Team jam update – may 2003!!! The 2002-2003

The 2002-2003 school year has been different than any year of this ministry in that the privileged opportunities of a few, required immediate and concentrated attention as never before experienced.

Our annual basketball program involved 15 juniors and seniors who played in the local regional tournament, finishing second and qualifying for the National All-American Cage Classic Tournament. We also finishing second nationally. The season was a success because of the scholarships that were obtained for our seniors to attend college and because we defeated the Northeast Ohio Stars team which featured LeBron James. The news of the game was broadcast on the 11o’clock news. Though LeBron and his team came back to beat us in the finals, we still gained the distinction of being the last high school team to beat one of his teams. (excluding all-star exhibitions).

As far as scholarships go, Danny Peters and Chad Mraz received partials (50% and 75% respectively) to Geneva (Christian)College. Chris Steens received a full scholarship to Ashland, Matt Futch received a full scholarship to Akron U., Matt Stell received a full to Drury U. Alassane Kouyate already had a full scholarship to U. of Mass. As had Willie Dingle already received a full to Rider U. The rest were all underclassmen, with the exception of Andy Albright, who received some grants to attend Frostburg St. and Lynchburg U, finally settling on Lynchburg.
SUMMER

TEAM JAM was asked to help establish a rare Christian Hockey Camp in the Cleveland area (Parma) in June. The pioneering effort, in association with Hockey Ministry International, resulted in 21 campers, seven salvation decisions and a number of local pro athletes volunteering their time. Monthly hockey chapels were established as follow up for the club teams that practice at the Cleveland Barons hockey rink. A Cleveland Jr. Baron, Bret Kistner, acted as a missionary on a daily basis among his peers and the younger players. Bret also held weekly meetings with two of the club teams. This has helped us establish a core group of young believers who represent four different age group levels and with which we are discipling and ministering through. Our second camp will be held June, 2003.

Tim Drew was leading Bible Studies on his own, with the Indians Triple A farm team, for an average of 18 players each week. This is an unheard of response. However, he was traded to Montreal in June and had to start his outreach all over again since Montreal’s Triple A team had no such Study in place. Our trips to visit him helped him transition and resulted in a small study of 5 players, two of which really surrendered their lives to the Lord. When he was called up to the parent club in September, he was greeted with an immediate request by the major leaguers to start a study for them. They had been “waiting” for him to be called up to help them. His off season was filled with two mission trips to foreign countries, numerous speaking engagements to youth groups and a busy spring training. Teaming with other Christian major leaguers, they witnessed over 40 minor and major leaguers come to know Christ in Spring training 2003.

In August, we held a retreat for St. Vincent-St. Mary’s varsity basketball team at the home of one of our board members. The retreat served as the foundation that the ministry with the team was built on. The retreat included visits and testimony from TEAM JAM athletes Rob Davis (Heavyweight boxer), Steve Sorenson (Wm. & Mary basketball), and St. V alum Johnny King (Martin Methodist, Tenn., basketball).

Mike DeRienzo (Hudson HS, Kent St., saved in 1997), is married now and studying at Fuller Theological Seminary in Arizona. He also is filling the pulpit at his church while his pastor recovers from illness. His wife is leading the worship ministry. Jason and Brandon Wallace are a pair of our former basketball players that are now family men in their 20’s. They also are the “Divine Soldiers”, Christian Hip Hop rappers who have solid lyrics and a spiritual walk to match. Through the management and financial investment of our board chairman (Tim Loney), we have been able to mentor them. Tim has invested over $25,000 in this ministry to provide equipment, expenses and produce CD’s. In turn, they have ministered to over 4,500 young people and seen over 325 come to know Christ, in a little over a year. They also finished as runners-up in a talent search contest for Embassy Music in Nashville.

My time was primarily spent visiting our college football players and acting as chaplain for the Hudson High School football team. Our college football players at Auburn, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Virginia, Kent State, Geneva and Clarion all were involved in Bible Studies and prayer times with their teammates and/or chaplains assigned to the team, or myself. Each of our players at these schools is a leader among these groups and an outspoken testimony.

At Kent State, Ryan Cartwright and Josh Bostick (Kent St. football co-captain and headed to the Canadian Football League), hosted JAM Sessions at their apartment. Not only did a variety of people attend there, but they also joined me in visiting one we started with St. V.- St. Mary students in Green. The first night was attended primarily by 12 football players and wrestlers, all friends of Mike and Ryan Hurley. The Hurley’s are All-American wrestlers that accepted Christ in October, 2002.

Meanwhile, at Hudson, they were having their best football season ever, going undefeated. Our chapels, voluntary and on Friday afternoons, experienced an average attendance of over 30. At least 14 of these young men asked Christ to be their Savior by season’s end. The relationships built were also strongest among the underclassmen, preparing us for next year. Head coach, Tom Narducci, was named coach of the year in Ohio, and has paved the way for our opportunity to minister for seven years now. Three of the last four years he has had us arrange the speakers for the team’s Father-Son Banquet the last week of the season. This has included one of our board members, Terry Lawrence, Cleveland Brown Corey Fuller, and this year Cleveland Indian coach Chris Bando, sharing their testimonies. Terry was also the one that arranged for Mr. Bando to come. We were also permitted to have the Divine Soldiers come and perform the song they wrote about their father and Heavenly Father. The response was so great, Coach Narducci’s wife arranged for the Divine Soldier’s to do an assembly at the school she teaches at, Elliot Middle School in Cleveland.

