Redeeming The Game

What My Parents Got Right

What My Parents Got Right | The Foundation That Mattered More Than Sports Before there were wins and losses, championships and coaching, there were two people laying a foundation. In this deeply personal episode of the Redeeming the Game Podcast, Coach Matt Sanders sits down with his parents to reflect on the values, lessons, and priorities that shaped his life long before basketball ever became a significant part of the story. Together, they explore what it meant to raise children with purpose, the importance of character over achievement, and why the greatest gift parents can give isn’t athletic success it’s a foundation of love, faith, identity, and belonging. This conversation isn’t really about sports. It’s about what matters underneath sports. The things that sustain us when the games are over, the trophies collect dust, and life gets difficult. Whether you’re a parent, coach, athlete, or mentor, this episode serves as a reminder that our greatest influence often comes from the daily investments nobody sees. Because in the end, the goal was never simply to raise athletes. It was to raise people. 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

When Players Become Coaches

What happens when former players grow into leaders of their own programs? In this special episode of the Redeeming the Game Podcast, Coach Matt Sanders sits down with two former players who are now head coaches: Coach Zak Kirkman and Coach Philip Parker. One leads a women’s basketball program, the other a men’s program, but both are navigating the same calling—to lead people before they lead teams. Together, they reflect on the journey from player to coach, the lessons they carried from their playing days, and how their faith continues to shape their leadership. The conversation explores the tension between winning and development, the responsibility of building culture, and what it means to leave a legacy that extends far beyond the scoreboard. You’ll hear honest stories about growth, mistakes, mentorship, and the moments that revealed coaching is about much more than basketball. Most importantly, this episode challenges coaches to consider whether they are merely building successful teams or helping transform the lives of the people entrusted to them. If you’ve ever wondered what former players remember most, how coaching philosophies are formed, or how faith influences leadership in today’s game, this conversation is for 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

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