The SBA Way Newsletter Excelling: Going Beyond the Average What does it mean to be a Chris0an athlete? In the past few months we have seen Super Bowl champions, NBA stars, Olympic athletes, and college football na0onal champions give all glory and honor to God aCer incredible performances. They express that without God’s help, they would not be able to accomplish the things they did. So, what does it mean to be a Chris0an athlete? This is a ques0on that most ordinary people would answer by saying that praying before and aCer a game and asking God to help them win is being a Chris0an athlete. Others would say taking a knee in an end-zone aCer scoring a touchdown means that they are a Chris0an athlete. All of those situa0ons may involve Chris0an athletes, but that is not what being a Chris0an athlete is all about. I recently read an ar0cle that explained a Chris0an athlete. I am not sure who deserves the credit for this ar0cle, but it encompasses everything about a Chris0an athlete. It stated, “Being a Chris0an athlete doesn’t mean praying for your team to win. God doesn’t give an edge to those who pray, over those who don’t; hard work does that. Being a Chris0an athlete means compe0ng for Christ, in a way in which you always give your all for Him, and win or lose, you thank Him for the ability and opportunity to play. It means giving all the glory and honor to God, no maOer the outcome, because you trust in His plan for your life.” This ar0cle describes the epitome of the Chris0an athlete. It also reminds me of a story in the Bible in Genesis 24 about a woman named Rebekah. Many of you may know about this story, but it is a good reminder of being a Chris0an athlete and going beyond the average to excel for the glory of God. Many have called this example, the Rebekah Principle. Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac. He sent his servant back to his homeland in search for this woman. As the servant approached the town, he saw several women drawing water from the well, which was customary at the 0me for women to do. The servant approached Rebekah and asked her for a drink of water. Rebekah responded by saying not only can you have a drink, but I will also draw water to feed your camels. What a response from Rebekah! Scholars have pointed out that camels, aCer a long journey, could drink up to twenty or thirty gallons of water per camel. Rebekah not only was going to give this stranger a drink, but she went beyond the average and offered water to his camels, adding almost two or three hours more work. Think about it this way. A woman could only carry roughly five gallons of water at a 0me. She had to lower the bucket into the well, pull it back out, and carry it to the watering trough over and over again. In addi0on, this stranger could have been traveling with close to ten camels. Would you do this for a stranger? The Rebekah principle came about from this event. Leadership experts have stated that today’s philosophy in many organiza0ons is minimum effort for maximum expecta0ons.
How liOle can I do and how much will I receive? The Rebekah Principle epitomizes the Chris0an athlete. Her philosophy was maximum effort, for minimum expecta0on. How much can I give without receiving anything in return? I once heard a member of the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles comment that he saw a difference in Chris0an athletes in the locker room, playing field and off the field. He stated that when things were bad, they were calm. When things seemed like they were spinning out of control, they were steady and quiet leaders. This is what it means to be a Chris0an athlete. To work as hard as you can and go beyond the average, not for earthly rewards, but to give all the glory and honor to HIM. This is true success and the true meaning of being a Chris0an athlete. Caleb Marcum Athle0c Director
Spring Primer Baseball Under the leadership of Coach Brandon Patton, the Eagle baseball team is primed and ready for another run at a state championship. Coming off a 22-7 season, the Eagles will be led by several senior standouts looking to finish their careers off with nothing more than gold in their grasp. After a disappointing finish to the 2017 season where they were upset in the first round of the state playoffs, the Eagles are focused on finishing strong! The Eagles will be expecting senior captain Will Huber, Arkansas State signee, and senior captain Chase Phillips, UT-Martin signee, to lock down defensively as well as swing it for a high percentage all season. Returner Jaylon Wilbon looks to balance the middle of the line-up as he returns from an All-State season last year. Cory Moore and Christian Presley look to secure the infield defensively while the pitching staff looks to be pivotal after the loss of three starters a year ago. Newcomers Kaelan Cullpepper and Luke Ellis have been welcome additions to an already veteran line-up. Should be an exciting year on the diamond as the Eagles begin play over Spring Break in Biloxi, MS at the Battle at the Beach Classic. Softball Coach Ashley Scarborough is ready to lead the Lady Eagles in her first season. The Lady Eagles look to continue their state dominance as they take the field this Spring and try to reach the TSSAA State Tournament for a state record 22nd consecutive appearance. Coach Scarborough is excited for the season as the Lady Eagles prepare for a tough non-conference schedule. They hit the road for some strong tournaments across the Southeast, beginning in Hendersonville, TN where the Lady Eagles will compete against some of the best teams in the Middle Tennessee area and across the state. Junior phenom and All-State player EC Taylor, Florida commit, will lead the Lady Eagles at the lead-off spot and anchor the SBA outfield. She will be joined by veterans Abby Blackstock, Megan Smith, Nicole Huber, Gabi Ray, and Allison Hyatt who will help sure up an already solid line-up. Newcomers Josie Gex, Jade Howard, and Alexis Griffin will bring pitching depth as well as defensive assistance to the veteran squad.
