Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: I need to grow in these areas in order to. For the outcome that I hope to get. But knowing, like, identity is in Christ.
[00:00:10] Speaker B: And welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to in the Nessie Math athletic sports podcast. I'm your co host, Shane Douglas, here with Matthew Tomlinson. I like doing the intro like that a little more. Do you liking it?
[00:00:26] Speaker A: I do.
[00:00:26] Speaker B: I think it works.
[00:00:27] Speaker A: We're getting the timing better and better.
[00:00:29] Speaker B: It makes sense. Yeah, it makes sense.
[00:00:31] Speaker A: It really does.
[00:00:32] Speaker B: So our numbers were off last episode we had Alex on, but it was a good episode. Good podcast.
[00:00:40] Speaker A: You were away in Kansas. I'm glad to be back.
[00:00:43] Speaker B: Yeah. I always love the guest host, but it just always feels right with you, Matt, you and know the ogs. But we had the numbers wrong last episode.
[00:00:52] Speaker A: We did get back together.
[00:00:54] Speaker B: Yeah, finally. Yeah.
[00:00:56] Speaker A: That's tough. But yeah.
[00:00:56] Speaker B: Okay, stop it.
[00:00:57] Speaker A: The numbers are right.
[00:00:58] Speaker B: Okay? I'm done with it.
[00:00:59] Speaker A: That's fine.
[00:01:01] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:01:02] Speaker A: Ten episodes ago. That was back in December.
[00:01:05] Speaker B: Stop. Dude.
Dude, you need to stop.
[00:01:09] Speaker A: Sorry.
It was a long trip. It was a long trip home last night.
[00:01:13] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:01:13] Speaker A: Yeah, we got back at, like, 01:00 a.m. That was late.
[00:01:17] Speaker B: Was it the weather or what?
[00:01:18] Speaker A: No, just a late game. And then.
Yeah, three hour drive.
[00:01:26] Speaker B: Did you have a long dinner?
[00:01:28] Speaker A: Yeah, it was probably longer than average. We went to panda.
[00:01:34] Speaker B: I guess you got to get what we don't have a debuke.
Can't go to places.
Debuke needs a lot of things. Not to say that Debuke doesn't have enough.
[00:01:44] Speaker A: They've gotten so much in the last and they're grown. We just got noodles, and noodles is big. But panda, though. But then, to be fair, if we get a like, obviously that's going to hurt. Great dragon. And.
[00:01:58] Speaker B: I mean, I would eat a.
[00:01:59] Speaker A: Panda every day in the summer.
[00:02:00] Speaker B: It makes trips going to Madison a little more special, too. But Madison has a lot of nice places.
[00:02:06] Speaker A: It's either you go to chick fil A on the road trips or one of the burrito options. Yeah, Chipotle or something. We don't.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: We're not going to get into Pontero's Chipotle. Man, you guys are just so blinded. It's just even I can't get with.
[00:02:25] Speaker A: Poncheros after our last trip.
[00:02:27] Speaker B: People who like Ponteros more than Chipotle literally do not have taste buds. And I can't trust their judgment.
[00:02:32] Speaker A: Shane, we got some bad blood going on right now.
[00:02:35] Speaker B: You need to stop this. Dude.
[00:02:36] Speaker A: I'm sick of it anyway.
[00:02:39] Speaker B: Calm down.
[00:02:39] Speaker A: But yes, pandas. It was good, but it was a very late night, and so, yeah, this morning I was like, oh, man, here we had it again.
[00:02:46] Speaker B: That's tough. It was a tough, long drive, but Luke was there, our videographer, and he was able to put together a video. I love the video. If you have a chance or some time, take some time to go to our athletic website. Is that on the men's basketball?
[00:03:01] Speaker A: Yeah, it's the. On the men's basketball. Facebook or not Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
[00:03:05] Speaker B: Yeah. About like a nine to ten minute video, I think.
[00:03:07] Speaker A: Yeah, it was like 13, I think. But an episode of the game, and he came back and recorded yesterday and he had me miced up in the first half. That's going to be fun and interesting.
[00:03:18] Speaker B: I'm looking forward to hearing and watching that video. It's going to be really good. I really enjoyed the first one. It's 13 minutes. I wanted more.
It was like a hard knock kind of thing. It was really good, even though it was like, the turnout wasn't what we wanted of a victory, but it did show more to the story than what you see on the final.
[00:03:39] Speaker A: When you're down, you go back up when you're down. Basketball is a game of runs, and the video shows that it's a game of runs.
[00:03:45] Speaker B: Oh, yeah.
No, it was really great to see how you.
[00:03:48] Speaker A: It was cool. He does a really good job with that. We're thankful for him.
