THE
WILDCAT WAY
PLAYBOOK
VOLUME 2
THE WILDCAT WAY We honor CHRIST FIRST We expect the BEST from our teammates because we demand the BEST from ourselves We reject complacency and OUTWORK our opponents as we STRIVE for SUCCESS We compete with UNCOMPROMISING CHARACTER and INTEGRITY at all times We demonstrate an unwavering PURSUIT of EXCELLENCE We live THE WILDCAT WAY
TABLE OF CONTENTS FALL CHIP PEARSON
FALL 1
JOHN BRYAN
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TRACY LUTZ
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TREY NEWTON ’13
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CLARK BOUTWELL ’08
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WINTER MIKE GREINER WINTER 1 MIKE HEARON AND ANNA HEARON ’12
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GREG WILSON
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HALEY BARINOWSKI ’12
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ANNIE SPEESE ’11
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SPRING GEORGE ROBERTSON
SPRING 1
LAUREN (SNYDER) GEORGE ’08
SPRING 2
JOHN GRAHAM
SPRING 3
DAVID NEWTON ’13
SPRING 4
MIKE FREACE
SPRING 5
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We honor CHRIST FIRST. BY CHIP PEARSON We honor Christ first…in all that we do. James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” Whether you are a student, athlete, Christian, human…you will go through trials. Trials are inevitable on the field and off the field. They may be losing a tough game, missing the winning shot, having to endure extra running during camp, or not doing so well on a test, or even losing a friend. There will be adversity in your lifetime, and James’s teaching to “Consider it all joy” though isn’t easy when we are enduring something tough. When you look at the life of Job, he lost everything…literally. Within a matter of a short period of time he lost all of his livestock, he lost his house, all of his possessions, his kids, and then his health. When you stop to think about this, Job literally lost everything he had within a 24-hour period. His wife couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t curse God. Job’s response in Job 2:10 helps remind us of James’s teaching. “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” Job could have complained and turned his back on God but he didn’t. James finishes his statement in chapter 1 by saying, “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:4) What do we do during trials? How do we handle adversity? Do we honor Christ first by turning to Him during trials? Can the world see Christ in how we handle trials? The only way to achieve the perfect result is by turning to the only perfect One, Christ. Remember, adversity is inevitable and the adversity we endure defines our character but how we handle adversity reveals it. Does your character reveal Christ first?
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chip Pearson was an assistant football coach at Westminster from 2014 to 2017. After a successful playing career at Lakeside High School, he went on to play college football at East Tennessee State University.
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We expect the BEST from our teammates because we demand the BEST from ourselves. BY JOHN BRYAN Playing football was always a passion for me. I started in first grade on a YMCA team and played every year thereafter, including a brief stint in college. There was a time in my early high school days when I pictured myself being the star running back and breaking the school record for scoring. This dream was bolstered when I was awarded the “Best Back” trophy in my sophomore year. Sometimes dreams are interrupted with reality when we are challenged to do what is best for others, and in particular, what’s best for the team. I’ll never forget the conversation I had prior to my junior year with Coach Conley when he told me he needed me to change positions and become a lineman. He said, “John, we’re a small team this year, and I want you to gain weight and help block for the others.” I was devastated, but devoted. I gained weight, worked out harder than ever, and made the transition. I’d never played center or linebacker before, but I learned. We had been undefeated in my two seasons of Junior Varsity and had only lost two games my junior year. Then came the season of my senior year. We went into the season with the Atlanta Journal calling us “The Little Lions.” Actually, I became the heaviest starter on the team at 197 pounds, after gaining 20 pounds! We were small but fast and in good physical shape after running, wrestling, lifting weights, and eating in the off-season and throughout the summer. Everything just seemed to gel because we knew we had to work hard to make any advance over our larger opponents. The disappointment I had experienced when I was shifted from being a star fullback to becoming a center became an opportunity for God to show me more of what was best for the team, and ultimately, what was best for me. Our lineman coach proudly called us “His Hogs” as he barked daily orders that pushed us as a team beyond what might have become a mediocre season. We were undefeated state champs.
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Much of what I learned on the playing fields has carried over to life. Jesus said it best in Matthew 20:28, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…” It’s not about me or my expectations that will make the greatest impact and leave a lasting impression. It’s discovering what is best for the whole, the world around me, my sphere of influence, my teammates. Service for Christ and His Kingdom demands selflessness and a willingness to abort selfishness. I’m still learning. How about you?
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. John Bryan is the father of Athletic Director Andrew Bryan and grandfather of Lilly (Westminster Class of 2024) and Sarah Beth (Westminster Class of 2022). He grew up in Atlanta, attended a private Christian school for 10 years, and had the privilege of winning two separate state championships during his senior year as a member of the football and track teams. He played football at Wofford College and is now a pastor and missionary who has served across Georgia and in Augusta for many years.
