Posts filed under ‘NCAA BB’
Final Four: Faith touches the hardwood
NCAA college basketball is closing one of its most suspenseful seasons in scenic San Antonio with a Final Four of college basketball royalty: North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas and Memphis.
Saturday’s two semifinal games will match UCLA against Memphis and Kansas against North Carolina. The two winners play Monday night for the 2008 NCAA Championship.
Among the crowds in San Antonio will be a sizable representation of coaches and players who, on the basketball court and beyond, see Jesus Christ as life’s ultimate champion. (more…)
Leader of the Pack keeps faith in God
For more than 30 years, women’s basketball coaches have stood on the shoulders of Kay Yow. An undeniable legend in the sport, her bio reads like an excerpt from “College Basketball’s Most Desirable Accomplishments.” But when thumbing through the pages of that biography, note that Yow’s fiercest competitor hasn’t been on the court.
Three times the North Carolina State head coach has been diagnosed with breast cancer, most recently stage IV in November 2006. But likened to any other rival, she has shown up for cancer’s game, determined to fight.
STV’s Susie Magill: You have been through a lot these past two years with a cancer relapse and extensive chemotherapy. What has God taught you through this battle?
Kay Yow: He is definitely working on my character to a deeper degree. There is no question about that. You have a chance to become a stronger person—a more Christ-like person—while you are going through it. And on top of that, you turn around and you are being blessed in so many ways. (more…)
Bliss, Bears coach during scandal, talks about cheating, hurting others
Of the many ironies in a sordid story brimming with them, this might be the most stunning: Throughout his career, Dave Bliss envisioned coaching at a church-affiliated school as a final stop.
He got his wish.
But in their darkest, most fitful dreams, neither Bliss nor Baylor University, the world’s largest Baptist school, could have imagined what would make his stop in Waco, Texas, his last. (more…)
Debate continues: What place does religion have in sports?
The images are everywhere: players pointing skyward after scoring touchdowns, teams gathering for prayer, coaches praising God following victories.
Religion has always been a part of the sports world, but its presence today is hard to ignore. Some say more athletes and coaches have been emboldened to speak out because of the rise of conservative Christianity in politics, where it has become mainstream to discuss religious beliefs.
President George W. Bush helped usher in that era, and was elected largely because of the religious right. We are seeing Christianity play a role in the Republican primaries with Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. But there is a major divide in politics that parallels a similar split in the sports world: There are those who believe God belongs everywhere, and there are those who believe God belongs only in church.
In sports, both sides of the “to preach or not to preach” question are jockeying for attention. The more we see the vulnerability of athletes and corruption in sports, the more each side feels it is necessary to speak out either for or against religion in sports. That presents a series of questions: (more…)
Hunter on a mission with foot soldiers
It can be a strain to hear IUPUI men’s basketball coach Ron Hunter’s voice in a crowded gymnasium filled with bouncing balls and squeaking shoes, but he’s about to make a point without making a sound. Barefoot, in fact.Hunter has joined an international walk to take shoes to 10 million children, some of whom live in Indianapolis.
He hopes his decision to coach Thursday night’s home game without shoes is the first step to raising awareness to an overshadowed need.With the help of Samaritan’s Feet, a Christian-based group in Charlotte, N.C., Hunter’s goal is to raise 40,000 pairs of new shoes during February, which is Black History Month.”Dr. Martin Luther King had the courage and the faith to make a difference, and I hope that’s what I’m about,” Hunter said. “I want to use my passion to make a difference. I want people to feel it.” Emmanuel Ohonme, or “Manny” as he is known, founded the nonprofit Samaritan’s Feet in 2003 on the premise that 300 million children in the world are without shoes, many in impoverished regions where ringworm and other diseases are a continuous threat. (more…)
Mississippi State’s Alexandria Hagler’s overcomes abortion, homosexuality, and depression by God’s grace
Have you ever fallen into the pit of despair, landing in a pool of your toxic mistakes and filthy sin? There in the depths you gaze in doubt at the slippery walls of consequence that rise 20 feet above you on all sides. “I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold,” describes the psalmist in 69:2 (NIV).
We’ve all been down there—we’ve all experienced deep anguish. But, if you read further, you find that the psalmist escapes. “Praise the Lord, O my soul,” he shouts, “who redeems your life from the pit!” (103:2-4, NIV).
The story told in the Psalms is familiar to Mississippi State senior Alexandria Hagler. Plagued at one time by sexual sin, homosexuality and abortion, Alex’s pit became deep and slippery. But just like the psalmist, Alex now shouts for joy that her Savior redeemed her life from the abyss. Her story reminds us no sin is too great for God’s grace.
