If you are planning to build a basketball court in your backyard or somewhere else to hone your basketball skills, the first thing that is needed is the basketball hoop that you should use.

For some, choosing or buying a hoop is a simple and easy task because there are lots of stores, both locally and online, that are selling basketball equipments. But everyone should know that there are things that should be considered selecting that equipment to have a quality court.

First thing that everyone should know is that there are three types of Basketball Hoops. The first one is the ground type of basketball hoops. This type of equipment is cemented into the ground and this is the most logical choice because it is very stable. But if you are planning to move the hope from time to time, then you should select the Portable type in which the backboard is attached to a base that can roll anywhere. The last one is the mounted type this is for those who want to install the hoop on a wall.

If you are planning to choose either the ground type of the portable type, the type of pole should also be considered. This is extremely relevant because the stability of the backboard depends on it. The size of the pole varies from three to six inches and it’s better to choose a larger pole. You can also select from one-piece or three-piece pole but the single pole is safer.

Choosing the type of basketball hoop is just one of the many things that should be considered but if you want to start on the right foot, and then select the most logical option. Everyone should also consider what brand of basketball hoop because it is also one of the essential factors in selecting the best equipment.

Ray Allen is one of the best three-point shooters to have ever played in the NBA and he was the Three-Point Shootout Champion in the 2001 All-Star Weekend.

Having proper balance while shooting, is one of the factors in having a great shooting percentage. For an accurate shooting percentage, the shooter should go up and straight down. And Ray Allen has one of the best shooting forms not only in the NBA but in the whole world.

Allen has been a sharpshooter throughout his NBA career. Whether the shot is an open or a crucial one, it’s almost expected that it will go in. This talent has been honed through hard work and spending a lot of hours in practicing it.

Dave Hopla was one of the persons that can be credited with Allen’s shooting prowess. When Allen was still playing for the University of Connecticut, he joined forces with Hopla, who is tagged as a master in teaching shot technique.

“He has perfect form—the best-looking shot in the NBA. He can shoot the three-ball; he can shoot off the bounce; he has a midrange game; and he can even post up. Every time he shoots, he truly believes it is going in.” Hopla said about his prized ward.

Although he was responsible in honing the lethal stroke of Allen, Hopla said that Allen has unique qualities in putting the ball in the basket. He added that the Boston Celtics Shooting guard has an amazing focus when shooting the ball, which is a vital factor of having a great shooting percentage.

“When I first met him, I noticed right away that he looked me right in the eye—his gaze didn’t wander. His eyes are always zeroed in on what you’re doing and telling him.” Hopla said.

Ray Allen’s shooting prowess gave him a lot of success in his career. He averaged more than 20 points per game in eight consecutive seasons in the league and holds the record of having the single-season three point conversions (269 made shots in a season).

Ray Allen’s shooting form and focus is a best example for players who want to improve their shooting. But a lot of dedication and hard work is also needed and as the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect”.

The 7-foot-7 Bol was the tallest player to have ever played in the National Basketball Association and played for ten seasons from 1985-1994 with the Washington Wizards, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Miami Heat.

During his 10-year NBA Career, the Sudanese Giant averaged 2.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game. He led the NBA in blocks when he averaged 5.0 blocks a game for Washington in the 1985-1986 and 4.3 blocks per game with the Golden State Warriors in the 1988-1989 Season.

Bol, who died at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville because of severe kidney trouble, was not an ordinary basketball player; he has also dedicated his life in humanitarian works in the cities he played on and in Africa.

He played three seasons with the Washington Wizards and the organization tagged him as a true humanitarian worker and ambassador of Basketball.

The current President and General Manager of the Philadelphia 76ers Ed Stefanski lauded the impact of Manute Bol in their franchise and his works cannot be put into words.

“He … was continually giving of himself through his generosity and humanitarian efforts in order to make the world around him a much better place, for which he will always be remembered.” Stefanski said.

He also dedicated his life in doing charity works and was actually a board member of the Sudan Sunrise. He can also be remembered in protecting and defending his countrymen. He even accepted embarrassing such as appearing in celebrity boxing matches just to raise funds for his homeland.

“I don’t work for money. I work to save people. I can always make more money, but you can’t bring back those that are gone.” He once said in 2006.

“Sudan and the world have lost a hero and an example for all of us,” said Tom Pritchard, who is the Executive Director of Sudan Sunrise.

