MJ Mondays | The Work

Success isn’t promised or given to anybody; especially not sustainable success. If you see somebody on top for an extended period of time, believe that they have put in the work to get to the top, and they have continued the work to stay on top. They have overcome challenges and adversity that we will never see or know about on their journey. They just never quit.

That is what Michael Jordan’s former teammate B.J. Armstrong said about him. B.J. said that nothing was going to keep Michael from achieving what he wanted to achieve. He was too focused, competitive, and driven to let anything stop him.

Early in his career, guys like Larry Bird and Isaiah Thomas, and teams like the Celtics and the Pistons did a good job of stopping him. But he took his losses, learned his lessons, and came back stronger and better each year until he was at the top of the mountain.

There are a lot of 6’6 athletes in the NBA, but there aren’t nearly as many 6’6 athletes who were willing to put in the work that it takes to be the best. The work is the difference. The will is the difference. Having a goal and a plan is the difference. Being willing to overcome everything that can and will get in the way is the difference.

College basketball star Hailey Van Lith said that when she was playing AAU basketball in high school, every year she saw some players fall off while others kept getting better. She could tell who was putting the work in and who wasn’t.

Have a goal, have a vision, and have a plan. Then have the will and competitive spirit to reach that goal over, through, and around all of the adversity along the way.

Week 26 Devotional | Neighbor

Think about how much better our teams, and the world could be, if we focused on loving each other and lifting each other up.

Playing team sports helps us learn how to work with all types of people. Some of our teammates are easy to be around and play with, while some teammates are a little more difficult to get along with. The same can be said for coaches. Some coaches are easy to play for, and some coaches are more difficult to play for.

As Chrisitians, we are called to love all teammates and all coaches. When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment,” he replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’”

The original Hebrew word for neighbor is plesion, and it means friend or any other person. Jesus said the two most important things that we are called to do are to love God and love people. 

You aren’t going to like or be best friends with every teammate, but we can have a God-like love and appreciation for them. God’s love is self-sacrificing, generous, extravagant, lavish, costly, limitless, boundless, measureless, and unconditional (Christianity.com).

Be like a light for your teammates, showing them the power and strength of love and being a good person. Be there for people. Show them the same grace and mercy that you want, even if they aren’t giving it to you. Strive to be the best person you can be. Be the type of neighbor, teammate, and friend other people are thankful for.

Show up everyday with the goals of being the best person, the best athlete, and the best teammate that you can be.

This Week

1 - What are some things that you can do or say to show a God-like love for everyone you come around?

2 - When you are around people that are a little harder to love, what can you do or say to yourself to get in the mindset to do what Jesus called us to do?

References:

1 “What Is Love.” Christianity.com, https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-is-love.html%3Famp%3D1

Always Learning, Always Growing

What can I learn today?

How can I be better tomorrow?

Baseball manager Earl Weaver said, "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." Legendary football coach Knute Rockne said, "Build your weaknesses until they become strengths."

By asking yourself, "What can I learn today," and, "How can I be better tomorrow," you are starting the process of learning, growing, and getting better by learning how to learn (Mind Gym).

Your mind is like a parachute. It only works when it is open. Be open to teaching and constructive criticism. Be self-aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Know what you are good at, and know what you need to work on.

Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, known as The Big Unit, said, "You never stop learning in this game. If you ever think you know everything, it will jump up and bite you. Hard."

Michael Jordan said that every summer, he wanted to add something to his game. When you stop working and adding to your game, you become easier to defend and easier to beat.

Have a growth mindset. Be willing to work on your weaknesses and learn new things so that they can become strengths.

References:

1 - Mack, Gary. Mind Gym. McGraw-Hill, 2001.

Love of the Game

Do you love it? Do you love practicing? Do you love playing? Do you love dribbling the ball while you are watching TV?

Having grit and a growth mindset are very important, but passion and love has to come first. Being successful in sports is hard. You have to push yourself beyond your limits, and you have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone. It takes grit to do that, but it also takes love and passion. It is hard to go through hard things if you don’t love what you do.

