, I asked the kids, 'How do we want this to end?' " opposing coach Chris Wilkenson said. "Chubbs had already scored, but they didn't care.

"They said, 'Coach we want him to hit another shot.' It shows that these kids have real character."

And hit another shot he did.

Stillman, with a flair for the dramatic, hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to close the game.

"The second 3-point basket at the buzzer was a perfect ending," Gunn said. "It was great to see the students and team carry him off the floor."

The reaction has already been overwhelming for Gunn and the team.

"It has been crazy today in a very positive way," he said. "The reaction from the media in St. Louis and throughout the country has been unreal."

Gunn has been contacted by NBC's The Today Show as well as many local St. Louis area news outlets regarding the story.

While the coach is certainly proud, he deflects the attention back to his player.

"I am so happy that this can bring recognition to not only David but to Special Olympians everywhere," he said.

Stillman, however, is still soaking in the game.

"Getting to play for Kirkwood and hitting those 3s was a dream come true," he said. "This is something I will remember the rest of my life."

The Secret to Being a Winning Basketball Team

I love the game and the history of the game and at different points throughout my life I have had different roles when it comes to the game of basketball.

I've been a player, coach, fan, league coordinator, parent of players and gym rat.

I have had many good experiences with the game, but also many frustrating ones.  Probably more frustrating ones than good.

You're reading this and thinking "What does that guy know about becoming a winning team?"  For years, I have enjoyed watching basketball games, whether kids, junior high, high school, college or pro.  Each level is unique, but at it's core, basketball is pretty simple.  Five guys (or girls) working together for one goal.  Sounds like Coach Dale from the movie "Hoosiers" doesn't it?

In watching teams and players come and go, there are things you pick up.  There are some intangibles out on the court that are hard to find in a stat sheet, but essential for a team to be a winner.

I've been a part of winning teams.  My high school coach, Ken West, was one of the winningest coaches in the state of Texas.  If I remember right, he won his 750th game my senior season.  We presented him a painted basketball with our names on it and a big 750 painted on it after the victory.  I remember this because our assistant coach gave me the task of painting the ball and carrying it around until we won that game.

My short career in college ball was for a winning team (at least the first year).  There were things to learn from this coach (Richard Hoodendoorn) and mostly from the team dynamic.  Great friends developed that season.  Then, there was that one day when I was coached by the legendary John Wooden.  Our team (Texas Wesleyan Rams) were the sample team for a one day coaches clinic Wooden was having in Arlington, Texas.  It was an honor just to meet Coach Wooden.  He knows more about winning and basketball than every other coach and player in the country combined (that's my personal opinion.)  Just check out his uncanny record.

Anyway, those things don't make me an expert.  I know this, but then again, this is my blog and I thought I'd share my opinion on this elusive task of creating a winning basketball team.

I'm reading a book given to me by my secretary called "The Book of Basketball" (no points for creative book titling) by Bill Simmons of ESPN.com & ESPN: The Magazine.  He's a Boston guy and shares his opinions about the NBA and especially about the Bird-era Celtics.  For a guy my age who grew up watching Bird and Magic and then MJ, this is a fun read.  At one point (the point I just read last night) Simmons is talking to Isiah Thomas.  This is funny because Simmons had been slamming Thomas in his magazine articles for about a year regarding the mess he made with the NY Knicks.  Anyway, the talk with Thomas goes back to when he was still a superstar point guard for the Detroit Pistons in the age when it seemed that either the Celtics or Lakers won the NBA Championship each year.  The topic was how a seemingly under talented Pistons team with only one superstar compete each year and even defeat the perennial NBA favorites for a championship (not once, but twice.)  Isiah said that's "the secret."

