Relationships

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It's Not Just What Someone Does, It's What They Didn't Do

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What's missing?  It's easy to walk into a gym and notice the positive aspects of someone's ability, but it's a little more difficult to find what isn't there.  I recently listened to a discussion with someone who has a unique perspective on this topic and has written a book entitled, Visual Intelligence.

Amy Herman, JD, MA, is the developer of The Art of Perception, a program designed to promote better observation skills and give various perceptions to any given task.  She conducts sessions for medical programs, NYPD, FBI, the Department of Justice, and the Secret Service.  In a recent interview, she discussed the idea of the "pertinent negative," which is a medical term used to diagnose a non-existent symptom in a patient.  I want to take this idea and apply it to basketball recruiting.  

“You need to identify not only what you see, but what is missing to give people the most accurate picture. It’s not just what someone does, it’s what they didn’t do.”
— Amy Herman

A quick example that Amy shared of the "pertinent negative" would be this:  You go into the Emergency Room at the hospital to tell the doctor you have pneumonia.  The doctor knows that pneumonia is present if there are three specific symptoms.  As he examines you he finds that symptoms 1 & 2 are present, but symptom 3 (the pertinent negative) is absent.  Because of the pertinent negative, or the missing piece, the doctor can rule out the possibility that you have pneumonia.  

HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO BASKETBALL?

As coaches, we can't always rely on the things that we see out on the court to make a decision.  Sometimes it is more important to gain a different perspective and understand what we don't see.  We need to see what was glaringly missing from a player's game to get an accurate representation of what's going on with that player.  For example, Johnny can shoot really well, dribble past any defender, and finish through contact at the rim.  Initial observation would incline you to believe that he would be a great asset to your team.  But make sure to look for the pertinent negative.  Why didn't any of Johnny's teammates give him a high five after he scored?  Why didn't Johnny go through the handshake line after they lost?  Did you ever see Johnny talking to his teammates?  These are the kinds of characteristics that you need to be observing as a coach to make you dig a little deeper.  If you can identify the pertinent negative in any situation, it may just be the piece of the puzzle that you needed.  It's easy to see what's right in front of you, but sometimes it's more important to see what isn't there before making a decision.

Sources: 

The Art of Perception® & Amy Herman. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2016, from http://www.artfulperception.com/about.php  

Amy Herman on Visual Intelligence [Audio blog interview]. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2016, from https://www.accidentalcreative.com/podcasts/ac/podcast-amy-herman-visual-intelligence/ 

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Champions Today

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This past season, our team rallied around the phrase, Champions Today.  We found ourselves explaining its meaning to people who wondered about our purpose, and while many cynical people questioned our motives, we were given the opportunity to share our intention behind it. 

Champions and Championships are two totally different ideas; words that bring a vast accumulation of meaning.  For example, to be a champion means to fight for something, or to defend something that is important to you.  It implies that there is a process that needs to take place.  Championships, on the other hand, by definition give a distinction of completion.  The journey is already completed and achievement is already obtained.  

Champions Today by no means expresses that we have reached a premature state of success.  However, it does suggest the significance of the journey and the importance of our habits.  It indicates the influence that our present actions will have on our future achievement.  We can't assume that success will automatically appear to us just because we play the game.  We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard that focuses on the here and now.  Every decision, every habit we determine is our path that will ultimately lead us to our destination.  

Our program as a whole embraced this idea of being Champions Today and in turn, experienced positive results. Daily tasks such as showing up on time or serving a classmate became habits that allowed us to reach our goal of being champions at that very moment.  As our habits became consistent, there was a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that propelled us to the next level.  While we never perfected anything, we did become better men and better teammates.  Collective responsibility within our program became one of our most treasured core values because we saw how it allowed everyone to make each other better.  