[00:03:53] Speaker B: At a halftime break against Wartburg. I can just tell that Wartburg team was sweating. They're like, shoot, man. Because they were up like, what, 20 to.
[00:04:02] Speaker A: It was like 16 to one or something like that. And then we came back and we were down 13 and a halftime to a division three team, which is presses.
[00:04:10] Speaker B: Yeah. And normally we compete with that level, but we still got that young team. We're still growing. But let's get into it. We'll get straight into it. I mean, before we get into it, we have a playoff season right now for NFL football. I'm a big NFL fan. You're a big NFL fan?
Just quick matchups. Who do you have winning?
[00:04:29] Speaker A: I think. I believe the color conspiracy.
[00:04:31] Speaker B: You do?
[00:04:31] Speaker A: And it's going to be the Ravens over the 49 ers.
[00:04:33] Speaker B: That's wild.
[00:04:34] Speaker A: I think. I believe it now. I definitely believe it now.
[00:04:37] Speaker B: Hey, but they're two of the best teams in the league.
[00:04:39] Speaker A: The color conspiracy is they both go to Super bowl.
[00:04:42] Speaker B: That's wild. That is wild. But it's only been like the past three still.
[00:04:51] Speaker A: I think I would like to see the Lions get to the Super bowl and win a Super bowl because that'd be really cool.
[00:04:57] Speaker B: It would be not for the NFC.
[00:04:59] Speaker A: East fans, but it would not be all the Packer fans out there or Bears fans, too. Let's see. What are they? Oh, yeah. The Vikings.
But I think the Ravens will win.
[00:05:09] Speaker B: Yeah. They'll win it all.
[00:05:11] Speaker A: Yeah, I think so.
[00:05:11] Speaker B: That'd be impressive. That'd be a good huge win for John Harbaugh and especially if company Debo.
[00:05:16] Speaker A: Can'T go this week.
[00:05:17] Speaker B: Debo's probably. It's looking like Debo's out and looks like Mark Andrews will be in. That's what my sources are saying.
[00:05:23] Speaker A: I mean, with Andrews and likely.
[00:05:25] Speaker B: My sources.
[00:05:26] Speaker A: Sources.
[00:05:27] Speaker B: Everyone has sources. Yeah. So, yeah, I think as much as I want to root against the Chiefs, I honestly just. It's tough to root against. Know what I mean by that? Of picking against them.
[00:05:39] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:05:39] Speaker B: I'm always rooting against them. I don't like the Chiefs. I never have. Right.
[00:05:42] Speaker A: It would be funny for all the new football fans out there if they didn't win.
[00:05:47] Speaker B: It would be awesome. Oh, my gosh. But you already know the NFL wants them to go to the Super bowl.
[00:05:51] Speaker A: If they did win. I mean, that's going to be a crazy album. Holy. Holy moly, dude. That'd be crazy.
It would be. Yes, it'd be crazy. But yes, don't.
[00:06:04] Speaker B: That's borderline. That's borderline, right?
Dude, don't, man.
[00:06:12] Speaker A: Come on. But yeah, no, I think, yeah, it should be good. It should be fun.
[00:06:15] Speaker B: Okay.
I do want the Ravens over Chiefs. It's hard to go against it, though, but I do think the Ravens will win. I think they're a better team. Chiefs have been very inconsistent this year and then 49 ers, I think are also a better team than the Lions. Lions celebrated too much last game. It almost felt like a Super bowl win for the Lions. Last game going to just the NFC championship game. I do think the Lions will drop the ball in this and it will be the 49 ers against Ravens.
[00:06:43] Speaker A: Don't want the 49 ers to win because of the 49 ers Cowboys rivalry, but it would be pretty cool if they did win for Brock Purdy. I do like Brock and then all of the slander out there of, oh, he's just assistant quarterback could stop or lessen.
[00:07:00] Speaker B: It's very surprising that he's gotten a lot of hate. There's more hate against him than love. And I feel like it's Jordan. Yeah, no, dude. Jordan love. I'm sorry for packers fans. Calm down. I'm just saying it's literally half a season. Literally half a season. They're already talking about how he's going to be a Hall of famer. Calm down.
[00:07:20] Speaker A: This guy, you need to calm down.
[00:07:21] Speaker B: They really need to. Jordan Love could easily be just a normal quarterback for the rest of his career. Nothing crazy. Yeah, to be fair, he killed it this season.
[00:07:30] Speaker A: He did. Except late in the season.
[00:07:31] Speaker B: Yeah, it was late. It was half the season.
[00:07:33] Speaker A: He was back in December.
[00:07:34] Speaker B: Unstoppable.
[00:07:34] Speaker A: Moving forward. Stop.
[00:07:38] Speaker B: Never mind August. August. But.
[00:07:43] Speaker A: They just think it's such an enchanted season.
