MJ Mondays | Overcoming Obstacles with Your Inner Voice

Many people say that Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all time, and he only made 49.7% of his shots. Lebron James only makes 50% of his shots. The best players in the NBA the last 30 years have missed half of their shots!

I just read that Tiger Woods has the greatest golf winning percentage in golf of all time. He has won a record 22.8% of the matches that he has been in. The great Tiger Woods has lost over 3 out of 4 tournaments that he has played in.

Being perfect should not be the goal. Nobody is perfect. When something negative happens, we get the opportunity to show how to deal with and respond to adversity. We are all going to have adversity in our lives. Be a beacon of hope on how to appropriately handle adversity.

Your self-talk has to be strong to handle adversity; this is really important. You have to be able to bounce back from mistakes as quick as a ball bounces back off the floor or a tennis racket. Roger Federer, one of the best tennis players ever, only wins 55% of his tennis points. That means that he has had to learn how to manage losing 45% of the time.

We all have a strong voice and a weak voice. Your strong voice is the positive things that you tell yourself that help you capitalize on your strengths and fight through hard times. They are the productive things that you think about and tell yourself. Your weak voice is all the weak and negative things that you tell yourself. Think about and write down what you tell yourself. See how strong your strong voice and your weak voice are.

Take 60 seconds and write down your weak voice thoughts. Then take 60 seconds and write down your strong voice thoughts. 

1 - Which side was easier for you to come up with?

2 - When you look at both sides, what do you think?

Some find it easier to come up with and think about the strong voice, and some find it easier to come up with and think about the weak voice.

Understand that even the very best in every profession have strong AND weak voices. The goal is to make sure that your strong voice has the last word. Train yourself to think that it is normal for us to have a weak voice and there are tendencies for when this voice speaks to us, and then challenge it to turn it into an inner coach that guides us.

If you talk to others the way that you talk to yourself when you are going through adversity, how would that look and sound? Some say that they wouldn't have any friends. Don't make yourself your own worst enemy. Turn your private voice into an inner coach that guides you through life; that is the ultimate gift because that is the voice that guides you every day.

75 Motivational Michael Jordan Quotes

Week 13 | OVERCOME

Week 13 | OVERCOME

"I have told you these things so in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome this world."

King David was a young shepherd who became famous for OVERCOMING challenges and killing the giant Goliath with only a sling and a stone from a riverbed. David was named the next king of Israel as a teenager, but instead of ascending to the throne, he spent years on the run from King Saul. 

Before OVERCOMING and defeating the giant Goliath, David became Saul's armor-bearer because his harp was so soothing that Saul called for David whenever he was vexed by an 'evil spirit' sent by God (I Samuel 9:16).

After OVERCOMING Goliath and prompting the Philistines to flee, the people, including King Saul, praised and loved David. David married Saul's daughter Michal and became a close friend of Saul's son Jonathan. But King Saul became jealous and upset with David, and Saul tried to kill him. David spent a lot of his early life running from Saul, even running into enemy territory.

Have you ever thought everything was going great only to let your guard down before facing extreme obstacles and adversity? Have you ever been in a game where you thought and felt like you were running away with a huge win, and then the other team created a few turnovers, took away a few rebounds, made a few shots, and stole all momentum of a game that thought and felt that you had won?

This is what David felt, but with much greater consequences.

While David went through his struggles, he cried, grieved, and mourned to God. David had honest conversations with God about his situation while holding onto hope that God would restore him.

David cried out to God for justice, and David remembered God's faithfulness. Focusing on God's faithfulness reminded David of God's character, and knowing God's character helped him hold onto hope in the hardest of situations and OVERCOME them all. David eventually became king, he expanded his territory until his nation became dominant, and many considered him the ideal king, as successful in peace as in war who was beloved by God as well as his people.

Setbacks are hard. Setbacks don't feel good. They can make us question whether or not we are doing the right thing or on the right path. But if we believe in God, if we believe in Jesus, and if we believe that all things are working together for good to those who love God, and to them who are called to according to His purpose, then God will provide us with peace, joy, and the strength, power, and authority to defeat everything that challenges us. If we believe and love others, we can OVERCOME any and all obstacles in our way.

God gives strength to the weary and to him/her who lacks might, He increases power. We all get tired and grow weary, and we all stumble, but those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, and they will walk and not become weary.

There is greatness within you. Something good is going to happen to you and through you. Handle adversity and challenges appropriately. Every day, say, "Something good is going to happen to and through me. I receive blessings to be a blessing to others. I pray that I find someone that I can bless, help, and serve."