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We reject complacency and OUTWORK our opponents as we STRIVE FOR SUCCESS. BY TRACY LUTZ Do you remember when you first learned to ride a bike, started to read, or, more recently, figured out factoring? In all of these cases, a task which began as a huge challenge became effortless. “We strive for success.” Striving is to make great efforts to achieve or obtain something. What does striving look like? It is pushing ourselves beyond what is comfortable (beyond complacency). It involves a struggle or strain. This is necessary if we are to grow as an athlete and in our relationship with Christ. The Bible speaks to this several places. Take for example 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 which says, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. . .” Another example is Philippians 3:13b-14 which says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” A third example is Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us . . .” Striving implies a sustained or repeated attempt to overcome obstacles. That is exactly what we did when we learned to ride a bike, read, or factor polynomials. There are two types of obstacles: those that can be moved and those that cannot. The ones that can be moved are the ones spoken of in Hebrews 12:12, ”let us throw off everything that hinders . . .” From one standpoint, the athlete can do this fairly easily. If there is any extra weight or anything that is hindering our ability to move, we “throw it off.” The second type of obstacle is the one that can’t be moved such as the weather, mastering a skill, strong opponents, or a hill on a cross country course. The Bible encourages us in this area with words like “press on” and “persevere”. We must strive, understanding the obstacle and training our bodies, to overcome it in such a way that we don’t even consider it an obstacle anymore. One of the best examples of this is the 100 meter hurdle race. For most of us, hurdles are exactly that - something that is in our way and slows us down. But when you watch Olympic hurdlers, they have strived and trained so that the physical hurdles do not even appear to be an obstacle for them.
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The same principle is demonstrated in the story of a child and a butterfly. As a child watched a butterfly struggling to be free from the cocoon, he decided to help by cutting a slit. Much to his dismay, the butterfly was unable to fly and even survive. What the child didn’t realize was that the act of striving to be free, the actual struggle, was what strengthens the wings. If we do not “strive for success,” we will not grow. There are countless examples of athletes who strive, pushing themselves well beyond complacency and outworking their opponents. One strong example is Wilma Rudolph who was an Olympic 100 and 200 meter runner with major obstacles to overcome. Rudolph was born with polio and spent many years in leg braces. Not only did she have physical obstacles, she was competing at the peak of the civil rights movement, making any type of advancement challenging for her as an African American woman. Rudolph understood striving. “Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.” She overcame her obstacles and became the first American woman to win three gold medals in the Olympics. As you are in your athletic season, what obstacles are you (individually and as a team) seeking to overcome? How are you doing this? In your spiritual life, what is standing in the way of your growth? What are some obstacles that may need to be removed? What are you doing to strive to overcome the ones that can’t be removed?
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tracy Lutz is the Middle School principal at Westminster. Her husband Ryan ’89 is an alum and teaches Upper School English. They have three children who currently attend Westminster. Tracy was a three-time state champion in high school before attending Duke University where she competed on the cross country and track teams and was named “All-American.” After graduating in 1993, Tracy coached and taught at Westminster for four years. She then left and returned in 2010. In addition to being principal, she coaches the Middle School Cross Country team.
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We compete with UNCOMPROMISING CHARACTER and INTEGRITY at all times. BY TREY NEWTON ’13 My career in athletics has provided me with some fantastic benefits: countless hours of enjoyment, physical fitness, lifelong friends, and lessons about life, work, and relationships. However, no one warned me that I would catch the incredibly contagious condition known as competitiveness. Absolutely everything became a contest and, honestly, that’s not a bad thing. I don’t think God created competition to be contained within some painted lines on a field or court. After your final buzzer or whistle, competition will continue to manifest itself in all sorts of ways. It may be the desire to carry every single grocery bag at once or to get a higher grade than that certain kid in your freshmen seminar or to stare at the microwave to stop it exactly one second before the buzzer. But on a more serious note, the rest of your life will be a fierce competition against complacency, injustice, pride, temptation, hardship, and much more. We must compete, whether on the field or off, with uncompromising character and integrity. Competition exploding into every area of our lives also means that our calling/mission as Christian athletes should be extended just as broadly. When looking at this statement, “We compete with UNCOMPROMISING CHARACTER and INTEGRITY at all times,” it is all too easy, even natural, to only focus on the capitalized words and ignore those three, small words at the very end: at all times. It’s only logical to next ask ourselves, “why?” Well, I can think of two reasons. The first is simple, as Christians we are specifically charged with bringing glory to God in everything we do. It is hard to believe anything that lacks both character and integrity can accomplish such. 1 Corinthians 10:31 echoes this idea when it says, “so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” If that’s not enough there is a second reason that directly relates to sports. God has engineered nature so that working with uncompromising character and integrity in areas of our lives will overflow to others. We see this in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Doing good is competing with uncompromising character and integrity at all times. The Bible is full of examples. Joseph, though once a servant and even a prisoner, rose to become the second most powerful man in Egypt because
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he competed with character and integrity despite difficult circumstances and temptations. A more direct example to athletics is when Jacob wrestled with God so relentlessly that God blessed him. Do not be mistaken. Competing with character and integrity is not soft or complacent. It is intense and relentless, but fair and reflective of the source of our gifts. In my opinion, Tim Duncan is one of the greatest athletes ever, because long before fans ever mention his generational talent or fistful of championship rings, they first praise his humility, respect, and integrity. While he has not been perfect and would have been a great player without those qualities, it is impossible to ignore that his humility, respect, and integrity propelled him to basketball immortality and a practically untainted legacy. The inverse is also true. Compromising character and integrity in one area of our lives can compromise others, even athletics. The history of sports is littered with elite athletes who’s potentially transcendent careers have fallen short because they failed to live and compete with integrity at all times. Iconic athletes such as Tiger Woods, Magic Johnson, Lance Armstrong, and even one as recent as Johnny Manziel have all failed to reach their full potential because they compromised some area of their lives, whether that be in their relationships, or self-control issues, or just cheating in the sport itself. The Bible again gives us more examples: Even great patriarchs of the faith, like Moses and King David, suffered consequences in multiple facets of their lives after they comprised their character and integrity. Galatians 6:9 assures us that if we continue to do good we absolutely will reap a harvest. This harvest may involve athletics, but it more than likely will not. While the verse does not specify what the harvest actually is, when we will receive it, or even IF we will receive it in this lifetime, God himself guarantees it will come if we do not become weary of competing with integrity and character in all areas of our lives.