[00:07:46] Speaker B: Shut up, man.
[00:07:47] Speaker A: Anyway, okay, moving on to no, they.
[00:07:49] Speaker B: Need to calm down with that stuff. But I'm not just going with the favorites because they're the better teams, but those are my reasons. His Chiefs have been inconsistent and the Lions have treated this last game as a Super bowl. So I don't think they're as in it, even though I think Dan Campbell is amazing head coach and a great motivator of mine.
[00:08:05] Speaker A: I just think it's so funny. His first press conference when he was like, we'll bite off your kneecap. And everyone's like, he crazy. Here they are. What? Two years later.
[00:08:12] Speaker B: See, everyone thought Dan Campbell was nuts. Everyone thought Nick Sariani didn't know anything going on. Head coach of the Eagles. And everyone loved Brandon Staley. And look where they're at now. Brandon Staley fired Nick Sariani, went to the Super bowl last year, has a decent year this year. Great season last year. They just know. But we'll see how they do next year. And then Dan Campbell has just progressively made the lines better. So it's kind of crazy how media doesn't know junk, man.
[00:08:35] Speaker A: No, they just ask questions just to get likes, get views, trip people up.
[00:08:41] Speaker B: Well, let's get into some EMEA sports. We talked.
[00:08:44] Speaker A: Wait, this is an EMEA spot?
[00:08:46] Speaker B: Yeah.
They didn't hear us. People didn't come here and tune in to watch us talk about the NFL. That's when they would go to another network to listen to that stuff or their other podcasts they might listen to. But first off, we do want to thank you guys, to our listeners for tuning in and having us a part of your day, either if it's a Thursday morning around nine or any other part of the week. Thank you for listening, Matt and I.
[00:09:13] Speaker A: Really thank you for your feedback. We appreciate all the feedback you give good and critiquing. And we just enjoy it because it helps us get better.
[00:09:20] Speaker B: Yeah. So we love being a part of your day and we're blessed. We're blessed to be sitting here. So just two normal dudes that love Emmaus and love facts. Well, let's talk about that in know, let's talk about that specifically are the Emmaus Eagles and the three games we had this past weekend or I guess two games this past weekend and then a game last night. Matt, do you want to go over those as you have the inside scoop, being with the team on the trips as well as assistant coach.
[00:09:48] Speaker A: Yep. So this past weekend we.
[00:09:52] Speaker B: More excited, please.
[00:09:54] Speaker A: This past weekend we traveled down to Kansas City and Joplin for the cavalry trip.
[00:09:59] Speaker B: And you went early for that to do some recruiting? Yep.
[00:10:02] Speaker A: I left on Wednesday, so a couple days early and went down with Eric Rasmussen, our assistant soccer coach, who's also our director of communications, essentially, and engagement, and we went and visited and the host of concerning him, which you should listen to podcast. Yes, please listen to our. I guess technically it's like our mother Nest podcast in a sense, because it's overarching. But yeah, we went down, we visited a number of alumni, we visited a couple christian schools. We were at a christian camp, one of the assemblies down there. So it was good just to connect with a lot of people and just.
[00:10:31] Speaker B: Shout out there, shout out to all our alum and friends, coach Brown, John.
[00:10:36] Speaker A: Walker, Caleb Ruder, Andrew Hawkinson. Yeah, so it was really cool seeing all of them, but yeah, so then I met up with the team on Thursday night and then we drove down to actually, it was really cool. Friday morning we went to the college basketball experience, which is like the history of college basketball.
[00:10:50] Speaker B: That's really cool.
[00:10:51] Speaker A: And it's really neat. It's like a museum, but it's also like they have a big gym with a bunch of arcade stuff. And it was really cool. And just to experience that as a team, you guys do a lot of.
[00:11:02] Speaker B: Fun stuff as a team this year.
[00:11:03] Speaker A: We do, yeah. I think it's a big thing of just making sure we do things outside of basketball together just to keep our camaraderie together and just have a good time. And so, yeah, we've been doing more of that this year, which has been really cool. But yeah, we drove down to Ozar and it's a tough place to play in there. I would know that because I've played in there for four years and I've been coaching at there for five years. But girls, girls had a good game. They were only done because Ozark was the reigning conference champions for the girls oh, wow. And the girls were. They went to halftime down eight. Wow. Which is really impressive. They had three girls in double figures. Hannah had a double double. But then Ozark is just so talented in their depth. They ended up pulling away in the second half and it was 75 51.
So it was encouraging because they were right there. I mean, they scored 51 points, which is good. And then after, then we played them.
We started the game down, like, then we came back and it was like a ten point game at halftime. So we fought back. But when you dig yourselves into a hole that deep, you just can't get out of it. I've only seen one time at Emmaus where we were down by 20 points. It was actually funny. It was at Ozark, and we're down 20 to zero. And we came back and Caleb Postman had a game winning three. But it's just hard. Like, that game was just hard. We ended up losing by 23, 80.