This Week

1 - When you face a challenge, ask "What is this preparing me for? What can I gain from OVERCOMING this?"

2 - When you see someone else struggling, ask God, "How can I help, serve, or bless this person? How can I help fill their bucket?" This week, find one person whom you can help and inspire.

Read and download the Google doc version here: Week 13 | Overcome

When You Believe In Your Athletes They Do Better

Research supports that expectations might be the most important key to success. When you believe in yourself, you do better, and when coaches believe in their athletes, they do better.

Years ago, a study was done that showed something remarkable about a teacher's belief in students. Researchers told teachers that some of the students in their class could be expected to be 'growth spurters,' based on the students' recent test results. The test never happened, but at the end of the year, the students' scores on IQ tests matched the teacher's false beliefs. This study shows that our expectations and beliefs about our athletes matter in how we teach and coach them and in how they perform.

In a more recent study, hundreds of students were involved in a study where they wrote essays and received critical feedback from their teachers. Half the students received an extra sentence at the bottom of the feedback. The students who received the extra sentence earned higher grades the next year. This one sentence changed students' learning so much that they achieved higher levels a year later. The extra sentence was:

I AM GIVING YOU THIS FEEDBACK BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YOU.

These two studies show the impact that high expectations and beliefs can have on our students and athletes. It is important to communicate positive beliefs and expectations to all athletes. Adversity and obstacles are part of the process. You can't avoid it. We can help each other through them all by the way we communicate with them.

YOU CAN BE THE PERSON WHO TURNS THINGS AROUND FOR ATHLETES AND UNLOCKS A WORLD OF POTENTIAL LYING INSIDE OF THEM. IT USUALLY TAKES JUST ONE PERSON-A PERSON WHOM ATHLETES WILL NEVER FORGET.

Read more here: When You Believe In Your Students They Do Better

75 Motivation Michael Jordan Quotes

Week 12 | Obedience

 WEEK 12 | OBEDIENCE

“God’s ways never end up disappointing us.”

Beating a press in basketball is a team effort. We have to have a plan, we have to know the plan, and we have to have the skills and will to execute the plan. When everybody moves and works together, beating a press and finishing with a lay-up is one of the most beautiful things in basketball. But when everybody isn’t on the same page, the press can quickly break a team down.

OBEDIENCE is key, and what makes it even tougher is that you have to have OBEDIENCE in the middle of a storm when you are facing a press.

OBEDIENCE is when someone listens well to authority, and when you do what you are told and instructed to do.

OBEDIENCE to God can be similar. OBEDIENCE to God always brings blessing. The Lord’s simple requests often serve as stepping-stones to life’s most wonderful blessings. WE have to be willing and able to listen and follow his instructions.

In Luke Chapter 5, a large crowd pressed around Jesus while He preached. Jesus asked Simon Peter to push his boat away from the shore so that he could use the boat to stand and preach to the people. Because Simon Peter did this small thing, the crowd could all hear Him preach. After He finished, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon Peter and his partners had been working all night for a catch but were unsuccessful, so they were probably tired and ready to give up for the night. Instead, he obeyed and he and his partners pulled in not one, but two overflowing boatloads of fish. 

Saying yes transformed their lives.

Saying yes to the Lord’s words, instruction, and requests can transform our lives too. According to Charles F. Stanly, there are three reasons why OBEDIENCE is critical to the successful Christian’s life:

1 - OBEYING God in small matters is an essential step to God’s greatest blessings.
Sometimes our biggest blessings come from doing simple things that God has asked us to do. When we master the small things, we can be trusted with greater things.

2 - Our OBEDIENCE always benefits others.
Think about how many people were blessed by Peter’s obedience. We receive blessings so that we can enjoy life and so that we can bless others. We are blessed to be a blessing.

3 - When we obey God, we will never be disappointed.
Peter might have assumed that Jesus’ fishing instructions would be a waste of time, but the Lord brought him a miracle that turned an empty boat into a full one. What is Jesus trying to tell you? Where is He trying to lead you to?

This Week

1 - Read Luke 5:1-11. Read about how Peter’s obedience led to blessings for all those around him.

2 - What is one, small thing that you can do this week to help you be a better teammate, friend, or person?

3 - What is one way that you can bless or help someone else?

For a Google doc version, click here.

Weaknesses to Strengths | MJ Mondays

I have a friend who has a son who is a top 25 basketball player in the country. I first started watching his son play in travel tournaments in the 4th grade, and now he is nearing the end of his high school journey, and his game and stock continue to rise.

