Dwight Howard

Main Man of the Month!

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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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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 at 5:44 pm and is filed under Monthly Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Kedra Holland-Corn

Main Man/Woman of the Month!

Check out Kedra Holland-Corn greatest achievement below

Kedra Holland-Corn Position:  G Born: 11/05/74 Height: 5-8 /  1,73 Weight: 132  lbs. / 59,9  kg. College: Georgia ‘97

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

 

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

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 at 5:40 pm and is filed under Monthly Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Derek Fisher

Main Man of the Month!

Check out Derek Fisher
greatest achievement below

Derek Fisher Position:  G Born: 08/09/74 Height: 6-1 /  1,85 Weight: 205  lbs. / 93,0  kg. College: Arkansas-Little Rock ‘96

It could be said that timing is everything for Derek Fisher.

The 27-year-old, 6-foot-1 inch guard has come a long way since joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 as the 24th pick in the NBA draft. Fisher has gone from being a quiet but hard-working player to a team spiritual leader and key component of a championship team.

He reminds many of the same kind of team and spiritual leadership that A.C. Green carried for many years as a member of the Lakers’ “Showtime” teams of the 1980s.

The timing couldn’t have been better for Fisher, who was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was after the draft but before moving to the entertainment capital of the world that he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.

Over the years, Fisher has overcome surgery, coaching changes, and alleged team disunity to become a big factor in the Lakers’ two consecutive NBA titles. Many expect him to have the same impact in a possible third championship run once he returns to the lineup in December or January after recovering from his second foot surgery, which took place during the summer.

As a little-known draftee from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, where he was the 1995-96 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, Fisher was about to move to a city and join a team that was on the verge of rebuilding into another dynasty. The Lakers had just acquired Shaquille O’Neal from the Orlando Magic and an unproven high school player named Kobe Bryant.

“I didn’t know anyone in Los Angeles, and I had never even been here before,” says Fisher. “So for the most part I was on my own. I was about to face a big transition in my life. I knew that I couldn’t make it alone.

“Right after the draft my brother and his wife were in town, and the whole family went to church. After the sermon that’s when it hit me. I think that was God’s plan all along. It was His timing that I accepted Christ just as I was about to leave for L.A. and the NBA.”

Fisher, one of three children (brother Duane Washington, who played in the NBA, and sister DeAndra), comes from a home where Christianity, reading the Bible, and going to church were the standard.

“My mother was a big influence on me when I was younger and even now,” says Fisher. “We always went to church each Sunday. Being from the South, that was just a part of growing up. But I have to say that early in my life I didn’t have a real understanding about Christ. All the way through high school I never really got to know Christ one-on-one.”

It wasn’t until college that Fisher’s spiritual journey began to move forward. There he became active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and became close with the UA-Little Rock’s strength and conditioning coach Ken Coggins. Under Coggins, Fisher started attending weekly chapel services, reading the Bible, and searching for truth.

“Ken Coggins was the spiritual leader of the team,” says Fisher. “We spent a lot of time together. He was a big influence. He was a very positive person and really into the Word.”

After the draft and after he had trusted Jesus as Savior, Fisher packed his bags and headed for L.A. For support he also moved his cousin Anthony Grant and close friend Clarence Finley with him.

During his first couple of seasons in L.A., Fisher remained quiet and kept to himself. He was not one to take advantage of L.A.’s nightlife nor have it take advantage of him. So he spent much of his time at home, fishing, listening to music, or hanging out with Grant and Finley.

Rick Harville, who has been the chaplain for the Lakers for 16 years, says that when Fisher first joined the team, he didn’t really see much of him at chapel services.

“Derek was a young guy coming into a league with a bunch of superstars,” says Harville. “He was a very low-key guy who worked very hard. He didn’t come to services very much, but he would always ask questions.”

Green, who helped the Lakers win two titles with the 1980’s “Showtime” era teams with Magic Johnson and James Worthy, came back in 2000 after stints in Phoenix and Dallas to win one more title in L.A. with a whole new group of players, including O’Neal, Bryant, and Fisher.

“I only had a chance to play with A.C. for one season, and we won a championship together,” says Fisher. “It was a great experience. Not only being a teammate of his, but also getting a chance to know him as a man and getting a better understanding of the Christian walk.

“He’s a walking example for younger people like me who want to work hard and walk in the Christian faith. It was great to have him there because it almost was like having a piece of God there. You knew that he was your brother in Christ, and he was always there to listen to you if you needed to talk.”

Because of Green’s influence, Fisher progressed dramatically as a man of faith and as a player. He has emerged as a spiritual leader of the team. He’s bolder, more aggressive, and more confident as a player and as a Christian.

“When A.C. was here, Derek watched him carefully,” says Harville. “He learned so much from him. Derek has grown so much that people on the team respect him. To know how much he’s grown is to look at the relationship he has with others.

“He plays with two of the most high-profile players in the league, and they listen to what Derek says—as does the rest of the team. This is only the beginning. I expect even bigger and better things from Derek.”

Now Fisher can be seen leading the Lakers and opposing teams in prayer after games—with his mother sometimes joining in. He is a regular at the team’s chapel services and has earned the respect of the entire Lakers team.

Fisher has also developed close relationships with other players in the league, such as Arkansas native and Detroit Pistons forward Corliss Williamson and Miami Heat forward Brian Grant.

Fisher has matured as a Christian and as a player. There may have been two breakthrough moments last season to prove it.

The first took place in a regular season game against the Boston Celtics on March 13. It was his first game back after the first foot injury sidelined him for the entire first half of the 2000-2001 season. Fisher came back in style, scoring a career-high 26 points and picking up six steals in a 112-107 win in front of the hometown crowd at Staples Center.