Were like, they are a talented team. They are so good. Ozark, probably one of the better Ozark teams I've seen.
[00:12:29] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:12:30] Speaker A: But it was encouraging. Like, if we hadn't dug ourselves in that hole to start the game, I mean, we could have kept it more competitive.
Nash had 19, Josh hit four threes off the bench. And so it was good to have that. But, yeah, just, oh, man. Couldn't quite get there. And then Saturday we were at Calvary. And so girls played before us, obviously, and they had a rough offensive game. They only scored 33 points, but they lost. Was it 56 33? So they had played pretty good defense on Calvary. They just couldn't get the ball in the basket. And once they figure that out, good things will happen because, yeah, 33 is not a lot. And then we played after them and, man, what a gutty, what a gritty. What a crazy game. We pulled out the win. We won 65 61. Super fun game.
Super emotional game. There were a lot of things going on. That gym is always so loud. But no, it was really good. Like, the guys, man, the guys just really came together and it was just so encouraging and praise Lord, that they pulled for one another and they really just surrounded one another. And Mitch had 20 and Tyler had four threes off the bench. And so nice to get that win. I think that was huge, especially in the heart of conference.
It's this week and then next week, and then we start playing each other a second time around. So if you can get at least a win or two, like the first time around, that's key. And then. So then we came back home and then practiced Monday. And then on Tuesday, we were down at faith for the chaplain's cup for our guys. The girls are getting a cup next year.
It's our insurance companies. The insurance company that insures both schools is.
[00:14:13] Speaker B: The girls aren't currently doing it now.
[00:14:15] Speaker A: They don't have it right now, but it will be next year. They were going to do this year, but the insurance company is changing its name. So they want to buy a cup and then change their name next year for it. So they're going to officially start doing it next year.
[00:14:25] Speaker B: You want to explain that a little bit to everyone?
[00:14:27] Speaker A: Yeah. So it's kind of like, I feel.
[00:14:28] Speaker B: Like we explained it last year.
[00:14:29] Speaker A: I feel like we did, too. So ours is. The Iowa national guard is sponsoring what they call the chaplain's cup. It's the chaplains, obviously, and it's a cup for Emmaus and for Christian, the two bible colleges in the state of Iowa. And it's kind of just know we are so similar in who we are. We both have the right mission, and so it's kind of just like a friendly competition of whoever wins the cup. It's that home game will decide who wins it the following year. And so last year was the first year, and they obviously won it, and then we went down there to play them for it.
[00:15:07] Speaker B: Mean, our relationship with faith is just a sibling relationship.
[00:15:12] Speaker A: It really is. And we're just too, like, I really appreciate Emmaus and I really appreciate faith on both where we stand. We both know who we are, and we're not going to sway our identity of our school for anything. So we are keeping the main thing. The main thing, in the words of the late, great Dr. Or Mr. Glock and his wife, Melzie, but we're keeping Jesus first, we're teaching the Bible first, and both our schools are going to do that, no matter. Like, we're not going to change how we do things for any reason. And so it's so cool to have that, to have that friendly rivalry because we're all believers on the team, and it's different than when we play other teams, but so it's really cool. We have that Chaplains cup, and the girls are getting it next year. So the girls played and they ended up losing by eight. It was 43 35, and it was just, oh, they just need to get a few more baskets.
[00:16:11] Speaker B: I see a lot of growth within.
[00:16:13] Speaker A: The girls team, and I love it.
[00:16:14] Speaker B: The women's team has really came together the second half of the season, and even though without the leadership and the veteran presence of a berell on the team. Yeah, they've added some new players but have been able to. The seniors and the juniors were able to step up the leaders that they already had.
[00:16:32] Speaker A: It's just like kind of what we've been in. Our guys team has been in a scoring rut this season and the girls are currently in one right now. And if they can just get over that hump, I mean, some great things will happen because when you only give up 43 points, you play great defense, but when you can't score over that.
[00:16:50] Speaker B: I think you said it yourself earlier. When you're talking about digging a hole or getting yourself into a hole, I feel like that is just the.
If you could sum up the season so far for both men's and women's basketball team, it's that, I mean, talk about being down like 20 to one against Wartburg or talk about being down all these other points. Yeah.
[00:17:11] Speaker A: Yesterday was the first game where we took a ten point lead in the early part of the game because we've just been a slow team all season. Like to slow to start the game, that is.
[00:17:20] Speaker B: But we have a young team, a new team. Honestly, even though there's some returners from last year and we have some seniority and seniors and leaders on the team.
[00:17:30] Speaker A: It'S a different, it is really different team.
