At a funeral this week, attended by many dignitaries, famous athletes and coaches who all could have spoken flowering eulogies of the deceased, there was a very unique speaker. Kay Yow, long time women’s basketball coach at North Carolina State University, spoke at her own funeral by way of video tape. Yow who has battled breast cancer since being diagnosed with it in 1987, died just last weekend. She was 66 years old.
Pat Summit, University of Tennessee’s well-known women’s basketball coach and longtime friend of Yow said, “I have never known of a service like this . . . and it would be just like Kay to be the absolute first.” "Obviously I don't think there was a person in that room that wasn't touched and probably affected by her words." She also called the tape, “amazing”.
In the 25 minute video tape, Yow thanked many who encouraged her through the 20-year battle with cancer and then shared her faith in Jesus Christ. She said, “It has changed my life and has changed the life of every person who has accepted Him.” She concluded with the words, “And now I say farewell. It has been a wonderful journey, especially since the time I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.”
Yow’s accomplishments as a basketball coach were outstanding, but the influence she had on everyone who knew her was even greater. She led the U.S. Women’s Basketball team to an Olympic gold medal in 1988, won more than 700 games in her career, and was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2002. She spent 38 seasons as a coach (34 with NC State), won four ACC tournament championships, earned 20 NCAA tournament bids and reached the Final Four once, in 1998. Her greater accomplishments were probably in raising awareness and money for cancer research while continuing to coach her team through the physical effects of the cancer and the chemotherapy treatments. “Her battle with breast cancer was never about herself”, said Megan Smith, who works with the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer fund in Atlanta. “She was such a courageous and humble person at the same time.” Yow also served on the board of the "V Foundation" for Cancer Research which was founded by ESPN and her friend and colleague, former NC State men's basketball coach Jim Valvano, who died of cancer in 1993.
Yow admitted that taping the message for her own funeral was “actually sort of eerie”, but said she first felt compelled to tape a message after doctors diagnosed a recurrence of breast cancer in 2004. "I don't want you to fret over the fact that I'm not here or question why I'm not here," Yow said. "Because God knows what he's doing. He doesn't make mistakes. ... I have now a place in heaven with him."
Yow’s dying words certainly should cause all of us to reflect on what is really important in life and on our own eternal destiny. The Bible speaks clearly of how one can know for certain that they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and that heaven will be their eternal home.
Read more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ here.
Read more about this unique funeral here.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Covenant School Coach Fired
An interesting twist has developed in the story I wrote about this weekend. The coach from the winning team of the 100-0 basketball game has been fired. He has stated that he "did not agree with the apology" or the statement posted by his school regarding the incident. He further stated, "We played the game as it was meant to be played. My values and my beliefs would not allow me to run up the score on any opponent, and it will not allow me to apologize for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity." This raises the question about philosophy of competition. Should a superior team never "back off" in it's effort against an inferior team? Do you believe that The Covenant School did play with honor an integrity? Would you feel differently if the final score had been 90-10 or even 65-15? At what point do you cross a line in humiliating your opponent? Please feel free to send comments to coachscott@cspnonline.com.
Click here to read more.
Click here to read more.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
“Victory without honor is a loss”
That’s what Kyle Queal, the head of The Covenant School in Dallas, Texas said after his high school girls’ basketball team defeated the Dallas Academy 100 – 0. No, that’s not a typo. One hundred to zero!
Officials from The Covenant School have made a formal request to forfeit the game even though the scoreboard obviously said that they had won. Their halftime lead was 59 – 0. They are trying to do the right thing by seeking a forfeit and apologizing for the margin of victory. Both schools are members of the TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools). In a statement from the association, TAPPS director, Edd Burleson said, “There is no mercy rule in girls’ basketball that shortens the game or permits the clock to continue running when scores become lopsided. There is, however, "a golden rule" that should have applied in this contest.” Burleson further stated, “On a personal note, I told the coach of the losing team how much I admire their girls for continuing to compete against all odds . . . they showed much more character than the coach that allowed that score to get out of hand. It's up to the coach to control the outcome."
The officials at The Covenant School are certainly trying to right the wrong. In a statement on the Covenant website, Queal said the game "does not reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition. We humbly apologize for our actions and seek the forgiveness of Dallas Academy, TAPPS and our community." Read the entire Covenant School statement here.
The response from the Dallas Academy officials and their team members has been great. When the Covenant School officials met with the Dallas Academy officials to apologize, they praised "each member of the Dallas Academy Varsity Girls Basketball team for their strength, composure and fortitude in a game in which they clearly emerged the winner." Dallas Academy coach Jeremy Civello said he appreciated the gesture and has accepted the apology "with no ill feelings."