As we continue our journey through the process we keep encouraging one another to build championship habits.  Habits that will ignite a passion inside of us to be our best.  Habits that will develop us into men of integrity.  Habits that will put aside our selfishness and humbly lift other people up.  And habits that will allow our team to trust each other.  Being a Champion Today is more than showing up and winning a trophy.  It's all about deciding what kind of person you want to become and taking the necessary steps to get there.  No one said it would be easy, but I promise you that it will be worth it!

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Be A Torchbearer

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“Everyone is called to lead, but few accept the mantle.”
— Nancy Duarte

This past week I listened to an EntreLeadership podcast with Nancy Duarte, author of Illuminate.  During the interview, she explained the meaning behind why she refers to leaders as "torchbearers."  Here are a few ideas she shared about being a torchbearer.

1. The reason someone would carry a torch is because it is dark outside and they need to see what's ahead of them.  "The torchbearer is someone who casts just enough light into the future to dissipate enough fears, so people will want to go there."

“The leader is going through the journey with their team.”
— Nancy Duarte

2. The torchbearer doesn't carry a light that shines for miles down the road, but rather gives the people that are following the necessary light they need to take the next step.  "Be cognizant of the long game and what it takes for your travelers to endure."

3. Torchbearers know how to read their followers.  They listen and understand what needs to take place.  They are able to "sustain momentum, create endurance, and have moments of bravery; the will and moxie to keep going."

“So much of why people can’t move forward is because they can’t let go of the past.”
— Nancy Duarte

Coaching is all about creating a vision and inspiring your team to endure the next step of the journey.  Carry this idea of being a "torchbearer" with you and find ways to lead your players to the final destination!

Thanks for reading! - Coach Wingreen

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A Simple, Yet Powerful Story

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“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”
— Matthew 6:33

Ed Schilling is an assistant coach at UCLA and owns a simple, yet powerful story about his coaching career.  He talks about his experience going from a high school coach at Logansport High School in Indiana, to a D1 assistant at UMass and a Final Four appearance, to the youngest NBA assistant with the New Jersey Nets - in the span of only 310 days!  It seems crazy to think about, but Coach Schilling expressed that his heart change to seek God with his whole life was the foundation of his journey.  

Coach Schilling always speaks with prodigious passion and captures the hearts of those he comes in contact with.  Every time that I hear the story of how Jesus Christ worked in his life, I leave feeling so blessed.  He is a man who committed himself to seeking out the kingdom of God and was given awesome opportunities to glorify his Savior!  Early on in his career he was always chasing something that didn't satisfy, but he finally made a decision to seek Christ and found himself very content coaching high school basketball in Indiana.  Through his pursuit to know God, his life changed.  Not only did his career begin a wild and crazy journey, but he experienced the power of the gospel in his life and the lives of those he was around.  His story is truly remarkable and exemplifies the life we have in Christ!

This year, Coach Schilling was the recipient of the "Barnabas" Award given by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which honors a basketball coach who best exhibits a commitment to Christ, integrity, encouragement to others and lives a balanced life.

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5 Highlights from PGC/Pure Sweat

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Wow! It was an incredible weekend for me and my staff at the PGC/Glazier Chicago Clinic as well as the first ever Pure Sweat Complete Player Clinic at our school. I have tons of pages of notes, but what I want to do is share with you some highlights of what I learned. This is going to be really hard to do, but I will try to limit it to five. I would be more than willing to share all of my notes with you, just email me if you're interested! 

First, I want to talk about PGC in general. This was my first ever PGC clinic. I love how PGC is unique in the fact that their clinics are focused on no nonsense content that help coaches get better. Their focus of “being a light in the basketball community” is definitely happening! They are all about explaining why they do what they do. The positive energy that they bring to everything they do is contagious and effective. These next four points will be from the four coaches at the clinic and just a glimpse of what I learned from them this weekend! I hope it can make an impact on you as it did for me.