His former teammate Charles Barkley will always remember Bol as a good guy in and outside the court. He also said that everyone feels sorry for him when he was still playing because he’s very awkward with his size but he said that if everyone in the world was a Manute Bol, it’s a world he’d want to live in.

Despite a lot of accomplishments and accolades inside the court, Bol will always be remembered for his tireless works and efforts for his country and all the cities he played in.

“I hope they remember me as a good guy who played hard. I wasn’t Michael Jordan, but I was somebody called Manute Bol.” Manute Bol said.

John Wooden, who died at the age of 99, was considered as one of the greatest coaches in history of any sports not only because of his achievement, but also with the lessons he etched in the hearts of his former players.

The legendary coach, who was born on October 4, 1910, has a lot of success during his tenure with the UCLA Bruins. He recorded an amazing feat by winning ten NCAA National Championships in his 12-year stint with the Bruins. During that period, the man known as the “Wizard of Westwood” guided his team to an 88-game winning run, which was one of the most remarkable achievements in World Basketball History.

His incredible feat with UCLA is still unmatched by any other coach in history. Unsurprisingly, he was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1961 and as a coach in 1973 to become the first ever person to be awarded in both categories. The former Navy man was also awarded by former President George W. Bush in 2003 with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest Civilian Honor in the USA.

Wooden molded a lot of players that had a lot of success in their careers. One of them is Lew Alcindor who latter changed his name to Kareem Abdul Jabbar but Wooden still calls him as “Lewis”. The Wooden-Jabbar tandem produced three NCAA titles for UCLA and has only dropped two games during Kareem’s three-year stint with the Bruins.

Jabbar expressed his admiration and said that Wooden is not a coach to them; he’s like a father to all of his players. He also said that the legendary coach is a complex man but they taught them in a simple way.

During his coaching days, Wooden always stressed the importance of playing as a team. In his years with the Bruins, they played as as if they are a family which led to a lot of success for them.

One of the notable philosophy of Wooden is his “Pyramid of Success” which teaches ways on winning in basketball and in life. In this work, he said that success is in the apex of the pyramid and hard work should be done to achieve that.

“The cornerstones of success to me, in anything are hard work and enjoy what you’re doing. So one cornerstone is industriousness and the other is enthusiasm,” said John Wooden in his work.

For Wooden, success is the peace of mind resulted from knowing that you did your best to become what a person is capable of becoming.

This kind of Philosophy in Basketball in Life will be more remembered than his achievements because without it, Wooden and his players like Jabbar, Bill Walton, and Gail Goodrich will not be achieving all the success that they are enjoying.

John Wooden, a man of knowledge and a great teacher, will be forever remembered for all his contributions in the game of basketball and will be an inspiration to all the coaches and players around the World.

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Check out the Main Man/Woman of the Month Lee Humphrey - Florida Gators National Champ 2006 & 2007

Past christian basketball, christian basketball players, christian basketball testimonies, chistian athlete testimony of the month archives HERE!

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Also check out the graduation section – This year’s “To the High School/College Graduate – Things You Did Not Learn in School” is sponsored by Primo Window – The best window treatments

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Great Christmas Ideas for all ages, people, I promise they will enjoy reading a John Wooden book

College Coaching Record:

Indiana State 1946-1948 47- 14

• 1947 conference title
• 1948 NAIA championship game
  

UCLA 1948-1975 620-147

• 19 PAC-10 championships
• 10 national championships
• 149-2 record at Pauley Pavilion (UCLA’s home court)

Some of Coach Wooden’s Honors:

• 1930-1932 Three year All-American Basketball Player at Purdue
• 1932 College Basketball Player of the Year
• 1932 Big Ten Medal for proficiency in scholarship & athletics— awarded to graduating athlete with outstanding grades

• 1943 All Time All-American Basketball Team by Hall of Fame
• 1960 National Basketball Hall of Fame as a player
• 1964 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame – an original inductee
• 1964 College Basketball Coach of the Year

• 1966 Published book, Practical Modern Basketball

• 1967 College Basketball Coach of the Year
• 1968 College Basketball Coach of the Year
• 1968 “Honored by Christian Church for service and concern for mankind”
• 1970 College Basketball Coach of the Year
• 1970 Sporting News –”Sports Man of the Year”
• 1971 Friars Club – “Coach of the Century”
• 1972 College Basketball Coach of the Year