THE SECRET TO WINNING

What is this elusive "secret?"  Well, I guess if everyone knew, it wouldn't be a secret.  As I read Isiah's answer, it clicked with me.  I was immediately taken back to the 1985-1986 Richland Rebel high school basketball team.  This was my senior year.  It was a great season and we had some good players on the team.  When I think about our team, though, I must admit we probably weren't the most talented in the district.  I know our center wasn't (yep, that's me.)  Our point guard Mark Benson was one of the best ball handlers and game quarterbacks I'd ever played with.  Our shooting guard David Cook could put up the points, but all in all, we weren't the fastest team, we weren't the strongest team, we probably didn't have the best grasp on the fundamentals. . .yet we were winners.  We won over twenty games that season and captured the district title and even the bi-district title (that's the first round of the playoffs for you folks not in Texas.)  We lost the next game and many times I have wished that one could be replayed.  Nevertheless, there was something about that team, about that season that was unique.

"The Secret" - Well, here's what Isiah says "The secret of basketball is that it's not about basketball."

Wow.  Deep, huh?

It's true, though.

Think about what's happened to basketball in this era?  Due to superstar highlights, Top 10 plays on ESPN, marketing strategies and the like, the ultimate team game has been morphed into a showcase for individual talent.  Don't get me wrong, I love watching LeBron dunk over the opposing team then steal a French fry from a fan, but there's so much more to the game.

Apparently the late 1980s Detroit Pistons figured this out.  Now, I wasn't a Pistons fan then and am not one now, but like I said earlier, I love the history of basketball and as I look back on this team, Isiah was right.  Team mattered, at least for a few years, more than individual stats.

Now, I go back to that senior year in high school.  More than anything this group of guys wanted to win.  Texas is a lot like Florida - football reigns.  So, to get noticed as a basketball player or team, you have to win.  More often than not it was Benson or Cook and sometimes Matt Pruitt who led the team in scoring, but not always.  I had that honor a couple of times.  The point was that the ball was spread around.  The focus wasn't so much on individual numbers as it was on winning.

I've played basketball many years and for every year of organized ball, except one, I was on the bench.  I rarely was put in a game in junior high (only if it was a blowout.) In ninth grade I made the team and played just a handful of minutes.  Then, in tenth grade I was on the JV and saw some playing time.  My junior and senior years was my time on varsity, but it wasn't until my senior year that I became a starter.

LIFE ON THE BENCH

Here's what I noticed about team dynamics.  You've all heard the sayings "There's no 'I' in TEAM" and the like, but what happens on the bench in a basketball game is something sociologists should study.  It's kind of like watching Survivor.  Everyone's on the same "team" but everyone is looking out for themselves.  This is the first problem teams must overcome to become winners.

As you sit on the bench, you cheer your teammates, but in the back of your mind are hoping the guy on the court who plays your position does terribly (some may wish for an injury, but that's not very nice).  Why?  So the coach will get mad, look at that bench of players, who as soon as the coach turns around scoots to the edge of the bench looking up with big eyes like the puppy at the pet store as if to say "pick me" with hopes of being put in the game.  It's pretty cut throat.

Then, when the coach puts another player on the bench in for the position you play and feeling of animosity and anger and the thoughts "I did so much better than him in practice yesterday" and "I can't believe the coach puts him in" and "That guy is such a jerk.  I hate him (well you really don't but you start to because he's playing and you're not)" come to mind.  Great for team unity, huh?

Life on the bench is difficult.  Maybe that's why winning teams have a "Bench Coach" to work with the emotions, thoughts, and feelings of this group of players.

PLAYERS WITH ATTITUDE

This is the killer.  I've seen it on numerous teams.  Yes, there's a fine line between cocky and confident, but the reality is that no one wants to play on a team with someone who thinks they're better than everyone else (even if they are.)  Something about wearing the same uniform as a jerk that makes this one hard. 

Often the player or players with the worst attitude are either the most talented or the upperclassmen (or veterans).  There's that obvious "I deserve to play" look that's given to the coach and other players.  Every team I've ever watched that has the talent but doesn't win consistently tends to have a couple of "cancer" players on their team. 

I've been on teams like this and the very best thing that ever happened, and looking back, the catalyst that pushed those teams from hovering around .500 to being winners was cutting out the cancers.  Some players were kicked off the team.  Others quit.  The end result?  A better team.

