In a new video series released by the Religious Freedom Institute (RFI), Baylor University's Men's Basketball Coach addressed how "winning the game of life" matters more than championship titles, trophies, or fame.
"All that matters is when I get to those gates, God's not going to say, 'What was your record? How many players did you help get to the pros? How many championships did you win?' So at the end of the day, I am making sure [the players] are winning the game of life," Head coach Scott Drew for the Baylor Bears said.
"If you have the right foundation and you know that Jesus has a plan for your life, and you trust Him in handling your future, then you can relax and enjoy the game of basketball, you can enjoy the game of life, and at the end of the day winning the game of life is a lot more important than the game," he continued.
Drew, who has been leading the team since 2003, told RFI that seeing players accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is "more exciting" than winning any game.
"Seeing the spiritual growth, guys. Players who accept Christ, players who maybe prayed for the first time with the team, players who get baptized, players who come back and get Bible studies and go to church, and you know that's what's really exciting," he explained.
"Sometimes those victories are not written and talked about in the newspapers or TV, but again, those are the ones that really matter," he added.
Drew also says he's grateful to be at a Christian University where he can publicly share his faith with others, CBN News reports.
"Baylor University gives you that opportunity. Spiritually we're allowed to have an impact in our players' lives, so many of my coaching friends [that] are devout in their faith are at institutions where they can't," he shared. "I am a much better husband, father, spiritually I have grown from the staff that we have because we will do coach's bible studies together, and we start every meeting in prayer."
He added the culture of "joy, Jesus, others, and yourself" will continue to grow the program.
"We have also been a Christ-centered program, and that is our foundation," he said.
Drew's interview with the RFI is the first in the video series that features "Americans from different religious traditions and walks of life witnessing to how they exercise their faith in all areas of their life, and why religious freedom is essential."
In 2003, Drew inherited the Baylor Bears during a time when the basketball program was under scrutiny and scandal. From that point on, the program was described as the most dramatic turnaround in college basketball history.
"Everything we do around the program is Christ-centered," he told CBN News. "The great thing is we can prepare champions for life. And that's a spiritual, academic, and character formation in athletics. So, for us to be able to incorporate the spiritual part has been so key and paramount to all our success, and He's blessed us."
Last year, Drew led the team to their first NCAA national championship title.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Ron Jenkins/Stringer
Video courtesy: ©Religious Freedom Institute
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