• 1972 National Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach-only Hall of Fame inductee in more than one category

• Holds LSU records for most field goals in a game (26) against Vanderbilt on Jan. 29, 1969 and attempted (57) against Vanderbilt
• 1972 Published book, They Call Me Coach
• 1973 College Basketball Coach of the Year
• 1973 Sports Illustrated, “Sports Man of the Year”

• 1973 Whitney Young Urban League Award of Humanitarian Service
• 1974 1st John Bunn Hall of Fame Service Award
• 1974 1st James A. Naismith “Peach Basket” Award
• 1974 California ” Grandfather of the Year Award” by National Father’s Day Committee
• 1974 1st “Velvet Covered Brick Award” for Christian leadership
• 1975 College Basketball Coach of the Year
• 1975 California ” Sports Father of the Year”
• 1985 Bellarmine Medal of Excellence – 1st sports figure to receive. Some other recipients: Mother Teresa, Walter Cronkite, etc.
• 1993 1st CASEY Award-exceptional service to Amateur Athletics
• 1993 Sportslink “Pathfinder Award” to Hoosier with extra

Coach impressive records, but the most thing I find impressive about this. Is that Coach John Wooden did all this while yet keeping his character of head work, never comprising, and the most important keeping a level head with all and through all this success.

Lifetime record of 40 years

College Record – 29 Years

Teaching Positions

Activities Since 1975 Retirement From UCLA

Books:

• The Holy Bible
  
• Albom, Mitch, and Stacy Creamer. Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson. New York: Broadway Books, 2002
• Douglas, Llyod Cassel. Magnificent Obsession. Cutchogue, NY: Buccaneer Books, 1997.
• Unknown. The Robe. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1985.
• Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. New York: Signet Classic, 1999.
• Graham, Billy. Unto the Hills. Irving, TX: Word Publishing, 1996.
• Hunter, JamesC. The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership. New York: Prima Publishing, 1998.
• McCullough, David. John Adams. Carmichael, CA: Touchstone Books, 2002.
  
• And almost anything about Abraham Lincoln and Mother Teresa.

Poetry:

• Bryant, William Cullen. “Thanatopsis.”
• Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”
• Gray, Sir Thomas. “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.”
• Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. “Hiawatha’s Childhood.”
• Milton, John. “On His Blindness.”
• Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Raven.”
• Tennyson, Alfred, Lord. Idylls of the King.
• And the poetry of Sir Walter Scott, William Shakespeare, and William Wordsworth

Coach John Wooden, aka wizard of westwood. Is mostly known for a winning coach and his pyramid of success. You can check out his pyramid of success here.

Here at Sacred Hoops, we are wanting your input. If you have anything you don’t see rather it be a basketball drills, basketbal tips, basketball plays, or anything else basketball. Please email us at webmaster(at)sacredhoops.com

Check out AC Green greatest achievement below

Pro Career:

A.C. currently owns the NBA Iron Man title, having played in 1,192 straight games. A.C. surpassed Randy Smith’s 907 consecutive games played on November 20, 1997, and played in his 1000th game on March 13, 1999.

A.C. signed with the Miami Heat for the 2000-2001 season. He earned a Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1999-2000 season. Prior to this, A.C. spent two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, four seasons with the Phoenix Suns and eight seasons with the Lakers.

A.C. was the Lakers’ first-round selection in the 1985 college draft, 23rd selection overall. He became the first rookie since LeRoy Ellis in the 1962-63 season to appear in every game. He moved into the starting lineup in 1986-87 for the final 72 games and led the club in rebounds averaging 7.6 per game.

He was selected by NBA coaches to the league’s all defensive second team in 1988-89. He recorded a career high 35 points on January 15, 1994.

A.C. was voted by his fans as a starter for the 1990 NBA All-Star Game.

College:

Third-team All-American as a senior.

1984 PAC-10 Player of the Year.

Led Oregon State Beavers to NCAA’s 3 times, including 1982 “Final Eight”.

No. 4 in NCAA in field goal accuracy as a junior (.657).

Vision:

A.C. heart is dedicated to working with youth.

Because of his love for young people, A.C. established the A.C. Green Youth Foundation in 1989, with the main focus on sexual abstinence education.

Through his “I’ve Got The Power” abstinence curriculum, A.C.’s mission is to help young people build self-esteem and character, and learn moral and ethical principles which will help them make responsible decisions.