“Energy elevates every human experience.”
— PGC Basketball

TJ ROSENE

TJ Rosene, PGC’s Director of Coaches Development and the Head Coach of the NCCAA D1 National Champions Emmanuel College Lions, was on my main list of coaches to listen to this weekend and he never disappointed. Out of all the pages of notes and great content I have from TJ, this idea stood out to me the most. “We do it like nobody else does it.” They focus on not being average, but going a step higher in practice by playing harder than anyone else does. Coach encourages his players to “learn to practice at an uncomfortable level”. This allows them to be challenged and pushed to get better. 

“We do it like nobody else does.”
— TJ Rosene

TYLER COSTON

Tyler Coston, PGC’s Director of Player Development is one of the best teachers of the game that I have ever heard. His X’s and O’s content and knowledge of the game is elite. Here are several things that Tyler talked about this weekend that stood out to me. Tyler talked about excellence and the idea that “how you do anything is how you do everything”. Tyler narrowed excellence down to “sacrificing lesser desires for your greater desires”. I also loved Tyler’s idea of visualizing “yes” shots, mistake response, and boxing out before games. I believe visualization is a vital part of an elite athletes development and preparation. 

“How you do anything is how you do everything.”
— Tyler Coston

GRAHAM MAXWELL

Graham Maxwell, who is on PGC’s Player Development team as well as an Assistant Coach at Emmanuel College is a young coach with passion and excitement to be the best and to help others be their best. The major theme that stood out to me from Graham was the idea of loving my players and investing my time and energy into them. Graham explained how at one point this year he was discouraged and felt like giving up as a coach, but TJ Rosene helped him realize that he needed to be building relationships with the players, not just getting caught up with all the administrative side of things. Graham literally schedules out blocks of time in his busy schedule to meet with players and see how life is going, it doesn’t need to be about basketball. It can be about school, family, things they may be struggling with, etc. Graham shared in Chapel on Sunday I Corinthians 13:4, which explains what love is. What an encouragement it is as a coach to realize that we have a perfect example in Jesus Christ, who is patient, kind and all of the other aspects of love. Now God has called us as coaches to live out love in those around us. Our family, coaching staff, players, friends all need our love, but most importantly they need the love of God! Winning lives > winning games.

ALAN STEIN

Alan Stein of Pure Sweat had several sessions at PGC which were full of as I like to say “pure gold”. We had the unique opportunity to host at Schaumburg Christian, Alan’s first ever Pure Sweat Complete Player clinic. Ryan Haun, a Pure Sweat trainer in Wheaton joined with Alan to create this Complete Player Clinic! It was such an effective time for all players who were able to come. Here are highlights from Alan's challenge to the players. “To be the best you have to do things that are uncomfortable”. Alan went on to explain the difference between pain and discomfort. Pain is a sharp feeling like needles poking you, and is an alarm telling your body to stop. Discomfort is the burning you feel in your muscles when you are doing a specific workout. There is a huge difference between the two! Ryan Haun finished out the clinic with some great skill drills for the players and taught how shooting is the most important skill, and the most under rated skill in basketball is passing. You can check out Alan's video on balanced shooting which was recorded on Saturday via Facebook live! https://www.facebook.com/puresweat I highly recommend Alan’s Pure Sweat Player Clinics for any basketball program! 

“To be the best you have to do things that are uncomfortable.”
— Alan Stein

FINAL THOUGHT

The final highlight from the weekend was a video TJ Rosene showed of the late, great Don Meyer explaining why he did what he did. “Its about coaching kids more than coaching basketball” said Meyer, “happiness begins when selfishness ends”. Don Meyer was a great example of loving others better than himself. Even in his final months alive, he was focused on helping and encouraging coaches around him. The best coaches are ones that invest in their players and strive to make a positive impact in their lives.

