Why Coaching Character Makes Better Athletes | Steve Keenum

WEBVTT
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:05.599
The higher you go in support, the greater the demand, and the more it costs.
00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:07.679
I'm not talking just money.
00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:14.000
I'm talking about sacrifice, denying self, limits on relationships.
00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:19.600
There's so many things that come because the stakes keep going up.
00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:20.239
Right.
00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:26.960
At the price that you pay, is it really going to end up being worth the return in the long run?
00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:27.839
Right.
00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:52.560
Today's guest has seen sports from just about every angle as an athlete, a college head coach, a ministry leader, and then as a dad.
00:00:52.719 --> 00:01:05.920
Steve Keenan played at McMurray University before beginning a 25-year coaching career that included stops at Harden Simmons, Charlton State, and Sol Rock State, along with 10 seasons as the head football coach at his alma mater, McMurray.
00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:14.879
And many of you will also know Steve as the dad of longtime NFL quarterback and University of Houston alum, Case Keenum.
00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:22.719
But with all of his on-the-field accolades, he will tell you that one of the most important influences in his own life happened long before that.
00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:30.159
He became involved with fellowship of Christian athletes as a teenager, and SDA played a central role in his coming to faith in Christ.
00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:40.079
Today, Steve serves as the regional director for FDA sports in the Texas region, helping coaches and athletes use sports as a platform for something much bigger than a scoreboard.
00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:44.400
But in this conversation, we don't just talk about how you raise an NFL quarterback.
00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:52.079
We talk about how you raise a kid who knows who he or she is, whether they become an NFL quarterback or never play another game.
00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:55.840
I hope that you guys enjoy the episode as much as we enjoyed making it.
00:01:56.079 --> 00:01:56.640
See you soon.
00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:58.239
Are you good to go, Noah?
00:01:58.319 --> 00:01:58.959
You're square?
00:01:59.120 --> 00:01:59.439
Okay.
00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:12.639
So um so Steve Keenum, uh a well-known figure in this area, just for through a lot of different reasons, but in particular with your your role in Fellowship Christian athletes.
00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:17.280
But here at our podcast, we like to start off with the same question to every single person.
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:20.960
Who was your sports hero growing up and why?
00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:23.759
Well, that's an interesting question.
00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:30.719
Uh I grew up in the Metroplex uh in Dallas area, so I was a cowboy fan.
00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:31.599
There you go.
00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:36.479
Uh so Roger Saubach was a guy that everybody loved.
00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:37.759
Yeah, yeah.
00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:41.439
Uh come to find out he's a Christian athlete.
00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:42.240
Yeah.
00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:47.599
Uh I got to go to an FCA camp when I was in high school, and I got the privilege of hearing him speak.
00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:48.560
I love it.
00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:55.599
Uh so I'd have to say uh Roger Staubach and then uh Coach Landry.
00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:00.240
I'm one of the few people who can say Coach Landry spoke at this high school FCA banquet, but he did.
00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:02.639
He went to high school at Duncanville.
00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:17.120
Uh and the man was the uh epitome of uh a Christian gentleman and uh a pretty fierce competitor that wanted to uh to play well.
00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:18.800
So yeah, yeah.
00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:28.879
So so I'd really like for us to talk today to cover kind of uh coaching, fatherhood, faith, identity.
00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:36.400
But I think one of the things that kind of runs through all of that is being competitive through in in each of those different aspects.
00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:45.120
And a lot of people would say that as a Christian, that that would pull back your competitive nature, but you're talking about some highly competitive people.
00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:51.759
So help help us understand kind of where those two things intersect and how they relate to each other.
00:03:52.080 --> 00:04:04.479
Well, you know, it's funny when if people argue that I'm saying you really haven't read the Old Testament and you haven't really looked at some of the great men of faith and the way they conducted their lives.
00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:31.920
I mean, if you can't tell me that David was not competitive, uh Joshua was not competitive, uh you know, John Eldridge, you know, I saw that book over there, you know, the Wild at Heart book talked about that spirit that God put in men, uh competitiveness, protectiveness, then that willingness to strive and to and to take a risk and challenge, yeah, uh in chance.
00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:34.079
Uh and the scripture's pretty plain.
00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:35.839
When you run, run to win.
00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:39.680
Uh don't run, you know, to come in last.
00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:45.199
Now somebody's going to, but that doesn't mean you don't bust your tail to win.
00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:45.600
Right.
00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:46.959
So get after it.
00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:48.000
That's the point.
00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:49.120
Right.
00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:50.160
I like that.
00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:56.480
So what is uh we we talked the other day about this idea that a lot of people have of pacifist Jesus.
00:04:56.560 --> 00:05:06.879
And what do you what do you what do you kind of where do you attribute that to and and how does that relate to kind of what you see in society around you and then maybe in sports and well God is love, you know.
00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:12.720
Yeah, God, you know, is merciful, God is but he's the line of Judah.
00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:13.519
Yeah.
00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:29.759
Um when Revelation talks about how he's gonna return on the white horse and you know, the sword coming from his mouth and yeah, you know, the fire in his eyes, uh he's he's competitive for the souls and hearts of men.
00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:30.160
Yeah.
00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:40.000
Uh to the point of I'm gonna leave heaven and and I'm gonna go jump on this cross, uh, let people beat the crap out of me and then hang myself there.
00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:42.480
I'm gonna fight for men's souls.
00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:42.879
Yeah.
00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:48.879
So uh passive is not uh, I don't think that's part of how I would describe Jesus.
00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:49.439
Good.
00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:49.920
Yeah, yeah.
00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:51.279
I should agree with that.
00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:51.600
Sure.
00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:54.319
Long suffering, but passive, no.
00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:55.680
Yeah, yeah.
00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:05.759
Yeah, I think that that uh the willingness to suffer and die is pressing into that pain that he knew that that would be required.
00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:12.639
And in even in his prayer in Gethsemane to say, Lord, if there's any other way, oh yeah, then pull this cup away from me.
00:06:12.720 --> 00:06:15.519
But if not, then let's rock and roll.
00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:16.079
Let's go.
00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:17.360
Yeah, let's go.
00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:18.639
Um, I love that.
00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:23.199
So tell me, so tell me a little bit, uh, so some people know that you're a father.
00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:26.639
Some people may have heard the fact that you're a father.
00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:34.639
Uh, talk to us about fatherhood and tell us about your family and what that was like growing up and kind of being around sports.
00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:39.839
Well, uh, you know, I'm an old story, you know, I'm the child of divorce.
00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:43.519
Um, dad wasn't around.
00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:48.480
And uh years later, looking back on it, it it made me angry.