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Trey Newton is a member of the Class of 2013. While at Westminster, he played soccer and football. He earned All- Region honors in both sports. After leaving Westminster, he played football at Berry College.
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We demonstrate an unwavering PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE. BY CLARK BOUTWELL ’08 One thing I am so grateful for from my experience at Westminster is the fact that a pursuit of excellence was instilled in me from an early age. Whether in the classroom, on the soccer field or basketball court, at a service day project, or in my walk with the Lord, we were always held to a high standard. This life lesson served me well in college and in my first jobs and continues to benefit me in all areas of my life today. However, as I get older and my decisions hold more weight, the more I want to ask, “why?” As little kids, I think we ask the question of “why?” to everything. Anytime our parents or teachers or babysitters told us to do something or explained something to us, our curiosity and innocence led us to inquire the reason behind things. Yet, when we lose that childhood innocence, we stop asking why and just do because we are told or it is expected of us. Have you ever stopped to think why the Wildat Way includes demonstrating an unwavering pursuit of excellence? Unfortunately, that “pursuit of excellence, taught from a pure motive, was often twisted by me through my own sin and perfectionism to feed my pride. I began to pursue excellence for praise from others and because I found my identity in that high GPA and that state championship. Thankfully, as I have grown older, the Lord has led me on a journey back to the childhood question of discovering the true answer to “why should I pursue excellence?” It’s not for accolades, for my identity, or anything else. I want to demonstrate an unwavering pursuit of excellence because CHRIST IS WORTHY. He is worthy of my best. He is worthy of every minute spent training, every ounce of concentration spent studying, and every moment spent investing in a relationship with Him. Why is he worthy? I often turn back to a passage in Revelation 5. It’s this passage that describes a vision John has looking into heaven; John begins weeping because God the Father deems no one worthy to open a scroll with seven seals. But then MIC DROP. I could just imagine. A hush goes over the entire throne room. Everyone is looking to the door. In walks Jesus, yet not
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as a man but as a lamb that was standing, even though He had been slain. Everyone in the heavenly host falls down to worship and they sing this song, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, For you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to God, and they shall reign on the earth … Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” He is worthy because He was slain yet ransomed His people; He is worthy because of the CROSS. The simple but profound act of the incarnation, becoming God with skin on, living among us a perfect life, dying in our place, rising again, and reigning on high all done with each of us specifically in mind. No greater sacrifice has ever graced humanity. Can you stop to think about that? Someone who did that for us. WHAT IS HE NOT WORTHY OF? So, as a student at Westminster Schools of Augusta in the twenty-first century, I pray that the phrase “HE IS WORTHY” will resound in your head throughout your days so that excellence will exude in all you do. To God be the Glory.
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Clark Boutwell ’08 played Varsity soccer and basketball at Westminster and loved being a part of the athletic program. While captain of the girls soccer team during her senior year, she grew under the leadership of Mike Freace as he challenged her in leadership as well as her walk with the Lord. Many of those lessons carried over into her college experience, into her first job as a high school coach, and now in her role as associate area director for Young Life.
