Recently the Varsity Trojan Boys Basketball team got the incredible opportunity to go on a team retreat. They were able to stay at an Airbnb up north, where their team grew so much, without even touching a basketball. The goal of this retreat was to grow the team in more than just basketball skills – but build their personal character and their spirituality in Christ.
The highlight of Friday was marked by the members of the team really opening up and sharing all that is on their hearts and minds with each other, truly building connection and friendship that goes far beyond the court. Junior
Devin Morganfield, who is a star on the team, said, "Friday night was really impactful and set the ideal tone for the rest of the trip. It really pushed us in a good direction, as a team and also as individuals." Both Friday and Saturday night, they played lots of games, some of the favorites being Cornhole, Putt-Putt, and 8-Ball Pool.
Saturday night the team was very determined, with the momentum of three consecutive state championships behind them, to take another victory at state. They talked about what they need to improve on as a team, and came up with six main points, symbolizing what they need to work on most.
The points include:
- Details
- Be a dog
- Communication
- Transition
- Trust
- Positive Energy
These six points represent more than just what the team needs to work on. By the end of the season, the team aims to take these lows and turn them into their biggest strengths. They have formulated a strong, actionable plan, and are already in motion to make this a reality.
On Sunday, the last day of the retreat, two people from an awesome organization called "Character Matters" came and talked to the team about how important character is in life, and that you must uphold good character in all things, especially basketball. The biggest focus was on leaving a positive and lasting legacy, and this really resonated with the team. Another thing that the team found significant was the emphasis on how you reap what you sow. They are working on really thinking of others, and showing sacrificial love to their teammates, like Christ showed for us. They will also work on doing the little things early on in the season, so they can reap the rewards later in the season, like February and March – it all adds up.
Coach Roger Deboer gave a devotion to the basketball boys about being "TIGERS" for Christ. This acronym contains some of the most important characteristics we need to have as Christians;
- Toughness wins
- Integrity matters
- Growth matters
- Excellence is vital
- Relentless effort
- Serving others
Senior captain
Carson Grier shared, "It was a great time to get to know each other, we play basketball together, but we don't always know what's really going on in everybody's lives. It was a great time to have a break from the grind of basketball and pursuit of victory and have some fun and real bonding as a team."
Trojan basketball is now excited to take all that they have learned off the court and apply it the rest of the season. Come out and support them and watch them put these lessons into action in their next home game, this Saturday, December 21st, as they take on Fossil Ridge from Colorado.
GO TROJANS!