Fall in love with the game. Fall in love with practicing. Fall in love with working on your game on your own. When you are in the gym, at the court, on the field by yourself, pause and say to yourself, “This is my favorite thing to do.”

Michael Jordan had a ‘Love in the Game’ clause put in his first contract. He loved playing the game so much, he put in his contract that he had the ability anytime, anytime. He said, “It’s about playing with your heart and with passion. You play the game for the love of the game. So every chance you get to play the game, you play with intensity and you play it hard.

Talent is great, but work ethic is even more important. Fall in love with the game, fall in love with practice, fall in love with working hard and seeing yourself grow. When you love something, you are more willing to the hard work that it takes to be great, and more willing to deal with adversity.

Week 25 Devotional | Fathers

When you hear many of the best professional athletes speak about their role models and how they became great athletes, many of them talk about their fathers' role in their lives.

Michael Jordan said that his father was his best friend. Steph and Seth Curry talk about how their father used to bring them to the stadium before his NBA games and helped them fall in the love with the game of basketball. Kyrie Irving's dad raised him as a single father after his mother passed away when he was just 4. Before he was drafted, Irving said, "I can't even explain in words how much he means to me."

Shaquille O'Neal grew up with his mother and step-father, and he even wrote songs about the relationship that he had with his step-father and his impact on his life.

Lebron James talks about how not having his father in his life made him want to be an even better father for his three kids.

The role of the father is important in all families. Unfortunately, that role is not fulfilled in all, but its impact is always felt. 

The evidence about the influence of fathers on their children is overwhelming. Surveys and research show that when fathers are involved in their children's lives, they are more likely to get A's, enjoy school, and participate in extracurricular activities. Even one-year-olds with fathers who were involved were less likely to cry, worry, or disrupt play than other one-year-olds whose fathers were less involved (Inspiration).

Fathers must understand the impact they can have on the lives of their children. Paul wrote in Colossians, "Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged." Paul wrote in Ephesians, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

In Proverbs, it is written, "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it (Proverbs 22:6). Later in Proverbs, it is written, "Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old (Proverbs 23:22)." It is also written, "The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him (Proverbs 23:24)."

We all have a role to play. The role of our parents to provide guidance, instruction, and discipline. The role of the child is to listen and obey their parents.

On this Father's Day, remember to obey your fathers. Fathers, remember to not aggravate your children, or they might become discouraged, but continue to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

THIS WEEK:

1 - Find ways to show how much you love and appreciate your parents.

2 - Make an effort to listen and learn from the instruction, guidance, and advice your parents give you.

References:

1 - Fathers. "Inspiration Ministries," https://inspiration.org/daily-devotional/fathers/. 

For a Google Doc version of this devotional, click here: Week 25 Devotional | Fathers

Getting the Most Out of Your Athletes

Have you ever wondered why some athletes pay attention in practice and games, and why others don't?

Or why some athletes improve, and others don't?

Or why some athletes reach their full potential, and others don't?

Yvette Jackson, a master teacher, says that we have to do three things to get the most out of our athletes:

1 - Affirm - Build on their strengths
2 - Inspire - Inspire and challenge them
3 - Motivate - Motivate them so that they believe in their ability to do anything

AIM - Affirm, Inspire, Motivate

One of our opportunities as coaches is that we have the ability to 'gift our athletes.' We have the opportunity to gift them with the ability to transform themselves so that they can transform their teams and the world.

It starts with having a fearless belief that our athletes have an enormous pool of potential bubbling inside of them, and we as parents and coaches have the ability to inspire and bring that out of them.

If your athletes aren't motivated, ask "What have we done to engage them and connect what we are doing to what they care about?"

Lead With Strengths

Start with identifying, talking about, and celebrating each other's strengths, and use those strengths as a base to build underdeveloped skills. Focus on enrichment and figuring out what they know and how and what to add to it. Science says that leading with strengths can improve energy, focus, and performance.

- What does ______ do the best?
- What does our team do the best?
- How can we do more of what _____ does best, and how can we do more of what our team does best?

