Relationships

, ,

The Journey

, ,
“Just because it didn’t happen the way you wanted doesn’t mean God isn’t working.”
— Steven Furtick

I have a dream that burns inside my heart.  It casts a vivid vision in my mind; filled with clarity.  The destination seems certain, but the pathway leading me there isn't as much.  Although each step is unclear, the place I discover most joy is on the journey.

THE JOURNEY...

It's a trip where my character is revealed through the way I respond to adversity.

It's a venue where I fail, get back up, and then succeed.

It's an adventure where each step I take leads to growth.

It's progress in learning that sometimes the right decision is the one that hurts the most.

It's when my faith is challenged.

It's progress in realizing the dream that God instilled in my heart.

And most of all, it's path that's only lit when my full trust is in the One who is I AM.

ALONG THE WAY

Along the way there are detours, bumps in the road, and wrong turns.  

There are also beautiful views, magnificent sunsets, and worthwhile purpose.

Every day the journey emerges clearer and my scope reveals more of God's plan.  Not because I've found some secret, but because I'm trusting God to direct my steps.  This dream I'm referring to can't be stripped from me.  Despite the world's attempts to divert me, I will continue to hold on to the promises that God has given me.  

“Which do you love more? The dream God gave you or the God who gave you the dream?”
— Mark Batterson

We are all on a unique journey and we all have a dream burning inside of us.  Regardless of the circumstances trying to bump us off course, stay true to the principles that will keep us running full steam ahead, chasing that dream!

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
— Proverbs 3:5-6
,

Love, Mrs. Coach (Part 2)

,

FIRST OF ALL, LET ME BRAG ON MY GUYS FOR A MINUTE.

They’re gentlemen. They’re kind. They’re passionate. They’re coachable. They’re crazy and goofy and immature and hilarious. They’re good guys. Our girls (ages 2 and 3) are beyond smitten. We are always greeted with hugs and high-fives. The players sit on our couch and read books to our children. They paint fingernails of toddlers and actually listen when my 2 year old tries to tell them something in her own language. The guys will chase them and flip them and carry them on their shoulders as long as my kids keep asking. We love our guys.

Our guys’ girlfriends are equally as awesome. They’re supportive and encouraging and patient with the crazy basketball schedule we all endure. I’ve loved having “watch parties” (aka ice cream parties) when our guys play on the road. We are able to eat ice cream, bond, girl-talk (did I mention the ice cream?) and share common ground because of these guys. I personally prefer home games, because I love to watch the guys play in person and not say bye to my husband, but having these girls over for away games has made road games so much more enjoyable! Girlfriends, you play such a vital role and I am so thankful for each of you!

And don’t even get me started on our players' parents/families. Kind words, notes of encouragement, random gift cards, thoughtful trinkets/toys/candy for our girls, sweet texts, and the list goes on. We have the best parents/families. Hands down.

Despite having great players, awesome girlfriends and amazing families, being a coach’s family isn’t at all glamorous. But SURPRISE, we aren’t in it for the glamour!

WHY ARE WE IN IT?  FOR THE PLAYERS.

Chances are, they probably won’t be “players” anymore after their 4 years of college ball. Do you know what they’ll be after that? Husbands, fathers, leaders, teachers, coaches, and influencers wherever they go. Don’t get me wrong. We want to win games. We really want to win games. But our ultimate goal is for our guys to win at life. To show Jesus to their family and others all around them every day. To win the ultimate prize of “Well done, my good and faithful servant."  To become coaches who have the same influence and can teach the next generation, by example, what it looks like to live by faith. To somehow balance a crazy schedule and still remember what is important in this life. People.

And somehow, the not-so-glamorous late nights, long hours, and unseen challenges are totally and completely worth it.

Julie Wingreen

Love, Mrs. Coach (Part 1)

, ,

One Word 2017 - FAITH

, ,

My One Word for 2017 is FAITH.

