Ever wondered how the spiritual dimension resonates within the sports world? Well, grab your headphones because we're about to illuminate how the transformative power of God's love influences athletes, coaches, and parents. We're back after a whirlwind couple of months, from nabbing fifth place at USA Volleyball Nationals in Minneapolis and third at AAU Nationals in Orlando, to wrestling with real estate chaos and hitting the road from Orlando to Kansas City. Oh, and did we mention our foray into the realm of podcasting? It's been a wild ride, but a valuable one, teaching us the importance of consistency and the perils of biting off more than we can chew.
Get ready to step out of your comfort zone as we reflect on the less apparent aspects of sports - teamwork, communication, and the courage to get a little uncomfortable. We'll discuss how sports can be an imprint of God's love and how we can bring His vision into reality. We'll touch upon the multi-trillion-dollar sports industry, our role in it with Cornerstone Athletics, and our vision to align the world of sports more closely with the Kingdom of Heaven. So, join us as we navigate the spiritual side of sports and strive to make sports a reflection of God's divine love.
Ever wondered how the spiritual dimension resonates within the sports world? Well, grab your headphones because we're about to illuminate how the transformative power of God's love influences athletes, coaches, and parents. We're back after a whirlwind couple of months, from nabbing fifth place at USA Volleyball Nationals in Minneapolis and third at AAU Nationals in Orlando, to wrestling with real estate chaos and hitting the road from Orlando to Kansas City. Oh, and did we mention our foray into the realm of podcasting? It's been a wild ride, but a valuable one, teaching us the importance of consistency and the perils of biting off more than we can chew.
Get ready to step out of your comfort zone as we reflect on the less apparent aspects of sports - teamwork, communication, and the courage to get a little uncomfortable. We'll discuss how sports can be an imprint of God's love and how we can bring His vision into reality. We'll touch upon the multi-trillion-dollar sports industry, our role in it with Cornerstone Athletics, and our vision to align the world of sports more closely with the Kingdom of Heaven. So, join us as we navigate the spiritual side of sports and strive to make sports a reflection of God's divine love.
Speaker 1:
What's going on everybody. This is coach Steve and you're listening to the Cornerstone Athletics podcast. I've been away for far too long. It's been a lot going on, a lot of good things, a lot of disappointing things, but that's life. I'm gonna kind of bring you in on what's been happening the last couple months, because it's been a couple months since I've been on here talking to you guys and I'm just glad to to be here. So we have kind of been around the world and back again.
Speaker 1:
I think Last time a touch base with you guys was in June, which would have been probably around the time of going to nationals, volleyball nationals which then was a whole host of things. I Will just dive right in this, isn't it's gonna be any kind of lesson or message or anything crazy like that. It's just gonna be us catching up Me, kind of letting you know what's been going on, kind of where my heart sat, where the Lord got me at and, you know, getting back on, getting back on the train of consistency from here. So, excuse me, june, we went to nationals AAU, excuse me, usa volleyball nationals and a you nationals. The girls did well, took fifth at USA volleyball nationals. In Minneapolis, we took third in a you nationals in Orlando the next week and then Kind of went on a hiatus. My girls then took a trip to kind of decompress Because, although we did well, I know that they were a little disappointed in how some of it ended. You know, I think they, we, we left some stuff on the table at USA Nationals in Minneapolis but, you know, left with some hardware the next week in Orlando. So they went off to South Carolina to enjoy the beach and chilling and relaxing and the whole thing.
Speaker 1:
Meanwhile, the genius that you're listening to decided to drive back from Orlando all the way to Kansas City and a few moments later we finally arrived 20, 22 ish hours later. And Boy oh boy, was that a never again type situation. What happened was I thought my mom was Driving by herself and so I didn't know my stepdad was going. I didn't want mom to be driving back by herself, so I Didn't get a flight. And then when we got to Orlando because my youngest was in Orlando and and I forgive me, she hears this, she's gonna be hot my youngest daughter, her team, took second and a you nationals. We didn't play USAV, we wanted to go play our age group. So that 10 year old team took second in a you nationals and they were down there the week. We were in Minneapolis, excuse me. So I Thought, mom, I just somehow I lost track of it and I didn't want my mom driving back by herself. So that's why I didn't get a flight, which would have made that a much better ride home or trip home. But nonetheless we made it back. I 24, so 22 hours after AU Nationals and I don't know if I've recovered yet. So all in all it was a good time.
