Baller 21

The Street Stops Here // Documentary

2010-03-11T04:00:34Z

The Street Stops Here brings to film the story previously written in the book, “The Miracle of St. Anthony.”

I really enjoyed the book and was inspired to make an impact on others lives through coaching.

Coach Bob Hurley, Sr Numbers //

36 years as St. Anthony Boy’s Head Basketball Coach
957 career victories
106 career losses
25 State Parochial Championships
2 Players in 36 years that didn’t attend college after graduation
150 Players receiving college scholarships

National PBS Television Premiere //

The Street Stops Here will premiere on PBS stations nationwide on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 10:00 pm (ET), (check local listings) during the height of March Madness just before the Final Four.

Follow on Twitter //

@StreetStopsHereMovie

I am looking forward to seeing the full version of the documentary.

Anyone seen a early release yet?

Tiger Woods, Athletes, and Atonement

2010-02-20T20:08:20Z

I tuned into the highly anticipated Tiger Woods public statement broadcast yesterday.

While I believe the overall message was sincere and a step in a positive direction for Woods, there was an initial statement that stood out to me, that could of easily been overheard, that really exposes the heart of the issue.

Tiger said in an opening statement: “I have a lot to atone for.”

Did anyone catch that? It’s interesting that he chose that particular word when preparing his manuscript, regardless of his intentions on the meaning of the word. However, an important issue is raised, that could benefit the sports-minded person.

How does one truly atone for our moral failures in life?

A common response, especially for the competitive athlete, is to work harder and to do what ever it takes to try and make things right. While these intentions are admirable in our relationships, in general, the truth is that no matter how hard one works, we fall short of a life that is pleasing to God on our own.

All the extra practice, mental preparation, self-rejuvenation, and therapy we apply will not ultimately atone for our moral failures.

The real problem is that our natures are sinful. Our natures need to be transformed within before we can expect any outward change. There is evidence of a sinful nature in our world and in our own hearts. This sin has separated us from a Holy God who takes sin seriously.

There is a solution, though. The solution is not in what we can do but what God can do.
The same God who despises our sin and will hold us accountable for it, is the one who out of love offers a solution to truly atone for it forever. The solution is found in Christ.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” ~ John 3:16

” For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.” ~ 1 Peter 3:18

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17

How do we receive this atonement for our moral failures, for our sins?

Talk to God.

Admit that you have messed up, that you have sinned.
Believe that Christ died and rose again for your sins.
Commit your whole life to Christ because of who he is and what he has done for you.

Trust that you are now at peace with God and in a right relationship with him.

Sometimes God uses bad circumstances and decisions that happen in life to get our attention and to form us into better people.

I pray that God continues his work in the life of Tiger Woods, your life, and mine.

Top 25 Most Influential Christian Sports Figures // Sports Spectrum

2010-02-12T15:41:57Z

Sports Spectrum, a Christian sports magazine, is creating a Silver Anniversary book of the TOP 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL CHRISTIAN SPORTS FIGURES who have appeared in Sports Spectrum over the last 25 years.

You can VOTE NOW through Feb 28 for who appears in the book. There are 101 nominees to pick from.

As I took the survey, there were a few that stood out immediately and a few new introductions to sports figures that are Christians.

However, the question I want to raise is this: How do we define what makes a Christian Sports Figure influential?

Is it about success? Popularity? What about the evidence of real character on and off the playing field? Or impacting lives and communities?

I picked the nominees listed that had some combination of all of the characteristics listed above. The sports figures that have real character, to the best of my knowledge, that have made a difference in the lives of others, and those that are well known. How can you pick a top 25 most influential if they are not known?

Any survey like this will have factors that could have an affect on the outcome of the results. Factors like the era a sports figure played, popularity of a sport, media exposure, and the consistency of an event, like in regards to the Olympics.

Nonetheless, the following are the nominees that I selected (in no particular order, and hopefully I remembered them all because I couldn’t see my results again after I submitted the survey). I must note that being a basketball fan and exposed to a few of the nominees more over the others has influenced my choices. The description of the sports figures given is from the Sports Spectrum survey.

A.C. Green, Basketball. 3x NBA champion who holds the record for most consecutive games played at 1,192. Currently, he runs youth camps through his A.C. Green Youth Foundation that promotes abstinence until marriage.

David Robinson, Basketball. 2x NBA Champion, NBA MVP, 10x All-Star, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, and NBA Hall-of-Famer. The NBA has renamed its annual award for character and community work as the David Robinson Plaque.