Personal:

A.C. was married in April 2002 to Veronique Green. Read about the wedding!

A.C. owns several Denny’s restaurants in Portland, and a Hyundai dealership in Los Angeles. He also has his own sport drink, Bio Sport.

A.C. graduated from Oregon State with a degree in Speech Communication. His hobbies include tennis, bowling, baseball, football, golf, and eating frozen yogurt.

The initials A.C., like his father’s do not stand for full names — his name is simply A.C. Green Jr.

A.C. is a youth mentor, author, speaker, and successful businessman. He is also a role model that youth across America can respect, and for this he was recognized in the House of Representatives’ Congressional Record of October 26, 1999.

A. C. Green has long been one of the most talented and enduring power forwards in professional basketball. In fact, he holds the NBA record for most consecutive games played. A. C. is also founder and president of A. C. Green Programs for Youth. This testimony originally appeared in Decision Magazine , a publication of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

When I was in my senior year of high school, people thought that I had everything. My parents had just bought me a car; I had received a four-year scholarship to Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon; my high school team had won the state basketball championship; I was the player of the year in Oregon, and I was on the All-American team. As a 17-year-old I had everything going my way, but I felt empty inside.

Until I became a freshman in high school, I attended church regularly. I thought that if I was a good person and better than the friends I hung around with, I was assured to go to heaven.

But during high school my parents left to me the decision about my attending church. I decided that it was not “cool” to go to church, so I went only occasionally.

I wanted to do exactly what my friends wanted me to do. I was one of the biggest man-pleasers around. Though I was one of the most popular guys at my high school, I had low self-esteem and I felt insecure about who I was.

In August, 1981, 10 friends with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) went to Hermiston, Oregon, for a weekend visit with one of my former teacher friends, Rod Bragato, and his wife, Karen. I was not a member of FCA, but I wanted to go along for the ride. On Sunday we attended church; the sermon was titled “Do You Want to Go to Heaven, or Do You Want to Go to Hell?” This sermon told me what God’s plan for salvation was and not what I believed was the key to heaven; that being a good person or trying to be better than my peers was the standard by which I was to measure salvation.

Ten of my best friends were with me in this church of 150 people. A passion burned inside as I knew that Jesus was calling me to give my life to him; at the same time Satan was trying to keep me blinded to continue living as I had for the past 17 years. After the pastor gave the first altar call, I wanted to sprint down to the front of the church, but something stopped me. It was as though Satan whispered to me, “Let someone else go first.” After the second altar call Satan said, “Your friends are gonna laugh at you.”

At the third altar call I put one foot in front of the other and began to walk down front. The pastor prayed with me, and I asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins and to become my Savior. I accepted Jesus Christ on August 2, 1981.

That fall I went to Oregon State University where I began a journey of growth, spiritually and academically. By the end of my senior year I received my B.A. in communications and was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers. Playing with the Lakers were some of the best years of my life. During my eight-year stay, I was fortunate to be a part of winning several world championships; in October, 1993, I signed with the Phoenix Suns to begin another journey of growth.

While I learned to be a champion on the court in Los Angeles, my spiritual home, Morning Star Christian Church, helped me to develop and become a champion off the court. At Morning Star we believe in holding each other accountable. We are family, and we believe in one another.

When I played basketball for the Lakers, people from my church were always at the games. I called them the “Faith Brigade,” and I heard them when they cheered. Our code word was “Champ,” because we were trying to be “Champions for Christ.”

Two members of my inner circle of friends have been my pastors, Dave Soto and Phil Bonasso. Dave and I were roommates during my first four years in Los Angeles.

People considered it odd that a professional athlete wanted to have a roommate, but I would rather have someone around to hold me accountable. Having people covenant with me helps me to maintain a high standard.

The Bible is my manual for living. I have developed the habit of spending time with God and reading the Bible every morning. In college, even though I had 7:30 a.m. lectures and labs some mornings, I made it a practice to get up by 6:00 to spend time with God.

Each day I want to be led by the Spirit of God in making decisions about a job or about a business situation, a speaking engagement, or whatever it might be.

The Bible says, “Whatever you put your hand to do, do as with all your might,”1 and, “Do it to the glory of the Lord.”2 When I play basketball, I want to glorify God. I want to play 110 percent. My favorite Scripture is, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”3 That applies so much in my basketball playing where I want first and foremost to glorify and honor God. My team is my mission field. This is my extended family because I live with these people all of the time.