Build and Expand on Experiences
When you teach something new, tell them why. When you introduce a drill or a skill or a play, give them context. When we teach a new move, we give them a player in the NBA who uses it, when they use it, and why they use it. We ask them if they have seen this move used in a game. We then show and model for them how to do it. Finally, we practice, practice, practice because research has shown that deliberate practice might be the most effective way to master a skill. 

- Start with what they know
- Build on what they know
- Connect what you are teaching to what they know and care about (tell them how this will make them better and how this will help the team win)

Gift your athletes with these 4 things:

1 - Engagement (get them excited to participate)
2 - Challenge (give them a challenge that they have the confidence and support to complete)
3 - Feedback (constant and ongoing feedback)
4 - Reflection (give them time for the learning to stick in file folders of their brains)

Finally, we all have those hard to reach and hard to motivate athletes. Yvette Jackson says, "We are all born to be motivated. As soon as a baby opens their eyes, they are motivated to learn. When we have someone who is not motivated, our first question should be, 'What have we done to engage them?'"

Engagement comes from an emotional state or response. Make them feel good about something, make it interesting, make it relevant and meaningful, and show them how this will make them better to get them engaged. Emotions are important; bring them out in a positive way by affirming their strengths and interest and connect them to what you are going to be able to do.

Go affirm, inspire, and motivate your athletes!

Intelligence is dynamic. It changes based on what it is exposed to. Change the input and the brain changes accordingly. Giving enrichment, belief in capacity, and the opportunity to share your culture and developmental level as a strength, then we can help our athletes THRIVE.

Click here to read Yvette Jackson's 7 High Operational Practices

Point Guard Play and Leadership

Bad point guards don't get their teammates involved AND they can't get their numbers.

Good point guards can EITHER get their teammates involved or get big numbers.

The best point guards can make the people around them better AND get their numbers.

Great point guards are born AND made. They are born to play the position and they are made to be point guards. They understand the dynamic of getting their teammates involved because they are asked to do that their whole life.

Finishers are told to finish plays. They are taught and told to make sure the team hits a certain number of points.

The same can be said for leaders. Bad leaders don't help or inspire others AND they can't do what they are supposed to do.

Good leaders can EITHER help and inspire others or do what they need to do consistently.

Great leaders can inspire others and do what they need to do consistently at a high level.

If you can't see the video above, you can click here: Point Guard Play and Leadership

MJ Mondays | Be Willing to be Coached and Pushed

To be great at anything, you need to be willing to learn and willing to receive feedback. You have to allow yourself to be coached and corrected so that you can learn and grow. And you have to allow yourself to be pushed. Michael Jordan told his college coach, Roy Williams, that he was going to be the best player to ever play at North Carolina. Michael Jordan said, "I'm going to show you. Nobody will ever work as hard as I'll work." Coach Williams said that Michael Jordan was the only play that could ever turn it on and off, and he never turned it off. He said, "When I think of Michael Jordan, I think of 3 years of watching that youngster get BETTER and BETTER and Better."

While scrimmaging in practice, I heard that Michael's coaches would have him play on the team with the guys coming off the bench to make it tougher on him. If his team was winning, his coaches would have him switch to the losing team and he would have to lead them back. This is an example of Michael Jordan allowing his coaches to push him.

When your coaches push you, do you pout, put your head down, and sulk, or are you grateful that they care enough to push you? Do you feel sorry for yourself because you are being pushed, or are you thankful and work harder?

Roy Williams recently said, "To this day, he still treats me like he did 30 years ago, or 40 years ago I guess it almost is now. Just an incredible person with, incredible work ethic. A will to win better than anybody I've ever seen. A focus better than any basketball player I've ever seen. The only person that's ever compared to him basketball-wise in how he focused was Tyler Hansborough.

Be willing to learn, be open to receive feedback, and be willing to be coached and pushed by your coaches.

Week 24 Devotional | Be a Light

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Great teammates are the light of the team. They are like the stars that light up the sky at night. They are like a lamp that lights the way. They bring much-needed energy, enthusiasm, and passion, and many of them do so from the bench while cheering their teammates on.