00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:50.800
And uh sports was where I minted that.
00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:51.360
Sure.
00:06:51.519 --> 00:07:06.959
And I was fortunate that I had coaches that uh uh were more positive, and that was where my uh male role models came from, and that's part of the reason I'm sure that I'd got drawn to be a coach as things went on.
00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:22.959
Uh men are made for challenge.
00:07:25.519 --> 00:07:31.120
They're made to see a mountain and see if they can climb it.
00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:40.959
And sports is kind of a way that uh uh everybody can have a mountain in front of them and they can have somebody that can help them climb it.
00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:41.759
Yeah.
00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:51.439
Uh and I was fortunate that I had good coaches uh that wanted to do it the right way.
00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:56.399
And, you know, this was you know, back in the early 70s, which is a whole lot different now.
00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:03.199
Uh we did things, you know, it was salt tablets and no water breaks and all of those kind of things.
00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:12.079
But uh uh, you know, I had a coach that invited me to this thing called FCA because it was more than just whether or not I was a football player or not.
00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:17.360
It was where was I gonna end up uh for eternity?
00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:19.120
And I'm thankful for that.
00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:33.759
And then uh that's part of what drew me into coaching, and I was fortunate to work with men that had the same mindset, the same philosophy, and uh, and hopefully that was true of my career.
00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:47.440
So, what was it like being a father and and having a family and trying to balance those out and to see how that those two played into and against each other at different times?
00:08:47.679 --> 00:09:00.480
Oh well, you know, when you grow up and your dad's not around, you kinda you kind of make your mind that that you're not gonna do it that way, you're gonna do it different, that you're gonna be at things.
00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:01.360
Yeah.
00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:04.960
Uh it's hard to do when you're coaching.
00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:05.519
Yeah.
00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:11.679
Um just because of the time constraints of what uh going on.
00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:12.159
Travel.
00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:17.679
I was coaching in college, and we would, you know, leave on a Friday morning to go play someplace.
00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:20.559
And, you know, your son's playing on Friday night.
00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:28.159
But uh uh and then when I stopped coaching, you know, we made a commitment that we were gonna be involved as much as we could.
00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:35.039
You know, Case was at the University of Houston, and one day during spring ball, I drove down six hours to watch practice and turn around.
00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:37.279
I took him to dinner and turned around and drove home.
00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:37.759
Yeah.
00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:41.440
Um went to 57 college football games, everyone he started.
00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:42.240
Wow.
00:09:42.639 --> 00:09:49.360
Um every game that he's played or started in the NFL, I've been to except for one, and that was because of a funeral.
00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:50.080
Wow.
00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:57.120
Uh loving your kids and being proud of them, showing up, that's important.
00:09:57.200 --> 00:09:58.080
The same thing.
00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:04.080
You know, you get in the car and you drive, go Odessa for the regional track meet to watch your daughter run the intermediate hurdles.
00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:05.919
45 seconds later, she's done.
00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:08.879
You know, you hug her neck, you get in the car and you drive home.
00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:09.440
Right.
00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:17.120
Uh, but you show up for uh because that's what daddies are supposed to do.
00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:19.120
And how many kids do you have?
00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:19.600
Three.
00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:20.480
Three kids.
00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:21.039
Yeah.
00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:21.600
Okay.
00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:23.279
Two boys and a girl.
00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:24.559
Case two girls and a boy.
00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:26.240
Case is the oldest.
00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:29.120
Uh he's the one everybody wants to talk about, you know.
00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:30.320
Sure, sure.
00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:32.320
Uh middle one, Lauren.
00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:42.480
Uh she's uh got three beautiful daughters and lives in Austin, and then my youngest is in uh uh Brigham.
00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:43.120
Okay.
00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:50.720
And uh in a lot of ways, uh she was the least accomplished athlete, but I'm more proud of her because she's the greatest servant of them all.
00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:52.960
Uh really proud of her.
00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:53.600
Yeah.
00:10:53.840 --> 00:11:10.879
So talk to me about uh I think there's a tendency when when you have a uh high profile or a high successful athlete as a child, then that spotlight gets shown on them.
00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:20.799
How do you make sure that the other kids in the family feel loved and cared for and attention in the same way as a dad?
00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:21.919
How do you do that?
00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:27.759
Well, it's you know, like I said, we'd do something.
00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:30.559
We go to watch Casey's game on Friday night.
00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:33.759
My youngest one, she was cheerleading.
00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:43.679
So we got in the car, watched the game, took her to the place where she was gonna play basketball, did the basketball, then they drove, you know, to the next game.
00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:46.159
We you go out of your way for all of them.
00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:52.000
I mean, uh every contest, every spelling bee, everything.
00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:53.360
I mean, it didn't matter.
00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:53.919
Yeah.
00:11:54.320 --> 00:12:00.080
We were gonna show up for them just like we did, you know, for the one that's in the NFL.
00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:00.559
Right.
00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:06.000
Uh I just it it doesn't matter what they're doing.
00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:07.840
You just show up, support them, and love on.
00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:08.879
Right.
00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:18.240
What uh talk to me about uh something that you feel like coaches get wrong as a general rule.
00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:24.240
Well and I'm guilty, I was guilty of it.
00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:32.320
I mean, you're always you have a certain amount of time to be able to do the things that you need to do as a coach when you've got your players.
00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:40.720
So it was always how could I get one more rep or how could I get one more set on the bench press or how could I get one more thing covered in a meeting?
00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:48.720
We spend an enormous amount of time on the mental part of it or the physical part of it.
00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:57.360
But the thing that we the the muscle that we exercise the least as coaches is that heart muscle, that character muscle.
00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:58.240
Yeah.
00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:09.679
Because if you if you strengthen that one, it's gonna impact everything else because the effort in the physical part is gonna be better.
00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:10.480
Right.
00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:20.159
The encouragement in the emotional part for others and themselves, they're gonna feel better about what they're doing in the emotional piece.
00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:26.559
So, really, if you're not exercising the spiritual muscle, uh, you're really missing out.
00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:34.159
Uh man, I I didn't want to graduate great players that were sorry men.
00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:35.600
You know?
00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:44.080
Uh I would have rather graduated a great young man who was an okay football player.
00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:49.919
But I can tell you for a fact that the more you invest in the character, the better players they turned into.
00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:58.080
So then how do you, as a coach, how do you how do you change that focus then as a coach?
00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:03.600
Like what are some things that you can intentionally do to build the character of kids as opposed to just building them as sports?
00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:05.840
Well, it it's it's being deliberate.
00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:15.679
That's you know, the thing about coaching is you were really we were really deliberate about everything that you you do because you want to control as much of the the controllable that that you can.