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We honor CHRIST FIRST. BY MIKE GREINER On January 24, 2018 my dad went to be home with the Lord after 80 years on this earth. Thanks for allowing me to share what his legacy of honoring Christ first has meant to me personally as a father, husband, and coach. The word legacy is defined as anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor. A legacy can have either a temporary or an eternal value. The legacy my father left for my family and me is an eternal one. I did not grow up in a Christian home. My dad was a successful high school football coach and was not living for the Lord. We only went to church on Christmas and Easter and had one Bible, which was packed away in the attic. I believe that football was an idol for him, and all I can remember is my dad going to football clinics, scouting his opponents, and watching film. I can remember going to Saturday afternoon high school football games and as a young boy riding the team bus with the players and coaches. My dad and my mom went to or hosted parties with friends and coaches to celebrate my dad’s football wins. As I remember it, these parties usually involved too much alcohol. Due to our financial situation, I cannot recall doing a whole lot together as a family. What changed my family’s life forever happened on a spring morning in 1971 when my dad woke up feeling empty, depressed, and unfulfilled. His football team had finished their previous fall season with a 34-game winning streak. My dad received numerous coaching awards, and I even remember a sign that read, “Greiner for mayor.” He knew there was a God, but did not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As he was lying in bed that morning, he noticed the wind blowing the trees on the side of our house. He said, “God if you are real, make those trees stop blowing.” At that moment the trees stood still, he accepted Christ, and the Holy Spirit filled his heart. He began to weep and instantly became a new creation. It’s ironic that they lost the first game after his conversion and their winning streak was over. I witnessed many changes in my dad that I will never forget. We started to attend church and I noticed him reading the Bible and asking many questions. Many of the answers came through literature that he received from the Billy Graham ministry. He would literally chase my mom around the house wanting to share the Good News. It was an amazing transformation. As a family, we dumped an entire closet of alcohol down the kitchen sink. No
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more drinking parties and no more drinking buddies. His so-called friends did not come around anymore. He eventually started an FCA Huddle for high school students and in a short amount of time, there were over 100 in attendance. He wanted us all to experience this drastic change. It says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” Without question, I literally had a new dad. My dad’s decision that spring morning to honor Christ has affected my whole family to this day. I became a believer in Christ not long after, not because of what my dad said to me, but how he lived. My mom, brother, sister, and all of our spouses and children know Christ as their personal Savior. All because of one decision, that has affected three generations. My dad was a huge influence on my life and taught me how to be a Christ honoring father, husband, and coach. Although I have fallen short many times, he directed me to the perfect standard, Jesus. He taught me that my number one mission field is my family and to put Christ first in everything. He was completely devoted and passionate about the Word of God. Whenever I would ask him for advice, he would always direct me to a scripture verse. On April 12, 2018, just about three months after my dad’s passing, I visited his gravesite and peered at the marker that had recently been put on his grave. All I could think about was his legacy, not as a successful football coach, but as true follower of Jesus Christ. I took a picture and sent it to my family with the following words: “Continue Pop’s legacy and be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” My dad’s final words to us all.
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Coach Greiner played football at Clarion University in Pennsylvania and went on to teach and coach football in New Jersey for 25 years before coming to Westminster in 2008. He recently retired from teaching at Westminster, however will remain on the football coaching staff.
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We expect the BEST from our teammates because we demand the BEST from ourselves. BY MIKE HEARON AND ANNA HEARON ’12 Ephesians 6: 2-4 says, “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Anna: Playing sports at Westminster (basketball, soccer, cheerleading) allowed me to develop some friendships that will go with me for the rest of my life. What I learned about teamwork, respect, trust, and commitment have been invaluable. As I think about these characteristics, I realize that here are some other people who have invested a lot in my success and happiness. There are no people who want THE BEST for you more than your parents. I know throughout school you are going to want to try new things and be your own person, but fight to not dismiss your parents’ influence in your life. It’s good to try new things, but don’t shut your family out. You need them and they need you. God has given us our parents to share the fight through this life. We should want the same kind of relationship with our teammates, centered around love, respect, and commitment. Be committed to each other like your parents are committed to you. These types of relationships teach us about God’s love and commitment to us. Mike: There is no greater teammate relationship than children and parents. If you ignored or marginalized one of your teammates you would not only be hurting your team, but you would be limiting your own performance also. No one loves you more or knows you better than your parents. High school is a time to discover your own sense of God’s calling in your life. Don’t shut your parents out but invite them in to your journey. At times parents can be overbearing and unreasonable. That’s why Ephesians verse 4 warns parents not to place unrealistic expectations on their children. Ultimately
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part of middle an d high school is learning how to develop a partnership with your most important teammates: your parents and your family. Don’t ever minimize the blessing and joy of sharing your life, both your joys and your struggles, with your family, who are your permanent teammates. Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for your great love and commitment to me, displayed through the sending of your son to die for me and restore my place in your loving family. Help me to appreciate my teammates and coaches as part of my school family, and help me to be grateful for my earthly family, especially my parents, who you have given me to teach me more about your love. In Jesus Name, Amen
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY
ABOUT THE AUTHORS Anna Hearon ’12 attended Westminster from Kindergarten through grade 12. At Westminster, she was a three-sport athlete (cheer, basketball, and, soccer) and was named Female Athlete of the Year in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Mike Hearon and his wife Sandra are the parents of four Westminster alumni. He is a long-time supporter of Westminster athletics, serving as football, basketball, and baseball coach over many years. He also helped to start Westminer’s football program. Mike Hearon is a pastor at First Presbyterian Church.
