Off-Season Summer Training
In basketball, you have 3 seasons: pre-season, regular season, and off-season. In pre-season, you prepare for a tough and grueling season and try to perfect yourself/team for competition. Usually, teams are implementing strategy, enforcing the team culture, and building unity. The Regular season is when you compete against other teams and are in battles to become the champion.
In the off-season, you’re improving your weaknesses and strengths as an individual. The off-season is the true battlefield because you are preparing to become the best version of yourself. Every player must improve to help the team become better. If individuals are lazy and not putting any work in the off-season, it will show in the pre-season when others are ahead of you. You’ll be playing catch-up all pre-season and won’t be truly ready for the regular season.
Coach Mike giving instructions to students from Hara Junior High School & Taisho Junior High School in Yokohama.
The Bible gives a training reference of trying your best for competition in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25. The bible verse says, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” We are supposed to try and win the prize to the best of our ability. In order to win we must go into strict training. That is why the off-season or the summer season is so critical for basketball players because it’s a time to grow and improve. That makes OTM an integral part of the students we are training and mentoring because we are helping them become better in this very critical season. OTM has the insight, knowledge, and experience to help students become better basketball players and enjoy basketball even more.
Giving our best effort isn’t enough. We must have a strategy to defeat our opponent so we can be the champions. Our enemy is the devil and he isn’t running half-speed, he’s running for the win! 1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith…” We have another competitor that is looking for people he can attack and take advantage of. However, OTM is on the offensive and building relationships with students through basketball. We are standing firm as we are planting seeds through our basketball clinics where we share about God’s love, pray, and encourage students. OTM is remaining strong in our faith as we accomplish our goal of bringing hope and joy to the world through basketball. Our hope and joy is in Christ Jesus who has given us the victory through his sacrifice on the cross.
Taisho Junior High students posing for the camera.
