By Brian Roe, Sports Writer
Front Roe Seat
ACU women’s basketball coach Shawna Lavender paced the sidelines of Moody Coliseum barking orders to her playoff-bound Wildcats. It was the final game of the regular season, and ACU was leading by double digits over Eastern New Mexico, but Lavender still demanded her team work hard.
Oftentimes, a demanding coach is not popular among the players, but with Lavender, it is the exact opposite.
“Playing basketball at ACU is such a blessing,” former women’s basketball player Melanie Carter said. “I feel so blessed to have coaches who are godly people and who have encouraged us in our spiritual lives off the court. The values I’ve learned here and the encouragement given to me has made a huge difference in my experience here at ACU.”
ACU is unique compared to other universities because the same coaches who are instructing players on an athletic level are also praying for that student-athlete on a personal level.
“My goal as a coach at ACU how to play tennis, but how to live a Christian life,” said tennis head coach Hutton Jones.
Jones leads by example by having a team prayer after every tennis match of the season.
The ACU community, fans, media and student-athletes should appreciate how fortunate we are to have coaches who not only care about winning, but care about making a difference in a person’s life.
Although many college coaches in today’s perverse sporting world are chasing wins, money or headlines, ACU coaches are praying with their teams before or after a game and teaching the value of sportsmanship, dedication and teamwork.
Men’s head basketball coach Klint Pleasant said it best when he first joined the Wildcats two years ago: He was a Christian first and a coach second.
“I don’t want to be a basketball coach who happens to be a Christian; I want to be a Christian who happens to be a basketball coach,” Pleasant said. “This job is so much more than basketball. One of the big reasons I was excited to be back at ACU was that this job can be a ministry.”
So next time you see Pleasant, Lavender, Jones, head football coach Gary Gaines, volleyball coach Brek Horn, track coach Jon Murray or any of the other ACU coaches around campus or on the sidelines, respect them for being good coaches.
And appreciate them for being Christian coaches.
