| Now on a very serious note....I was unable to attend the appreciation dinner/party for The Man...The Myth... THE LEGEND, Mr. Duane TeGrotenhuis. Not only is Mr. T a devoted father, loving husband, business entreprenuer, gifted musician, and wise philosopher;...he is a basketball coach and perhaps the best the world has ever seen. True, he never coached at the professional level. He never even coached at the collegiate level. He worked with jr. high and highschoolers as a volunteer. But his coaching was far more valuable than any that I could have received from coaches like Jeff Van-Gundy, or Phil Jackson.
My first real exposure to organized basketball came when I joined the San Marcos Home School Co-Op. In those days, I believe the team was called the Razor Backs and there was a younger co-ed team, the Jaguars. The older team was a group of guys led by a great coach, Mr. Chuck Swift. In those days, the Co-Op was growing rapidly and there became a need to develop a girls team. Thus, the girls from the co-ed team were joined with new female players to form an all girls line-up. The remaining Jaguar guys were merged with the Razor Backs and a new name was adopted.....The Panthers. The girls team was dubbed the Lady Panthers. After a successful first year run with the Panthers, Coach swift decided to coach the lady's team. This meant that someone needed to step up to coach the boys. That someone was Duane TeGrotennhuis.
I had met Mr. T's son, Zack, while playing on the Jaguars. He was a nerdy kid with a shaved head, a "Tuft" for bangs, perscription basketball goggles, and a gigantic vertical leap of only 2 inches. We quickly became best friends and pretty much have been ever since. (He's much cooler now by the way) Then there was coach. Coach T was a monster of a man. There he stood at 6'4", 250 lbs., with piercing blue eyes, and a beard that made him look like Paul Bunyan. This was NOT a man to disobey. Coach said run and we ran. Coach said jump, we did. Coach said sit and our butts would hit the ground faster than a dying cricket. He had our complete attention and respect, not to mention fear. However, as we learned in time, coach is not a man to be feared, but to be loved. For a volunteer, I'd venture to say that no one has ever been so completely dedicated to his work. This wasn't just a hobby or a job-on-the-side. This was a big part of his life, it was his ministry.
Coach had a great way of teaching us the game. He didn't demand perfection, but he made it a point to tell us God does.
"Why do you play this game? If it's for you or for your parents you'll fail. If you play this game so that some pretty face will take notice of you, you WILL NOT succeed. But if indeed you play the game of basketball for the Lord Jesus Christ.... so that HIS name might be glorified through your skills with this ball and that net....you'll succeed fellas...and you will play with a feeling that is like no other."~Coach T (almost word for word)
These are words that have changed not just lives, but the game itself. You see, when you're playing basketball for the honor and glory of God everything you do is a statement. Every shot or pass or block or steal...or dunk ... every time you help an opponent off the ground, or say yes-sir to the refferee, whenever you take a loss with honor and dignity; or a win with humility, Each and every time someone sees your smile...they know that you're not just playing to win or even just for fun...You're playing with a higher purpose; to set a standard, an attitude, a lifestyle if you will...of honoring and glorifying the name of Jesus within the context of an awesome and infinitley fun game called basketball.
So why do the Panthers play basketball? For those of us that were coached by Mr. Duane TeGrotenhuis..."We play for the honor and glory of God." and there is no other reason to play. I've never forgotten that in all the years I've been playing. When I go to the local YMCA and I step out on that court, those words ring loud and clear in my head, every single time. So here's to Coach, a man who has, in a big way, helped shape my life, the lives of my friends, and the game of basketball itself. Coach, you really did hit the bull in the butt with a banjo.
~Dave H. #15
P.S. I still wear my ankle braces! |