Shelby Hyatt, a freshman on the Dallas Academy team said, "Even if you are losing, you might as well keep playing . . . keep trying, and it's going to be OK." At a shoot-around last Thursday, several Dallas Academy players said they were frustrated during the game but felt it was a learning opportunity. They also said they are excited about some of the attention they are receiving from the loss, including an invitation from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to see an NBA game from his suite.
As coaches, all of us have gotten “caught up in the moment” of winning a lopsided game and pursuing individual or team scoring records at the expense of the opponent. We need to put ourselves in their shoes and protect our relationship with them. This is certainly more important than scoring 100 points. There is nothing wrong with pursuing victory. The Bible says, “ . . . so run, that ye may obtain” (I Cor. 9:24), but it needs to be done in an honorable and Christ-like way.
For more details on the story check out the following articles.
CBS Sports
Dallas Morning News
Officials from The Covenant School have made a formal request to forfeit the game even though the scoreboard obviously said that they had won. Their halftime lead was 59 – 0. They are trying to do the right thing by seeking a forfeit and apologizing for the margin of victory. Both schools are members of the TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools). In a statement from the association, TAPPS director, Edd Burleson said, “There is no mercy rule in girls’ basketball that shortens the game or permits the clock to continue running when scores become lopsided. There is, however, "a golden rule" that should have applied in this contest.” Burleson further stated, “On a personal note, I told the coach of the losing team how much I admire their girls for continuing to compete against all odds . . . they showed much more character than the coach that allowed that score to get out of hand. It's up to the coach to control the outcome."
The officials at The Covenant School are certainly trying to right the wrong. In a statement on the Covenant website, Queal said the game "does not reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition. We humbly apologize for our actions and seek the forgiveness of Dallas Academy, TAPPS and our community." Read the entire Covenant School statement here.
The response from the Dallas Academy officials and their team members has been great. When the Covenant School officials met with the Dallas Academy officials to apologize, they praised "each member of the Dallas Academy Varsity Girls Basketball team for their strength, composure and fortitude in a game in which they clearly emerged the winner." Dallas Academy coach Jeremy Civello said he appreciated the gesture and has accepted the apology "with no ill feelings."
Shelby Hyatt, a freshman on the Dallas Academy team said, "Even if you are losing, you might as well keep playing . . . keep trying, and it's going to be OK." At a shoot-around last Thursday, several Dallas Academy players said they were frustrated during the game but felt it was a learning opportunity. They also said they are excited about some of the attention they are receiving from the loss, including an invitation from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to see an NBA game from his suite.
As coaches, all of us have gotten “caught up in the moment” of winning a lopsided game and pursuing individual or team scoring records at the expense of the opponent. We need to put ourselves in their shoes and protect our relationship with them. This is certainly more important than scoring 100 points. There is nothing wrong with pursuing victory. The Bible says, “ . . . so run, that ye may obtain” (I Cor. 9:24), but it needs to be done in an honorable and Christ-like way.
For more details on the story check out the following articles.
CBS Sports
Dallas Morning News
Sunday, January 18, 2009
First Things First
What a blessing to see Kurt Warner back in the Super Bowl this year, this time with the Arizona Cardinals. For Warner, playing in the NFL was always a dream, but the route that he took was certainly not a “traditional” one. He was an undrafted rookie free agent out of Northern Iowa in 1994. He was cut by the Green Bay Packers in training camp, spent 3 years with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League and then spent 2 years with NFL Europe’s Amsterdam team. Upon finally arriving in the NFL in 1998, the route continued to have many ups and downs. He was the fourth-string quarterback with the St. Louis Rams early in 1998, but then was elevated to backup because of injuries. When Trent Green went down, Warner began the magical run that led to the Super Bowl. Many of you may recall Warner’s first appearance in the Super Bowl in the 1999-2000 season. The “Greatest Show on Turf” defeated the Tennessee Titans and Warner was named MVP. Two years later he was the regular season MVP and had the Rams back in the Super Bowl. This time they lost to the New England Patriots on Vinatieri’s last-second field goal. Since then, Warner has bounced around to a couple different teams and been benched four times. First, he was benched in St. Louis (in favor of Marc Bulger), then with the New York Giants (in favor of Eli Manning) and then twice since coming to the Cardinals in 2005 (in favor of Matt Leinart). In spite of all the ups and downs he has certainly kept things in perspective and lives his life by the Matthew 6:33 principle, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God”.
Matthew 6:33 is the theme verse for Kurt Warner’s foundation called, “First Things First”. Warner has spoken freely of his faith in Jesus Christ and always carries a Bible with him to every post-game press conference. In 2001, he and his wife Brenda established the “First Things First” foundation to promote Christian values. You can read more about this foundation at www.kurtwarner.org. You can be pretty certain that Warner will keep things in perspective as he prepares for another Super Bowl. Don’t be surprised if, in the next two weeks, he is more outspoken about his faith in Jesus Christ than about the Pittsburgh Steeler’s defense.