“Happiness begins when selfishness ends.”
— Don Meyer

I hope these highlights of the weekend were helpful to you and got your mind thinking of ways that you can improve as a coach. The best are always looking to improve and develop. I so appreciate the passion and energy that Mano Watsa and the PGC team brought this weekend! If you haven’t been to a PGC coaches clinic you need to get to one soon!! I am inspired to continue to grow, to develop, and to share what I have learned with my staff and players! Again, if you would like to get my notes from the weekend email me at kylemcvey@bethelministries.org Thank you PGC staff for a great weekend and for sharing your knowledge of the game! #beAlight

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Social Media: The New Age Of Recruiting

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Social media has not only changed the way we communicate, but for many, it’s changed the way we do our jobs. No one is immune from its effects, not even coaches. 

As a college coach, I’m interested primarily in three groups – our players, our fans and our recruits. Our players constantly use social media (including during post-game speeches by the head coach). Our fans use social media (even during our games). And our recruits use social media (often in the middle of their school day when they should be paying attention to someone like their government teacher).

See, social media is all about storytelling. As a coach, I want my players, fans and recruits not only to know our program’s story, but also to be excited about sharing our story with others. Why wouldn’t I take advantage of this powerful tool to tell my program’s story?

Less than a year ago, our basketball program decided to start consistently employing social media to tell our story, focusing primarily on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Over the course of the season, we found success with our followers not only viewing our content but also sharing our content.

Here are just a few examples of the ways we tell our story through our social media platforms:

ROAD TRIP ANYONE?

As a small program, not a lot of our fans always travel with us. However, we still value their support and want people to feel like they’re a part of our team. Whether it’s a photo from the plane, a video on the bus, or a picture from a morning shoot around, we attempt to bring our fans with us on every road trip.

We'll be playing two games is week in Puerto Rico. #BruinsInPR🇵🇷

A photo posted by BJU Bruins Basketball (@bjubruinsmbb) on

Team shoot around at the University of Cincinnati. #ChampionsToday

A photo posted by BJU Bruins Basketball (@bjubruinsmbb) on

PUERTO RICO

During our trip to Puerto Rico in December, we also put together vlogs each day.  We recorded short clips of everything we did that day and conducted short interviews with players to recap.  You can check out each vlog from our trip below!

REMOTE CAMPUS VISITS

Long before a recruit ever steps foot on campus, he has the opportunity to get a glimpse into every aspect of our program. Facility tours, player workouts, practice, film sessions – they’re all chronicled through our team’s and coaches’ Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat accounts.

4 more days until the #BruinsInvitational matchup against Barber-Scotia College. #ChampionsToday

A photo posted by BJU Bruins Basketball (@bjubruinsmbb) on

ALWAYS COACHING & TEACHING

Social media has allowed our coaches to continue coaching and teaching even after practice has ended. In addition, we understand that coaches and high school players from around the country are reading what we post. It is important to give each follower value, whether it’s through a motivational quote, a quick hitter, or a suggestion for practice.

MORE THAN SPORTS

Our goal as a program is to use basketball as a platform for spreading the love of Christ. Really, it’s the most important part of our story. So whether it’s ministering in a church, helping in the community, or reffing a Special Olympics basketball tournament, we want those following our social media accounts to know what we value and who we really are outside of basketball.

🙏🏽 #LiveChrist

A photo posted by BJU Bruins Basketball (@bjubruinsmbb) on

FOLLOW US!

Make sure to follow our coaches & players on social media to stay connected to everything that is going on in our program.  You can also get more content from Coach Miller by clicking the link below!

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Why Mentors Are Important

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I am so thankful for the people that God has placed in my life.  They challenge.  They build.  They love.  Without mentors to help me grow throughout my journey, I wouldn't be the person I am today.  They came into my life and called me out when I was wrong and they continue to give me the wisdom to continue my development as a husband, father, and coach.  

GROWING PAINS

My closest mentors have been with me during some of the hardest times of my life.  They have seen me fail and they have seen me at my worst.  During these moments they cared enough to challenge me and allow me to see my potential.  I was challenged to change my mindset.  I was challenged to change my habits.  I was challenged to do things that were hard, and frankly, I didn't want to do.  But because of their willingness to challenge me, I was able to get out of my comfort zone and begin to tap into my true calling.  I am forever grateful for my mentors challenging me to grow.