I grew up in a Christian family that went to church on Sundays, but I was never surrounded with people who had a fiery zeal for knowing Christ. We attended church, but didn’t really read the Bible or seek after the Lord.
Things were difficult for me and my brother. Our father was a hard man, emotionally and physically abusive to my mother, brother and me. And when I was 5 years old, my parents got divorced. From that point on I became especially protective of my brother, and we became close as we shuffled back and forth between visiting our mother and our father.
We continued to go to church, but the older I got, the more I went in my own way. I began to stray from seeking the Lord because I didn’t have anyone around to lead me in the right direction. (more…)
Huskie Head Coach Lorenzo Romar talks about his faith
The following is from Washington Head Basketball Coach Lorenzo Romar:
Points. That’s all I cared about growing up.
Putting points on the scoreboard and earning points with God. Obeying my parents, that was good for two. Helping a friend, field goal. Going to church, slam-dunk.
My obsession with scoring points continued into the NBA. Lacking exceptional ability, I had to work twice as hard as everyone else. But I didn’t care; I was just happy to be there!
One day in the midst of this striving, I sat down with the Bible—a rare moment. Four hours later, I read a passage that startled me. It said that no matter how good I tried to be—no matter how many points I tried to score with God—His standard would always be out of reach. In that moment, I wanted to give up. If my best wasn’t good enough for God, what was?
As I continued reading, my dejection turned to excitement. I learned that God knew I wasn’t good enough, so He sent Jesus to die in my place. I didn’t have to do anything to win God over. Jesus had taken care of that. All I had to do was believe. (more…)
NC State Coach Kay Yow speaks on her faith
Source: Beyond The Ultimate
The following is from NC State Head Women’s Basketball Coach Kay Yow:
I’m going through my second battle with cancer. I had it 18 years ago and then, for whatever reason, I found I have it again.
A friend said to me, “Kay, it is so bad that you had it return.” I wouldn’t say it is bad—it’s hard—but God has blessed me a hundred-fold more than anything I could face in this life. God is my anchor.
For me, my faith [in God] is everything in getting me through this. In Psalms there is a passage that says, “The Lord is the sustainer of my life.” I believe what He says. There is another great verse in Psalms that says, “You have cloaked me with strength for battle.” And my favorite verse is in Philippians, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
I didn’t always have this faith in God. Growing up, I always attended Sunday school and church services. But though I was very active in church-related activities, I did not have a personal relationship with God as my Lord and Savior. (more…)
Vols’ Sidney Spencer testimony
The following is from Tennessee Women’s Basketball player Sidney Spencer:
I was 4 years old when I started playing basketball. At age 12 I decided to become a Christian. At age 18 I became a Lady Vol and was living my dream of playing college basketball. Last year, my dream began to take a twist though. I was frustrated with my performance on the court and began to focus on myself rather than the team’s goals. I thought I could control my circumstances and take care of my own struggles, but soon I realized I couldn’t. A month later, God got my attention in a big way. I tore my ACL in practice, which sidelined me for the next 7 months. God showed me that He was in total control of my life. I realized that I had been taking life for granted. As I rehabbed for the next 7 months and sat on the sideline during tournament play, Jesus taught me patience in His timing and unselfishness towards the team.
Now, with a renewed perspective, I have learned that I don’t play for trophies or accolades or for any earthly person. I play for God’s glory and want to use the talents that He has given me to bring honor to His name and not mine, because I never know when it all might be taken away for good.
Charlotte Smith talks about how faith helps her deal with worry
Charlotte Smith
Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach
University of North Carolina
Favorite Scripture that deals with worry: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” – Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Why I chose this verse: “One of the things I worry about the most is the future. So, I remind myself of Jeremiah 29:11. I have to trust and believe that even though my circumstances might suggest otherwise, God does have a perfect plan for my life—a future and a hope. Many times we get so consumed with our lives and trying to figure it out ourselves that we fail to realize we have to commune with Him in order to know the plans He has for us.”
How I handle worry in my life: “I like to write a lot. Last year when I was playing for the Indiana Fever, my dad was sick with cancer; and I remember being in my apartment and feeling like I was about to break down. I released my worries and expressed what God had spoken to me by writing a song. The first couple of verses say, ‘Lord, every time I take my eyes off of You, I am like the disciple Peter; I sink into a sea of despair. Sometimes circumstances overwhelm me. A delusional perspective to the point of not knowing You are there. The pressure’s mounting and the water is rising to my knees. I am trembling from the fear of all my unfulfilled needs. And just when I was drowning in my failure to believe, You stretched out Your hand and offered Your grace to me.’ (more…)
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