Basketball is my job, and I want to excel in it. God has given me a great honor but with this honor comes responsibility.

My heart goes out to young people because I know how confused I was at that stage. They need to know that they don’t have to compromise their bodies, their minds, their spirits—any part of their beings—to any second-best decision.

Opportunities for temptation come and go, but by the grace of God, I will hold myself sexually abstinent until I marry. I am single, and I do have a wonderful girlfriend.

For me, my abstinence is more than a statement. It’s a personal conviction, and I made that decision back in 1981. Because of what God tells me in his Word, I am staying abstinent until I marry and I encourage others to remain abstinent also.

With Athletes for Abstinence, a nonprofit program which includes college and professional athletes, celebrities and concerned citizens, I made a video titled “It Ain’t Worth It.” Targeted at youth from seventh grade through college, the video tells them the truth about “safe sex.” Abstinence is the only true form of safe sex. There is strong opposition, a battle—especially in schools.

I love to see young minds challenged. I want to see young people change and mature into people of great value. Since I wanted to establish something for the long haul, in the late 1980s some friends and I developed the A. C. Green Programs for Youth to work with youth educationally and spiritually.

Within Programs for Youth I have established five programs: Athletes for Abstinence, Job Mentor Program, Leadership Camps, Speakers Bureau, and a youth talk show, “Shooting the Breeze With A. C. Green,” that is to be aired soon. These programs have been developed to serve both the youth and the communities in which they live by providing information about social issues that concern young people and by educating them to make responsible choices to prepare them for their future. It is my desire to expand these programs in Phoenix, and then in other cities across the United States and around the world.

Jesus has done so much for me, and I want to show him my appreciation and my love for him. That comes through spending time with him, then by doing what he asks me to do. I want to be obedient to him and to serve others as he has blessed me to do.

Here at Sacred Hoops, we are wanting your input. If you have anything you don’t see rather it be a basketball drills, basketbal tips, basketball plays, or anything else basketball. Please email us at webmaster(at)sacredhoops.com

Check out card david robinson rookie,bio david robinson,david picture robinson, avid Robinson greatest achievement below

“Jesus Christ, as my exemplar, reached out to people in His community who had need.

I want to show my love of God.”

“The Bible is very clear: Don’t do your good works before men to be cheered by men. [Valerie] and I do the right things because that’s what God told us to do.”

“When I go in the locker room every day, I face it. How do you love God and maintain your edge and not scare people off? The one thing I try to keep in mind is that I love these guys. I want to see them do well. If they want to talk about [spiritual things], I want to always be prepared. I want to make them feel like . I would be the first person they can come to.”

I can run. I can jump. I can block shots.

I can dunk. But I can’t take pride in that.

I’m successful because God gave me the ability.”

“I can go into a high school and talk about Jesus. What an incredible opportunity. There are a lot of positive things I see as the reason God placed me there. [in basketball]”

David Robinson’s Testimony

His “second birthday,” as he calls his conversion, came on June 8, 1991, when he talked with a minister from Champions for Christ. This is how he describes it in his parents’ book:

“The first question he asked was, ‘David, do you love God?’

” I was a little surprised and said, ‘Of course, I love God.’

” Then he asked, ‘How much time do you spend praying?’

” I said, ‘I eat three times a day, and I pray then.’

” ‘How much time do you spend reading your Bible?’

” ‘There’s one around here somewhere .’

” Then he said, ‘When you love someone, don’t you usually take time to get to know that person? Don’t you want to get to know that person better?’

” That day, Christ became a real person to me.. I felt like a spoiled brat. Everything was about me, me, me. How much money can I make? It was all about David’s praise and David’s glory. I had never stopped to honor God for all he had done for me. That really hit me. I cried all afternoon. That very day, I was saved.”

A renewed relationship

His new relationship with Christ led to a renewed relationship with Valerie, whom he had dated earlier. He called her, and learned that she, too, had been born again.

Three months later, in September 1991, he asked Valerie to marry him. Now they have three children, and he is cast in the role as a model for his own offspring as well as his fellow players and fans.

The money and other benefits that flow to his family offer a challenge in parenting. “I try to make my kids understand that we don’t focus on the money,” he says.