Derek Fisher, Basketball. 4x NBA Champion and Christian author.

Dikembe Mutombo, Basketball. 8x NBA All-Star and 4x NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Has done extensive amounts of humanitarian work in Africa and has built the first full-service, up-to-date hospital in the Congo and works with the Children’s Medical Missions of Africa.

Drew Brees, Football. 3x Pro Bowler, 2006 Walter Camp Award Winner, and the holder of several NFL, Saints, and Chargers passing records. He founded the Brees Dream Foundation with his wife and works extensively in the community of New Orleans. (Add Super Bowl Champion and MVP 2010).

Joe Gibbs, Football. 3x Super Bowl Champion, 3x NASCAR Cup Champion (Owner), and NFL Hall of Famer. Well respected author and very outspoken about his faith.

John Wooden, Basketball. National Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach; College Basketball Hall of Fame, 3x All-American as a player and 1932 National Champion at Purdue as well as National Player of the Year. As a coach, 10x National Champion and 6x Coach of the Year. Respected Christian author, lives by the Seven Creeds given to him as a child and focused on biblical principals.

Kurt Warner, Football. 2x NFL MVP, Super Bowl Champion, 4x Pro Bowler, and 2008 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Winner. Very outspoken about his faith, made it “First Things First” after the 1999 Super Bowl victory and thanked Jesus. That slogan eventually became the name of his foundation.

Mike Singletary, Football. NFL Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, 10x Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion. Current head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Very outspoken about his faith and his simple biblical values.

Payne Stewart, Golf. 2x U.S. Open champion, PGA Championship winner, and World Golf Hall of Famer. Member of 5 Ryder Cup Teams, outspoken believer and man of great faith.

Reggie White, Football. 13x Pro Bowler, Super Bowl Champion, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, NFL Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, and 2nd on the NFL’s all-time sacks list. He was nicknamed “The Minister of Defense” and was well known for his outspokeness and willingness to share with teammates and uphold biblical beliefs. He was also an ordained minister.

Tim Tebow, Football. Heisman Trophy winner and 2x NCAA National Champion. Outspoken about his faith and has always served on the mission field with his parents, who are missionaries.

Tom Landry, Football. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Pro Bowl selection as a player, 2x Super Bowl Champion as Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and friend of the Reverend Billy Graham, speaking at many of his crusades, and a member of the same church for 43 years. He is often credited for leading several of his players to Jesus.

Tom Lehman, Golf. US Open Champion and 5x PGA event winner.

Tony Dungy, Football. Super Bowl Champion as a player and assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and as a head coach with the Indianapolis Colts. Runs a successful prison ministry, is a regular speaker for FCA and works extensively with various outreach organizations.

Select your nominees in the survey here.

Which sports figures top your list?
Any surprises on the list of Christian sport figures?

Impact a Life // Coach a Sport

2010-02-03T17:10:45Z

I have many memories of my coaches through the years playing sports. Some good and some bad.

However, as I have now been through the process of organizing a high school basketball league, Baller Basketball, and sought after quality volunteer coaches, as well as coaching a team myself, I am reminded of the impact a coach can have on a life.

I can still remember to this day, while playing on a youth basketball team, and our coaches (my dad and another friends dad) ingraining in us the motto, “NO EXCUSES, JUST RESULTS,” when we were complaining about working hard in practice.

Some of my best memories have been with the coaches that have balanced out the sport experience: The nurturing of developing sport-related skills and the competitiveness side with the relational and free play side of athletics.

On the one hand, there is something within human nature that desires working towards perfection in practice, the challenge of competition, and the joy of victory.

On the flip side, there is equal joy in building friendships, coming together with your teammates in the heat of a contest, making your coach proud when you execute a play correctly, and fulfilling a natural desire to just play for the fun of play.

In addition to these fond memories, there were always life lessons being taught. Life lessons in working hard to achieve goals, discipline, team work, character, handling defeat rightly, stewardship of time and skills, and enjoying the gifts of athletics and relationships, to name a few.

Now, I am aware of the ongoing debate about whether athletics build character or reveals character that is lacking. I believe they do both and a debate about an either or stance is missing the point.

Life and human nature are complex and even a mystery at times. Why should we see results that are any different when evaluating athletics? In one instance, we are capable of producing artistic beauty in the athletic arenas and noteworthy sportsmanship, and yet still capable of horrific actions.

The opportunity is this: Cultivate the good in athletics and life and learn it’s lessons and encourage change when the bad is revealed.

How is that going to happen? One dedicated coach at a time. One life at a time.

