It was my privilege to join the students, staff, and coaches at St. Francis Catholic School for a pep rally today as they prepared to depart for the Diocesan Basketball Tournament. My role was to offer a prayer of blessing for them, especially for safe travels.
The energy in the gymnasium today reminded me of the days of my youth. When I first started playing basketball in elementary school, we did not have a gymnasium. We practiced outside on a blacktop court. Sometimes it was so cold we had to put the basketballs inside a car with the heater on to keep the balls from deflating. (Or did we have a future New England Patriots player in our midst?)
Obviously, we had no home games since we did not have a gym, but that opportunity to play still served as a foundation to build my skills. Eventually, I played in high school. I was not always receiving a lot of playing time, but growing three inches per year in high school helped that process along. Finally, I was blessed with a full ride scholarship to play at the collegiate level. Being 6'8" tall does have some advantages.
A lot of emphasis is placed on sports in modern society. Are there excesses at times? Of course there are, just like with almost everything else. However, I hope we never lose sight of the good that is also attained through participating in sports--especially team sports. The ability to work together toward a common goal comes in handy throughout life.
To all of the coaches who give generously of their time and talent to help young people develop life skills through the avenue of sports, thank you.
And now for a brief trip down memory lane--oh, to be young again!
The energy in the gymnasium today reminded me of the days of my youth. When I first started playing basketball in elementary school, we did not have a gymnasium. We practiced outside on a blacktop court. Sometimes it was so cold we had to put the basketballs inside a car with the heater on to keep the balls from deflating. (Or did we have a future New England Patriots player in our midst?)
Obviously, we had no home games since we did not have a gym, but that opportunity to play still served as a foundation to build my skills. Eventually, I played in high school. I was not always receiving a lot of playing time, but growing three inches per year in high school helped that process along. Finally, I was blessed with a full ride scholarship to play at the collegiate level. Being 6'8" tall does have some advantages.
A lot of emphasis is placed on sports in modern society. Are there excesses at times? Of course there are, just like with almost everything else. However, I hope we never lose sight of the good that is also attained through participating in sports--especially team sports. The ability to work together toward a common goal comes in handy throughout life.
To all of the coaches who give generously of their time and talent to help young people develop life skills through the avenue of sports, thank you.
And now for a brief trip down memory lane--oh, to be young again!
Northeast Missouri State University at the University of Missouri St. Louis (1982-1983 seasons)
I am grateful to the coaches who taught me the value of being able to use my right hand or left hand.
Media Publicity Photo Northeast Missouri State University 1982-1983 Season
I am grateful to God for the many opportunities and blessings that have come my way through the years. My skills in basketball and baseball came because people were willing to teach me. That resulted in playing both sports at the collegiate level. Traveling to many different colleges and universities to play was an experience in and of itself. I have many fond memories of those days. It is my hope that the young people playing sports today make some wonderful memories as well.
To whom do you owe a debt of gratitude? Reach out and let someone know how they positively impacted your life. It doesn't have to be a coach or a teacher, but it certainly could be. Simply tell them, "Thank you!"
To whom do you owe a debt of gratitude? Reach out and let someone know how they positively impacted your life. It doesn't have to be a coach or a teacher, but it certainly could be. Simply tell them, "Thank you!"
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