The second breakthrough moment came in Game 2 of the NBA finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. Fisher scored 14 points, including a key three-pointer and a rare slam-dunk as the Lakers tied the series at 1-1 with a 98-89 win. Fisher was just as big a threat on defense, holding Allen Iverson to 10-for-29 shooting.

That was a big difference compared to Game 1 of the series, in which Fisher was humiliated by the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. Iverson scored 48 points while being guarded most of the time by Fisher. On the offensive end Fisher was held scoreless and sat out the last 20 minutes and 30 seconds of the game in a 107-101 overtime loss.

“Both times I felt I had something to prove,” says Fisher. “Coming back the first game after an injury, I wanted to play well and get back into the swing of things. During the playoffs, I wanted to prove that I could play at a championship level consistently and do whatever I’m needed to do.”

The 4-1 series win for the Lakers capped off a league-record 15-1 run. Fisher played in all five games and averaged 9.8 points and went 10-of-19 from three-point range. Since Fisher’s return to the team in March, the Lakers went on cruise control and were 30-6.

Fisher played the entire series in some pain. For the second time in 2 years he would need surgery, but Fisher decided to wait until after the season to have it done.

“I think that deep down I knew something was wrong,” says Fisher, “but I didn’t want to sit out the championship series. It meant too much to me, and I wanted to contribute to the team in whatever ways I could.”

After Green was let go by the Lakers following the 1999-2000 season, Fisher was on his own. It was almost as if the torch of team spiritual leadership had been passed to him. As far as any comparisons to Green, Fisher said that many of the Lakers already made them, whether he likes it or not.

“Phil Jackson even jokes with me about it,” says Fisher. “There’s an understanding on the team that I’m different. That doesn’t mean that I’m perfect or that I’m better than anyone else on the team. I know that people are watching me, and I’ve accepted the role of being a ’spiritual leader’ on the team. I take it very seriously.

“What I try to bring to this team and guys like Mike Penberthy, Mark Madsen, and others is that you can be successful, have a great career in this league and still walk with Christ. You don’t have to give in to the system or do what everyone else does to be a good player in this league.”

While sitting in a restaurant in Culver City just outside of Los Angeles, the kid from Little Rock was more than happy to sign a few autographs for Lakers fans. At times Fisher seemed almost flattered by the attention. But after winning two consecutive championships and being on a team that is the favorite to win it again this season, Fisher has accepted another role on the team and in L.A.—that of a celebrity.

“The people have really made it easier for me to be here,” says Fisher. “The fans around here are great. I’ve never seen anything like it. There has been a great deal of support for the team and for me ever since I’ve been here.

“It’s a great feeling. I really appreciate all the kind words and encouragement I’ve received, and especially during the summer after the surgery. There have been people coming up to me telling me that they’re praying for me. The support has been overwhelming, and it’s been great being a part of this organization. I hope I’ll be here for a lot of years to come.”

At the same time he’s still the same Derek Fisher who came to L.A. 5 years ago. Although he just bought a home in the very upscale Encino area just north of L.A., Fisher still enjoys video games and hanging out with his cousin and close friend. Fisher does get out more these days. He likes to travel and was a regular at many of the WNBA’s L.A. Sparks games during the summer.

Fisher said he’s grown and learned a lot since first arriving in Los Angeles. He emphasizes that living the life of a professional basketball player is more than playing an 82-game season, winning championships, and the admiration of fans.

“It’s not as easy as it looks, and there are a lot of temptations out there,” Fisher says. “That’s the one thing I’d like to get across to Lakers fans and basketball fans in general. We’re human. We have struggles. They may be different from what the average person goes through, but they are struggles and they’re real. To do what we do and still walk the Christian walk is very difficult.

“All of us make mistakes, and will continue to make mistakes. We ask God for forgiveness and try to learn from our mistakes and move on. That’s all a part of growing up and shaping us into who God wants us to be.”

In His perfect timing of course.

 

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

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 at 5:38 pm and is filed under Monthly Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Mike Penberthy

Main Man of the Month!

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Mike Penberthy Position:  G Born: 11/29/74 Height: 6-3 /  1,91 Weight: 185  lbs. /  83,9  kg. College - The Master’s College ‘97

MIKE PENBERTHY                  

Basketball

Following a stellar prep career in Fresno, Mike Penberthy enrolled in The Master’s College in 1993 with high expectations. He didn’t disappoint. After learning the college game during his freshman campaign, Mike exploded over the next three years to establish himself as, arguably, the greatest player in the history of the program.

Leading the Mustangs to the first four of seven consecutive appearances in the NAIA National Tournament, Mike burst on the national scene with a lethal jumper and the ability to change the course of a game in just a few trips down the court. As a senior during the 1996-97 season, he was the second-leading scorer in the nation (27.5ppg), established a new single-season scoring mark with 852 points, and earned NAIA First-Team All-American honors for the second consecutive year. Mike owns career records for points scored (2,616), three-pointers made (444), and free throw percentage (87.9).

Graduating with a bachelor of arts in biblical studies in 1997, Mike began to pursue a professional basketball career immediately. He started in Germany, played some for AIA, had a brief stint in the CBA with Quad Cities, and then returned to Germany before getting his big chance. Fresh off an outstanding summer league performance in 2000, Mike landed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and earned an NBA championship ring in June of 2001. Released the following season, he headed to Naples, Italy, with his wife, Wendy, where he has been playing for Pompea Napoli.

Although, he has not been able to really serve in a local church due to his travel, Mike has been able to use his job as a professional basketball player as a platform for the Gospel. Many players, teammates and opponents alike, have asked him why he leads the life he does and he is able to share his faith. Mike and Wendy have two sons, Ty and Jaden.   

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

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 at 5:35 pm and is filed under Monthly Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.