The past six months have been a whirlwind with a lot of challenges and have required me to live out my One Word from 2016, perseverance.  Circumstances have now given me the opportunity to strengthen my faith and rely on God completely in 2017.  Part of me is anxious for 2017 and the other part of me is eager and excited.  It's a daily battle to trust God and understand that He has a plan, but that's the reason that I have chosen faith as my One Word.

I typically feel like I have control over most things in my life and have the ability to make things happen, but I'm learning that there are some things outside of my control that require complete surrender to God.  2017 is going to bring change, that's a given.  I don't know what that change will look like, but I know that my faith & trust in God is going to be at the forefront of everything.  Each decision I make for my family will come from a deep understanding that God is in control.  

While I might not know what my future holds, I will always know who holds my future.  When challenges are met with faith, perseverance becomes very powerful.  I'm so excited to embark on this faith journey in 2017 with my wife and two girls!  Your prayers and support are always welcome as I know that I will struggle to live out this One Word consistently.  This year is going to be one to remember - let's make the best of it!

Past One Word's:

2017 - Faith

2016 - Persevere

2015 - Serve

2014 - Immediacy 

,

Teamwork and Teammate

,
“The epitome of teamwork is when we are obsessed with making our teammates successful.”
— Larry Hunt

The compound word teammate forms one of the most powerful words in sports.  The word team itself implies a group of individuals who work together for a common cause.  Likewise, the word mate adds a collective, cohesive element.  When a player says someone is a "teammate of mine," he identifies a person with whom he works closely and confidently.

Teamwork and teammate are inseparable.  Teamwork requires players who truly want to be teammates!  If you are obsessed with yourself, your brand, your career, or your personal stats, you are not a teammate, and the team on which you play will certainly struggle with teamwork.  And it won't be because everyone around you is inferior; rather, it will be because of YOU.  Put the brand on hold and strive to make everyone around you better!  Be a true teammate - and reap the benefits of watching everyone else around you thrive!  You will be a better person and a better player. 

- by Larry Hunt

,

Available or Approachable?

,

I'M AVAILABLE ANY TIME.  MY DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN.

How many of you have said that or have heard a coach say that?  Everyone, raise your hand.  I actually don't have a door in my office, so this happens to be true for me every day!  However, I remember in college having coaches and professors tell me that their door was "always open," yet no one was ever in their office.  I also remember that there were some coaches and professors that ALWAYS had people in their office.  Both made themselves available, but why did only one of them have people in there?

YOU MAY BE AVAILABLE, BUT ARE YOU APPROACHABLE?

To be available is one thing, but to be approachable is entirely different.  If you want to have a genuine impact on others you must be authentic in building a relationship with them.  Listen to them.  Learn from them.  Grow with them.  Love them.  Once people sense that you care for them they will begin to allow you to mentor them.  Your approachability will determine the significance of your availability.  Don't just make yourself available, make yourself approachable!

,

3 Keys To Unlocking More Potential

,

When we hear the term “potential,” we tend to connect it to who we could be and what we could possibly achieve.  As a life-long athlete and former college basketball player, I also used to view potential as something I was supposed to reach on the court or in the classroom.  My whole life, I remember my teachers and coaches telling me certain steps to take in order to reach that ever so high mountain top of potential. A place I could finally look down and exclaim, “I made it! I have reached my potential and there is nowhere else to go from here!”  As I thought about it, though, I began to question the whole methodology of reaching one’s potential and I actually began to disagree with it in a way.  Now, from my experiences I believe that God has more for us to achieve every waking second we’re alive on this earth.  I believe our potential must be grounded in who we serve and how we serve day in and day out.  If we decide to serve ourselves every day then we will see very little progress being made.  If we serve with no genuineness then our lives will have no real value to them.  As a follower of Christ I know where my potential comes from, but I also understand the value that my God can keep adding to my potential due to my faithfulness and obedience.  With all of this said, God has placed three keys on my heart that I believe if truly applied to our lives we can unlock more and more potential every single day.