We talk often about "the process" and what steps he took along the way. The one thing that he tells me the most is to make sure your kids keep developing and keep getting better. That is it. He said that parents get caught up in who is the best 4th, 5th, or 6th grader, but that nobody outside of that kid's family really cares. What matters is that they are having fun and getting better every year because the minute they stop getting better, they get passed up and people stop watching.

Two goals he said to have for youth athletes are:

1 - For your kids to be varsity ready by the time you are in 9th grade
2 - For your kids to still enjoy and love the game in the 9th grade

He also said that he and his son know and talk about his strengths and weaknesses. Their goal is to grow the strengths but to eliminate weaknesses. One year, college coaches said he couldn't drive to his left, so he worked on that until it was a strength. Then, they said he couldn't shoot the deep three, and now he is one of the best shooters in the country. Now they say that he is not as explosive and athletic as some of his classmates, so he has been making a point to show his athleticism in games by dunking more.

Their goal is to have no weaknesses in his game.

That reminds me of this Michael Jordan quote:

"My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength."

Be aware of what your strengths and weaknesses are. Maximize your strengths and embrace them. But also focus on growing your weaknesses until you have none!

Create a Plan

1 - What are your two biggest strengths?

2 - What can you do to maximize them?

3 - What is one weakness that you have?

4 - What can you do over the next few weeks or months to improve that skill?

Week 11 Devotional | Prepared

PREPARED | WEEK 11 DEVOTIONAL

“I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” Genesis 12:2

Dana Evans has been one of the best college basketball players in the country the last few years. She is the star point guard for the University of Louisville. She is an All-American and was the ACC Player of the Year last year. She has helped lead the Cardinals to heights they have never reached before. What makes her story unique is that though she was a high school All-American, she didn't start for U of L her first two years in college.

Most high school All-Americans are starters their first or second year, and if they don't, they usually transfer to a place where they can start. Instead of transferring, Dana bought into her role coming off the bench, she worked hard in practice, believed in her coaches, and learned from her older teammates. She said herself that coming off the bench was hard because she was used to starting, but coming off the bench PREPARED her for the success that she is enjoying now.

WATCH HER 4-PART DOCUSERIES HERE: DANAEVANS1.COM

What are you PREPARING for? What are the challenges in your life preparing you for? What is the adversity that you are dealing with preparing you for? Pastor Andrew Forrest at Munger Place Church in Dallas had a powerful message where he asked, "What if the pandemic is PREPARATION?" The main character of his message was the Apostle Paul. There is a ten-year period in which Paul drops out of history following his encounter with Jesus on the road to Demascus and transformation. He was sent home to Tarsus and we don't hear from him again until Barnabas goes to get him and brings him to Antioch around AD 48. We don't know what happened in that 10 year period, but we do know that God used Paul in a mighty way after that. Paul is considered by many to be the most important person, after Jesus, in the history of Christianity. About half of the New Testament stems from Paul and the people he influenced. 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament are attributed to him, the book of Acts deals with Paul's life and works [1].

Paul's life wasn't easy. Some of the letters that he wrote and that became important books in the Bible were written from jail. Jesus said that in this world, we will have trouble. But He also said in Him we may have peace, and to take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33)! Jesus and Paul both went through many hardships, and Jesus ultimately bore the cross so that we would be PREPARED to go through our own storms with the peace and joy that Jesus has gifted us.

Going through adversity is hard. This pandemic has been hard. Being uncomfortable is hard. But we know that we grow through adversity. We grow through the hard stuff. The hard stuff is how God PREPARES us so that He can bless us so that we can be a blessing to others.

This Week:

1 - Ask God, "What are you preparing me for?" Pray on that. It helps me redirect frustration, fear, and anxiety into hope, joy, and peace for the future.

2 - God blesses us to be a blessing to others, but we still have to go through storms. What is one storm, challenge, or piece of adversity that you have gone through or are going through, and how can you use the lessons that you learned to help someone else?

3 - Read more about Paul's journey in Acts 9:20-30 and Acts 11:19-26.

For a Google doc version, click here.

We Are All Co-Creators of our Team's Culture and Climate

While the coach and the leaders of a team share most of the responsibility in creating the right culture and climate, everybody on the team is a co-creator of the team's culture and climate. That responsibility is not just on the coaches and best players but on everybody.

Everybody impacts culture - good or bad - by the way we act and interact with each other. Ask yourself, "Am I a culture-builder?" Ask yourself, "Is my team's culture better because I am on it?"

The best teams have cultures where everybody feels like they belong and valued for the uniqueness that they bring to the team. When everybody has that sense of belonging, research says that teams work harder, smart, and more together, and they outperform teams that don't have that same sense of belonging. Having the right culture can and will lead to more success and wins.