Every great team needs great teammates to bring people together, especially when times get tough. Simon Sinek once said, "In a weak culture, people will hunker down and take care of themselves. In a strong culture, people will rise up and take care of each other."

In 2nd Corinthians chapter 4, Paul says that we now have a light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves (2nd Corinthians 4:6-7). In Matthew, Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp-stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house (Matthew 5:14-16).

We will go through troubles and hard times. We will be pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed, we aren't driven to despair, and we are never abandoned by God (2nd Corinthians 4:8-10). We are a light and we have light in our hearts so that the life of Jesus may be seen in us and through us. Our spirit is being renewed every day, and any trouble that we experience will produce for us a glory that outweighs them and will last forever (2nd Corinthians 4:16-18).

Be a light for your teammates. Be someone that people want to play with. Be someone people are happy and excited to play with. Be encouraging through the good times and the bad. When someone does good, celebrate them. When someone is struggling, encourage them. Sports and life can be hard. We all need people supporting us, loving us, and bringing joy to our lives. Be that for every team that you are on and for every teammate that you have. 

Let your light SHINE.

Click here for more Bible verses about Being a Light.

Click here for a Google Doc version about Being a Light: Week 24 Devotional | Be a Light

Creating a Winning Environment

We build great teams and experiences so that our athletes never forget that they are capable of greatness.

Coach James was taking over for the basketball program at New Hope High School, but the first time he visited the gym he realized that the team and program needed a lot of new hope because there wasn't a lot of hope there. He saw an old, unkept gym and a team full of players who looked uninspired and discouraged.

As he watched his team scrimmage, he saw athletes not competing, pointing fingers and giving excuses, blaming others, and dragging their feet with their heads down after each mistake.

Coach James thought to himself, "Why do they think it is okay to not compete, not to play through mistakes, and not be great teammates?" Coach James realized that the athletes were just living up to the expectations set by the adults who were in charge before he got there. 

New Hope was far from a basketball powerhouse, and most coaches ended up leaving the school after a year or two because they felt like the challenges were too steep to overcome. No one was showing what was possible, and, in turn, the athletes didn't expect much of themselves.

Coach James had turn teams around before, but he knew that this would be one of his biggest challenges. He knew from prior experience that his starting point had to be changing the culture. He couldn't just talk about having high expectations, and while he had to do a renovation rehab on their gym and locker rooms, he needed more than fancy posters, quotes, and team slogans. His plan of attack was to define, manage, and model the specific thoughts, words, and actions that could build habits of excellence.

Every moment that we allow our athletes to think, say or do less than their best, we become the authors of their bad habits.

Coach James inherited one long-time assistant coach who they called Coach Harris, and he brought another assistant coach with him who they called Coach Scott. Both of them had their doubts, and neither thought that they could change the culture quickly, but Coach James kept reminding them WHY they were there. Coach James said, "We became coaches to impact and change lives through coaching. It is our responsibility to create habits of excellence in our players and to build their confidence and stamina so that they can believe in themselves and be and do better. We are passionate, we care, and we are going to make a difference. We are going to show them that they can be successful."

The next day, all three coaches began acting and talking differently, and the players noticed. Coach James said, "If we want to change the team, we have to change the way that they are being coached. We can't blame our athletes for the culture of the team - they simply follow the coaches."

Coach Scott, who had seen several coaches try and fail to try to bring hope to New Hope said, "Our athletes have never been given consistent messages about what to do or how to do it. I believe that our athletes will rise to the level of our expectations, but they will just as easily fall to the level of our expectations. It is our job to define, manage, and model the expectations that we have, teach them how to live up to our expectations, and to hold them accountable."

Define

The first step to changing a culture is defining that culture. Culture is what you see, not what you hope for. If you want to build a strong culture, you have to be able to articulate very clearly.

When you have an identity, you have standards to live up to that can help create a sense of ownership, which in turn draws clear lines of communication (Ledbetter 29).