Speaker 1:
And then real estate was still happening. You know there's for those of you who are listening and don't know, I'm a realtor you know I do the coaching and consulting and different stuff like that, and I'm also, you know, full time realtor. So I had some deals that were in the works, that were could have gone smoother, largely chaotic, new build type stuff. You know some things that are just out of your control, but was putting those all in place and getting those all the way through. And then, before you know it, we're back in school, another school year getting ready, two middle schoolers, one still in elementary. And you know you look up and you wonder where the time is gone along the way. You know why, no podcast along the way Just bit off more than I could chew which is a common thing for a lot of athlete types former athlete types is sometimes you try to take on more than you're capable of.
Speaker 1:
So I had this big idea and I still have some ideas, but basically what happened? I was trying to do more than I am prepared to do, meaning I wanted to start videoing podcast. I wanted to, you know, get really cool and really fancy. I wanted to make sure I had the right equipment because I wanted to kind of level up, you know. And what I realized very quickly is producing a podcast costs quite a bit of money when you have like an actual videographer person that does that. And you know, because I'm not I've told you before this is all new in a sense for me Like, yeah, I can speak and I got stuff to talk about, but the whole podcasting world, audio video type stuff, is not my skill set. So I'm like, oh, I'll get somebody to do it, I'll have guest, all of this stuff. And then it's talking to one of my friends and they're like yeah, man, so I don't know if you know this or not, but you know this is how much stuff like that costs. I said, oh baby, I did not know that and I appreciate you sharing that with me. I was diving too deep down the rabbit hole of trying to make sure I had the right equipment for the right. You know, all of this stuff I was just trying to get too fancy and trying to get too big for where I'm at and, you know, just kind of lost sight of it. You know, I got wrapped up in that and then didn't shoot. And then next thing, you know, it's two months later and there's been no content, which you know lesson to be learned for anybody out there.
Speaker 1:
When you're trying to do something great, when you're trying to excel at something, consistency is one of those pieces that has to be there. You have to practice on a consistent basis. And then, once you practice on a consistent basis, then you look and say, ok, what kind of level am I practicing at at a consistent basis, on a consistent basis? Is it just mediocre, average or is it great? Are you practicing on a consistent basis at a great, elite level? Because you can kind of, you know, predict or project that if you can be consistently great day in and day out at practice. You are putting yourself in a position to perform at a great slash, elite level in competition if you know how to manage the factors that go into competition.
Speaker 1:
So, anyway, I just wasn't consistent, which then meant two months you haven't heard from me, your favorite coach and podcaster. So that was, that was, you know, kind of more or less the lapse of time that we've, you know, communicated that you've heard my voice talk about things and I'm glad to be back. I did get some new equipment that does allow me to have guests and I do plan on that. I'm really looking forward to getting folks scheduled and getting on here and being able to bring, excuse me, a, a different dynamic, or a necessary dynamic, or bring to light this dynamic that I'm sure hopefully exists out there in sport. The world of sport and this is kind of what I wanted to talk about today is this restructure, reorganizing, not so much a relaunch but just painting a picture of what I want to do, and this is another part of the hiatus.
Speaker 1:
If you know me personally, or you just hear this, I'm very big on the process. I appreciate the messiness of humanity, I appreciate the up and down nature of success, because sometimes you get stopped. Sometimes you got to, you know, sit down for a second and refocus. Sometimes you got to put on a different pair of glasses to be able to see what it is that you're actually wanting to do, what it is you actually want to bring into the universe, into your life, into your community and that was something that I reflected a lot about is, you know, I've told you before I've had some tension in this world of sport that I really couldn't put my finger on. Really, it was really a struggle and it's really deep, because it's not just about volleyball practice and tournaments and skills. It's not about basketball and all of these different things and the practice and the skills and win and go get it and all of this. That is a element of sport. But that is not the only element, that's not probably the most important element.