“We’re dealing with obedience and respect. You go into a store, they start begging for things. I teach them not to beg. Instead, we’ll go to a store and I’ll say we’re just going to look today. I want them to understand there’s a value to restraint. Just because you’ve got something available to you doesn’t mean you wield it. That’s not godly character. I don’t know how God’s going to allow me to teach them that, but it’s something he’s really impressed upon my heart.”

Who comes first?

Jesus and his family come first, he says, then basketball.

So he does things like start the David Robinson Foundation, which spreads his money into the community.

He cites Matthew 5:14 as his calling to be a light on the hill.

Here at Sacred Hoops, we are wanting your input. If you have anything you don’t see rather it be a basketball drills, basketbal tips, basketball plays, or anything else basketball. Please email us at webmaster(at)sacredhoops.com

Check out Dwight Howard greatest achievement below

Dwight Howard Forward — #45 Height: 6-10 Weight: 225 High School: Southwest Atlanta Christian Birthday: 12/8/85 Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Dwight Howard is a rare individual. Because he was just like LeBron James from last year, an Naismtih, McDonald’s national high school player of the year. Then to top it all off, he was selected by the Orlando Magic as the #1 draft pick in the NBA draft this past month. Then to mention the real fact that he really stands out is because he’s taking a bold, public stand on his faith . “I’m not trying to give glory for myself. I’m trying to give glory for Him.” Remember, this kid is just 18-years-old, but with an attitude like that, there’s no telling what God might do with him.

His favorite song is a gospel hymn, “Praise is What I Do.” And when someone asks for his autograph, Howard writes “God bless” alongside his signature, so that he can “let people know that everything that they’ve gotten is because of God.”

“This is the first time an athlete will be able to overcome what (former San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson) couldn’t do,” said Sonny Vaccaro, the Reebok executive who has been running the Roundball Classic for the past 40 years. “David was a leader in the crusade of being religious and being a great athlete, but Dwight’s plan could work because we’re in an era of niche marketing. He’s taking a stand saying, ‘I’m going to do this and some company is going to buy into it,’ and that fact is that these companies have millions and billions of dollars to brand Dwight as their hero.

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Check out Kedra Holland-Corn greatest achievement below

If anyone ever regarded Colossians 3:23 (“Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” —NLT) as a pattern for living, it would be Kedra Holland-Corn. The Sacramento Monarchs’ guard follows a discipline of hard work that has paid off in professional success. At the end of last season, she was ranked in two WNBA top 10 lists (third in three-point field goals made with 59 and ninth in steals per game with 1.75). Holland-Corn also is ranked 11th in three-point field-goal percentage with .393.

Her motivation doesn’t come from the professional honors. It comes from deep inside.

“My faith keeps me focusing on the task at hand,” she says. “It helps me realize that once I step on the court, I am representing Jesus Christ—not the (Sacramento) Monarchs or Kedra Holland-Corn, but Jesus Christ. That means I give all that I have that day. When it’s over, I leave on the floor everything that happened in the game.”

As a young girl playing basketball in the parks of Houston, Kedra Holland was a natural. The passion for the game grew as she began organized play in the fifth grade.

Just as a coach builds the skills of his or her players, Holland-Corn knows the influence an adult can have on a young person’s spiritual life. Growing up in a Christian household, her great-grandmother taught young Kedra the importance of knowing Jesus. But the Christian journey is not stationary; it has to advance continually.

“My senior year in high school is when I began to feel the void in my life,” she recalls. She was on top of the world, but something was still missing.

“I had basketball. I could choose anywhere in the country where I wanted to attend school. There were accolades nationally and domestically and (plenty of) media attention. Society says if a kid at that age has all of those things, they should be enough to make her content and happy. But that was not the case for me,” she recalls.

She soon realized the missing piece was developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

“So on Sept. 6, 1993, I began my journey of allowing Christ to be the captain of my life, leading and directing me in the direction He wanted me to go,” she remembers.

Following high school, she continued to perfect her game at Georgia, gaining a reputation for three-point shooting. The 5’7” guard developed a routine of shooting five sets of 10 three-pointers. If she missed more than four, she did that set over. Her goal was to shoot 50, hitting 60 percent or more.

Practicing between 100 and 200 shots a day, she honed her natural ability into refined technique. This hard work paid off, gaining her first-team All-SEC honors in 1997. That year the speedy senior guard was named an Associated Press third-team All-American. She was selected to the 1995 NCAA All-Midwest Regional Team and was a member of the championship 1997 USA Women’s World University Games and 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival teams.