How can you impact culture? We all impact our teams' culture by the way we act and interact with each other. It starts with the way we show up. Do we show up early, do we walk in right on time, or do we show up late? We impact the culture by the way that we act, work, and practice. Do you and your teammates have a culture of working hard and growing through practice, or is the culture to just get through the practice? Do you touch every line, or do you take shortcuts? Do you compete on every drill, or do you take it easy on your teammates? Do you work to get extra reps, do you just do the bare minimum, or do you try to find ways out of doing things that you don't like to do?

We also impact culture by the way we talk to our teammates. Do we talk to them in a way that makes them feel better about themselves, do we talk to them in a way that is encouraging, or do we talk to our teammates in a way that brings them down? How we communicate with and interact with each other has a major impact on the team and how the team performs. When teammates and coaches don't have positive interactions with each other, that leads to fractured team dynamics and cliques, and conflicts that negatively affect trust, teamwork, and performance.

The way we show up, the way we act, work, and practice and the way that we talk to our teammates shouldn't be dictated by our status on the team, and no matter what our status is on the team, the way that we show up, act and interact with our teammates will have a major impact on our team's culture.

The best culture-builder that I ever played with or coached was in college. Let's call him Chad. Chad didn't play a lot. He was an 'up 30 or down 30 guy,' meaning he only played in games when we were up by 30 points or down by 30 points. But you wouldn't know it from the energy that he brought to practice and the games. He was always one of the first people to practice and one of the last ones to leave. He was always the first to jump in line to do a drill, and he always went the hardest. He was always cheering his teammates on and encouraging them, especially in games. He had a towel that he would bring to games and would wave it to keep us going.

What made Chad a special teammate didn't lead to more playing time, but it led us to a conference championship. Chad also has a great job and a great family now. Being a culture-builder and a great teammate has far more benefits than just playing time.

We are all co-creators of our team's culture and climate. Is your team better because you are on it?

Reflection questions:

1 - How would you describe yourself as a teammate?

2 - Who was the best teammate you ever had?

3 - What made them your best teammate?

4 - How would you describe a great teammate?

5 - What do you need to do to fit the description that you have for a great teammate?

How to Create the Right Culture and Climate

Our culture is everything that makes us who we are. It is what we do, it is how we do it, and it is why we do it. Culture influences what we talk about, how we talk about it, and what we think about it.

Our team's climate is how behave and how we interact with each other.

When we have the right culture and climate, our players and teams play and perform better. The right climate and culture can lead to an increase in learning, teamwork, well-being, and performance. Having the right culture is a game-changer and a difference-maker.

As a leader, you have the power to shape the team's climate and culture for better or worse. You communicate and affect climate and culture by what you pay attention to, what you permit, and what you promote. You communicate and affect climate and culture by the things that you notice, comment on, measure, control, ignore and reward. Casual, random moments and conversations can be just as effective as rules because actions communicate what is important to the group more than words.

Be aware of the power of paying attention to the thoughts, words, behaviors, and actions of everyone. Be consistent, communicate what you want, and reinforce it. Provide clear goals and expectations by defining what you want to see. Manage it by consistently articulating, and role modeling what you want to see. Assess what you are seeing, and then reinforce desired behaviors by providing clear, timely, and consistent feedback.

Research shows that adults learn best from personal experience and reflection on their experiences. Here are 5 reflection questions:

1 - What kind of culture do you desire?

2 - When people see your team play, what do you want them to say about them?

3 - When your athletes talk about you, what do you want them to say?

4 - When you athletes talk about your practice, what do you want them to say?

5 - When the parents of your athletes talk about you, what do you want them to say?

- All leaders shape climate and culture - for better or worse
- Provide clear goals and expectations
- Consistently articulate and model desired behaviors
- Asses the behaviors and interactions of your athletes (and parents)
- Reinforce desired behaviors through the timely communication of feedback and praise

"He Always Wanted To Take It To The Next Level"

Michael Jordan said that he came into the NBA with no expectations. While he was the 3rd player drafted in the NBA, nobody expected him to become as great as he did. He said that the only pressure he felt was to prove that he deserved to play on that level.

Jordan said that proving himself was an easy, step-by-step process. It was about playing hard every day in practice, competing against his teammates, especially the best ones, until he earned a starting role.

He said that after his first year, the expectations came, but by that time, he already had the positive habits that he needed and he had built a solid foundation for his game. He understood that the expectations and attention he was getting were because of the work that he had put in up to that point.

If you want success, you have to put in the work. You have to have the right habits and foundation. You have to be willing to learn and compete, every day. Your effort has to match your goals.