Speaker 1:
And as I've continued to scratch my head around, steve, what are you missing? What do you have a heart for? What do you want to see? You know, I really started to look at Cornerstone differently. You know what is Cornerstone? This burden that the Lord keeps putting on your heart? What are you wanting to do in the world of sport through Cornerstone Athletics. Is it really, you know, better coaches and better athletes? Is it really all of this other stuff that might play a part in it? But is that really what's on your heart? And what I've come to through prayer and just reflecting and thinking about it is, since this is forward facing, I'll just say it's a deeper purpose. You know, cornerstone Athletics is really about the deeper purpose in sport Taking the habits that carry you through life, not just dribbling the ball, not just winning games, not just, you know, swinging the bat, whatever sport it is you play.
Speaker 1:
But it's about taking with you habits you learn from sport into your life. I've said this before on one of these episodes I did You're going to hang that jersey up at a certain point. What will you be able to speak to when that happens? When that time comes, is it just wins and losses? Is it trophies? Is it not? Or is it the learning, the lessons of what consistency can produce? Right, if I'm consistently great, I am probably going to be great consistently Right.
Speaker 1:
Teamwork, the importance of getting uncomfortable, the importance of knowing how to work with different people, communication All of these things that I think kind of come up in today's age in sport, but they're not deliberately and explicitly taught. The intention around what is happening is more focused on doing the stuff that helps you win, not understanding what goes behind the stuff that helps you win, not understanding that how you do anything is how you do everything the mindset Stuff, like that. So, as I really started to process some of these factors and have conversations with different folks, what I realized was I really want, really, really, really want people to take away the deeper things from sport, and how I came to that was I think I've mentioned this before, but if not, and maybe it's been so long, I need to remind you and reintroduce it Sports changed my life. God changed my sport through, or my life through, sports, and I really believe that he still wants to work in that area and that arena, in the lives of everybody involved coaches, parents, athletes, you name it. I want people to experience that life changing power, that life changing love of God in and through sport.
Speaker 1:
You know, I was at church one day and our lead pastor had said something and I don't remember exactly what we were talking about, because this was probably a month, maybe two months ago. I think he was talking about the church and how you know, on earth, as it is in heaven. And then that really stuck with me and that really resonated with me because it's just like, man, what was sports in heaven be like? I don't know, I'm sure it would be awesome, I'm sure it will be dope, I'm sure it will be fun and you know, really what it resonated was like. That's what I want, like when I'm talking about the life changing power of God, when I'm talking about the love of God, you know, I had coaches invest in me, I had, you know, parents, people pour into me, support me, believe in me all of these different things all under the same umbrella of sport, competition.
Speaker 1:
And I think it's really easy now to miss those things because, like I say, I don't want to make it sound like, oh my goodness, nobody's doing this stuff. What I'm talking about isn't anything. You know, oh my gosh, that's mind shattering. We've heard these things, we've experienced these things, maybe inconsistently, maybe in flashes, but what I'm talking about is being able to bring it in a way where it is very deliberate and intentional and it can be a stronger imprint on all the stakeholders of sport parents, coaches, athletes. It can be a much stronger memory, a much stronger reference in the world of sport than we tend to see right now.
Speaker 1:
Sports is a multi trillion, maybe even beyond industry. There's so much media and reporting that goes into this world of sports, the entertainment value, all of these things. And somewhere in there, with all of this stuff, I've said it was just like where's God at? You hear a player or two mention it every now and then, but like how is that influence permeating through the landscape? So, whether it is, whether it's not, you know, maybe it is in certain parts and not in the whole.
Speaker 1:
That's definitely, I think, a fight. That's definitely something that I want to be a part of. That encompasses all of the Viable and true elements that have to exist in sport. Like I've talked about, you're gonna be in competition. You're gonna have to be shaped and molded to be in competition. That is not Mutually exclusive from God being involved. You know that's not Means, because there's a presence or influence of the Lord, that no one Can go out and be a tough and gritty competitor that wants to win and works hard and achieves great things it did like. Actually, it's kind of foreign to me to think that somehow that could be a mindset, that those things are not connected to the Lord when they are and that goes into a deeper thing that I talk about on my other podcast. But, yeah, that's where I, that's where I've been, that's where my mind is gone, that's where my thoughts have gone and that's where my energy, ultimately, is gone.