In athletics, whether as a team or individual sport, the stage is set for a life to be encouraged, mentored, challenged, and impacted by you, me, the coach.

How have you been impacted by a coach?
Who are you impacting as a coach?

Creative Originality and Christians

2010-01-28T05:16:16Z

Phil Cooke, a writer, speaker, filmmaker, & media consultant, posted on an interesting topic, “Why Can’t Christians Be More Orginial?” The post stemmed from a USA Today online article that discusses the copying of designs and logos from some in the Christian industry. An excerpt from the article states:

“American retailers sell about $4.6 billion worth of Christian products annually, and some are spoofs or spinoffs of commercial logos or brand names. Many such goods are illegal, trademark attorneys say, but companies often are unaware their names are being copied or don’t put up a fight for fear of being labeled anti-faith.”

Phil Cooke adds to the discussion:

“We wonder why Christians don’t make more of an impact in the culture, when so little of what we do is really original and innovative. When it’s easier to copy ideas from the non-believing culture, what attraction is that for them to consider our perspective on faith?

When Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses” on the church door at Wittenberg Germany, it sparked an explosion that resulted in the Protestant Reformation. I think it’s time for a new 95 Theses style document that calls Christians to a higher standard of innovation and original thinking. After all, we worship the ultimate creator. So why do we prefer to rip people off?

Let’s have a “Creative Reformation.” Anyone else in?

I’m in. We do worship the ultimate creator and are created in the image of God. We are designed to cultivate culture and reflect the most creative being of all time.

Why do some prefer to rip off others creativity and innovation? Laziness, possibly, for one. Another explanation is that many Christians struggle with balancing out living in the culture verses influencing the culture.

There seems to be a difficulty, generally speaking, of applying the Christian worldview in culture and knowing how to cultivate in the areas of branding, television, film, apparel, athletics, to name a few, that is both creative, innovative, and engaging to the general culture and yet not compromising in Christian principles.

Disengaging culture all together is not the answer (if possible at all because culture is so intertwined into all of life). Continued patterns of not producing creative and innovative work is not at an option either and does not communicate a message that we want to reflect to the world.

The question, again, is: Why do Christians struggle with being more original?

There are many bad examples that we could list, but what positive examples could we list of Christians creatively cultivating in culture? Any examples in branding, television, film, music, and apparel?

What examples, currently or in history, could we list in athletics?

In the field of media and film, how about Sherwood Pictures, a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church, who created Facing the Giants and Fireproof?

In athletics, how about the originality of the YMCA and one of it’s members named James Naismith?

A resource that has helped me think through this issue better, cultivating culture, is Nancy Pearcey’s book, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from it’s Cultural Captivity.

Athletics as Pre-Church

2010-01-28T05:18:27Z

Read an interesting post from Ben Arment on the topic of pre-church, creating environments for people that built community and meet needs before they ever stepped foot into a church. Here are some thoughts from the post:

If you think of spiritual receptivity as a continuum –with hostility on one side and fanaticism on the other– our churches are positioned to reach people at only certain points on that continuum. Sometimes we dip into the red levels of receptivity, but most of the time, we’re just waiting for people to move into the black.

But what if there were something like pre-church?

I believe that people are converted to community before they’re converted to Christ. So what if there were a gathering that built community on a regular basis… drew people… cared for them… touched on spiritual issues… but didn’t function as a church?

What if there were more “pre-church planters” to help cultivate communities for Christ?

As a leader and participant in the sports industry, I could not help but transfer the concept of pre-church into the realm of athletics. With the term athletics, I am referring to general sports and recreation activity.

Athletics build community on a regular basis.
Athletics draw people.
Athletics provide environments for people to build relationships, to be cared for, and to touch on spiritual issues prior to ever entering the walls of a church.

The concept of athletics as pre-church is not a new one, per se. From the founding purposes of the YMCA, to organizations like Athletes in Action and Upward, or the local church out in the community, athletics have been used to influence culture for Christ.

The issue in the post is this: What types of environments best build community, touch on spiritual issues, and don’t function as a church?

What does that look like?

In one sense, if we are building community, investing in the needs of others, and dealing with spiritual issues, isn’t that operating as the church should anyway? Or is the concept of “pre-church planters” a strategic approach to going out to where people are and not flying our “ministry” banners high with us?

On the flip side, being secretive about intentions and hopes of cultivating people and communities for Christ and transitioning them into a local church should not be associated with our actions.

The point is to build real relationships with people, to live life with people, where ever they are at, and regardless if they embrace Christ or not.

