10/03/2015 Uncategorized
niversitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) is relatively a new comer when it comes to basketball within Indonesian universities. But that has not hindered their rise to significance
Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) is relatively a new comer when it comes to basketball within Indonesian universities. But that has not hindered their rise to significance. In 2004, the university had little more than an intramural team that lacked vision, coaching and talent. That all changed when an American coach with vision turned the non-existent into a perennial top four team to be reckoned with. Since 2005, UPH Men’s Basketball has won 10 nationally recognized tournaments including two National Championships and eight final four appearances in the past nine years. This story, however, is about the 2015 National Championship and the journey to become the best. UPH is a University with a strong Christian commitment, privately funded and focused on academic success. To create a sports department that can graduate 98% of its scholar-athletes, pursue Christian ethics and testimony within the University in Indonesia and change the landscape of University basketball is nothing less than the work of God. And so the pursuit of excellence begins with His grace, and as we shall see ends with His blessing. This journey toward a Championship season in 2015 is not singular at all, but part of a larger path trodden. The UPH Eagles Men’s Basketball lost a semi-final game in 2014 and recovered in O.T to win a third place finish in Nationals. The loss it seemed proved costly, as two of the front court 6’6″ post from Surabaya and 6’5″ Import from Los Angeles left the team. In 2015, the loss of these players (upper classman) made way for the arrival of new recruits. But more than that, as the season began the basketball elite once again dismissed UPH as a possible National Champion. A change in offense from a triangle to a 4-out needed to be introduced. UPH had to adapt and adopt quickly. The 2015 season looked similar as far as winning 90%, but UPH lost the conference semi-final to rival Perbanas University. The loss and the third place finish in the Jakarta Conference would eventually serve UPH well, but not without changes. The intensity of the coaching staff would need to infuse the young players with extra effort, bigger resolve and deeper sense of trust in the system, coaches and teammates. The Championship tournament included six games in eight days and beating three number one seeds and the tournament favorite twice, 73 – 68 on Tuesday and 47 – 45 on Sunday for the National Championship which proved that nothing less than excellence in preparation would have completed the task. On Sunday morning, I spoke to my team and quoted Psalm 91: “The arrow that flies will not harm us” (the team we beat is called the arrows) proved true, but not without difficulty and resolve. In a defensive struggle, we found ourselves down by nine points with four minutes to play in the first half. We had no rhythm and no answers, just fatigue and lifelessness. Then something happened, I have always told my team that God does not care who wins, He has no bets on the table and He scores points for no team. He gives common grace to all. But for those who listen to Him and trust Him, He can give wisdom when we ask. At the four minutes mark left in the first half, a rare occurrence happened. The rain outside decided to move horizontal and the indoor arena turned into a mist of rain that stopped the play (God gives rain and sunshine to all). As our opponent set in unbelief, I saw this occurrence as grace and took my team off the court and absolutely ripped each of them a new hole (Coaches, you know what I mean). I decided to put players on the court who either had not played to that point or who had played very little. Therefore, sitting my best players to finish the half. From that point on, we made a 9-0 run to finish the half and took the lead 20 seconds into the second half. The rest is history as we beat the tournament favorites to capture our university’s second National Title in five years. Life is interesting; the turning point in my opinion was not the rain that unbelievable stopped the game. It was in seeing the grace to start over that the rain provided. ?Life is about seeing with correct vision, listening with ears that hear the small voice of wisdom. God’s grace is given to all, but who has eyes to see and ears to hear, and who gives thanks in the midst of the storm.? That is the story of a Championship Journey that has begun a new journey to repeat in 2016, rain or no rain.
(by Stephen L. Metcalfe, UPH Eagles Basketball?s Coach) |