1. LIVE GENEROUSLY

The first thing people think of when they hear the word “give” or “generous” is money.  It scares people.  Because people want to keep what is theirs and use it for their own livelihood.  The amazing thing about it though is that living generously does not have to be about money at all.  Giving of your time and talents can be used just as much or more by God if our hearts are in the right place.  Living a life of service to others I believe draws us closer to Christ because Jesus was a servant himself here on Earth.  Living generously allows us to put ourselves to the side and serve others.  This obedience gives us the opportunity to be truly used by God which begins to take our potential to another level.

“Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”
— Matthew 5:42

2. NEVER PUT A CEILING ON YOUR POTENTIAL 

No matter how old you are or how successful/unsuccessful you may be, God always has more for you in your walk with Him.  We as Christians should never be satisfied and think that we have arrived. There is always more to improve.  Placing a ceiling on your potential portrays the image that God can no longer take your impact on the world to new heights.  We have a duty to never become complacent in our lives especially when there is a great amount to be done every day.  Don’t limit yourself due to what you think you can’t do, but live every day with a passion that shows the limitless power of God.  Not only are we impacted by this, but others around us who need help are affected by this as well.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”
— Ephesians 3:20

3. LIVE A LIFE OF HONOR

When we are consistently honoring the authority God has put in our lives then God is going to bless that behavior.  Honoring the authority that you may not even agree with or get along with still honors God which draws us closer to him.  God has placed the people in authority in your life for a reason and we have an obligation to humble ourselves before them.  Also, one of the key aspects of learning how to be a leader is learning how to follow the correct way.  Showing honor to your parents, teachers, coaches, supervisors, and anyone else for that matter unlocks tons of potential in our lives.  For example, in the Bible we see the story of Daniel and how he is faced with a choice to stop worshipping God and praying to Him.  Something we tend to overlook is that through the whole story Daniel never stops respecting and honoring the king.  Daniel continues to respect the very authority that is telling him to turn away from God because he understood that God had placed that king there for a reason.  Did Daniel listen to the king’s orders? No! But Daniel never disrespected the king all the while standing up for his Lord and Savior.

“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
— 1 Peter 5:5
,

8 Ideas to Inspire Creativity

,

Have you ever struggled to get creative ideas flowing?  For instance, daily tasks or practices become monotonous and leave you feeling bored?  Your innovative spark isn't clicking and you can't seem to make things fresh and exciting?  There are some people who just lack the creative gene and always feel that way, but for most of us there has been a time in our life when we were incomplete in our creativity.  I believe coaching is a profession that requires us to be creative in order to keep the process fun and effective for our players.  I've been thinking about how I can improve in this area, so here are 8 ideas to inspire that creativity inside of you.

1. DO SOMETHING NEW

Sitting at your desk behind a computer screen gets very old after a while.  Decide for yourself to go for a walk, talk to someone in a different department, take a weekend trip to the mountains for a scenic view, or simply do something out of the ordinary.

2. LISTEN TO MUSIC

Music is one of the most creative arts on this planet.  All of us have our favorite genres, but it's good to get outside of our box every once in a while.  You never know what sounds will give you the much needed inspiration that you've been looking for.  

3. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH CREATIVE PEOPLE

When you're around creative people, you in turn become creative.  There is a mindset within creative people that doesn't want to settle for the status quo.  They desire to make things better and more effective.  If you want to stay creative, surround yourself with others who are like minded.  

4. TAKE RISKS AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO MAKE A MISTAKE

So many people are afraid to put themselves and their ideas out there.  Some of the most creative and innovative people in history were also some of the best at failing.  Take risks and be willing to make mistakes, but make mistakes with the understanding that they are going to make you better.  

5. CLEAN & REARRANGE YOUR SPACE

Every Friday I straighten up my desk and organize my office space.  At home, my wife likes to rearrange furniture and shake things up a bit!  Anytime a space has been rearranged and cleaned I always feel fresh and inspired.  I've found that my creativity flows in spaces where I feel comfortable.