The point, I believe, is to cultivate communities in new and creative ways that draw people, that care for them, and that meet spiritual needs, whether if people realize they have spiritual needs or not.

What does pre-church look like in the athletic realm? Sports teams as small groups? Leagues and camps that better cultivate community and life development? Or something different?

What is being done well and what can be done better?

Merry Christmas 09

2010-01-28T05:22:24Z

I have been very busy the last few months. The schedule has included adjusting to our newly born son, working double shifts, and launching a high school basketball league, to name a few.

Blog posts have been taking a back sit around here as well. However, I am still here and looking forward to the coming months.

I am thankful for a much needed rest this season and looking forward to trip out west to see my side of the family and introduce them to Josias.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

New Addition to the Family

2009-11-11T03:48:05Z

May I introduce to you a new addition to our family, Josias Christopher Harvey.

After a difficult name search (finding a unique name and that sounds good in Spanish and English), we finally compromised on a name that took time to grow on us. But we are loving it more each day. It just fits, thankfully.

The name Josias is a Spanish variant of Josiah (Hebrew) and means Jehovah heals.

The name also derives from a king in the old testament era who had an interesting story. In short, Josiah took over as King of Judah at the age of eight, after the assassination of his father, King Amon, and restored order and worship to God (Yahweh) alone.

In regards to my wife, I am so proud of her, who did an amazing job. I have nothing but respect for mothers who have endured the months of pregnancy and survived the craziness of labor.

I mentioned this on Twitter/Facebook, but I will share here again, that I was not really emotional during the delivery.

I was focused, on a mission, to provide for the needs of my wife and see this challenge through.

However, as I was driving home for a quick stop the next day, admiring the season, contemplating the health of my wife and son, I broke down.

I was overcome with joy and gratitude towards the Lord of all things. I began to say, “thank you, thank you, thank you,” over and over, in worship for my family and the gift of my son.

I am blessed.

Baller Basketball

2010-01-28T05:25:50Z

Baller Basketball, a division of Baller Athletics, is set to launch a high school league at Crestwood Baptist Church, Kentucky.

Baller Basketball is dedicated to cultivating the player and the game.

Guiding Principles //

Be a player of character.
Be a player that works hard.
Be a team player.
Be a player that respects the game.
Be a player that enjoys the game.

League Value //

Competitive practices and games.
Skill and fitness development.
Quality gear and material.
Life development and mentoring.

League Format //

Players sign up as a team, with a coach (min 7 – max 10).
Players can sign up individually (will be placed on a team).
8 week league (one practice and game per week), last week tournament.
Last week is a single elimination tournament (number of rounds depending on the total number of teams signed up).

Coaching Opportunities //

Team up with high school players and invite others from the community.
Develop relationships.
Model character.
Impact players with spiritual life lessons.
Develop player basketball skills.
Training and staff support for the entire season.
Playbook included for step-by-step guidelines to assist with practice and drill outlines, weekly life lessons, and game day instructions.

Key Information //

Dates: January — February 28, 2010 (March 7 if need for tournament finals).
Sign up Deadline DECEMBER 1.
Each Player fills out form, waiver, and turns in with fees to recreation offices at CBC.
Request more sign up forms HERE, or download form ONLINE at CBC.

Join the Team //

Volunteer as a coach, referee, or coordinator.
Internship opportunities available for those looking for experience with youth sports and a 501(c)(3) organization.
Host another league at your church, organization, or facility.

Baller Basketball is flexible for middle school and adult age groups as well.
Promotional material, League Coordinator and Coaches training, player packages, and more are provided and supported by Baller Athletics.

Contact me in the comments section below or HERE with any questions your might have.
A league brochure is available for download in a PDF linked HERE.

DWYL Resources

2010-01-28T05:34:53Z

The team over at Don’t Waste Your Life continue to provide new engaging resources and many for FREE.

Similar to Relevant Revolution, Sermon Jams have mixed the message of DWYL to various musical beats on CD.

Below is a DWYL Sermon Jam Video:

Download FREE DWYL Wallpapers:

The entire DWYL Book and group Study Guide is available for FREE online in pdf.

Have an iPhone? Search http://www.desiringgod.org/iphone/dwyl/#_home/ and read the book in a optimized format on the go. I saved the book to my iPhone homepage and the app icon is even designed well (Nice job DWYL team).

The DWYL Sermon Jam Album is only $2.50 each (special bulk pricing for 10 or more orders). I might use this resource as a future “give away” item for our sports leagues player packages.