Track and Field Coach Nancy Margaret Wehby is in her second season as the head Track coach. She looks to build off a great track season where SBA sent the girls 4x100 and 4x200 to the TSSAA State Tournament. Veterans Catalina Carrasco and Caroline Bacon look to anchor the girls side. The boys side sent Eric Johnson to the TSSAA State Tournament in the high jump. Eric finished 2nd in the state with personal best jumps. Parker Dlabaj and Samuel Baker look to return to the track this season with more determination to get back to the State. Our track and field teams kick off their seasons with meets at Arlington High School and MUS following Spring Break. Boys Soccer Coach Nick Dressman is in his 7th season at the helm of boys varsity soccer. The Eagles look to senior Kiko Martinez, freshmen Boomer McGuire, and junior Armon Guron for a big season ahead to guide the Eagles to big things. Inexperience at the varsity level, as a group, could cause some bumps along the way, but Coach Dressman believes this team will grow together quickly, acclimate to the varsity tempo, and be ready come region play. Other players looking to have break-out years are Telly Slayton, Andrew Cully, and Jack Lee. Telly will play striker or outside wing, Andrew will play be utilized all over, and Jack has come a long way and understands his expectations. The Eagle soccer team will kick off the season at home versus Memphis Business Academy and White Station before heading to Gulf Shores, AL for the Southern Coast Cup. Tennis Coach Barbara Hervey continues her coaching career at SBA with her 7th year at the helm of the Tennis Eagles. The Lady Eagles will be led by Finn Mullen, Rhodes commit, and Juliette Hirsch. Juliette hope to return to the TSSAA State Tournament in doubles. Newcomers to the Lady Eagle tennis team Jolie Taty and Sean Mullen are tournament players who will add to an already veteran group for the girls. The boys graduated some veteran leaders from the team last year, which makes this team filled with young exciting players. Freshmen Cyrus Rector and transfer Austin Palanki, will add a lot to the team. The tennis teams have grown over the last few years and should field one of the largest teams we have had at SBA. Boys Lacrosse Coach Steve Shipowitz has rejuvenated the SBA boys lacrosse team over the last 3 seasons, and he is ready for another break-out season on the field. Junior mid-fielder Tyler Miller is the leading goal scorer and is looking to impact the team with more excitement this season. The Eagles will be anchored by senior captain and defenseman AJ Von Bergen and junior captain and goalie Henry Ballard. The Eagles look to build off a 9-3 finish last season. Girls Lacrosse Coach Latoya Brown is in her first season as head coach for the girls lacrosse team. The Lady Eagles look to build off a great showing in Little Rock, AR where they were able to pick top some early wins against some tough competition. The Lady Eagles look to seniors Katie Lafferty, Angelica Rivas, Diane Madeksho, and Jamie Brannon to lead the Last Eagles. Water Polo Coach Molly Pickering is his her 4th season as our head coach of water polo. Following another successful year in the pool the Water Polo Eagles will look to continue their run of success again this season. Coach Pickering will be relying on seniors Alex Bindbeutal, Hannah Ellis, Emily Haff, Erin Haff, Gauge Nesbit, and Andrew Williams to lead the team. Almost all of their local matches are at the Aquatic Center on the campus of St. Georges Independent School.
Trap and Skeet The SBA Trap and Skeet team have already begun preparing for the 2018 season. Senior Turner Schneider will anchor a squad who lost some veteran leadership from last season. Ivan Scheidhauer, Sam Childers shot 99 out of 100 targets placing them10th and 15th respectively out of all teams at the 2017 TNSCTP State Competition. Turner along with some returners and newcomers, look to fill the void and compete for more State and National hardware.
