More the Wins: The Legacy of a Transformational AD/Coach

Can Basketball Share the Gospel?

In this episode of Redeeming the Game, Coach Matt Sanders ,and  Coach Phillip Morrison, “The Basketball Missionary” — answers a powerful question asked by a coach: “Can basketball share the Gospel?” The answer takes us all the way back to the origins of the game itself. Dr. James Naismith didn’t just create basketball to keep athletes busy during the winter. His vision was far deeper: “to win men for the Master through the gym.” Basketball was born with discipleship, purpose, and transformation in mind. Coach Phil unpacks how the court can become more than competition  it can become a place where identity is restored, relationships are built, and the love of Christ is lived out in real time. From locker rooms to practices to hard conversations with players, this episode challenges coaches to see the game as ministry, not just strategy. If you’ve ever wondered whether sports can truly impact eternity, this conversation will remind you that basketball has always had the potential to point people to something greater. If I could go back and talk to my younger self as a coach, these are the 10 things I’d tell him first. I put them all into a free guide called “10 Things I Wish I Knew as a Young Coach.” No fluff. No playbooks. Just real lessons from years of coaching, leading, winning, losing, and learning. If you’re early in your coaching journey, or you want to coach with more purpose and clarity, grab it for free below. 👇 Free download linked below 👇 www.redeemingthegame.com/10things matt@redeemingthegame.com https://www.skool.com/jesus/about?ref=c8a5b341f1164e9c99092c6ac2d95da8 [https://www.skool.com/jesus/about?ref=c8a5b341f1164e9c99092c6ac2d95da8]

When you Question: Am I doing enough?

In this powerful conversation, Coach Sanders is joined by fellow basketball missionary Coach Phillip Morrison to unpack one of the deepest identity battles coaches, leaders, and people face every day  living from the “I am nots” instead of the truth of what Father God says about us. Drawing from the teachings of theologian and teacher Baxter Kruger, this episode explores how so many coaches silently wrestle with thoughts like: “I’m not enough.” “I’m not doing enough.” “I’m not worthy.” “I’ll never measure up.” But the Father’s voice tells a different story. Through a beloved identity and righteousness lens, we discuss what it means to live as sons and daughters — fully loved, fully accepted, and enough because of the finished work and sacrifice of Jesus. This episode is an invitation for coaches, leaders, parents, and athletes to stop striving for approval and begin leading from belovedness instead of performance. If you’ve ever questioned your worth, your calling, or whether you’re doing enough, this conversation will remind you that your identity was never meant to be built on wins, productivity, or validation from people,  but on the unchanging love of the Father. You are not what fear says. You are not what performance says. You are who the Father says you are. If I could go back and talk to my younger self as a coach, these are the 10 things I’d tell him first. I put them all into a free guide called “10 Things I Wish I Knew as a Young Coach.” No fluff. No playbooks. Just real lessons from years of coaching, leading, winning, losing, and learning. If you’re early in your coaching journey, or you want to coach with more purpose and clarity, grab it for free below. 👇 Free download linked below 👇 www.redeemingthegame.com/10things matt@redeemingthegame.com

Righteousness over Reputation

So many coaches spend their lives trying to prove themselves to parents, administrators, other coaches, and even themselves. But what happens when your identity is built on reputation instead of righteousness? In this episode of Redeeming the Game, we talk about the exhausting pressure of performance-based leadership and the freedom that comes when you realize you are already accepted by God. This conversation is about leading from security instead of striving,and how beloved identity changes the way we coach, correct, and live. If I could go back and talk to my younger self as a coach, these are the 10 things I’d tell him first. I put them all into a free guide called “10 Things I Wish I Knew as a Young Coach.” No fluff. No playbooks. Just real lessons from years of coaching, leading, winning, losing, and learning. If you’re early in your coaching journey, or you want to coach with more purpose and clarity, grab it for free below. 👇 Free download linked below 👇 www.redeemingthegame.com/10things matt@redeemingthegame.com

More the Wins: The Legacy of a Transformational AD/Coach

More Than Wins: The Legacy of a Transformational AD What does it really mean to win in athletics? For 25 years, today’s guest served as an athletic director, leading coaches, building programs, and impacting countless athletes across basketball, baseball, and football. But her greatest legacy isn’t found in championships, records, or trophies it’s found in people. In this powerful conversation, we go beyond the scoreboard to explore what transformational leadership truly looks like. From the early days of defining success by performance… to a deeper shift rooted in beloved identity… this episode reveals how leadership changes when you stop leading to prove something—and start leading from who you already are. If you’re a coach, athletic director, or leader who wants to build something that lasts, this conversation will challenge and encourage you. If I could go back and talk to my younger self as a coach, these are the 10 things I’d tell him first. I put them all into a free guide called “10 Things I Wish I Knew as a Young Coach.” No fluff. No playbooks. Just real lessons from years of coaching, leading, winning, losing, and learning. If you’re early in your coaching journey, or you want to coach with more purpose and clarity, grab it for free below. 👇 Free download linked below 👇 www.redeemingthegame.com/10things matt@redeemingthegame.com

Identity Before Performance

What if you didn’t have to prove anything this season? What if you coached from a place of being already accepted? That changes: * your tone * your patience * your leadership You don’t coach for approval. You coach from identity. And when that shifts…Everything else starts to follow. This is where coaching starts to change.Because when your identity is secure…You stop using the game to build yourself. And you start allowing God to send you through it.Not just as a coach.But as someone being used to shape lives.  If this is where you’re at right now… If you’ve felt the pressure, the weight, the need to prove… You were never meant to find your identity in the game. You were meant to bring your identity into it. You are beloved. And from that place…you lead!  If I could go back and talk to my younger self as a coach, these are the 10 things I’d tell him first. I put them all into a free guide called “10 Things I Wish I Knew as a Young Coach.” No fluff. No playbooks. Just real lessons from years of coaching, leading, winning, losing, and learning. If you’re early in your coaching journey, or you want to coach with more purpose and clarity, grab it for free below. 👇 Free download linked below 👇 www.redeemingthegame.com/10things matt@redeemingthegame.com