6. BE YOURSELF

It's easy to fall into the trap of trying to be like someone else or wanting to be the person that everyone else wants you to be.  Be yourself!  You were made with unique characteristics that only you can bring to the table.  Own that!  Chances are that other people will be inspired by you if you just be yourself.

7. LET IT COME TO YOU

Don't force creativity.  If an idea doesn't work, asses it and determine if it's worth tweaking or if you just need to move on.  Oftentimes creativity will come to you when you least expect it in the most random place.  Make sure to have a piece of paper or your phone to write it down before you forget!

8. HAVE FUN

Be willing to laugh at yourself.  No idea is too crazy and even the most far fetched idea should be put on the table.  You never know where your craziness will take your creativity!

, ,

Why Do I Coach?

, ,

WHY DO I COACH?

That should be a question that every coach asks himself consistently.  There are a variety of answers that will come back, but it's important to understand your true purpose as a coach.

Do you coach to win?

Do you coach for the money?

Do you coach for the notoriety?

Do you coach for the kids?

Do you coach because you can't do anything else?

All of these reasons are realistic and are each answers that I have heard from coaches at various levels.  Most will gravitate to the safe answers such as doing it for the kids and because they love to win, but if we accurately evaluate our motives we can surprise ourselves.

Personally, I want to serve people and make a positive impact by helping them achieve the dreams that God created in their hearts.  I will work my butt off because I love to win and I need to make money, but my purpose is greater than all of that.  My purpose is to help our players see their potential and teach them how to reach their goals.  I'm called to glorify Jesus Christ and lead by example though my actions and attitude.  My desire is to develop men of high character and integrity who will graduate and become amazing husbands, fathers, employees, and CEO's.  

Now that July live period is complete and things are going to slow down for a month or so, I challenge and encourage every coach to ask themselves that question and answer honestly.  Think deeply about why you coach and make the necessary changes before the season begins.  The more clearly you can define your purpose, the more effective and successful you will become as a coach!

Thanks for reading!

Coach Wingreen

,

Developing Our Roles As Coaches

,

Players that know their role thrive and contribute greatly towards the success of the team.  How about you, coach?  Do you know your role?  Do you know how to keep growing in your role?

Although we are not perfect or anywhere near perfect, I believe that our staff at Bob Jones University does a tremendous job of working together and performing our individual roles.  I recently had a discussion with another assistant on our staff and he asked me, "When you're around me, how much effort do I give?  A percentage."  I really appreciated his question as it showed his desire to learn and grow, but it also challenged me to assess my effort in my current role.  As we carried on our conversation we both determined that we could give more to the team and keep encouraging each other's growth to position our program in the best way possible.  You see, no matter how good we think we are doing or how well our program is portrayed, there is ALWAYS room to get better.  

We all know the various responsibilities you need to carry out as a college basketball coach such as scouting, film breakdown, & recruiting.  But I wanted to give you a few leadership skills that we often overlook that can help you perform your role at an elite level.  These are all aspects of my development as a coach that I am working on currently.

EFFORT

When you work a million hours a week (or so it seems sometimes) it's hard to imagine that you aren't giving your best effort.  As I had my conversation with Coach Miller, he challenged me with the fact that we can give so much more effort in many ways.  But how do we give more effort?  What does that look like?  The following traits will all contribute to giving our maximum effort on a daily basis.

ATTITUDE

Come to the office every day with a positive mindset.  Be determined to impact those around you by making them better.  Smile more, complain less.  Be interested in other's lives and ask questions about them.  If you can go in to every day with the ability to make someone else better you will be setting yourself up for success.  