Back to that senior year.  This was the first team I was on that didn't have one of these "cancer" players.  I never heard so many teammates saying "My bad" or "My fault" when things went wrong in a play.  Most teams I get to watch now have at least one or two players who have the perpetual "whiny face" on - either to their teammates or coach or the refs.  I hate watching players who "never do anything wrong" in their own minds and blame everyone else.  I just want to run out on the court and "set a hard pick" on them (I was going to say slap them upside the head, but as a pastor, I didn't think that would go over too well. . . yet, that's what I want to do.)

DISRESPECT

This is probably the biggest thing, right behind getting rid of those "cancer" players that keeps a team from moving from perpetual mediocrity to winning.  Most often this is disrespect of the coach.

It's easy to say what I'd do if I were the coach.  I'm not, so I can't be certain, but I can tell you that I think I would be a coach that would not put up with disrespect to me, assistant coaches, refs or other players.

My high school coach was one of the winningest in the state, but like any coach-player relationship, we didn't always agree.  I thought I should play every minute of every game.  He didn't.  At the end of the season, he gave me an award at our banquet.  He said it was the first time he'd ever given out this award.  It was the "Most Verbal Abuse by a Coach" award.  My coach was about 5'6" tall.  He most often had some snuff in his bottom lip.  Now, my ears are big and stick out and the coach used these to his advantage.  He would grab my ears, pull my face down to his level and then with little pieces of tobacco spitting out of his mouth, yell in my face about what I did wrong or needed to do better.  My response?   "Yes sir."  I guess I just thought that's how you were supposed to respond.  I didn't roll my eyes.  I didn't talk back.  I didn't storm out of the gym because "I'd been disrespected".  I knew my role.  I was a player.  It was a privilege.  I knew his role. He was the coach.  He was a winning coach and I wanted to be a winner to.  So, I figured he knew what he was talking about.

Another thing.  Our first practice back in my sophomore year with Coach West, he made one thing very clear.  He said that if our parents had problems with our playing time or his coaching style that (and here's where I thought he'd say "My door is open.  Have them call me."  Right) they had better not contact him.  He said it was our job as his players to listen to him and be coached by him and, get this, to make sure out parents knew his role and didn't bother him with that stuff.  Wow.  That message stuck.  I told my parents that and they said "He's the coach."  So, though they never like the amount of minutes I played, for the next three years, they were cordial to the coach and let me play.  This was pretty much a big deal for me.  It was as if the coach was saying "You're growing up.  Be a man.  Don't be a little kid."

THE SECRET

So, the secret of basketball is not about basketball.

It's about understanding the roles of each player and coach.  It's about chemistry as a team.  It's about putting others first, rather than yourself. 

This is what turned the Lakers around when Magic arrived.  This is what turned the Celtics around upon Bird's arrival.  It's what allowed the Pistons to win in the midst of these other dynasty times.  It's what propelled a group of guys at Richland High School to victory back in the mid 1980s.  I'm convinced it's still the secret.

PARTING THOUGHTS

Some things I've discovered through this.

• Teammates do not have to be best friends.  I liked all my teammates back on that Rebel team.  However, we weren't all best friends.  We didn't all hang out all the time together.  Sometimes coaches and parents think this is key.  It's not.  People are unique and have different likes and dislikes.  Hey, I was the weird, tall Christian guy on the team.  I wasn't the partier or connected with kids from other schools.  My best friends weren't even on the basketball team.  In fact, they had graduated a few years earlier.
• The coach cannot make this happen for the team.  At some point, the players have to get a clue.  At some point, the players have to agree that winning is more important than individual stats or personality differences.
• Coaches have to recognize when animosity among players is killing the team.  Some "cancer" removal may have to happen.  Watch the bench dynamics.  I love watching players jostle for the seat next to the assistant coach so they can either suck up or hope to be noticed first for substitution.  Happens on every team.  Funny, but detrimental.

"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable." - Coach John Wooden

"I play, Coach stays.  He goes, I go." - Jimmy Chitwood

"If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we're gonna be winners." - Coach Norman Dale

"Five players on the floor functioning as one single unit: team, team, team - no one more important that the other." - Coach Norman Dale

"Tarkington!  You have to block out!  Get in there and get that rebound!" - Coach Ken West