[00:17:33] Speaker B: The consistency being carried over year to year, even adding freshmen, new players.
[00:17:38] Speaker A: Be hard.
[00:17:39] Speaker B: It's hard, but it's a little easier than just having a new team every year. We have not had a consistent men's basketball team that has had the general starting five be the same for ever. Yeah.
[00:17:53] Speaker A: For at least this is the first year we've had since you're a student.
[00:17:57] Speaker B: We haven't really had it.
[00:17:58] Speaker A: We've had more than two four year seniors.
[00:18:01] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:02] Speaker A: And that's just the kind of the way it is because, especially at our level, either people can't play their senior because of internships or student teaching or at that point they've gotten married and decided to move on in life, which isn't a bad thing. But, yeah, it's like we really celebrate when we have those students that are here all four years and decide to play all four years because that's such a big commitment and it does change.
[00:18:26] Speaker B: Helps the community, helps the team. But like I said, we haven't had a consistent starting five roster since, honestly, our years as students.
[00:18:34] Speaker A: And even then it was still, like, all over the place, but it was.
[00:18:36] Speaker B: Starting to get a little, just different. Every I'm. We've said this many times, but with this coaching staff that we have in the athletic department of it, too, I mean, we haven't had a coach that has stayed longer than like two years for a while.
[00:18:52] Speaker A: And that's just because a lot of just like life things.
[00:18:54] Speaker B: It's true.
[00:18:55] Speaker A: It's true.
[00:18:56] Speaker B: Coach Parker, next year, he's will set.
[00:18:59] Speaker A: Longest in a while.
[00:19:00] Speaker B: Yeah. So this consistency of coaches, the consistency of the mindset of our athletic department is just going to help all of our.
[00:19:08] Speaker A: It's just so hard, especially in our realm of athletics. So often when you work at a christian college or bible college, especially the smaller sizes, I mean, it is a ministry, and so often is it, you're working a ministry and you're getting paid as if you're working in a ministry. And so a lot of that's like you're either going to get someone super young who's using as a stepping stone, which happens. It's unfortunate, but it still happens, or you have someone who's retired and really old that's doing this as a retired gig. And so it's kind of like you never know how long either of those groups are going to be around. So having people that are, and not saying they're not dedicated to working in the ministry, but just seeing there's several coaches, like coach Finchman at faith. He's been coaching at faith for 20 years, or coach defritis, that's Tracy B. Has been coaching there for like 25 years. And so just to see consistency of people who just value that and just say, this is what I do that's so important, it's so huge. And I think we're getting to that point. I know we're getting to that point because we keep saying this. I think every episode, all of our coaching staff is in the same point in their lives and they're all each other's biggest supporters. And just having that, that's huge and tremendous and it's great.
[00:20:25] Speaker B: I mean, it is. And we're talking about how faith and emmaus, they share similar values and just like within the students that we get, shoot, we're both the eagles, so it's just kind of crazy. Opposite colors, eagle, battle of, you got maroon, you got blue. So it's like, it's just very opposite sides, but very similar in like, I mean, we are siblings with them. We attract the same type of students and then with coaching and we're talking about our coaching staff and our athletic.
[00:20:54] Speaker A: Department and everything, and the consistency confessional schools where it makes both of our times, in a sense, harder to recruit because we can't recruit anyone. We only recruit fits for the college who are professing christians. And so that's what also brings us together of knowing that, too.
[00:21:13] Speaker B: And that's the beautiful thing that I think we want to get into is the identity of our players, the identity of us as christians. And you look at the identity of Emmaus and faith, this type of students we bring in and how the reason we have a cup, the reason we are like, we get along so well, we work together even though we're rival.
[00:21:34] Speaker A: Everyone jokes about it, but there's a reason why the sportsmanship award either goes to a mas or it's true.
[00:21:39] Speaker B: But the thing is, our identity is in Christ. Our foundation is in Christ as an institution.
[00:21:44] Speaker A: Talk about after our game, because the game last night or Tuesday night, whatever night it was, it was so long ago. I was sleep deprived.
We were up 17 points in the first half. Yeah, it was awesome. We played such a great first half.