Chris Bando was also active in making a return visit to the football team’s game day chapel, where ten of the young men accepted Christ. He then spoke at the Juvenile Detention Center in Cleveland and one of our Hockey chapels. The new relationship also means that we are will be able to have access to ministry with minor league baseball players in the Cleveland Indians organization who are playing here in Northeast Ohio.

Also, during this time, Coach Dru Joyce (the National Champion St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball coach) and I began praying on at least an every other day basis together. This was prior to the season and coach could see the hardness of his player’s hearts. Our prayers were simple requests for our Lord to touch the hearts of these young men. Meanwhile, I visited the school each week to hold voluntary Bible Studies at lunch time among the basketball players and the wrestlers. The average attendance each week was about 5-6 athletes.

Greg Lewis (saved Oct. 2001), graduated from Winthrop U. after an All-American basketball career, worked as a Juvenile Detention Officer in Akron while he waited for professional basketball opportunities. He played briefly in the NBA’s developmental league, starred in Finland, and finished this spring in the United States Basketball League. In between those stints, he assisted us with younger men in several small group meetings, and a couple of church opportunites to share his testimony.

Andy Bush, Matt Giovanini, Josh Timmons and Andy Scott all became teachers this fall, joining Keith Nelmon who was already a teacher and a coach.

As a result of our prayer times, Coach Joyce and I were directed how to conduct our opportunity with the varsity boys basketball team and eventual National Champions. Coach established the tone with a specific description of the spiritual expectations for the season at the very first meeting with the team. Cursing and disrespectful attitudes were no longer tolerated without consequences. Demerits at school would result in extra conditioning. Each practice was started with a team prayer. Biblical character traits were identified and I was asked to speak on each one throughout the season. Additional chapels were held with the team on game days that fell on Sundays. We traveled to away games in Columbus and North Carolina to spend additional time building relationships and hold devotions with the team. Players were mentored and given opportunities to lead the team in prayer and to lead the devotions themselves (devotions twice). Two of the players gave their lives to Christ, one for salvation and the other was a recommitment. The trainer also accepted Christ.

In North Carolina, we were able to arrange a special chapel in which NBA great David Thompson spoke to the team, sharing his testimony, and then speaking individually with LeBron. Throughout the season, at press conferences several members of the team, led by LeBron, emphasized that the team was playing to honor God, and not impress the crowds. There were numerous children guests at games that were brought specifically for the opportunity to minister to them. There was also appearances at local hospitals and Students against Drunk Driving. Throughout each controversial action that was reported in the newspaper, it resulted in opportunities to teach LeBron and the team even more about the Biblical principles we had been emphasizing all along. There is a lot of teaching and growth yet to come, but their hearts are responsive and they surprised us many times with their interest in learning about the Lord in spite of distractions.

After the championship game LeBron gathered the team together for our post game prayer to honor God. This time LeBron gathered the team together before any adult said anything and directed the seniors to all pray and thank the Lord. He started the prayer time himself and then each senior prayed in turn.

There are excessive expectations in every area of life for LeBron and even coach Joyce. They won’t always measure up, but I am convinced that both are just waiting for direction as to how to do it. We now have the relationship and routine in place to be used by God to do it.
WINTER

Adam and Ben Flossie went on midsession mission trips, in addition to their mission trips this past summer. Ben’s winter mission trip was to Africa. They both attend Taylor U.

We were asked to conduct a seminar for a National Youth Leaders Conference in Ohio as a result of being mentioned in a book by George Barna about ministering to teens. At the seminar, we were able to share our philosophy of ministry to approximately 30 youth pastors/workers.

Dante Booker began training for the NFL draft in January, a process that we were intricately involved with. We helped train, interview agents, arrange and film his workouts and promote him on our web site to NFL teams. The additional access to Dante meant that he also joined our board members in our bi-weekly prayer and discipleship and he was very active in visiting churches, schools and specific appointments with young men to share his testimony.

Josh Bostick had the same assistance, resulting in a surprising opportunity with the CFL. Josh has also been extremely helpful in assisting our ministry efforts with his peers and young athletes in the area.

Dante, Elmer Brown, Steve Sorenson, Nate Loehrke, and Joe Szeker represented TEAM JAM in Maryland where we ran a basketball clinic, shared our testimonies at a three-on-three tournament, conducted a slam dunk exhibition, and saw four young people come to Christ.

As a result of the changed lives on the St. V. wrestling team, I was asked by their head coach to speak at their banquet about what I have been doing with the young men that was so motivating and effective.
You are witnessing the blossoming of the ministries of each of these young men. They have been maturing from either a complete lack of understanding about Christ or spiritual immaturity, to leaders and examples who desire to lead others to Christ. Additional highlights also include newspaper articles, an invite to AWANA and Regular Baptist Press headquarters, upcoming magazine articles, and our website. Our involvement with St. V. meant that we had the opportunity to write about LeBron and the team on our website. This resulted in over 200,000 visitors in less than a year, with people accepting Christ just by reading the pages.

Whatever God has in store has already exceeded our expectations. We ask that you pray for these young men mentioned. They now have the knowledge and the platform to make a great mark on our generation. If God so chooses, we have young men with the potential to be the most significant Christian influence in Boxing, Hockey, Basketball, Baseball and eventually Football.

It’s certainly worth praying for and keeping an eye on how God will answer it.

Because of Christ,