Their key question became, "What do we expect?" Anything that is expected should be clearly defined (Ledbetter 35). When athletes weren't doing, talking, or interacting with a habit of excellence, the coaches asked themselves, "What do we expect from them at this moment?" The coaches worked hard to define almost everything, from what time each athlete should show up for practice and games, to the clothes they wear and how in practice, to how to sprint the huddle and how to line up during timeouts and between quarters. Nothing was left to interpretation, everybody knew what to expect, and everybody knew what their habits of excellence were going to be.

Manage

If it was easy as clearly defining expectations then many of our losing seasons could have easily been winning seasons, but the coaches learned how important it was to manage, monitor, and maintain the changes that they defined. They had to get everybody invested in the changes, and they had to manage the pushback from those who struggled with the habits of excellence. You get what you promote. They had to be willing to face the 'brutal facts' of their situation, and they had to appropriately address issues when they saw them. They identified was to use the least invasive forms of redirect for non-serious issues:

- Nonverbal redirection
- Use of proximity (standing closer to athletes not practicing habits of excellence)
- Modelling what to do

They also had to be willing to stop and teach when athletes weren't performing skills, drills, or plays to the level that was defined. The manage part was difficult because these athletes weren't used to being held with such a high level of expectations. There was a lot of pushback early, but the coaches kept pushing through. The most important thing that they did was work tirelessly towards building meaningful relationships. Athletes don't care how much you know until they know how much you care, and the coaching staff was as committed to getting into the hearts of their athletes as they were to get into the minds of their athletes.

Model

The final part was the coaching staff knew that they had to model everything that they wanted their players to do. In a broken culture, the modeling doesn't stop with team meetings, quotes, and slogans. The athletes were watching their coaches see what they could and could not get away with. They wanted to see if the coaches were going to consistently follow the model that they had defined and were managing. They were watching to see if the actions of their coaches matched their words.

Humans are pretty resistant to change. Coach James knew this and never tried to deny it. He knew that most of his players would not like most of the changes that he was trying to make, but he also knew that they were what was best for the athletes and the program, so he stayed consistent and fair. He defined what success was for the team, and he defined the habits of excellence that they need to master to be successful. He invested in his athletes as people, and he managed everything. He was consistent and staying with the plan through the good and the bad, making common-sense adjustments as they went along. And he modeled the habits of excellence for everyone in the program so that they could see how to think, talk, and behave every day.

It wasn't always easy to manage and model habits of excellence. There was a lot of pushback. But he remained the calm in the eye of the storms. He knew that the best action against resistance (from the players and their parents) was calm, consistent, repetitive action. Even if he didn't feel it on the inside, he always remained calm on the outside. He sent a message of, "We can do this. We will do this. I will lead us and show us the way."

LEADERS DON'T ALWAYS SUCCEED BECAUSE OF CHARISMA, BUT BECAUSE OF CONSTANCY; ALWAYS BEING THERE, REPEATEDLY, AS THE CALM IN THE EYE OF THE STORM.

This story was adapted from a story written in Leverage Leadership 2.0.

MJ Mondays | Overcoming Nervousness and Fear

When I was playing basketball in high school and college, I would get nervous before my games. Some gamedays, I would wake up nervous, and that nervousness wouldn't go away until the game started.

One thing that helped me was visualization. I would go to a quite place, close my eyes, and visualize myself playing in the game. I would start with hearing the announcer call out my name during the player introductions. I would follow myself as I went from the introductions, to the huddle, to the opening tip, and through the first few possessions of the game. This made me feel more confident because I could see and dictate what was going to happen. When the game came, I felt more comfortable because I felt like I had already been there before.

It made me feel better when I found out that even Michael Jordan got nervous before games. When he was asked if he got scared before games, Michael said that he is never scared to do things on the basketball court, but he gets nervous because of the challenges that come from playing. MJ says that he has total confidence in his skills and his skills get him comfortable when the game starts, but he is said that he is nervous at the start of pretty much every game.

It is okay to be nervous. Even the best athletes in the world get nervous. We have to find ways to play through our nerves and fear. Babe Ruth once said, "Never let the fear of striking out get in your way." Bear Grylls is known for presenting wilderness TV shows in the UK and the US. He said, "Being brave isn't the absence of fear. Being brave is having that fear but finding a way through it."