And then it was a tale of two halves. We turn around and it's a 31 point swing. We lose by 14, we lose by twelve, but they were up by 14. So it was just so aggravating, so frustrating to see how we played. Almost perfect first half. Yeah, besides the fact that they missed so many open layups, too, and we made ten threes in the first half, it was nuts. And that second half, we just fell apart, mentally, physically, emotionally. And then they ended up shooting 40 free throws and we shot 16. So that definitely didn't help. But that sucks. It hurt. That one's going to sting for a while. They won the cup, but also having that, like, okay, we want to be competitive, but also saying we dropped the ball, but that performance of us giving up that big lead and losing by twelve, that's not who we are. We don't look at the guys and be like, you guys just blew it. No, it's like, no, like we said, our identity. Our identity isn't in our performance. Our identity isn't in how many shots we make or shots we miss or how many steals we get or if we win or lose, our identity is in Christ. And just keeping that at the center, knowing that is going to help you to still be competitive, but also to move on and to get better and to know, like, I need to grow in these areas in order for the outcome that I hope to get. But knowing my identity is in Christ and that is so important and so often today, is that it's kind of like on the side and how. I always say sports does not build character. Sports reveals character. And I think it was so appropriate in the message that our boss Chris had on Wednesday was because it was so ironic because we talked about this on Saturday with coach Sanders at Calvary and how in the heat of things, you get squeezed and what's in here, what's in your heart gets squeezed out and is it Jesus or is it outside noise and worldly things? And I think it's just such an important reminder of, yes, people say you can't be competitive and be Christ like. That is not true at all. You can be super competitive and you can still shine the love of Christ, knowing that your identity isn't him and just having that constant reminder. Know our school, like you said, our school, faith, Calvary, these other schools that we are very close with, that we associate with, and knowing that's where we all stand. And it's just a good reminder of in the heat of the moment where it's like, oh, this is so aggravating. I can't believe this is happening. But knowing, like, okay, it's happening for a reason. The Lord has a plan and a lesson for this. And my identity is not in having a coaching record of four and 14 or 14 and, oh, it's in Christ. It's in Christ. It's in him and him alone. And it has to be that.
It has to be that.
[00:25:21] Speaker B: Yeah. No, I love it.
I just gave you your little spotlight. It was incredible. And I agree with everything you say. And I think if there's anyone out there that just listened to what you said and loved it and is all for it, then who we are, emes is the place for that.
[00:25:38] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:25:38] Speaker B: Right.
[00:25:38] Speaker A: It is.
[00:25:39] Speaker B: And there's similar schools out there. Not a lot.
[00:25:41] Speaker A: No.
[00:25:42] Speaker B: Unfortunately, I've done the studies.
[00:25:44] Speaker A: You've been doing some really great research on that.
[00:25:47] Speaker B: Not a lot of schools out there.
[00:25:49] Speaker A: Like us, it's like we need to build up and uplift the ones that are doing it the right way.
[00:25:54] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:25:55] Speaker A: Because it's so important and it's so key. And especially for this generation, the light has to be out there. We can't let the darkness take over the light. We have to be that light out there into the darkness and to shine brighter in the light, too.
[00:26:10] Speaker B: I mean, we've seen it here at Emmaus and just to get a little. I don't even know if it's a touchy subject, but just to see how the community has been rocked since COVID and I'm not like pointing fingers at anybody or anything. But you can tell by the maturity of the students, of the faculty, of the staff amongst that, and where's their identity lie.
[00:26:39] Speaker A: Was that a great class I taught? Is it, oh, how many students I talked today?
Is it in my family? Where is it? Is it how well I played in intermales today?
[00:26:49] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:26:50] Speaker A: I feel like, no, it's in our lord and savior, Jesus Christ, and the hope that we have with him.
[00:26:56] Speaker B: Yeah. And we got to be reminded. We got to remind ourselves each day that we wake up. That sacrifice that you just had on the cross, we got to remember and put our faith in his resurrection because that's where it relies on. So we relies on his resurrection and putting our faith in that. Remembering that each day will help us become more faithful, help us become better stewards.
[00:27:19] Speaker A: And that's something we should think about every day of knowing the value we have that Christ chose us.
I don't know. You have to think about that, because if it just becomes something that just kind of is in the back of your mind.
I'm a Christian, I pray, I read, I go to church, I study the Bible.
Oh, yeah, Christ does love me. But having that, the forefront of your mind all the time is going to lead in everything that you do.
[00:27:45] Speaker B: And there's a bunch of junk that happens in our life that we're not happy about that really rocks us.
[00:27:51] Speaker A: Like time wasting.
[00:27:54] Speaker B: Tragedies, just like terrible things that happen in our life, that really rocks our faith, that really makes us question, make us hurt, angry at God.
But we have to have that faith, we got to have that relationship. And if your identity is set in Christ, if it has that foundation, then we will not be.
[00:28:10] Speaker A: Foundation is built on the rock and not the sand. It will withstand. It will. And it's just such an important reminder daily that we have to keep Christ rooted and keep him at the forefront and good things will happen.
[00:28:30] Speaker B: And that's the thing that goes all in life. We shouldn't separate it, like you were saying, and having an identity in Christ, meaning we having Christ at the center of our life, and that's Christ in the center of everything we do. That's this podcast, us talking. Know, the main thing of this podcast is not, I mean, honestly, it's not Emmaus athletic sports. I mean, that's what we talk about is Emmaus athletics, Bible college, but athletics, it's Jesus.