Matthew 6:33 is the theme verse for Kurt Warner’s foundation called, “First Things First”. Warner has spoken freely of his faith in Jesus Christ and always carries a Bible with him to every post-game press conference. In 2001, he and his wife Brenda established the “First Things First” foundation to promote Christian values. You can read more about this foundation at www.kurtwarner.org. You can be pretty certain that Warner will keep things in perspective as he prepares for another Super Bowl. Don’t be surprised if, in the next two weeks, he is more outspoken about his faith in Jesus Christ than about the Pittsburgh Steeler’s defense.
Monday, January 12, 2009
"Quiet Strength" Quietly Retires
It was no surprise when Tony Dungy officially announced his retirement recently from coaching the Indianapolis Colts. He has been contemplating it ever since the Colts won the Super Bowl in 2007. Dungy was not only the first Afro-American coach to win the Super Bowl, he may have been the first to break the stereotypical mold of what a NFL coach is like. Dungy was not the intense, in-your-face, foul-mouthed, fire-breathing, intimidating, type of coach that most people think you have to be in order to succeed in the NFL. He is a man of faith who seldom raised his voice above a normal speaking tone. He once said to his players, “I don’t yell a lot. In fact, yelling will be rare. When I get mad, I usually talk at the same volume I’m talking now, and when I get really mad . . . I whisper. So if my voice at this level won’t get your attention, and you believe you need someone to yell at you to correct you or motivate you, then we’ll probably need to find you another team to play for so that you can play your best”. (Quiet Strength, p. 105)
I think Tony Dungy has proven that, as a coach, you can be demanding without being demeaning. How about you? Do you feel that you have to verbally “tear players down” in order to “build them up"? While it is important to be yourself, you must control your temper when frustrating things happen. As a young coach, I chose a coaching ministry verse to help me keep things in perspective regarding the way I spoke to my players. James 1:20 says, “For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (NKJV). God challenged me with this verse. I realized that if I wanted to see His righteousness developed in the lives of those athletes He had entrusted to my care, I couldn’t be spewing my wrath over them while coaching. Regardless of your personality type, you must manifest a Spirit-controlled temperament. Tony Dungy has been a great role model in this way. I would encourage you to read his book, Quiet Strength. It is a worthwhile read for any coach in any sport.
I think Tony Dungy has proven that, as a coach, you can be demanding without being demeaning. How about you? Do you feel that you have to verbally “tear players down” in order to “build them up"? While it is important to be yourself, you must control your temper when frustrating things happen. As a young coach, I chose a coaching ministry verse to help me keep things in perspective regarding the way I spoke to my players. James 1:20 says, “For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (NKJV). God challenged me with this verse. I realized that if I wanted to see His righteousness developed in the lives of those athletes He had entrusted to my care, I couldn’t be spewing my wrath over them while coaching. Regardless of your personality type, you must manifest a Spirit-controlled temperament. Tony Dungy has been a great role model in this way. I would encourage you to read his book, Quiet Strength. It is a worthwhile read for any coach in any sport.
Friday, January 2, 2009
A Cheer for the Faithful
Your team’s fans cheering for the opposing team? Most of us wouldn’t think of it except for giving a polite round of applause to an injured opponent as he or she was helped off the field. However, that is exactly what Coach Kris Hogan of Faith Christian School from Grapevine, TX asked his team’s fans (the Faithful) to do. Cheer for the other team. In a football game against Gainesville State School, a correctional facility, Hogan had an unusual idea. He thought, “What if half of our fans—for one night only—cheered for the other team?” He sent out an e-mail asking the Faithful to do just that. Some people were naturally confused. One Faith player walked into Hogan's office and asked, "Coach, why are we doing this?" And Hogan said, "Imagine if you didn't have a home life. Imagine if everybody had pretty much given up on you. Now imagine what it would mean for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you."
Even if you could never imagine yourself cheering aggressively for an opponent, we certainly need to examine how much we cheer aggressively against them and what damage it can cause in our relationship with them. One thing that I have always tried to encourage our fans to do is to cheer positively for their team and not negatively against their opponent. Why not try implementing this cheering philosophy at your school? Or even try something like what Faith Christian did for Gainesville for a school on your schedule that might be in a similar situation. It will do wonders for everyone involved!
Even if you could never imagine yourself cheering aggressively for an opponent, we certainly need to examine how much we cheer aggressively against them and what damage it can cause in our relationship with them. One thing that I have always tried to encourage our fans to do is to cheer positively for their team and not negatively against their opponent. Why not try implementing this cheering philosophy at your school? Or even try something like what Faith Christian did for Gainesville for a school on your schedule that might be in a similar situation. It will do wonders for everyone involved!
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