00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:16.080
Yeah.
00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:22.879
And if you're in a position to control the time, yeah, the schedule, then you build that piece of it into it.
00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:25.200
You plan for it.
00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:35.919
Um whether it's before practice, during practice, whatever it is, however you want to do it, but there's all kinds of ways to invest in the character of young people.
00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:51.679
Uh, whether it's having somebody that's a role model uh could come in and share, you know, the other day, you know, Case and them were practicing against uh Cincinnati and Thursday night, Derek Jeter comes in and talks to the Bears.
00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:54.639
Well, yeah, that made an impact on those guys.
00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:55.120
Right.
00:14:55.360 --> 00:15:00.000
Because he didn't talk just about, you know, uh what you gotta do to win.
00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:00.480
Yeah.
00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:03.279
You know, he talked about what are you gonna do as a daddy?
00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:06.080
You know, what kind of husband are you gonna be?
00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:06.559
Yeah.
00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:29.840
So if you do that, but then you also bring stories and examples and uh opportunities to to serve, you know, uh to your team and and and be intentional about it, then you have a chance to change their hearts and it changes the culture of your team.
00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:31.919
Yeah, that's really good.
00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:39.440
So so give me a practical example then as a coach of some of the kinds of things that you did.
00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:43.759
Uh say you were at Brownwood, you were at Sol Ross, you were at McMurray.
00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:46.720
Uh, what were some things that you did, maybe in a high school setting?
00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:47.759
Let's start there.
00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:55.200
What what kinds of things could you do there to Well in the high school, it was real one of the things we did is we really encouraged the fellowship of Christian athletes.
00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:55.919
Sure.
00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:11.919
Um I wanted all our kids to be involved in that if we could, and all of our coaches supported it, you know, some more uh actively than uh at others, but again, going towards that that spiritual piece, that heart piece there.
00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:26.639
But um we had uh groups called the Captain's Council, and those were team leaders, and in those Captain's Council meetings, you did character development.
00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:33.919
You know, we you may have uh camouflaged scripture in there, right?
00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:43.440
Uh, but you're talking biblical principles because you you talk about operating with integrity and with great effort and uh humility.
00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:45.279
I mean, all those things are biblical.
00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:45.840
Right.
00:16:46.159 --> 00:17:13.039
So uh that would be a the first way that we would I would encourage the coach to try to do is is to find those core folks, sure, those bell cows, those leaders, you put them in there and you try to encourage their leadership capacity and their integrity growth that uh so when they're sitting in the locker room, the conversation may be a little different if if their hearts change.
00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:14.000
That's true.
00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:14.720
Yeah.
00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:15.599
That's good.
00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:17.440
Let me are you good here?
00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:18.960
We in good shape on both of those?
00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:21.599
Do we need to start them and stop them again just to kind of break it up a little bit?
00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:23.359
I think we're so probably good.
00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:24.000
We're good?
00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:24.319
Okay.
00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:26.559
Okay.
00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:29.599
All right, forgive the interruption there, Steve.
00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:30.400
Sorry.
00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:39.839
Um, what is it what about uh you've talked a little bit about this, but I'd I'd like for you to kind of focus on it a little bit more specifically.
00:17:40.079 --> 00:18:00.160
What what about how do you in leading leaders get their focus less on their identity as a successful sports athlete and more on the person that they are?
00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:02.400
Does that make sense as a question there?
00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:23.839
You know, I I'll never forget Casey's done some pretty remarkable things and me pretty if you'd have told me he was gonna write a book, I'd have said you were nuts, but he did.
00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:38.559
Well, he tells a story in there about when he was a freshman at University of Houston and how uh he was in competition, you know, for a for a spot and he threw an interception and basically his world ended.
00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:39.119
Right.
00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:43.599
You know, uh that his identity was totally there.
00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:54.880
And fortunately, there was a an FCA chaplain that basically grabbed him by the nose and said, Hey, you're a child of God.
00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:01.359
Your value doesn't come whether you perform here or not.
00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:08.160
God hung on the cross for you and he's given you some ability.
00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:12.319
So maximize it and then don't be afraid to share it.
00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:12.960
Yeah.
00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:27.839
Uh if your world is built around winning, you're gonna be miserable because you don't win all the time.
00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:35.839
It's just and it's the same thing about about sports.
00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:38.400
There's always you're not gonna win every time.
00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:40.799
There's gonna be somebody that's better than you.
00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:41.440
Right.
00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:45.359
Uh at some point, you're not gonna be able to play anymore.
00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:50.400
The window, I used to tell players the window closes a little bit every day.
00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:55.839
And sooner or later it's gonna be closed completely, and you're not gonna be able to do this anymore.
00:19:56.559 --> 00:20:01.279
And if your whole world revolves around this, then when that happens, your world is wrecked.
00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:02.160
Yeah.
00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:13.759
So you better build your world around something or on something that uh isn't gonna change, isn't gonna fluctuate.
00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:14.319
Yeah.
00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:18.880
Uh because people aren't always gonna write nice things about you in the press.
00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:23.359
But the savior's love doesn't change.
00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:33.759
And that goes back to the character, it goes back to the heart piece.
00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:40.240
It's understanding that we're lost in need of a savior.
00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:52.240
And if you have that perspective, then it gets a little easier to come to the point where I'm just gonna lay it out there and then the results I'll leave up to the good Lord.
00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:52.799
Yeah.
00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:53.279
Yeah.
00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:56.160
I don't know if that answers your question, but that's about all I got.
00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:57.200
That's good.
00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:05.599
So what are some of uh what are some of the ways with with your kids that you helped to drill that into them?
00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:07.839
What are some of the things you did as a dad?
00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:21.359
We'd read every night and read the Bible and you know, it was always do what's right.
00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:24.880
Last thing I tell them, do what's right.
00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:26.480
Do what's right.
00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:39.599
Uh talk about intention, being intentional about what you go about to do.
00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:44.640
Uh have a great day, I intend to.
00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:48.319
Doing something passionately on purpose.
00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:57.200
Uh always encouraging.
00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:01.519
Don't be Afraid to take risk.
00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:02.880
You know.
00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:19.119
Case was 11 years old when we go to Costa Rica to see his aunt and uncle who were missionaries down in the jungle, basically.
00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:19.920
Wow.
00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:32.000
And uh they lived on a river, and we're on a boat going to this place, and you said Cain and Crocodile, and there's no telling what all's in that water.
00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:40.160
Well, one day the uncle and his cousin and his son get out there, and their son's on the back of this thing on a boogie board.
00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:41.440
In that water, yeah.