We reject complacency and OUTWORK our opponents as we STRIVE FOR SUCCESS. BY GREG WILSON What is the purpose of a coach? In 27 years of coaching, I’ve heard many responses to this question, but it seems to me the best one has been borrowed from Tom Landry, former head coach for the Dallas Cowboys, who said a coach is someone who can “help a group of individuals get to a level that they could not have achieved on their own.” If this purpose statement is true about coaching, surely coaches must recognize that one of their numerous responsibilities is to identify factors that would impede their athletes’ ability to achieve their best work on the playing fields and courts of competition. At Westminster, the rigorous academics are one of the school’s most recognizable and indelible traits. It would be difficult to deny the academic preparatory advantages of attending Westminster, especially when it comes to one’s desire to fulfill academic potential as a high-achieving student on the college level. Along with those challenges come factors that can sometimes trip up or deny student-athletes their best performance when it comes to the world of athletics. While most Westminster students tend to go on and have numerous academic experiences after high school, current national statistics indicate that only about 7% of high school athletes retain “student-athlete” as a title by competing in sports on the college level. Nationally, this means for 93% of high school students, their exposure to athletics in high school is often the only competitive athletic experience they will ever encounter. As Westminster coaches and student-athletes, one of our core beliefs in athletics is that we believe in rejecting complacency. Google defines complacency as “a feeling of smug satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements.” Simply put, it is a lack of desire to change the current situation. If a student-athlete at Westminster is satisfied with the status quo, or better put, the current situation as it exists, this student-athlete can knowingly or unknowingly become an obstacle to his/her team fulfilling its potential. Oddly, this challenge exists in both the classroom and on the playing fields of competition. As coaches, it is our job to assist our student-athletes with
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their rejection of complacency by utilizing strategies that address the root of why the student-athlete has become complacent once this situation has been identified. God’s word speaks often of competing for the sake of a prize. In 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, the Apostle Paul finishes this ninth chapter as he exhorts the church in Corinth, “Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat by body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” This is only one among many references to athletic competition that God’s word uses to paint a picture of taking all competition seriously and attests to giving 100 percent effort 100 percent of the time. No one would argue that, as human beings, it is easier and perhaps even more natural to accept our current situation as it is and either limit or eliminate altogether any humanistic efforts to change it. However, no true competitor would argue that it is inherent upon all student-athletes to seek ways to improve themselves, not just for the sake of self-improvement, but for bolstering his/her team and improving their performance as a group in the arena of competition. With that said, it’s my hope that each of you seek to compete hard, reject complacency, and outwork your opponent today and every day.
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Greg Wilson is the metro director at Greater Augusta Fellowship of Christian Athletes. An Augusta native, Wilson has coached the Lady Wildcats Varsity Basketball program at Westminster since 2010. Over the span of his 27-year coaching career, Wilson has coached at the middle school, high school, junior college, and four-year NCAA collegiate levels. Coach Wilson is the father of two Westminster alumni.
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We compete with UNCOMPROMISING CHARACTER and INTEGRITY at all times. BY HALEY BARINOWSKI ’12 When I played basketball at Westminster, we had one infamous conditioning exercise called the “sideline 16.” Just like it sounds, we had to run 16 widths of the basketball court in a certain time frame, and if just one team member didn’t finish in time, the whole team had to run another one. One practice, we had to run five of them, and needless to say, I still remember it to this day. We may still laugh about how hard that practice was, but ultimately that’s the nature of sports. We put ourselves through hard things because we know there’s a reward on the other side. Not many people would gladly run sideline 16’s if they knew that all their hard work would lead to a bad result -- for us, we ran sideline 16’s because we wanted to beat Augusta Prep again, and we were hoping to earn a good seed in the region tournament, and we thought that we had a shot to make it to State. As athletes, we easily get into the mindset of working hard for a good result, and who can blame us? People would probably think we were crazy if we consciously chose to do extra conditioning, knowing it meant we would lose in the first round of the playoffs. But that’s exactly where Joseph found himself in Genesis 39. After already having been sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph found himself living in his boss’ house and constantly being tempted by his boss’ wife, who wanted to be unfaithful to her husband. He turned her down over and over, and eventually when he literally ran out of the house to avoid the situation, she twisted the story and accused him of trying to take advantage of her. Because his boss believed his wife, he put Joseph in jail and forgot about him for two years. Just like athletes, Joseph was faced with the choice to do something hard but in his case, he had no guarantee that it would go well, and he probably knew that it wouldn’t. It takes one kind of strength to push through something hard when you know there’s a good result on the other side. It takes the next level of strength to choose to do something hard when you know it will hurt you.