Nelson Mandella once said, "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the truimph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

What can we do if we are nervous? Here are 5 things that we can do to play through the nervousness:

1 - Define Success
Legendary coach John Wooden said, "Success is peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction and knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming. Know what you need to do to feel successful so that you know what you are working for.

2 - Ask Yourself, "What is the worst that can happen?"
Avoiding fears only makes them scarier. Whatever you fear, if you face it, it can start to fade. Sometimes imagining the worst thing that can happen will help you face your fears and determine steps that you can take to overcome those fears.

3 - Positive Affirmations
Positive affirmations are positive phrases or statements used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts. All you need to is pick a phrase and repeat it to yourself. Tell yourself, "You can do it. You are brave. You are strong. You will get through this."

4 - Think About Past, Successful Performance
David Yeager is an associate professor at the University of Texas where he has studied grit and growth mindset. He says that we can learn a lot from the things that we go through, and it is important to build on past experiences to help overcome adversity. Think about times when you have overcome your nervousness and fear, and think about how those past experiences can help you now.

5 - Practice More
The more we practice, the better we get, the more confidence we have. Michael Jordan said, "Champions do not become champions when they win an event, but in the hours, weeks, months, and years they spend preparing for it."

6 - Remember - It is Just a Game
At the end of the day, sports are a game and they are meant to be fun. Failure is a part of life, and it is a part of every game. Somebody has to win and somebody has to lose. It is okay to lose. Learn from your mistakes and losses so that you can come back better the next time.

References

1 - Positive Daily Affirmation: Is There Science Behind It? "Positive Psycology," https://positivepsychology.com/daily-affirmations/.

2 - Ten Ways to Fight Your Fears. "NHS Inform," https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/fears-and-phobias/ten-ways-to-fight-your-fears.

Week 23 Devotional | Scars

If you have ever gone through anything devastating like a serious injury, then you know how scary, painful, and hard it can be to deal with. The video below is a story that ESPN did of Azzi Fudd and how she tore her knee and her road to recovery.

Azzi Fudd is one of the best basketball players in the country and she will be a freshman for the UConn basketball team in 2021-2022. Azzi was the first sophomore to ever win the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award in 2019, when she averaged 26 points per game for St. Johns High School in Washington D.C.

She was considered the best high school player in the country and a generational talent, and then she tore her ACL and her MCL the summer after her sophomore year while attending. She was driving to the basket during the USA Basketball 3 on 3 National Championships when she tore them.

Azzi's mother said that she could see the fear in her eyes when it happened. Azzi said that she had never had an injury like that, and she could see the pain and hurt in her mom’s eyes having to see her go through it. Azzie was worried if she would be able to be as good as she was before she was hurt.

Azzi’s mother said, “There is so much pain and there is so much work and grinding that you find out who you are as a person and you find out what you are willing to do.”

Azzi has fully recovered and is ready to take over college basketball, but the SCARS from the injury will remain forever as a reminder of the injury and as a reminder of everything that she went through to recover. She might not have wanted to go through this, but I am sure she learned a lot about herself through this process. Our suffering produces endurance which produces character and hope.

Nobody makes it through life without getting a few SCARS. Bad things happen to everybody. Jesus still has his SCARS from when he was hung on the cross and pierced in the side. The resurrected Lord still bears His SCARS, but they are part of His glory. When Jesus came back, Thomas was not with the disciples the first time Jesus revealed himself to the disciples, so he doubted and said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe (John 20:25).”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe (John 20:26-27).” Jesus's SCARS helped Thomas and others go from unbelief to belief.

Jesus’s SCARS prove to the disciples that He was the resurrected Messiah. Azzi went through a lot to come back from her injury, and she has the SCARS to prove it. Through Christ, we have victory despite our SCARS. Be eager to find ways to glorify God and focus on the good and opportunities to find joy in everything. Don’t stay focused on the bad; find the good.

Pastor Andrew Forrest at Munger Place Church in Dallas says that when we go through tough times ask, “How can God be used and glorified through what is happening?” and, “What would it look like for God to be glorified through this situation?”