00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:43.039
Dad's pulling him around a boat.
00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:48.400
When Case looks up, he can't get after it.
00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:50.480
And people say, Why would you do that?
00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:51.279
It's so dangerous.
00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:52.960
I didn't want my son to be afraid.
00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:53.759
Yeah.
00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:56.079
I don't want him to be afraid.
00:22:56.240 --> 00:22:56.880
Right.
00:22:57.599 --> 00:22:59.359
This last weekend we're in Cincinnati.
00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:03.440
We've got her kids, and her youngest one's five, and she's on a rock wall.
00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:05.759
She's climbing a rock wall.
00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:08.400
My mom was encouraging her.
00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:09.200
Yeah.
00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:11.119
Don't be afraid.
00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:16.000
I don't know if that answers the question about what's going on.
00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:16.720
Fantastic.
00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:17.839
No, it's fantastic.
00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:18.240
Yeah.
00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:48.000
Uh so what is what is a what's something that you could just looking at being a dad to three kids, what's something that you would change about your intentionality or the way you raised your kids, or how if you could go back and talk to yourself 30 years ago, say, hey, I've got a great idea for you.
00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:50.319
What what is something that you would change?
00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:03.440
I don't know if I've got an answer for that.
00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:10.720
Because uh you know, the the thing that was hard was coaching and and being gone.
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:12.000
You know.
00:24:12.319 --> 00:24:16.319
Uh but I tried to love their mama.
00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:25.519
Uh I tried to deal with integrity to them, tell them uh when I was wrong and and tell them I was sorry.
00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:49.039
Um I think we made mistakes together, so I don't know.
00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:49.599
Okay.
00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:51.920
That's a legitimate answer, right?
00:24:53.039 --> 00:25:02.160
You know, uh when I grew up, you know, mom worked and was gone a bunch, so I was a latchkey kid, so I had dinner by myself a whole bunch.
00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:04.960
My wife's family was completely different.
00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:13.680
Uh we'd go to their house and we'd have big table and meal and meal be over, and 45 minutes later, everybody's still sitting at the table.
00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:18.400
And that's one of the things that our family started doing.
00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:25.599
Uh and it was probably a little later.
00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:28.400
I would have started that earlier, I guess.
00:25:28.640 --> 00:25:29.680
Uh yeah.
00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:31.119
So Yeah.
00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:33.119
Meals at the table.
00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:36.319
Just being together.
00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:39.200
Hanging out, talking, you know, laughing.
00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:40.240
There was more.
00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:43.119
We had more, we had more fun.
00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:43.759
Yeah.
00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:47.839
After we got through telling stories on each other.
00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:48.720
Right.
00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:49.599
Yeah.
00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:53.519
I think uh it's it's always interesting to me.
00:25:53.759 --> 00:26:03.279
We we had a couple days ago, we were sitting around eating dinner, and kids were like, hey, can we can we finish watching this movie?
00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:06.000
And my wife's like, no, we're just gonna talk.
00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:07.440
We're just gonna talk.
00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:18.160
And and the boys are like, oh, we really, you know, they wanted to watch the movie, and we ended up having the greatest conversation for the next hour and a half.
00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:25.680
Well, there was no cell phone back when our kids were growing up, no video games, none of those things.
00:26:25.759 --> 00:26:26.799
So Right, right.
00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:28.079
A little different world.
00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:30.000
Yeah, very different world.
00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:32.559
So let me let me shift gears a little bit with you.
00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:49.359
We um as a dad, there's a uh, and and as a former athlete, and I like the I like saying former athlete because there's gonna be a former in front of athlete for everybody at some point.
00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:51.119
We're all gonna be formers.
00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:59.440
Um as a former athlete, you were a competitive guy and you wanted to be the best at what you're doing.
00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:15.200
And now as a dad, you're standing there and you're watching your son compete, you're watching your daughters, and you're you have that fire of competition in you and you want to push them.
00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:28.559
How do you find the line between you being the impetus of their drive versus them having to be the ones to drive themselves?
00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:41.599
You know, when I was coaching, it was really easy to see the ones that had to play and the ones that didn't.
00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:56.240
And I watched my son and my daughters on teams, and you could see the kids that were serious and the ones that were there, probably because somebody else wanted them to be there.
00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:57.119
That's fair.
00:27:57.200 --> 00:27:57.599
Yeah.
00:27:58.240 --> 00:28:11.920
And the thing about it is the higher you go in sport, the greater the demands, and the more it costs.
00:28:13.440 --> 00:28:26.480
And I'm not talking just money, I'm talking about sacrifice, I'm talking about uh denying self.
00:28:27.119 --> 00:28:33.119
I'm talking about uh limits on relationships.
00:28:35.839 --> 00:28:40.400
There's so many things that come because the stakes keep going up.
00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:41.359
Right.
00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:45.440
That the price, you know, that you pay.
00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:45.839
Yeah.
00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:48.079
And you say, well, you get certain things in return.
00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:55.839
Yeah, but some things, you know, is it really going to end up being worth the return in the long run?
00:28:56.079 --> 00:28:56.720
Right.
00:28:57.359 --> 00:29:05.599
And I guess really the thing I would tell parents is I didn't have to push my son to drive him.
00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:06.559
Yeah.
00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:10.720
It just because of what he saw, what he wanted.
00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:13.039
He this is what he wants.
00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:15.279
It wasn't what I wanted necessarily.
00:29:15.519 --> 00:29:17.680
It's what he wanted.
00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:23.359
And I've seen parents that didn't want their kids to go on because of the things that they were afraid of.
00:29:23.599 --> 00:29:24.240
Yeah.
00:29:24.559 --> 00:29:26.880
They didn't want them to go on.
00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:33.440
Which, you know, so it's the other side, you know, I'm going to hold them back or push them.
00:29:33.599 --> 00:29:33.920
Right.
00:29:34.160 --> 00:29:41.759
At some point, you have to let them be in charge of their motivation, their desire, their drive.
00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:42.559
Yeah.
00:29:43.119 --> 00:29:45.680
All you can do is provide opportunity.
00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:46.480
There you go.
00:29:47.039 --> 00:29:58.160
And if you get past that point where you're driving and they don't want to go, the results aren't going to be very good for you or your family or that athlete.
00:29:58.400 --> 00:29:59.039
Right.
00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:10.240
Because really and truly, the bottom line, you know, I was on the school board for a long time, and my daughter, my youngest one, sweetest kid, great work ethic.
00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:11.920
She never started a volleyball game.
00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:14.880
And somebody said, Well, you know, you could go talk to the coach.
00:30:15.039 --> 00:30:17.039
It's not my job to talk to the coach.