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Although we are faced with the first choice every day at practice and are used to pushing through things like conditioning, we may not realize that athletes are faced with the second choice all the time too. Are we willing to tell the ref that we touched the ball last, before it went out of bounds, if it means the other team will get the ball on a crucial possession? Are we willing to own that we didn’t touch the base, if it means we lose instead of going to extra innings? Do we choose what is right when the result could be bad? Do we trust the Lord enough to do what He says even when we don’t know how it will turn out for us? He has proved His love and His power to us over and over again. Just the fact that He sent His Son to die for us proves that following Him is worth whatever it takes. Are we strong enough to be uncompromising?
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Haley Barinowski ’12 was a thirteen-year student at Westminster, attending in grades Pre-K through 12. She participated in cheerleading, basketball and soccer and was a member of the 2009 and 2012 Varsity Girls Soccer State Championship teams and the 2012 Varsity Girls Basketball Final Four team.
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We demonstrate an unwavering PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE. BY ANNIE SPEESE ’11 What motivates us to pursue excellence? “Christ’s love compels us…” —2 Corinthians 5:14 Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to give your best in something you are passionate about? or How much extra time you are willing to spend on something you love and enjoy doing? Love and passion are pretty strong motivators. The question is, what do you love? When I was growing up, I remember spending countless hours out on the soccer field, in my yard, in my driveway, or anywhere really—as long as I had a ball and some space I was happy. I would get lost in my pursuit of excellence. I wanted to be the best. Something in me came alive when I had a ball at my feet. I loved soccer. I loved playing, I loved being out on the field always trying to outsmart my opponent, and I loved to create. I wanted to be perfect so I never stopped working—my touch could always be better, I could always improve my free kicks, and I could always become more comfortable on the ball. I was unwavering in my pursuit to achieve excellence in soccer because I loved it. But when I got to college, the noise of the crowd under the Friday night lights became pretty distracting. I started to be more and more concerned with what those strangers in the stadium thought of me. Was I good enough for them? Would they be impressed by me? Could I perform at a level worthy of their applause? Somewhere along the way, I exchanged my simple love for the game for love of the applause and approval of man. I believe we all have an innate desire to be excellent. We were made in the image of a God who is capable of nothing less than excellence. In Genesis, God put His hand to work. He spoke the world into being, He created, and “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). He created us in His image, and then charged us to rule and subdue the earth. He gave us the raw materials and then invited us to participate in his work so that we, the imago Dei, in all of our creative endeavors, could reflect the Creator. And all that He did was VERY GOOD. He set the standard before us— we were meant to pursue excellence in all things we put our hands to just as He demonstrated in His creative work, and we were meant to find joy in this pursuit. Pursuing excellence was God’s idea.
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The problem is we fall short of God’s standard of excellence. We were meant to reflect Him—to glorify God, and to keep our eyes fastened on Him in love, as our model and our standard. But somewhere along the way, we stop looking at Him and we start seeking our own glory. Or we start working to prove something to others and to be approved and applauded by the world. We stop caring about making Him known and become obsessed with making a name for ourselves. This is human nature. This is the result of sin. Our hearts are given over to other loves and our passion is not for God. We forget our FIRST LOVE in our distracted pursuit of the world’s definition of excellence. As Christians, Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, “Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” Love is a powerful motivator. When we encounter the love of Christ, we no longer need to live for ourselves in a desperate attempt to find love in other places. We can rest securely as his beloved. We are freed to pursue excellence as he intended for us in the beginning.
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Annie Speese ’11 played soccer and basketball at Westminster and was a four-time All-State soccer player. She was named Female Athlete of the Year in both 2008-09 and 2009-10 and was the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Augusta Chronicle All-Area Girls Player of the Year. Annie went on to play soccer for four years at the University of Florida after graduating from Westminster.
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We honor CHRIST FIRST. BY GEORGE ROBERTSON Jesus Loves Me, This I Know Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. —John 12:26 A young boy once had a profound impact on me in his stand for Christ in middle school, the same time in my life I came to Christ. My best friend Andrew was my first Bible, effectively. He knew the Bible well because he’d been taught it very faithfully by his dad, who was a pastor. He’d been taught the truths of the Bible using the Westminster Shorter Catechism. He’d been given a theological construct by which he could put the Bible to practice and so think and act in a Christian way in every circumstance. As a young believer, I just locked my eyes on Andrew and did what he did. We joined the basketball team together at a very small Christian school. So small that when we went on away trips, we stayed in people’s houses, because we couldn’t afford hotels. Very unwisely, during our first away game, they put the middle schoolers with the high schoolers in one house in the same room. We spread our sleeping bags on the floor, and after the chaperones went to sleep, the high schoolers (juniors and seniors) got up and brought out their “dirty books” and started looking at them. Not only did they look at them, they singled out other kids who didn’t want to, and tried to force them to look. Most of them looked just to get the older boys to leave them alone. I had the gift of playing possum, so I went into an amazingly “deep sleep” from which they couldn’t rouse me. I was next to my best friend Andrew, and they singled him out in particular because they knew he was an outspoken Christian. All night long they shoved those books in his face and tried to make him look. However, Andrew clinched his eyes shut and refused and pushed them away. Finally, he yelled, “I’m gonna spit on them if you don’t take them away!” Eventually they left him alone but made fun of him the rest of the night. I was terrified. The next day, we got on the bus to go to the game, and these same boys circled around Andrew and began to jeer him again. They asked him why he
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wouldn’t look. Andrew said, “because I’m a Christian.” They didn’t buy it. “We’re Christians, too” they said, “we walk the aisle every time there’s an altar call. That’s not it. Why wouldn’t you look?” Andrew said, “because Jesus loves me, and I love him. And he doesn’t want me to look at those books.” For the next hour, he explained to them what he meant. Andrew shared the gospel with them! Later on, I pulled him aside and asked him how in the world he had the courage to stand up to them as he did. “I didn’t have any courage,” he said “I just made my choice that I wasn’t going to look, because I love Jesus and I know he loves me. I was terrified, but I knew they couldn’t make me do it.” This was almost 40 years ago, but that middle schooler’s stand for Christ in the power of the Spirit still makes an impact on me. It’s what the Spirit can do through someone who makes Jesus first in his or her life by remembering the love which took him all the way to the cross.