If there's people, if there's unbelievers that listen to this podcast somehow because maybe they have a friend or a relative that goes to school here, and they hear us talking about Jesus and who he truly is, and maybe this is just something that we haven't been doing that we need to do more. But the impact on know, planting those know, even just relationships that we have with one another, having Christ at the center of it, are we only talking about sports? Are we only hanging out, making fun of people, each other, whatever it may be?
[00:29:23] Speaker A: What is the center of it? Yeah, exactly.
Are our conversations that we're having with our friends and our friend groups, with our families, whatever, is it uplifting or is it tearing down? And it's like, if obviously we're all sinful, we're all fallen. Christ has redemption in us, and we still have the same struggles with the flesh. But when Christ is at the center, when your identity is in him, it's going to cause you to turn away. Maybe if you're in a room and your friends are talking smack about whatever, that being centered in Christ is going to cause you to either say something for them to stop or you're not going to partake in it. But you should be bold enough to say, guys, this isn't helpful. This isn't glorifying God. This isn't benefiting anyone.
[00:30:15] Speaker B: Yeah, Christ needs to be at the center of everything we do.
[00:30:19] Speaker A: Everything.
[00:30:20] Speaker B: And carrying that into our athletics. And here at Emmaus, it goes through the walls, it goes through the hallways. The same thing of everything we do, everything the staff is doing, the faculty, how we work together.
Do we have Christ at the center of it? Are we just getting upset at each other and frustrated because there's not communication or something like that? But if we have Christ at the center of our relationships with one another, things are going to be well and our faith won't be rocked. And that even carried over on the basketball court, even on the soccer field.
[00:30:55] Speaker A: When you lose by little, when you lose by buzer reader, it's a loss. It stings. But you're not defined by that.
[00:31:04] Speaker B: And that's the thing is, how do I say this?
I don't know. You're not only glorifying the Lord of how you win, by how you lose. You can't just glorify him. If you win, if you're playing a game and you're losing, like, shoot, I didn't glorify the Lord because I lost. No, if you win, you are glorifying him. You can. You can still not.
[00:31:29] Speaker A: People say you almost glorify him more. Like when you lose through the struggle, you do through the success, and it's like, no, you should be both. You should especially glorify him through the losses.
[00:31:40] Speaker B: What's the quote? You say that sports.
[00:31:42] Speaker A: Sports doesn't build character, reveals character.
[00:31:45] Speaker B: And you can even say the same for losses.
A loss does not define your season, but defines your character. It defines on your identity and who you are. Right. And I guess this is a question to ask all of us here at Emigra in our life.
[00:31:59] Speaker A: Self reflection for both of us and.
[00:32:02] Speaker B: Not just for our players who have had a really rocky season of being inconsistent.
[00:32:08] Speaker A: We definitely had rocky seasons when we were students here.
[00:32:11] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:32:12] Speaker A: With basketball.
[00:32:13] Speaker B: But, like, just looking at ourselves in the mirrors and asking, okay, who am I? Am I a basketball player? Am I a soccer player? Am I a volleyball player? Or am I a child of God?
[00:32:25] Speaker A: Am I a child of God who's an Emma's Bible college student athlete?
[00:32:30] Speaker B: Yeah. Or just someone who likes sports?
[00:32:33] Speaker A: Sports fan.
[00:32:34] Speaker B: Yeah. So a lot of that to going forward and to really question, think about.
[00:32:38] Speaker A: Be convicted about where is your identity.
[00:32:40] Speaker B: Let the spirit really work in you on everything we just said and maybe in things that you've already been praying and talking about with others. But let's talk about some upcoming games. What do we got going on?
[00:32:51] Speaker A: Yes. So Saturday Winterfest is here. And so our annual game against Central Christian College of the Bible is on Saturday. Girls play.
[00:32:58] Speaker B: Isn't it usually moody?
[00:33:00] Speaker A: No, it's always been central.
[00:33:01] Speaker B: Has it?
[00:33:02] Speaker A: Yeah. Because remember that crazy game that we had that one year?
[00:33:04] Speaker B: Okay. That was Central. Okay.
[00:33:05] Speaker A: CCCB. I think it's CCCCCB. And then next week, the girls host Marinatha Baptist on Tuesday. I think that game's at six or seven. It's at six. So, yeah, that is what is on the upcoming game schedule.
[00:33:20] Speaker B: Winterfest is going to be fun. Do you know the theme?
[00:33:21] Speaker A: I don't do. Oh, man.
You have your connections.
[00:33:26] Speaker B: No, I shouldn't say this, and I brag about it, but I did come up with the theme.
[00:33:32] Speaker A: You did?
[00:33:33] Speaker B: Years ago.