Speaker 1:
I recently kind of revamped some of my Facebook platforms to reflect that, started a prayer group on Facebook for Cornerstone athletics, so I can start sowing those seeds, start having these conversations with people in my network To be able to just say look, I'm not, I'm just moving as I'm commanded. If this is something that resonates with you, I just want you to know that this is happening out there, this will be happening, nothing more, nothing less, and Just trusting that. You know, if it's something that the Lord intended that it'll, it'll catch fire and do what it's supposed to do. So that's um really Been it. You know, I wish I could tell you some long, crazy, dramatic story about it. It's really not, man.
Speaker 1:
I just, you know, like I say, biting off more than I can chew, leading to a lack of consistency, and because the Lord makes you know, all things work for the good, he taught me some lessons in there and got me some, some clarity on some stuff in in that time as well, and I'm very thankful for that. You know, you know there was a lot of, when I talk about that, tension. It was just like man, I feel like, oh, I got to go flip the whole thing on his head and it's just like no, that's not really your job, son. Reserve the wars for me and you just do what I tell you to do and that's ultimately what I want. I want the world, the sports, to be a little bit more like what it would be like in heaven. I want people to really be able to experience and enjoy that love and life changing power of the Lord through sport and honestly, not trying to go into the weeds of the big, big picture, but it's like man.
Speaker 1:
I'd love to start some other stuff with the churches in the community as well and get a bigger roster, if you will, of coaches that are wanting to kind of grow in this area as well, in terms of let's hit this reset and let's cycle back through, because everything is cyclical, man. Things will cycle back through and the principles, the values, the lessons will become the more prevalent thing that people seek and people want for their kids, just like any normal, rational human will want. I don't want my kid to just learn how to be good at a sport. I want them to be molded and shaped and formed into productive, successful, responsible young humans as well, which ultimately grow into all humans. So having a part in that would be such a joy, because I know that's impactful right. It's not different than when you look at how Jesus discipled although he had thousands of followers and all of this kind of stuff, he picked 12 to disciple, to groom, to shape, to mold right, to spread his message. The kingdom all of that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1:
Every coach, in my opinion, starts at home. So let me back up every parent. You have that responsibility with however many kids you have, but every coach also has a stake in that as well. If they have the right perspective. These aren't just kids that I'm teaching how to do a sport well. Hopefully, hopefully, you're teaching them how to do it well, but these are also young people that are storing in their mind these interactions with me. We have a responsibility to make sure that we're storing that. What they're storing is life giving.
Speaker 1:
That doesn't mean that it's always fluffy. That doesn't mean that it's always nice and feels good. That's actually more of a detriment, in my opinion, than anything, but that does mean that they're going to be able to walk away from their experience with me learning something, knowing that I care about them beyond what they're doing on the court to their learning something that they can take with them to the next season, to the next year in school, to the next year in life, whatever it might be. So that's where I'm at. That's what's going on. This new equipment has been cool. I got little buttons on here to do stuff like this. I mean it's going to be fun.
Speaker 1:
Like I said, I'm still framing out, I'm lining up folks to be able to get on here. That's a learning thing for me too, like scheduling and all of this little stuff. I'm enjoying the iteration process, the learning process evolving, but I'm excited about getting back on the wagon and being consistent and just doing my best to do what the Lord has put in on my heart in this area. That's it, man. It's not a long one. It's not anything super crazy or dramatic. Just catching you up. I'm trying to schedule one of my friends from the volleyball world to hop on and start a different wave, start a different process with this whole podcast thing. So stay tuned. I'm excited about it. I hope you're excited about it. I apologize for being away so long, but I'm back and this is going to be exciting. So this is Coach Steve with the Cornerstone Athletics Podcast. We'll talk soon.