Ask God to use the SCARS to strengthen you and to bring strength and hope to those around you.

This Week

1 - Have you gone through something really difficult, survived it, and it made you stronger?

2 - How can Azzi's story help you get through something you are dealing with or something you might deal with in the future?

3 - How can the story of Jesus and his SCARS help you or inspire you?

For a Google Doc version, click here: Week 23 Devotional | SCARS

References

1 - Forrest, Andrew, hot. "How Not to Be a Victim." Munger Place Church - Dallas, Texas. Munger Place Church, 15, May 2021, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/munger-place-church-dallas-texas/id501149943?mt=2.

2 - "Nail Prints in Jesus' Hands." Lifehouse Full Gospel Church of God, https://www.lighthousefgcog.org/2017/11/02/nail-prints-in-jesus-hands-john-2024-29/.

Building Winning Cultures | Workhuman

If you look in the transfer portal, you can see that there is a need, now more than ever, to take a deeper look at the human side of coaching and sports, and a need to build winning cultures that put people first and that people want to join and stay a part of.

Workhuman is an organization that helps build winning cultures. Their research says that we can increase performance by 32% by creating a culture of thanks and recognition. We can build better athletes and better teams by giving and receiving thanks and by valuing what they bring to the team. When we make our people our 1st priority, success will follow.

Shawn Anchor, a happiness researcher, and bestselling author wrote, "Each and every person has the right to lead a happy life at work." As coaches, we can change that to say, "Each and every teammate has the right to lead a happy life on our team." This doesn't mean that everything will be easy. We can and should still have high expectations and hold them accountable. We should still teach that that they reap what they sow and get what they work for. But building a culture of belonging, purpose, happiness and positive energy is a competitive advantage that we can all embrace no matter the talent level of our team.

The Workhuman revolution is founded on three principles:

THANKS
Expressing authentic gratitude for someone's effort or positive behavior develops, deepens, and nurtures connections throughout the team.

TALK
Encouraging one another - with in-the-moment, honest, and helpful feedback aligns individuals and teams toward common goals.

CELEBRATE
Build community and authentic connections around teammates' achievements on and off the court by celebrating successes and celebrating each other.

Find meaningful ways every practice, every game, and every day to talk to your team, to give thanks, and to celebrate your team.

Luck and Legacy | Isaiah Thomas

Mike Malone is having a lot of success as the head coach of the Utah Jazz. He was Isaiah Thomas's coach in Sacramento, and on the All The Smoke Podcast, Matt Barnes asked Isaiah what it was like playing for Malone (34:35 time mark).

Isaiah said that Malone was a player's coach. Isaiah said that everybody was in his ear about trying to be a pass-first point guard, but that wasn't who he was - he was a scoring guard who makes plays. Isaiah said that Malone pulled him aside and told him that he would never be John Stockton. Malone told him to be Isaiah Thomas. Isaiah said he took that confidence that Malone instilled in him and ran with it.

Isaiah said that the NBA is about opportunity and situations. Everybody can play, but if you are in the right situation where there is confidence poured in you, 9 times out of 10 you are going to succeed.

The coach can be the best defender for most players. He can be first-team all defense. You have to figure out ways to get past it, but it can be tough.

Coaches, we have the power to inspire players and the power to hold players back. Give them the confidence they need to be the best that they can be. Tell them that you believe in them, and create an environment where they can be successful.

One of my coaching friends and I say that so much of an NBA player's legacy is due to luck. We call it 'Luck and Legacy.' If you look at any NBA legend's legacy, you will see some luck to it. Michael Jordan worked hard to become who he is, but he came into the NBA in the middle of Bird and Magic's prime, so he was able to learn and grow at the back-end of their careers and took the mantle and ran with it. Bird and Magic were amazing talents themselves, who had some luck tied to how they were drafted to the two most historic and legendary franchises in the NBA. Isaiah said himself that he was in the right situation.

Be the coach that players are lucky to have. Be the coach that players, and their parents, remember forever and are forever thankful for.