11.11.19
Quote/Thought of the Week
“If one day we are to have a conversation with God about the measure of our lives, I would rather have him ask me why I tried to do too much than have him ask me why I settled for so little.”
— Erwin McManus
HBCA/FCA Tournament Scheduled
February 22–23 in Washington County
Many more details will be forthcoming in the next couple of weeks about the upcoming HBCA/FCA basketball tournament for boys and girls in grades 2-8. The tournament will be called the Southern Indiana Championships and will be hosted by Salem, West Washington, and Eastern Pekin High Schools in Washington County, smack dab in the middle of the HBCA. The event will raise money for the HBCA scholarship foundation and FCA ministries in southern Indiana. Mark the dates and share information with all coaches in your feeder programs.
One of the best things about the tournament is that we will have a Sunday morning devotional at Salem HS prior to games getting started. Because teams, coaches and families will be away from home we are going to give them this time to come in and have some prayer, devotional, and message time with members of the FCA staff.
Coaches Insider Drills and Videos
Blocker Shooting/Player Coaches
There are two great video articles this week in the Coach’s Insider. One comes from Joe Kuhn at Joliet Junior College called Blocker Shooting and the other is from Duane Gregory on having players coaching their teammates.
Dr. Dish Drill of the Week
UNLV SIdeline to Sideline Drill
Looking for drills before/after practices that incorporates shooting off the move, shooting off the dribble, and conditioning? Check out this game-like workout from our partner Coach TJ Otzelberger of UNLV!
A Message from Coach Thompson
The Last Arrow
This week I have been reading “The Last Arrow”, written by Erwin McManus. It is a Christian book that was recommended to me by a pastor. The book is about the prophet Elijah and how he set out to live a life with no regrets and no looking back. He sought to make sure he “fired all of his arrows”. One of my goals after reading this book is to fire every arrow each day in practice this season. Pound your arrows and empty your quiver every single day.
Here is the YouTube Trailer for the book. CLICK HERE . . . I hope you enjoy!
FCA Message from Jason Brand & Billy Holder
Fast Food Beliefs
Ready
"Wait for the LORD; be courageous and let your heart be strong. Wait for the LORD."
- Psalm 27:14
Set
Every time I hear about a coach who has been fired after a year or two at a school, it breaks my heart. I once told an athletic director that it would take four years to turn a program around to contend for a league championship. That was not what he wanted to hear, so I did not get the job.
In our society we want everything right now. Actually, we wanted it yesterday. A great example is in the fact that we actually drive through places to get our food. At most fast food places they don't even hold the cup to fill your drink anymore; they put it on a belt, it goes under a fountain, they push a button, and the drink comes out. I suppose it's faster. I'm not sure it's better, but it's faster.
Sports are no different. It's almost rare to watch one morning of SportsCenter without hearing about performance-enhancing substances or some other method an athlete or a coach has tried in order to get to the top faster. But, that is not what sports were meant to be.
A few years ago I read Coach John Heisman's book on football. You might know Coach Heisman by the little award named after him. In his book, Coach Heisman never once uses the word "win." He talks about character and building young men into quality men. Isn't that what sports should be about?
When we compare sports to our walk with God, the same is true. There are no short cuts. We can't take a shot or a pill and grow closer to God faster. We have to put in the time and the effort. It doesn't happen overnight, and there are tests and trials, but, in the end, those hard times are what make the good times that much sweeter. They also build our faith and make us stronger.
Today, I challenge you to invest more time and effort into your relationship with Jesus. After all, that's the most important relationship you have. If you're married, think about what your marriage would look like if you were always looking for short cuts. What would your friendships look like if you never invested any time in them? Athletically, what would your skill level be if you never practiced? Our relationship with Jesus is the same way. We have to grow it like any other relationship or pursuit, and that takes time. Be willing to dig in with Him and watch Him transform your life day by day.
Go
Are you impatient with your athletic development? With your relationships?
What about your relationship with Christ? Are you impatient in how that is developing?
What happens when we get impatient in relationships?
What would be so bad about slowing down and letting things unfold in God's time?
How can you begin to live each day with more patience and perseverance in your relationship with Christ?
Workout
Psalm 30:5; Romans 8:28; 2 Timothy 4:7
Overtime
"Father, grant us the strength to run the race you have set in front of us no matter how long or how difficult it may be."
Contact Us
Coach Thompson - coachthompson44@gmail.com - @coachthompson44
Luke Zeller - lukezeller@distinxion.org - @lukezeller40 and @distinxion
Patrick Kohan - patrick@coachesinsider.com
Nick Bartlett - nick@drdishbasketball.com
Jason Brand - jbrand@fca.org