00:30:18.960 --> 00:30:23.279
Whether or not she plays is not between me and the coach, it's between her and the coach.
00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:27.200
You know, what I told my kids always is don't give the coach a choice.
00:30:27.359 --> 00:30:27.599
Right.
00:30:27.839 --> 00:30:30.319
You play at a level where they don't have a choice but to play.
00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:31.119
Sure.
00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:39.440
And if you don't have that in you, then you're gonna have a role and you're just gonna have to learn to accept that role and thrive in it.
00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:40.240
Yeah.
00:30:48.160 --> 00:30:50.640
Brad McCoy, Colt McCoy's dad.
00:30:52.079 --> 00:31:01.599
We were talking about stuff one day, and he was talking about praying that the Lord would give his kids the feet of a deer so they could stand in high places.
00:31:01.759 --> 00:31:02.400
Yeah.
00:31:02.799 --> 00:31:07.599
And I thought, you know, that's really sharp because it wasn't about smoothing the road.
00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:08.319
Right.
00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:31.200
It was about giving your kids the tools necessary to go difficult places and then giving them the freedom and hopefully instilling in them the willingness to take risks to go to those places instead of trying to be the bulldozer that plows the road that makes it easy for them.
00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:32.079
Right.
00:31:32.559 --> 00:31:46.079
Because the values of one versus the other, my youngest daughter, the one I'm talking about, there is not an obstacle that she's afraid to take on.
00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:50.160
There's not she's there's no effort that she's not willing to give.
00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:50.960
Yeah.
00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:54.000
And she knows she's gonna get what she earns.
00:31:54.240 --> 00:31:54.880
Right.
00:31:55.359 --> 00:31:56.720
And I wouldn't trade that.
00:31:56.799 --> 00:31:58.559
And athletics taught her that.
00:31:58.880 --> 00:32:01.839
And she never started a volleyball varsity volleyball game.
00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:02.640
Yeah.
00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:10.480
But I'm as I'm, you know, case been in the league 15 years, and yes, I'm extremely proud.
00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:12.799
But I'm more proud, I'm just as proud of her.
00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:13.359
Sure.
00:32:13.759 --> 00:32:16.640
Of what she's accomplished and the kind of person she is.
00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:17.440
Yeah.
00:32:17.680 --> 00:32:23.440
Um so I don't know if that answers that question or not, but uh yeah, I love it.
00:32:23.680 --> 00:32:24.640
I love it.
00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:34.000
Um let me uh so I want to kind of back up a little bit.
00:32:34.480 --> 00:32:36.319
Yeah, we're in good shape, I think.
00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:38.960
Um I want to back up a little bit.
00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:43.759
And I want you to talk about FCA.
00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:52.720
You you talked about being from a broken home growing up and the challenges that that caused and and and what it was like.
00:32:52.960 --> 00:32:54.880
You kind of touched on that a little bit.
00:32:54.960 --> 00:33:03.680
And then tell me a little bit more about how you kind of came into there's a horse over there, I think.
00:33:04.000 --> 00:33:05.519
You that are a big dog.
00:33:06.160 --> 00:33:16.240
Um talk talk a little bit about your journey of faith coming into FCA, what it was like, and the people around you that helped kind of help you walk that path.
00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:19.440
Uh high school coach invited me to this meeting.
00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:21.680
Live in Dallas.
00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:23.839
Dallas Cowboys just won a Super Bowl.
00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:27.759
There was a guy named John Now, an all-pro guard came and gave his testimony at our school.
00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:28.240
Wow.
00:33:28.480 --> 00:33:30.400
I'm a sophomore, I'll get big eyed.
00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:34.240
There's this guy that's an all-pro guard doing what I wanted to do.
00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:37.519
And he says Jesus is the most important thing in his life.
00:33:38.559 --> 00:33:45.440
And God uses the Spirit, did what the Spirit does, yeah, and grabbed this 16-year-old kid.
00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:45.920
Wow.
00:33:46.079 --> 00:33:48.319
Got down on my knees and said yes to Jesus.
00:33:48.480 --> 00:33:48.960
Yeah.
00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:53.599
And um it's been quite an interesting journey.
00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:54.079
Yeah.
00:33:54.240 --> 00:33:58.880
Uh I've been involved in the Fellowship of Christianity since 1974.
00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:01.039
That's a long time.
00:34:01.279 --> 00:34:02.640
Yeah, you were two then at the time, right?
00:34:02.880 --> 00:34:03.200
Pretty close.
00:34:03.279 --> 00:34:04.000
Yeah, pretty close to two.
00:34:04.319 --> 00:34:04.960
Yeah, pretty close.
00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:06.240
Was driving, though.
00:34:07.519 --> 00:34:15.760
Uh which led me to college, and I was fortunate enough to have a college coach that believed in FCA and was involved.
00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:22.079
My first coaching job was a guy with the name Randy Allen, you know, pretty successful high school coach.
00:34:22.239 --> 00:34:25.840
Uh, but we had FCA in common, so we did FCA.
00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:32.159
And uh everywhere I went, we were involved in it.
00:34:32.239 --> 00:34:37.119
Then we came back to Ameline and we had another guy on our staff that was really good at the huddle part.
00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:53.599
So I started working with adults and trying to do some things, and it kind of became a niche for me, which uh when I stopped coaching, it led me into this ministry, which is working or people in the community, working with coaches, which I speak coach pretty good.
00:34:53.920 --> 00:34:54.400
Sure.
00:34:54.880 --> 00:35:08.880
Uh, and how those things come together to to make an impact in a community uh for coaches who impact kids, who impact campuses, who impact homes, who impact communities.
00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:18.639
Uh and that's really the thing for me, why I do have been doing what I've been doing since I stopped coaching.
00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:27.760
Uh because uh sport trans transcends all kinds of things.
00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:29.280
World Cup showed us that.
00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:40.400
And this thing called FCA can go into places where a lot of ministries can't.
00:35:40.800 --> 00:35:41.280
Sure.
00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:45.679
And we want to impact leaders.
00:35:45.920 --> 00:35:50.800
We want to impact difference makers, and typically those are on athletic teams.
00:35:51.039 --> 00:35:52.079
So yeah.
00:35:52.400 --> 00:36:02.800
And then uh, you know, our ministry's been around 70 plus years, started as a college ministry and then evolved into high school and then junior high campus ministry primarily.
00:36:03.119 --> 00:36:08.559
But in the last several years, our emphasis has been to move off campus.
00:36:08.719 --> 00:36:10.559
You know, most people don't know.
