In sports, there exist two liars of the highest order. They lie to competitors of every level from novices to high achievers, the obscure to the famous. These liars are fluent in every language and are skilled in deceiving without awakening the conscience. They both whisper and shout with equal effectiveness, and they never tire, take a day off, or worry about being caught.
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Lessons Learned
It’s hard to decide what Kara Lawson is most known for.
SEC fans remember her as the All-American from the University of Tennessee who led the Lady Vols to three Final Four appearances between 2000 and 2003. Followers of the WNBA know her as a key member of the 2005 league champion Sacramento Monarchs and now as the starting point guard for the Connecticut Sun. Still more recognize her as a member of the ESPN college basketball broadcasting team through which Lawson serves both as a studio analyst for the NCAA women’s tournament and a color commentator for men’s games. And fans of the Summer Olympics would most likely know her for the gold medal she won with Team USA in 2008.
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Home Stretch: Anthony Parker
After moving around to several different places in the Midwest, my family landed outside of Chicago in Naperville, Ill. I was the oldest of three, and my brother, Marcus, and sister, Candace, and I all grew up loving the sport of basketball. Some of our favorite memories are from basketball trips to gyms all across the U.S.
While our family was close, we didn’t have much of a spiritual life. We went to church for Easter, Christmas and weddings, but that was about it. Looking back, I can see that I definitely had a Christ-shaped void in my heart.
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Heart of an Athlete: Caroline Smith
Florida State University sophomore Caroline Smith made an immediate splash with the Seminole swimming team when, as a freshman, she set the school record in the 500-yard freestyle. Even more impressive was the fact that she did so while turning in a stellar classroom performance, earning ACC Honor Roll honors and a 4.0 GPA. Still, as member of FSU’s FCA leadership team, Smith knows the records and honors are blessings from the Lord, whom she joyfully worships both in and out of the pool.
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Heart of a Coach: Scott Drew
When Scott Drew took over as the head men’s basketball coach at Baylor in 2003, the program was mired in controversy. But Drew didn’t shy away from the rebuilding process. Instead, he put into action the basketball and spiritual lessons he’d learned from his father, respected Valparaiso University Head Coach, Homer Drew. Now eight seasons into the job and the turmoil a distant memory, the oldest of the Drew children is looking to lead the Bears to another NCAA Tournament run and develop excellent men of faith in the process.
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Fit4Ever: The Search Party
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” – Matthew 13:44 (NIV)
When my wife asks me to go to the grocery store for “just a few things,” I know I’m probably in for a long day. On those days, you’ll find me searching aisle by aisle and, more often than not, on the phone asking her for help. It’s similar to when she tells me to look for something in her purse. I don’t even make an attempt. I’ve learned it’s much faster to just get the purse and bring it to her.
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Eyes of Pride
I knew nothing but pain. My legs burned as I strode faster. My lungs felt the fire rage inside of them as I lost control of my breathing. I closed my eyes looking for relief. I found none. My arms burned from the strain of trying to go faster, trying to finish sooner. The pulse of my heart continued to pound in my head, each beat shaking me down, trying to lower me. The doubts tried forcing me to slow, but I did not. It grabbed my heart and told me that I’m done! I did not listen. This race was no longer about me, no longer about my team or my family. I ran to prove to God that I had the strength to continue on. No one knew where I found it. This stronghold. This bedrock. The iron will in my heart that kept me going.
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Home Stretch: Jason Avant
My story began in Brainerd Park on the south side of Chicago. My mother left when I was a baby, and my dad was in and out of jail, so it was up to my grandmother Lillie to raise me.
My grandmother was a very spiritual woman who loved Jesus and made us go to church on Sundays. I would always go with her, but that’s where it stopped. The other six days of the week, I was running with a gang. By sixth grade, I was selling drugs, and, by seventh grade, I was going to school drunk.
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Heart of an Athlete: Garrett Stutz
Seven-footers stand out in a crowd. Wichita State junior Garrett Stutz has understood that for several years now, and it’s something his basketball opponents have to deal with every time they take the floor against the Shockers. Last season, the Kansas City, Mo., native hit his stride on the court, closing the season by earning All-Tournament honors in the MVC Tournament. This season, Stutz is working on cultivating a spiritual stature that rivals his physical frame as part of the FCA leadership team at WSU.
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Heart of a Coach: Kristy Curry
Texas Tech Head Women’s Basketball Coach Kristy Curry didn’t have to wait long for coaching success. Before taking over the program in Lubbock in 2006, Curry led the Purdue Boilermakers all the way to the 2001 NCAA National Championship game in her second season as a head coach and, in doing so, became only the second head coach in NCAA history to reach the title game so early in her career. Now 10 years later and five states to the south, Curry is pursuing more championships on the court while also investing in the spiritual lives of athletes via the school’s FCA Huddle.
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