When it comes to investments, the best ones are those not only produce results right away, but that continue to provide benefits for years to come. Mentoring relationships are exactly the same. The opportunities are all around us. In nearly 25 years of ministry, I have seen my fair share of opportunities and have acted upon them. Every relationship has had a profound impact on me but one really stands out in my mind lately as I am preparing to embark on the next leg of my min

The world of Instagram provides us with countless hours of entertainment. I'm always getting these videos of ballers showing their best moves, I'm especially interested in the dunk videos. I've been know to post a few of my own on there. But when I watch these videos, the competitive side of me always gets to wondering about how a game of 1v1 would go. It's that old competitive itch that lives in me and I suspect lives in you too. To satisfy that competitive itch that const

I recently heard a story about Kobe Bryant told by Jay Williams. He shared how he arrived at the gym a few hours before they were scheduled to arrive so he could get some extra practice in before that night's game. To his amazement he found Kobe already in the gym getting up shots. It wasn't just a casual shooting session, Kobe was getting after it. Needless to say it inspired Jay to put in work as well. Long story short, that night Kobe put 40 on them that night and afterwar

Competition is the breeding ground for great relationships and learning life lessons. If you have played sports, you understand how as the late great Howard Cosell said "sports is a microcosm of life." "The SportMentor" is built on the foundation of competition and sports as a way mentor and invest in people. One of the craziest ways that I have used in mentoring has been the infamous 100 point game. It's a simple game of 1v1 basketball to 100 by 2's and 3's. but the lessons

If you have followed us for any length of time you are probably used to seeing videos of me and my friends battling it out on the court playing 1v1 basketball. You probably wondered how did this thing get started and what exactly is the point of the games? Even if you haven't, I thought i'd pause and give you a little insight behind the madness known as "The 100". I had lunch today with my friend Tyson who I call the "co-founder" of "The 100". We recalled how this crazy gam

Two men walk into the gym, both confident that they are going to give the other one the game of their life. They trade some friendly trash talk as they prepare to push each other to their athletic limits in a grueling game of one on one basketball to 100 (2's & 3's). An hour later (if they're playing best out of three) both collapse on the floor having left it all on the court and the conversation goes from what just happened to what's happening in each other's lives. Was thi

When it comes to sports, competitive drive is what one needs in order to succeed. It's that thing that keeps you in the gym hours after everyone else goes home. It helps you get that last rep when your body is screaming nooooo! It's what gets you up for the big game. It's what put you back in the gym to get better at your craft after a dominating performance by you...or the other team. Life has it's moments when it doesn't go the way we plan. Sometimes things happen to us t

I’m sitting in my bed, moved after watching what I would describe as one of the greatest displays of teamwork winning a championship. The Villanova Wildcats personified what it means to be better together. Here’s a team with the national player of the year but yet the sixth man comes off the bench and leads his team to a national title...and the team is giving all the credit to the brotherhood known as the team. The better together series has been about how to bring out the

It's 100 degrees outside and two athletes walk into a hot gym ready to battle each other in some intense 1v1 basketball. Both are intending to make the scoreboard match the temperature outside by pushing each other to the limits of athletic competition. The game is 2's and 3's to 100, win by four. For the next 20 minutes, they go at it with everything they got until someone finally hits that game winner in the face of the other one. One is happy..the other not so much, both

As a sports mentor, I have learned that sports can be a big indicator of a person's character. It has nothing to do with being the most talented or athletic but has everything to do with the person who puts in a solid performance, doing whatever it takes to get the team the "W"! Those are the people that I find are the ones who "get it" and will put in the work to get there. A several years ago I met a high school baller who made such an impression on me. We had a great conve

Radical: (adjective) Relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough. There are many definitions for the word radical, but how often do we associate it with relationships? For years, I have heard many people say they want to have a love that is radical, but I have always wondered if most people understand what that looks like. This definition of radical says that it has to be something that affects the fundamental nature of something or

The top half of the picture here was taken at the 40th bday party for my good friend Matt. The bottom picture was taken 22 years previous when Matt and his younger brother Jon were high school students and I was a student ministry leader at our church. The three of us have been in an Ironsharpening relationship for over two decades. It started with basketball workouts and quickly became a tremendous ironsharpening relationship. That bday party got me thinking about how many r

On a hot summer morning, two athletes are sitting on the sidelines of an empty basketball court, Both are sweaty and exhausted because they have just spent the last 90 minutes pushing each other to the limits of physical exhaustion doing drills and battling in some intense 1v1 games (probably games to 100 by 2's and 3's). When they could be outside enjoying the summer day, why would they be in the gym putting in this level of work together? Is it because they want to be bette

It's 5 am and two individuals walk into an empty gym and get ready to spend the next three hours engaged in some intense basketball drills and competition. Why would anyone in their right mind be up at that hour putting in work? Whose crazy idea is this? You would be surprised to know that the student athlete actually suggested the workout time. As a mentor, you have to say yes when the young mentee actually wants to workout at this hour. Because you understand that investi

Over 30 years ago, I read a book that really left a lasting impression on me as a young man. My problem was that I could never remember the title of the book but I could tell you all about it. Well I was searching on the internet one day and finally found the name of the book. “The Moves Make The Man” by Bruce Brooks is the story of two junior high teenagers in the early 60’s in Wilmington NC. Jerome who is African American, is a very sharp young man who is a very skilled bas