00:36:11.039 --> 00:36:19.199
Well, they drive around on weekends and they see hundreds of kids on a field playing soccer or baseball, little league, all those kind of things.
00:36:19.440 --> 00:36:22.239
Uh over 60 million kids play.
00:36:22.719 --> 00:36:23.280
Wow.
00:36:23.519 --> 00:36:26.639
And only about seven and a half million play on a school team.
00:36:27.360 --> 00:36:30.880
So that tells you there's a whole bunch of ball being played.
00:36:31.119 --> 00:36:33.199
It don't have anything to do with the school campus.
00:36:33.599 --> 00:36:33.760
Right.
00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:37.039
So our ministry has begun to move into that world.
00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:37.440
Okay.
00:36:37.679 --> 00:36:42.639
And that's what you when you see a thing called FCA sport, that's what we're talking about.
00:36:42.719 --> 00:36:58.719
If leagues and clubs are the two worlds that we're operating in, and our ministries made uh significant investment in financial and human capital to try to make a difference in that world, yeah.
00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:05.840
Uh, to give parents an opportunity to to have a different environment for their kids to play in, yeah.
00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:09.519
Uh, where they're gonna hear about Jesus.
00:37:09.599 --> 00:37:09.760
Yeah.
00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:20.239
They're gonna be taught about what it is to be a disciple maker, what it is to be a disciple, right, and uh the tools that uh that are available to do that.
00:37:20.400 --> 00:37:25.599
And it changes the dynamic on a field.
00:37:25.920 --> 00:37:26.480
Good time.
00:37:26.880 --> 00:37:34.880
When uh we've got a club baseball team here in Abilene that uh they'll play they'll play, and then when the game's over, they're handing Bibles to the other team.
00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:37.920
Um they're gathering to pray.
00:37:38.079 --> 00:37:51.440
Yeah uh we had some food truck guys send us and uh post something on uh uh Instagram where they brought Bibles to the food truck guys and they were so impressed.
00:37:51.519 --> 00:37:56.320
Wow that the body of Christ makes a difference in the community, saw the light.
00:37:56.400 --> 00:37:56.719
Yeah.
00:37:56.880 --> 00:38:02.719
And that's the the goal of what we're trying to accomplish with our ministry.
00:38:03.360 --> 00:38:23.199
So talk to the coach who thinks to himself or herself, yeah, man, look, I've got enough trying to teach these kids plays, help them learn their assignment, make sure that they understand their role on the team.
00:38:23.840 --> 00:38:37.199
Uh I don't have time to work on this Jesus thing because I feel like there's there's just not enough hours in the day, and they want to compete at a high level.
00:38:37.440 --> 00:38:47.119
And so now they're they're trying to juggle and figure out which one is a better investment of their time and resources, and the Jesus thing kind of falls to the side.
00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:53.119
Well, the good news is FCA's been doing this thing, ministry thing, for 70 plus years.
00:38:53.360 --> 00:38:59.760
And we developed this vast library of resources, both online, printed material.
00:39:00.079 --> 00:39:00.320
Okay.
00:39:00.559 --> 00:39:09.760
Plus, we have over 2,000, 2,500 staff in the United States that can help support somebody that's interested in doing that.
00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:10.159
Okay.
00:39:10.400 --> 00:39:12.960
So they don't feel like they're doing it by themselves.
00:39:13.199 --> 00:39:13.519
Okay.
00:39:13.679 --> 00:39:20.000
Um, which is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing with our staff to try to raise up.
00:39:20.320 --> 00:39:21.840
Well, we were looking for three things.
00:39:21.920 --> 00:39:23.440
We're looking for leaders who can lead.
00:39:23.920 --> 00:39:25.760
We're talking about in the league and club world.
00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:26.320
Sure.
00:39:26.559 --> 00:39:34.159
We're looking for players that want to play, yeah, which means families that want to be involved in a different kind of culture, and then we're looking for places to play.
00:39:34.639 --> 00:39:36.159
Because you got to have those three things.
00:39:36.320 --> 00:39:39.679
If you don't have those three things, you can't you can't compete.
00:39:40.079 --> 00:39:40.239
Right.
00:39:40.559 --> 00:40:03.199
So uh that's what we're doing, is we're working on trying to find the leaders are going to step up and lead, places where we can do it, and then the the athletes are coming, and and we're finding that it's happening all over Texas, and really it's happening all over the country, yeah, where opportunities are are coming right and left because people where we're doing it and people see it, they're drawn to it.
00:40:03.360 --> 00:40:11.360
Uh, for example, we've had some volleyball clubs that have taken place in competition with other well-established uh clubs.
00:40:11.440 --> 00:40:14.159
Well, parents see you guys do it different.
00:40:14.400 --> 00:40:14.639
Right.
00:40:14.800 --> 00:40:16.400
Yeah, we're gonna do it different.
00:40:16.639 --> 00:40:18.320
We want to be a part of that.
00:40:18.639 --> 00:40:39.280
And uh if you've got somebody who wants to do that, they go to Google, Fellows Pro Christian Athletes, you get on the website, locate staff, put in your zip code, there'll be a name, you make a phone call, and they can help connect you to uh somebody like that that uh maybe can help you do this.
00:40:39.599 --> 00:40:40.159
That's good.
00:40:40.320 --> 00:40:40.719
That's good.
00:40:40.960 --> 00:40:41.599
Not by yourself.
00:40:41.920 --> 00:40:42.719
Not by yourself.
00:40:42.880 --> 00:40:43.119
Good.
00:40:43.519 --> 00:40:46.639
Support staff for the coach to train the kids.
00:40:46.960 --> 00:40:50.159
You wouldn't believe the structure, the infrastructure that FCA has built.
00:40:50.320 --> 00:40:50.960
Yeah.
00:40:51.280 --> 00:40:57.039
One of the things that if if you're familiar with youth sports, you probably know about upward basketball.
00:40:57.519 --> 00:40:59.920
Well, the guy that started that's a guy named Kaz McCaslin.
00:41:00.159 --> 00:41:00.320
Yes.
00:41:00.559 --> 00:41:04.719
Kaz McCaslin is the executive vice president for facilities for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
00:41:05.039 --> 00:41:05.280
Okay.
00:41:05.679 --> 00:41:08.079
The guy that worked with him forever is a guy named Derek Parks.
00:41:08.239 --> 00:41:11.039
Well, he's the executive vice president for leagues for FCA.
00:41:11.199 --> 00:41:11.599
Wow.
00:41:11.840 --> 00:41:14.480
And we've got somebody that does the same thing for clubs.
00:41:14.559 --> 00:41:24.480
And inside of all of that, all of the resources that FCA can bring to bear is there to support you, whether it's how to schedule, uh, how to communicate.