Approach every practice with the intention of learning as much as you can, getting better, and competing with yourself and your teammates. Get after it in every drill. Ask your coach questions. Come early and stay late. Try to get as many reps and opportunities as possible. You will get out of it what you put into it.

Week 10 Devotional | Joy

 JOY

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

Being a great athlete and teammate can be tough because there are so many things that can easily discourage us, but God has given us tools in and through His word to help us overcome discouragement and so that we can live with peace and joy.

Our joy starts with Jesus. Even when He faced death, He possessed a deep joy beyond anything the world can offer. Just before He faced the cross, He spoke to His disciples and said, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete and overflowing." (John 15:11). The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I came so that you may enjoy your life." (John 10:10).

Joy does not mean that you don't or won't have problems. We will miss more shots than we make, and that is okay. We won't naturally get along with all of our teammates, we will lose games, and we will get yelled at and corrected by our coaches. When Jesus says that He wants us to have His joy, it's a joy that we can have even when nothing is going right. We all have problems, issues, concerns, and challenges, but Jesus came so that we can see and learn how to live with peace and joy through those problems.

Paul wrote the book of Philippians in the Bible while he was in jail, but he still mentioned joy 19 times. He also mentioned the functions of the mind 16 times. No matter what we are going through, it is our privilege as a child of God to be full of joy. The mind and the thoughts that we have in our mind have a lot to do with our joy. You can think yourself into being miserable and unhappy, or you can think yourself into being happy.

If you wake up and start thinking about the wrong stuff in the morning and think about everything you don't have and feel sorry for yourself, you can have a miserable day anytime you want to have one. If you come to practice thinking about all of the things that you don't want to do, then it won't be fun. If you come to practice excitedly thinking about the things that you do want to do, then you will enjoy it.

Your thoughts affect your actions and moods. As you go through life, think about what you do have and not what you don't have. Think about and focus on what your teammates do great, and think about and focus on the good things that they do to and for you. Your time as an athlete is limited; enjoy it. Remember that you have Jesus in your life, and as long as you have Him, you can have peace and joy.

Peace and joy start in your mind and your heart. It starts with the thoughts you have. It flows through your close, tight relationship with Jesus. He didn't die for us just to have a religion; He died for us to have a relationship with Him. Through that relationship, we have peace, joy, and all of the other fruits of the spirit.

One of the responsibilities of a follower of Jesus is to live a happy life. Adversity and challenges come to everybody, but because we have Jesus in our life, we can have the same problems and challenges that other people have but we can handle them differently.

Today, this week, and forever, wake up thinking about the good things in your life. Come to practice thinking about and focusing on the good things. Focus on the things that bring you joy. Focus on the mercy and forgiveness of God. Focus on the fact that every day is a brand new day, and His mercy is new every day. Our joy, or the lack of it, speaks a message to the world, and the Bible says that we are the light of the world.

Choose to think about the right things. Choose to have a positive perspective. Even the worst circumstances cannot steal your joy if you won't let them. Don't focus on what you have lost or what you don't have or what you can't do. Focus on what you have and what you can do. Focus on the strengths of your teammates, and not their weaknesses. Think about the things that you like about your coaches, your teammates, and your life. Think about and focus on your strengths.

Philippians 1:1-2 - "Grace to you and peace to you from our Father."

This Week

1 - Think about the right things and choose to have a positive perspective, even in the worst moments.

2 - What is your favorite thing about playing sports?

3 - What is your favorite part of practice?

4 - What do you love about your teammates?

5 - What do you love about your coach?

Create Opportunities

Teams have a better chance of winning when they get more shots than the other team. You can score more when you shoot more, and you get more shots when you create more opportunities.

Tailor was the best rebounder on her team. She was good at boxing out, but even better at finding, going after, and grabbing the ball on every shot.

Tailor said that she was so good at rebounding because when she was growing up, she played with older kids who wouldn't pass her the ball. She wanted to shoot and score, and the only way that she could do that was to go get the ball. She got good at getting rebounds and getting loose balls. She saw that most people on the court waited for the ball to come to her; she made a decision to go get the ball.

When the ball is bouncing free or when shots go up, look at the faces and eyes of most people on the court. They usually take at least a second or two to watch the ball before reacting. Don't stop and wait; go get the ball. It will create more opportunities for you and your team. You can score the most points in the game without having any plays called for you if you are willing to go get the ball and create your own opportunities.

1 - What is one way that you create more opportunities for your team?

2 - What is one different or new way that you can create more opportunities for your team?

Click here for a Google doc version: Create Opportunities