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. George Robertson is the father of three Westminster graduates and a strong supporter of Westminster athletics. Dr. Robertson served as the senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia before his current position as the senior pastor at Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee. He is also a council member for The Gospel Coalition.
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We expect the BEST from our teammates because we demand the BEST from ourselves. BY LAUREN SNYDER GEORGE ’08 “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.” —1 Corinthians 15:9-11 It feels like it was just yesterday that I was at Westminster running sprints in the gym (without air conditioning), practicing countless free throw shots, and dribbling on the soccer field. Hard work is inseparable from sports. It is nearly impossible to be successful as an athlete without putting in countless hours of practice, fine tuning your skills and talents. The above passage from 1 Corinthians 15 was my go-to verse during my years of playing soccer at Presbyterian College. During our summer breaks our coach expected us to be diligent in our conditioning program. But I thought summer break was a time for fun in the sun and relaxation? Well, yes it may be that too. However, God reminded me that I had a commitment to my coach and teammates even during the off season. I would be lying if I said the temptation to skip out on the summer fitness and conditioning was easy to overcome. It is only by God’s grace that I was able to follow through with my commitment to my coach and my team those summers throughout my career as a college athlete. “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.” Even when we are legitimately tired, overwhelmed, or discouraged, God gives us the grace we need to give him and others our best. As Christians, we all have the opportunity to showcase the grace of our God to a watching world. In athletics, this means outworking everyone in the practice of our sport and in the development of our character. Only when we expect the best from ourselves do we have the right to expect the best from our teammates. The important thing to remember, however, is that we should not be motivated by pride in ourselves or pride in our accomplishments.
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In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul begins by reminding us that he is “the least of the apostles.” The words he is about to speak are spoken in humility. Again, he says, “I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” He admits that grace alone enabled him to accomplish his work. The same is true of us. Our good work and our hard work are all the result of God’s grace towards us. John 15:5 says, “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” Let us remember that Christ is ultimately to whom we work, and how we are able to work hard. We expect the best from ourselves and our teammates not because we are worthy, but because He is worthy.
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lauren Snyder George ’08 played basketball and soccer during her time at Westminster and was named All-State in both sports. She is a threetime Female Athlete of the Year, winning the award in 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08. Lauren holds the school-record for all-time leading scorer in basketball. After she graduated from Westminster, she went on to play soccer at Presbyterian College.