00:41:24.639 --> 00:41:33.599
We've got apps, we've got websites, we've got scheduling uh processes, we've got the ability for uniforms, insurance, you name it.
00:41:33.760 --> 00:41:34.000
Yeah.
00:41:34.239 --> 00:41:38.320
We've got uh we've got some expertise to help somebody do this.
00:41:38.639 --> 00:41:39.760
That's great.
00:41:40.159 --> 00:41:41.360
So let me ask this.
00:41:41.599 --> 00:41:49.679
Do you think uh I well, I'll kind of give you uh a little background to this question.
00:41:49.920 --> 00:41:54.639
Um, but I had a a friend of mine that played baseball in the major leagues for a while.
00:41:54.719 --> 00:42:01.760
His name was Lance Berkman, and he talked about playing with the New York Yankees for a little bit.
00:42:01.920 --> 00:42:16.800
And one of the things he talked about was that some of their highly successful years, they had just a decade where they were either playing in the World Series or just right up to it or winning a World Series.
00:42:16.960 --> 00:42:34.079
And he said that that what most people didn't realize is that the biggest portion of that, in his opinion, was the fact that there were several people that were high-profile stars on the team that were followers of Jesus.
00:42:34.239 --> 00:42:44.559
And he said, so when you walked into the clubhouse, you would meet these guys that were the stars of a team who loved Jesus, and it changed the culture of the team.
00:42:44.639 --> 00:42:50.400
And that in his what he said was the highest part of their success.
00:42:50.880 --> 00:42:52.079
Speak to that a little bit.
00:42:52.400 --> 00:42:55.119
Well, it goes back to what we were talking about, coaching the heart.
00:42:55.280 --> 00:42:55.760
Yeah.
00:42:56.079 --> 00:42:57.920
This part changes, right?
00:42:58.159 --> 00:42:59.679
Then the atmosphere changes.
00:42:59.920 --> 00:43:00.719
Right, right.
00:43:01.039 --> 00:43:04.000
The the chemistry changes.
00:43:04.159 --> 00:43:04.480
Yeah.
00:43:04.719 --> 00:43:11.760
The self-sacrifice, your willingness to to give up yourself for somebody else to be successful.
00:43:12.000 --> 00:43:12.480
Sure.
00:43:12.719 --> 00:43:24.400
You you don't have petty little petty things that happen when you don't have uh the fruit of the spirit working in you.
00:43:24.559 --> 00:43:24.880
Yeah.
00:43:25.679 --> 00:43:27.920
All of those things are gonna play into it.
00:43:28.159 --> 00:43:32.960
And uh you deal with adversity differently when you have that.
00:43:33.360 --> 00:43:50.800
Uh I mean, I'd rather have a teammate that is full of peace, patience, love, joy, kind of, you know, goodness, self-control, all of those things than somebody that's full of envy and jealousy and you know.
00:43:51.119 --> 00:43:51.440
Yeah.
00:43:51.599 --> 00:43:56.639
Um it just makes it makes it easier and more fun to go to work and you can perform better.
00:43:56.800 --> 00:43:57.440
Yeah.
00:43:57.760 --> 00:44:06.559
So uh And that's the difference when we talk about what our approach to sport is compared to the world's.
00:44:07.119 --> 00:44:08.960
That's really what it boils down to.
00:44:09.360 --> 00:44:12.559
It's doing it God's way or doing it the world's way.
00:44:12.719 --> 00:44:13.119
Yeah.
00:44:13.199 --> 00:44:13.519
Yeah.
00:44:13.760 --> 00:44:19.119
And whichever way you do it, you're going to get what you get in those things.
00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:22.639
I mean, there's just, I mean, that's just the reality of it.
00:44:22.719 --> 00:44:22.800
Right.
00:44:22.960 --> 00:44:23.599
You know, you're good.
00:44:23.840 --> 00:44:24.880
God's not mocked.
00:44:24.960 --> 00:44:26.400
You're going to reap what you sow.
00:44:26.559 --> 00:44:27.119
Yeah.
00:44:27.440 --> 00:44:35.679
So I don't know if that illustrates there, but that's I believe that with all my heart.
00:44:36.000 --> 00:44:36.079
Yeah.
00:44:36.239 --> 00:44:38.239
No, I 100% agree with you.
00:44:38.400 --> 00:44:39.519
I think it's important.
00:44:41.199 --> 00:44:50.880
I think there are a lot of people that would put faith, uh, you know, faith in Jesus, uh, Christianity.
00:44:52.000 --> 00:45:06.159
They would put it in a category and then put sports in this category, school, work, social life, they would have silos for each one of those, and they would feel like they should each stay in their own silo.
00:45:07.039 --> 00:45:10.559
But what you're saying is it doesn't work that way.
00:45:10.880 --> 00:45:13.199
Not if you're a believer of Christ, it's not.
00:45:14.480 --> 00:45:15.199
Shouldn't.
00:45:15.519 --> 00:45:16.159
Shouldn't.
00:45:16.320 --> 00:45:16.559
No.
00:45:16.719 --> 00:45:18.079
I mean, it's got to ooze out of you.
00:45:18.159 --> 00:45:21.199
It's got to, you got when you bleed, that's what it's got to bleed.
00:45:21.280 --> 00:45:23.199
When you breathe, that's what's got to come out.
00:45:23.360 --> 00:45:31.280
Uh and it should impact every silo that you're, you know, or aspect of your life.
00:45:31.440 --> 00:45:31.679
Yeah.
00:45:32.239 --> 00:45:32.880
Yeah.
00:45:33.679 --> 00:45:36.000
You just it just got to.
00:45:36.239 --> 00:45:36.639
Yeah.
00:45:36.880 --> 00:45:40.880
Uh God didn't say go and keep it a secret.
00:45:41.519 --> 00:45:43.519
You know, he said go and tell.
00:45:43.760 --> 00:45:44.400
Right.
00:45:44.559 --> 00:45:46.480
Uh He also said they would know you.
00:45:46.719 --> 00:45:47.360
Yeah.
00:45:47.840 --> 00:45:48.159
Yes.
00:45:48.719 --> 00:45:51.280
Even if you're not, tell us they would know you.
00:45:51.519 --> 00:45:52.159
Exactly.
00:45:53.039 --> 00:45:55.519
Uh by the way you conduct yourself.
00:45:56.880 --> 00:46:08.159
Uh you know, case doesn't he say one time, you know, I'm not a football player, it's a Christian.
00:46:08.639 --> 00:46:12.000
You know, I'm a Christian who plays football.
00:46:12.960 --> 00:46:15.599
You know, we're your identity is what you put first.