[00:33:34] Speaker A: Really?
[00:33:34] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:33:35] Speaker A: I'm excited to see what it is then.
[00:33:36] Speaker B: I don't think a lot of our.
[00:33:38] Speaker A: Current government listen to this podcast, but.
[00:33:42] Speaker B: This was my baby. So I'm already a critic of Winterfest. I'm a huge critic. So I'm going to be a bigger critic now with this being, like, finally doing live skits. Finally.
[00:33:53] Speaker A: I know. I'm looking forward to pre recorded skits.
[00:33:55] Speaker B: I'm going to attend it. Know. So I'm looking forward to know. I'll be every skit, and then Luke and I will have a. We're gonna record a little video during the ski and snowboarding time on Friday, so it's going to be a good time. So looking forward to Winterfest. Winterfest is always an amazing time. It's kind of like the camp vibe of Emmaus, which I love.
[00:34:14] Speaker A: Homecoming week, basically.
[00:34:15] Speaker B: Yeah, it's great. And then we have cms coming up. Yes.
Christian ministry seminar. We have a lot of ministries, honestly.
[00:34:23] Speaker A: Some schools, soccer players. Joel Hernandez is speaking for CMS.
[00:34:27] Speaker B: Yes. So Joel's amazing missionary in Mexico came taught here at Emmaus and now works for CMO as well as Opal and a lot of other ministries on the east coast. So Joel Hernandez is an awesome guy. And then we have just a bunch of other ministries and camps coming that weekend. And then we got like 26 below. And the thing is, we just talked about identity a little bit and kind of went on a little tangent. It was great. You had a spotlight. You said a lot of amazing things. I love that you had the opportunity to do that. But we also have 26 below, which is an event that CMML puts on throughout the nation. They got one in the midwest, two on the east coast, one in Texas.
[00:35:04] Speaker A: Great event. Great event.
[00:35:06] Speaker B: And they have. So is going to be in Dayton, Dayton, Iowa.
[00:35:11] Speaker A: Hidden Acres center.
[00:35:13] Speaker B: Yes. And the theme is identity. So if you're out there and you're a high school student, man, or if you're 26.
[00:35:19] Speaker A: Great.
[00:35:20] Speaker B: 26 years and below, that's why it's called 26 below, then you should totally.
[00:35:24] Speaker A: Took me like four years to realize that.
[00:35:26] Speaker B: I know. It's really funny how they came up with that name. Literally. One of the guys who started that was one of the first people to start the whole thing.
They were just going to have to be high schoolers. But he's like, no, I want to attend. Well, I'm 26, so let's just be 26 below. So it was just random.
[00:35:40] Speaker A: I always thought that it was only in Iowa and that they were making a joke because sometimes it gets cold in Iowa. 26 below, but it's like, no.
[00:35:48] Speaker B: People actually think about stuff like that in Texas now.
[00:35:52] Speaker A: Not 26 below, but you can still.
[00:35:55] Speaker B: Represent me if you come. But definitely sign up for that event as well as catch us at Ignite, Oswego, Des Moines, Denver, Denver or Colorado, I guess.
[00:36:05] Speaker A: Yeah, because technically in Colorado.
[00:36:06] Speaker B: And then don't forget about discovery. Mace weekend coming up. We're going to have a concert by Shane and Shane, but amazing opportunity to come.
[00:36:11] Speaker A: Sign ups have been rolling in. They really have. So sign up while you still can.
[00:36:15] Speaker B: Great opportunity to see what the college is like, see friends, meet friends, and even sit in Bible classes in chapel and learn a bit. A bit.
Create that foundation.
[00:36:25] Speaker A: Hey, start it ten years ago, this do is when Sharon and I came to do and fell in love with Emmaus. And I love that. Ten years later, here we are, tons.
[00:36:33] Speaker B: Of stories like that and I love to hear it. So a lot of awesome things upcoming sport wise as well as Emmaus wise. But if you got any questions, please comment. Reach out to us. Go to our Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, follow us, subscribe to this channel, check out concerning him and all the other podcasts we have rolling in. There's one about teaching now, which is a really awesome podcast. So they're going to start having some more subjects like that, and really good ones too. If you just got nothing to do, maybe you want a quick listen. Tune into our Emmaus YouTube channel, either athletics or the main channel, and find those podcasts, give them a listen and learn a thing or. Right, so. But this is all that we have for today, Matt. It's great talking to Shane. I love this conversation. Maybe we can, looking forward, have a more Christ centered podcast. It's not just all about because that's.
[00:37:25] Speaker A: The center of what we do here with sports and with just so.
[00:37:29] Speaker B: But thank you everyone for listening and having us be a part of your day.
[00:37:32] Speaker A: Matt, it's a great day to be an eagle.