CONFIDENCE BUILDERS

As I began to pursue my calling and chase my dreams, there were (and still are) so many roadblocks and potholes along the way.  Naturally, I struggled with confidence and wasn't always certain if I was making the right moves.  My mentors came alongside me and gave me encouragement through all of these twists and turns.  A simple text or a quick hug was always enough to give me confidence and assurance that what I was doing was going to work out.  Their experience allowed me to gain a new perspective which sent my confidence to another level.  To this day my mentors continue to give me the confidence that what I am doing is making an impact in other's lives.  

ALL THE REST

As much guidance that my mentors have given me, I am most grateful for the wisdom they drop on me when it comes to the rest of life.  My role as a husband.  My role as a father.  My role as a coach.  My role as an employee.  My role as a mentor.  In all these areas I have people I can go to to seek out insight.  There are no words to describe how much I value having mentors in my life.  They all bring different perspectives and they all have unique ways of communicating to me.  But regardless of how they think or what they say, I know that they love me.  They have my best interest in mind and I can trust what they say.  I don't always like it, but I always need to hear it.  I can't be my best without the feedback and advice of these people.

GRATEFUL

To the people who have been and continue to be mentors to me, thank you.  You are appreciated more than you'll ever know and I'm thankful for your willingness to play a big time role in my life.  

If you have people pouring into your life I'm sure you agree with a lot of what I've said.  I hope that you tell those people how important they are to you and how thankful you are for them.  I would appreciate it if you shared this with them and would love to hear different ways that you have been impacted by a mentor!

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Win The Campus Visit

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It's a beautiful day outside and you have one of your top recruits coming to visit campus today.  You've had great talks with him and his family over the last few months and things are going great.  You were at every single tournament he played in last summer and took time out of your busy schedule during the season to make it to some of his high school games as well.  You've built a relationship with the family and really enjoy talking to them.  The recruit has even told you that your school is one of his top 3 and he's going to be making a decision after the visits.  But as he steps on campus, the first thing he notices is an overflowing trash can just outside of your office building...

Whether it's a full trash can or something else, it doesn't take much to negatively influence a recruit's visit.  Your job as the coach and coordinator for this particular visit is to ensure this never happens.  The goal of the campus visit is to win the recruit and his family and give them the confidence that your school is where they want to be.  Here are a few important aspects of the campus visit that could be the difference between signing your top priority and losing him.

FIRST IMPRESSION

There are really two parts to the first impression: The visual impression & the personal impression.  Sometimes the first one is out of your control, but you should make every effort to make this positive.  The second part is fully in your control and you better make it work. 

The visual impression: As a recruit and his family drive onto campus, they naturally begin to form an opinion of the school.  Is the grass cut?  Is the landscaping nice?  Are the buildings kept up?  These are just a few of the things they look at, but they are important.  I'm lucky enough to be at a school that does a fantastic job with their grounds.  You will never drive onto our campus and feel like it's a mess.  The landscaping is beautiful, the fountains are always flowing, and the trash cans are always empty.  Because of the grounds crew at Bob Jones University, my job as a coach has already been made easier.

The personal impression: This is where coaches typically win or lose the visit.  We want to win, so here is how we do it.  Psychologists have performed studies that say you have seven seconds to make a first impression.  When I go to meet a recruit in our Welcome Center or by their car, I always want to be the first person that they interact with.  Why? Because it's my responsibility as a coach to make them feel welcomed and I don't want to risk someone else impacting that.  Remember, I only have seven seconds to make this "first impression" the best that they have ever seen!  Do I have a positive attitude?  Is my posture conveying confidence?  Do I have a bright smile and welcoming eye contact?  Is my handshake firm?  Am I genuinely interested in them?  I know it sounds silly, but when we have a recruit coming on campus the "first impression" is where I spend most of my time preparing.  By making a great first impression we have now set the tone for a positive visit.