00:46:15.840 --> 00:46:16.159
Yeah.
00:46:16.480 --> 00:46:17.840
What comes out first?
00:46:18.079 --> 00:46:18.719
Yeah.
00:46:19.599 --> 00:46:27.199
Is is my faith the thing that impacts everything else?
00:46:27.760 --> 00:46:29.840
Or does everything else impact my faith?
00:46:30.159 --> 00:46:30.800
Right.
00:46:32.079 --> 00:46:35.039
Well, we're supposed to impact everything.
00:46:36.880 --> 00:46:38.639
Yeah, that's good work.
00:46:40.079 --> 00:46:41.360
Would you mind praying?
00:46:41.679 --> 00:46:52.320
Or I I would hear, I would love if you would pray for those coaches and parents that just need a little bit of Jesus.
00:46:52.639 --> 00:46:52.960
Okay.
00:46:54.400 --> 00:46:55.599
Oh Lord.
00:46:56.480 --> 00:46:58.719
I'm glad you're a big God, Lord.
00:47:00.079 --> 00:47:02.400
We'd be in trouble if you weren't.
00:47:08.719 --> 00:47:11.360
Father, I watch my kids raise theirs.
00:47:12.639 --> 00:47:16.239
And all of the struggles and the pressures that they face.
00:47:19.360 --> 00:47:24.239
From school to friends to teams, Lord, all the things.
00:47:24.639 --> 00:47:25.760
Social media.
00:47:27.519 --> 00:47:28.719
Oh Lord.
00:47:32.880 --> 00:47:47.199
Father, I just pray for every mom and dad who loves their kids, Lord, but they want them to know you.
00:47:50.480 --> 00:47:53.360
They want their kids to have strong, deep faith.
00:47:56.320 --> 00:47:59.119
Life-changing, world-changing faith.
00:48:06.480 --> 00:48:11.760
Father, I pray for that mom whose husband is debating coaching.
00:48:12.000 --> 00:48:13.920
I pray that you would encourage her.
00:48:16.079 --> 00:48:17.519
To encourage him.
00:48:18.960 --> 00:48:21.039
To give of himself for his kids.
00:48:21.119 --> 00:48:30.079
And for the kids that may, he may, they may he may not be their daddy father, but he may be the only thing like a daddy that they get to see.
00:48:32.880 --> 00:48:42.000
And the same thing for husbands, father, for wives who may have a daughter that wants to play softball or soccer and needs a coach.
00:48:45.760 --> 00:48:53.519
Or both, father, that have kids playing that they're not coaching, but there's somebody that's serving their kids, Lord.
00:48:53.679 --> 00:48:55.760
Help them encourage that coach.
00:48:56.880 --> 00:48:59.119
Help them pray for that coach.
00:49:00.079 --> 00:49:04.880
Love on that coach and thank them for what they sacrificed for their kids.
00:49:11.119 --> 00:49:20.000
Father, remind moms and dads and kids too that you are the way, the truth, and the life.
00:49:23.599 --> 00:49:28.000
And if you are at the center, Lord, everything else is better.
00:49:34.000 --> 00:49:40.559
Father, I pray that you would stir a revival in this thing called eusports.
00:49:42.639 --> 00:49:45.280
That the church would attack it, Lord.
00:49:48.559 --> 00:49:52.480
That it would be on mission to take Jesus into that world.
00:49:53.679 --> 00:49:55.199
Through parents and coaches.
00:49:59.519 --> 00:50:04.800
I pray that you would uh raise up warriors, Lord.
00:50:06.400 --> 00:50:13.360
For the kingdom that happened to coach volleyball or baseball.
00:50:16.400 --> 00:50:17.199
Please.
00:50:20.559 --> 00:50:26.400
Father, we just thank you that uh you loved us enough to send your son.
00:50:28.880 --> 00:50:35.119
Father, we're even more thankful that uh he conquered the grave.
00:50:37.840 --> 00:50:39.679
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
00:50:40.400 --> 00:50:42.159
It's in Jesus' name we pray.
00:50:42.400 --> 00:50:42.880
Amen.
00:50:43.119 --> 00:50:43.760
Amen.
00:50:44.159 --> 00:50:45.119
Thank you.
00:50:45.599 --> 00:50:46.639
I have a minute over.
00:50:46.719 --> 00:50:47.440
I apologize.
00:50:47.679 --> 00:50:48.400
We're good.
00:50:48.639 --> 00:50:48.960
Okay.
00:50:49.760 --> 00:50:51.920
I just got a meeting with my boss here in a minute.
00:50:52.320 --> 00:50:54.480
Well, I certainly would not want you to miss that.
00:50:54.559 --> 00:50:55.599
So listen.
00:50:55.840 --> 00:50:56.960
I'm so grateful.
00:50:57.119 --> 00:50:59.840
This this was a God orchestrated in so many.
00:51:01.599 --> 00:51:01.920
Yeah.
00:51:02.079 --> 00:51:09.039
We we came, my son went to the ACU, they had a little baseball workout, a little prospect camp, and he wanted to do this.
00:51:09.199 --> 00:51:10.079
He paid for the whole thing.
00:51:10.239 --> 00:51:10.639
Oh, good.
00:51:10.800 --> 00:51:14.320
Paid for his ticket, paid for the gas, get here, food, all of it.
00:51:14.480 --> 00:51:17.440
And then my brakes went out while we were here.
00:51:17.599 --> 00:51:18.480
They locked up on me.
00:51:18.559 --> 00:51:20.320
And so we couldn't go home last night.
00:51:20.480 --> 00:51:22.000
We were supposed to go home last night.
00:51:22.239 --> 00:51:25.760
And I'd hoped to interview one of the coaches, but couldn't.
00:51:26.000 --> 00:51:28.000
Just didn't work out.
00:51:28.239 --> 00:51:30.559
So I came back over here and I was talking to them about that.
00:51:30.639 --> 00:51:32.719
And they go, Well, what about Steve Keenum?
00:51:32.880 --> 00:51:35.119
And I was like, who's he?
00:51:35.280 --> 00:51:36.320
Who's that guy?
00:51:36.559 --> 00:51:39.599
And then so and then they reached out to you last night.
00:51:39.679 --> 00:51:41.039
So this is just a total god.
00:51:41.280 --> 00:51:41.519
Steve.
00:51:43.280 --> 00:51:43.760
Yeah, bless you.
00:51:43.840 --> 00:51:45.039
Let me I'll grab that microphone from you.
00:51:45.199 --> 00:51:49.360
Oh, yeah, you probably have something that kind of makes me have more confidence all the time.