MOtivation
The SBA WAY When working with student-athletes, a successful coach will work towards building our culture as a program and as a team. The SBA Way is not about what we do, but how we do what we do. As coaches, we want to create a championship environment, and teach our players to lead an entire team. Each player will understand the SBA Way and our athletic culture. Our culture is explained by the acronym SCHAPE: S - Spirited, enthusiastic, excitement - Our environment will be one that is loud, excited, spirited about what we are doing. Our culture will be full of energy and our coaches will demand it. The difference about championship practices is they are full of sound, they are intense, and everyone is involved. C - Communication enhances every human experience - Our student-athletes will be leaders not only by example but also in their communication with the coach, teammates and parents. Coaches will teach each student-athlete how to communicate by calling names, delivering valid information, having a positive tone and making eye contact. If our communication follows this format, all communication is done directly, face to face, and not behind each other’s back. H - Hard work - Working hard is very contagious and we will have a relentless persistence to achieve any goal. We will be the hardest working coaching staff and teams in our league. A - Approach - Our approach to everything is the attitude we choose to bring to something; the path we take to arrive at our destination. Our approach will be made up of three rules: showing up early, learning something and adding value to our culture. Our teams will be mentally tough which will direct our focus to every situation. P - Precision - Our student-athletes will have a ridiculous attention to detail. They will be taught to have the discipline to do something as well as it can be done, every single time, even if its uncomfortable or inconvenient (even if the coach isn't looking). E - Enhance - We will contribute to an environment or unselfishly offer a service. SBA studentathletes will also be asked to leave their environment better than they found it by being contributors rather than contaminators.
Event Calendar Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
March
19 JVBB - vs Northpoint 4:30pm GLax @ White Station 6pm
20 SB vs McNairy 5:30pm Tennis @ MUS
21 JVBB - vs Fayette 4:30pm BLax @ Arlington 7pm Tennis vs Arlington
22 BLax @ CBHS 6pm GLax @ SGIS 6pm Sc vs MBA 5/7 Tennis vs Harding
23 VBB - vs Jonesboro 6:30pm Trk @ Arlington
24 BB DH @ Harding BLax @ Nashville 12/2p Trk @ Arlington Trap @ MSSA
25
26 BB DH vs CBHS 4:30/7pm GLax vs Arlington 6pm SB vs TRA 6:30pm
27 BB DH @ CBHS 4:30/7pm Sc vs White Station 5:30/7 SB vs Bartlett 6:30pm Trk @ MUS
28 BB DH vs Hinesdale, IL 4/6:30pm BLax vs Lausanne 7pm Tennis @ White Station
29 BB DH vs MHEA 3:30/1pm Sc vs Central 4:30/6pm SB @ Hernando 7pm
30
31
April 1
2 3 VBB @ White SB DH vs Station 4:30pm Hernando 4/6p Tennis vs SAA
4 BB - USA Classic BLax vs Bartlett 7pm GLax @ Briarcrest 4:30 Sc @ Cordova 4/6 Tennis vs Brighton
5 BB - USA Classic SB @ Lake Cormorate 5p Tennis @ ECS
6 BB - USA Classic Sc - Southern Coast Cup AL SB @ AL Tourn Trk @ BCS
7 BB - USA Classic Sc -Southern Coast Cup AL SB @ AL Tourn Trk @ Whitehaven
8
9 BB DH vs Briarcrest 4:30/7pm GLax vs Bartlett 6pm Sc vs FCA 5p
11 BB DH vs SGIS 4:30/7pm GLax @ Collierville 6p Tennis vs BCS
12 BB DH vs ECS 4/6:30pm BLax @ SGIS 5:30pm
13 BB @ Brentwood 4:30pm Sc Rivals Tour. Trk @ Houston Tennis @ Jackson Tourn
14 BB DH @ Ensworth 11:30/2pm Sc Rivals Tour Trk @ Houston Tennis @ Jackson Tourn
10 BB DH @ Briarcrest 4:30/7pm BLax - vs SGIS 5:30pm SB vs Lewisburg 5pm Trk @ MUS Tennis @ SMS