“Kedra was a hard worker and didn’t complain,” remembers Janie Jones, former FCA staff member in Georgia who now is working for the ministry in Dallas. “She always gave 100 percent. Her goal was to give the Lord the glory, and she played like it.”

Early in her college career, Kedra was involved in helping Jones organize and establish the FCA Huddle on the Athens, Ga., campus. Not only was she a student leader, but she also visited local middle schools and high schools to speak for FCA. Whether speaking for a Huddle meeting or school assembly, or giving her testimony at a fundraising banquet, Kedra endeared herself to the listeners, always pointing the way to Christ. Even after she started playing pro ball, Kedra made herself available for FCA functions on her return visits to Athens.

It was during her years with the Bulldogs that she met and married her husband, Jesse Corn. Also a solid Christian, Jesse actively participated in FCA too. Jones recalls how Jesse was Kedra’s biggest fan. After their wedding, he served as team manager for the Lady Bulldogs so he could travel with the team. Jesse is still Kedra’s biggest fan.

Disciplined practice and hard work have helped Holland-Corn make the most of the opportunities God provides. She trusts in the words found in Jeremiah 29:11: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Reliance on these words reduces the stress.

“God knows all about my life,” she says. “He knows what is best for me. My future is in His hands, so there is no trying to figure out what to do, when to do it or where to do it. It is all taken care of.”

While relying on God to direct her life, Holland-Corn knows she must do her part diligently.

“I must stay in close relationship with Him through prayer and spending quiet time with Him to know what His will is for my life. This keeps me from guessing and speculating about what His will is for my life,” she says.

Following her Bulldog years, Holland-Corn played for the San Jose Lasers of the American Basketball League, averaging 10.3 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game and 2.2 assists per game in two seasons. During this time, Holland-Corn participated at the FCA Girls Camp in Santa Barbara, helping with the basketball clinics and sharing her testimony during an evening session.

“The campers loved Kedra working with them,” recalls Debbie Haliday, Santa Barbara Camp Director and FCA’s Southern California Regional Director of Camps. “She is an incredible athlete. The campers were really listening to her words.”

And Holland-Corn enjoys Camp as much as the young athletes.

“There is nothing like seeing young people at an early age make the commitment to follow Jesus Christ in front of their peers,” said the pro player, adding that she loves the fellowship and sports.

“That’s what’s great about Kedra,” explains Haliday. “She enjoys getting to know the kids, working with them one-on-one. She’s real down-to-earth and a lot of fun.”

After the ABL folded, Holland-Corn was drafted by the WNBA’s Monarchs. She is stepping out as one of the spiritual leaders for the Sacramento team.

Last season, she started holding a team Bible Study in her home. As much as her hefty playing schedule allows, Holland-Corn also speaks to groups about her Christian faith.

When she has the opportunity to present her testimony to young people, Holland-Corn emphasizes how her relationship with Christ puts everything in perspective for her:

“I am a professional basketball player in the States and overseas. That is my career, it is one of the things that I love to do.

“But throughout my life what I have realized about the game of basketball is that it’s just a game. Don’t get me wrong, I work just as hard as—if not harder than—my opponent to make sure I am mentally and physically ready to compete and win. But I don’t let the game control me; I control the game.

“Basketball is important to me, but it comes nowhere close to how important my relationship with Jesus Christ is to me. If all is well with Him and our relationship, all is well in my life. It doesn’t matter if I go 0-for-15 from the field. It doesn’t matter if the coach won’t play me. It doesn’t matter if I get a season-ending injury. All is still well, because Jesus is right there helping and guiding me through it all. Jesus puts sports in perspective for me, by helping me realize that it’s just a game.

“But if all is not right with the Lord and my relationship with Him, I begin to allow the game to control me and my life. Injuries, bad game, etc., begin to affect me, and all is not well.

“When it’s all said and done, God is not going to ask me how many points I scored against the L.A. Sparks. That will be far, far from His mind. But He will be concerned about what I did for Him while I was here. And I want my answer to be, ‘Help as many people as I could come to know and love You, like I did.’”

As Holland-Corn speeds across the floor of ARCO Arena, don’t be concerned about her motivation. She’s playing for the Lord

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