ENTHUSIASM

Many people mistake enthusiasm for "Rah Rah" type of talk and shy away from being enthusiastic.  However, enthusiasm is defined by dictionary.com as:

1. absorbing or controlling possession of the mind by any interest or pursuit; lively interest:

2. an occupation, activity, or pursuit in which such interest is shown:

Being enthusiastic as a college basketball coach simply means giving your best when your best is required.  It means taking your passion to another level and using your gift to impact others.  You can show your effort by being more enthusiastic even when you don't feel like it.

FOCUS

Focusing on a task for long periods of time is always a struggle for many, including myself.  I don't know why, but it's definitely an attribute that people need to improve!  Your effort is directly impacted by the focus you put forth in anything you're doing.  As coaches, we owe it to our staff and our players to commit our focus to things that will make us better.  Make yourself a quiet place to concentrate for a little bit.  Find some music that will keep your mind focused on what you're doing.  Whatever you need to do to focus better, do it!

Although there are so many more character traits that we can develop to be more successful in our roles, I believe that these are all things that we can control and get better in.  They are basic, but they are powerful.  Let's continue to hold each other accountable and keep growing and learning together as coaches to impact the lives of those around us!

,

Summer Workouts Aren't Enough: 3 Reasons to do Something Else

,

The off-season, or the "on-season" as Coach Kevin Eastman likes to call it, is a time to improve and develop your craft.  I'm sure you've heard the saying, "if you're not practicing, someone else is, and when you meet him, he will win."  Knowing this as a competitor drives you to work hard and push yourself as far as you can physically.  You spend countless hours in the gym honing your skills and you flourish in the weight room.  You come into the season thinking you're prepared to rise up to the challenge, but did you really do all that you could to become the best player you can be?  

I THINK NOT

LeBron James just won his third NBA World Championship and while he puts in tons of hours in the gym, he also does something that sets him apart.  He reads books.  A lot of books.  It's a well documented fact that LeBron is a student of the game and obviously knows his stuff when it comes to the history of basketball.  He's commonly seen on the sidelines with a book in hand and has also been known to read books in the locker room before games.  Not only does he read sports books such as West by West by Jerry West, but he also dives in to other genres of books such as The Hunger Games, or the Divergent Series.  When asked why he reads books, LeBron said, "Because it strengthens my mind."  When it comes to superstar athletes reading books to improve their ability, he is not alone.  Here are three reasons why you should read more books if you insist on becoming the best you can be at your craft.

“[Reading] strengthens my mind.”
— LeBron James; 3-time NBA World Champion

INCREASE IQ & BOOST BRAIN POWER

It's no secret that the best athletes are able to process and react to various game situations quickly.  They are smart and understand what needs to be done and how it needs to be done.  Science has proven that reading books improves your memory and keeps your mind sharper for longer.  Would you agree that as fatigue sets in & you need to execute the scouting report at the end of a game, you rely on a sharp mind and good memory?  You bet!  Give yourself an advantage over the competition in these areas by reading books regularly.

BECOME BETTER AT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Every leader knows the importance of relating to people.  Reading books naturally allows you to experience the world from other people's perspectives.  As you create a vision and motivate your teammates to embrace the journey, your ability to empathize with them will determine how far you go.  By reading books, you will develop an understanding of how to build relationships and relate better with your team.

IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Communication is one of the most essential skills in any sport.  The best players and leaders are also some of the best communicators.  As you read books you will be exposed to a variety of words and in turn, will increase your vocabulary.  You will learn how to construct sentences and thoughts in a powerful and effective manner; a well sought after skill in any position.  If you want to convey a message to your team, on or off the court, your ability to communicate is extremely important.  Reading will naturally improve these skills. 

In conclusion, I ask you this question: 

WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING TO DEVELOP YOUR CRAFT?

If you need some help, here are a few recommendations that I would suggest you pick up ASAP!

Toughness by Jay Bilas

Wooden by John Wooden

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Talent is Never Enough by John Maxwell

Training Camp by Jon Gordon

I also have several books that I recommend on the "Bookshelf" on coachwingreen.com. Check it out!

Photos: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBA/Getty Images