ARE YOU READY FOR US?

When recruits and their families come on a visit, it is oftentimes their first experience on your campus.  They have a sense of insecurity and may have a lot of questions.  You've already earned their trust and respect by making a great first impression, but now you need to build their confidence in you and your university.  One way we can do this is to have many of their questions answered before they are even asked.    

As the recruiting coordinator, I maintain constant communication with all of our departments on campus.  When we are planning a visit, I will coordinate with our Welcome Center to prepare every aspect of that visit.  As I introduce the family to our Welcome Center personnel, they are handed a packet that contains an itinerary, meal passes, and information about the university and their intended area of study.  Inside they will find meetings with admissions counselors, class schedules, tours, etc.  We always appeal to the recruits needs and make sure we accomplish everything their family wants to accomplish during their visit.  Being prepared answers several questions right away that the family may have been wanting to ask.  Again, by doing this we are building confidence in the recruit and his family that we will be ready to take care of them.  

BE A PART OF OUR FAMILY

Once we get the prerequisites of the visit completed, we want to make our recruit feel like he is a part of our family.  Every team says that they are a family, but very few actually live it out.  In everything we do, we want to be sincere and genuine.

One way that we begin to integrate them into our family is by making introductions to everyone we possibly can.  Our support staff, coaches from other sports, administration, students, etc.  No one is too small or too big to talk to our recruit and their family.  By allowing them to build relationships with people outside of basketball, they will begin to feel like a part of something bigger than themselves.  

We also involve our current players a lot in the process.  Whether its a workout, a meal or a campus tour, we want as much interaction between the recruit and our players.  We find this to be very beneficial because our players can give a first hand perspective of what it is truly like to be a part of our family.  They tell it how it is and give an honest answer to the questions being asked.  

NO PRESSURE

It's always fantastic when a recruit wants to sign on the spot after his visit.  However, we never pressure a recruit to sign before he leaves.  Our staff always sits down with the recruit and his family prior to their departure and have a very transparent conversation.  We want them to be honest with us and let us know what we can do to make us the best fit for their son.  We have the utmost confidence that we did everything we could to make this a special visit for them, so we want to let the process play out.  There is no doubt in our minds that if a recruit is meant to be here, he will be here.  

Campus visits will be different for everyone, but one thing will always be the same.  Recruits and their families want to have confidence not only in your program and your staff, but in the university as a whole.  Can you give them that confidence?  If so, you are going to have a successful future for you and your program!

Photo credit: Derek Eckenroth; Bob Jones University

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The Cross & Why I'm Thankful

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TODAY IS GOOD FRIDAY.  AND FOR THAT REASON, I AM THANKFUL.

Why am I thankful?  Because of Jesus.  Because of the cross.  

"Jesus did not instruct his disciples to concern themselves with the details of when and where.  The disciples primary goal was to be exulting in and proclaiming the good news of His death and resurrection." 1

17 years ago my life was changed by the gospel when I understood my sin and how Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave.  7 years ago my life was RADICALLY changed by the gospel when God opened my eyes and my heart to serve Jesus with my life.  You could say Jesus took me to a new level.  

I don't know what tomorrow will bring in my life or the lives of those I love.  I will never know that.  But because of the cross I know that whatever comes will be better than I deserve.  Before I knew of Jesus on the cross, I was deserving of death and was heading that way .  After the cross, I was still deserving of death, but now had a Savior in Jesus who conquered my sin and death when he rose three days later!  I never want to move on from the cross.  I never want to move on from grace.  I always want to have joy at the cross knowing what Jesus did for me.  He is too good.  

THANK YOU, JESUS!

This song below will give you goosebumps.  I'm so thankful for the cross.  I'm so thankful for the gospel.  I'm so thankful for Jesus!

1. Excerpt from "The Cross Centered Life" by C.J. Mahaney

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Homeless Never Means Helpless

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"GO GET A JOB!"

