June 14, 2021 - Better STRONG than Fast!

In my world of Total Player Academy training, I spend a lot of time working on not only skillset for a given sport, but also strength/agility/quickness of the athletes. The aspect I hear about most often tends to be the quickness or speed… In fact, when talking with young players or coaches in today’s basketball world I often hear how players of yesteryear could not make it in today’s game, because they are too slow or don’t jump high enough… 

This always makes me laugh a bit, especially when the MVP of this year’s NBA is a guy that is, comparatively speaking, slow and doesn’t jump well… Nikola Jokic. In fact, one article I read today, that was written a couple of years ago, said this about “The Joker” (his nickname): “Nikola Jokic is one of the most talented players in the NBA…. Can bang with the best big men in the league, pass like a point guard, and grab any rebound that comes his way… can shoot the ball from deep and take it inside… On thing that he isn’t, however, is athletic… In a league where posterizing dunks and high-flying feats of athleticism still dominate the highlight reels, Nikola Jokic has made his name WITHOUT ANY HOPS WHATSOEVER… His play style requires no athleticism and instead relies on skill.” (Sportscasting, by Zack Williams)

I often train kids that are not the most athletic kids, but my philosophy is that I would rather you be STRONG with the ball, than fast with the ball… (although if you can be fast also, I’ll take it!) If this were a basketball training blog, I would spend a lot of time talking about how this is done, but the principle is simply that I try to help my students develop a STRONG understanding of the game… and a STRONG stance where they can’t easily be knocked off of their line!

(Coach’s Side Note: to me, in basketball, being quick is more important than being fast… most of the “races” to the ball are very short sprints… so I want my players being quick… and that begins with being STRONG of mind in order to be the first moving… and STRONG of leg to explode from a proper alignment/stance… thus it is still most important to be STRONG!)

Shifting gears, I just sat a few minutes ago with a young man that has a “call” to ministry on his life… I was emphasizing the importance of being able to handle the Word of God accurately… of study and preparation…

A lot of young ministers have a lot of zeal and hit the ground running fast, but possibly not taking heed of the Word’s command to be STRONG!

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be STRONG in the Lord and in the POWER of His might.

2 Timothy 2:1 You therefore, my son, be STRONG in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

A solid foundation in and on the Word of God will help keep you from getting knocked off your line!

Be STRONG!