"THEY'RE SO LAZY!"

"STAY AWAY FROM THEM, THEY'RE DANGEROUS!"

Throughout my life I've heard these stereotypes applied to people less fortunate over and over again. Much of society has a view on the homeless population as people that have no work ethic, aren't responsible, and don't try hard enough. I'll be honest, I even had this type of mindset when I was younger. Growing up you're taught that working hard and doing what you're "supposed" to do will give you what you need, but I'll tell you right now LIFE does not always work that way! This last week I had the opportunity of serving with an outreach organization called New York School of Urban Ministry where I went into the streets of Midtown Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens to bring food, blankets, and Jesus to the homeless or less fortunate. But as I came to this organization with a mindset of blessing others, I was the one who was truly blessed.

The stigma that has been attached to the homeless that they aren't hard working or talented is completely false. My first night in Manhattan we went to a location where the homeless were able to stay until a certain time for shelter due to the cold weather. I met an elderly woman by the name of Erlma. She was walking down the stairs holding every type of bag you could think of while also holding a cup of coffee. I saw she was struggling, so I helped her carry the bags so she could get down safely. As we began to talk more, I noticed she was limping which she then told me she had a knee problem for the last five years. I went on to pray for her and her knee which brought us to her story. Erlma went on to tell me that she was a graduate at the prestigious Columbia University in New York where she attained two degrees and was once a college professor. As I kept on speaking with her I forgot all about the fact that she was homeless, but was viewing her as a human being with worth. I'll never forget what she said to me before I left. She said,  

“The people you invest into do not always give you a return on your investment, but that’s not why we invest into others. We invest into others because we have a duty to love people and give them a chance to understand their potential.”
— Erlma

I immediately gave her a hug because of how much those words meant to me.

Another woman I met named Paticia had her son with her that night. When I sat down next to Paticia she immediately began talking to me about the importance of having confidence when approaching my career. Her son, Tyrell, was only nine years old and I could tell he looked up to his mom like she was a superhero. Since Paticia is a single mother she would have to drop off her son at school every day somehow. She went on to tell me that before he would leave he would ask her every day what she was going to do today. Her response every time was that she was going to go save the world. Paticia told me she didn't want her son to know that she wasn't able to have a job right now. Tyrell just needed to focus on one thing and that one thing was just being a kid. As we got to the end of our conversation I told Paticia I wish I could just hire her myself. She went on to give me some encouragement in regards to my future, 

“It’s hard. I’ll tell you right now that New York isn’t for everyone. But I see something in you. You have a gift with people and I don’t usually talk to people this much, so that should tell you something.”
— Paticia

I went on to pray with Paticia, but she also told me she wanted to pray for me. She went on to pray for me in a very powerful way and I was truly blessed.

I had even more numerous amazing interactions with people such as Robert who went out of his way in one of the shelters to teach me how the game of chess has many connections with life itself.  Or Jason, who was younger than most of the homeless, helped explain to me the best way to reach inner city youth. Jason gave me knowledgable approaches to the youth of places like Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Manhattan. I couldn't believe a man with soo much knowledge was in his current situation.

As I reflect on the time I spent with this organization I would say the main lesson I learned is that the opportunity to serve others is an absolute gift. New York City has a homeless population of about 100,000. These people do not have less worth than anyone else. If we are truly going to apply God's Word to this subject then the worth of people is found in Christ, not in how big someone's house is or the title they have at their job. From my time this past week I have learned more from people that are less fortunate than I have from many people who are considered "successful" in the eyes of the world. That should tell us something. "Success" in the eyes of the world can take you down a detrimental spiral that can get us off track of what is important. Never take for granted the blessings we have that look simple. Because one day, those same blessings could be gone in an instant.

BY LARRY TAYLOR

* I love seeing former players who have a passion for Jesus and serving others.  Larry is truly a special person and God is going to do big things through his life!  It was an honor to be able to share his story from his time in New York. - Coach Wingreen