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We reject complacency and OUTWORK our opponents as we STRIVE FOR SUCCESS. BY JOHN GRAHAM Throughout our lives as athletes and human beings there will be times where we will fall short or figure our best is good enough to be successful. However, in the big scheme of things this mood of self-satisfaction (complacency) allows for a window of opportunity for our opponents. Winning and success are always achievable in all facets of life, but we must be focused and willing to go the extra mile. We must never allow ourselves to be blinded by today’s glory, when striving for success is an endless process. In life we will achieve great success and failure. Success leaves us with a great feeling of accomplishment and pride. Failure provides a crushing blow to one’s ego. It is the job of leaders or coaches to help teach people and athletes how to come back from these failures. Also, it is more important that leaders do not allow complacency to cloud their people’s vision from opportunities of greater success. My junior year in high school brings about fond memories that remind me of the many moments of success that I had achieved in the classroom and on the baseball field. I would have to say the athletic success is what stands out more profoundly. In that season I could do no wrong, especially at the plate, hitting over .400 and leading the team in every offensive category. In my mind I was unstoppable and the local media added even more fire to my growing legend. The highlight of the season was being named Allregion, All-Area, and voted one of the best sixty-four players in the state of South Carolina. Although I probably needed to be humbled, in my mind there was nothing that could knock me off this path of success. However, I did not work hard at continuing to be a great athlete, but rather I continued to ride this wave. Over the summer while playing summer league baseball, I kind of meandered around the field not giving 100% because I was stuck in the now. I was satisfied with my present success which blocked my focus in being committed in my preparation and determination to do better than my best. This lack of focus became reality as my senior season was not up to par and everything that I had accomplished the year before was cast away. I was
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being beat by opposing pitchers that I had crushed the previous season. Ultimately, the team suffered, because I was a vital component that was severely under-performing. Why? Complacency. I had failed my team and myself because I lacked work ethic and let past success dictate the future. This story paints a picture of how complacency and the absences of hard work can lead to failure. Leaders and coaches have to impress upon their people and players that they have to live a life of toil. If the vision is clear and focused, the amount of success one achieves can be unmeasurable. Kobe Bryant once said, “We can always be kind of average and just do what’s normal. I’m not in this to do what’s normal.” Bryant is known as one of the hardest working athletes and achieved great success in a long NBA career, because he never revelled in today’s success when tomorrow was another day. The amount of success we achieve, be it in the classroom, on the field, or in whatever chosen career field, is going to be determined by our willingness to be better than our best. Even though we all set out on a path to strive for greatness, as people or a team, we must know that Christ is how and why we have these opportunities. Remember that complacency is not an option, and Christ gives us the strength to overcome. Check out Proverbs 1:32: “For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.” Do not let complacency be the downfall on your path to being successful.
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY ABOUT THE AUTHOR John Graham is the head coach for the Varsity Baseball team at Westminster. After a stellar high school playing career at North Augusta High School, Coach Graham went on to play college baseball at Augusta University and then played semi-pro baseball with the Lincoln Saltdogs in Nebraska. Before coaching at Westminster, he coached at Richmond Academy in Augusta.
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We compete with UNCOMPROMISING CHARACTER and INTEGRITY at all times. BY DAVID NEWTON ’13 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters…” Have you ever experienced the sensation of thirst? The answer is certainly yes. In fact, athletes routinely push themselves to this point. It is easy to underappreciated the necessity of water until you have experienced separation from it. When King David was cut off by his enemies, it was written, “David said longingly, ‘Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate’” (2 Samuel 23:15). Have you ever longed for a drink in this way? Think back to that summer workout in July, those sprints at the end of practice, the drill you repeated until perfection had been achieved. Was there anything in that moment more desirable than the cold, refreshing water awaiting you on the bench? Could anything have welcomed you into rest better than a drink from the fountain? Jesus understands this need too, and he uses it to teach us several lessons about how we are to relate to Him. First, the sensation of thirst recognizes a need outside of ourselves. We have a deep need for purpose and acceptance, but we mistakenly search for it in this world. Whether it be a certain college admission, admiration from your peers, or success on the field, we look to our own efforts to meet this need. God knows this about us, asking, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?”(Isaiah 55:2). When you aren’t thirsty, you have a laundry list of things to accomplish. But in the moments of extreme physical thirst, we seek only one thing: life-giving water. At peak exhaustion, we are in the best position to realize a need we cannot supply. Second, thirst points us to a true solution. Jesus tells the woman at the well, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water’” (John 4:10). Jesus desires to meet our need for Him. Listen to His words as He welcomes you forward, saying “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters” (Isaiah 55:1). “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37).
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Lastly, thirst fixates our gaze on the only thing that can satisfy our desire. It is here that temptation resurfaces, calling us to compromise. “Oh all you need is Jesus and this one other thing. Then you will be satisfied.” Reject this lie, and pray over the words of the psalmist, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1-2). His grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9); cast aside all else and look to Jesus as your source of living water. Because Jesus is our living water and all we truly need we should honor him today by doing everything, even competing in athletics, with character and integrity at all times.
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Newton ’13 played soccer and football while he was at Westminster. He was named All-State in soccer two times.
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We demonstrate an unwavering PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE. BY MIKE FREACE “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master... For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” —Matthew 24:14-30 Growing up as an athlete, I continuously compared myself to others. In the athletic arena, this is the norm. When talking about excellence in athletics, we always seem to migrate towards talent and performance. Great talent or performance = excellence. As a young athlete, I would base my identity and importance on my ability to perform. If I played a great game and made a great play, then I was an excellent player for that game. That was backed up by my peers’ interest in me and the attention that came from the performance. Looking back now, I could not have been more wrong. In my college years, the Lord brought Matthew 24 into my life. Being an athlete, it is fitting that a parable, a simple story, was something I was able to grab onto. It rocked my worldview and challenged all that I thought important. It challenged my idea of identity and excellence. I had to look at the story and figure out how exactly this ideas of talents (monetary units) related to me spiritually. Little did I know that it was simpler than I thought. Talents (monetary units) in the story, could easily be translated in talents (gifts, abilities) in real life. I encourage you to read the entire story in Matthew 24. However, what became clear to me was that EVERY individual is different and has been gifted with ‘talents’ that are God given. It is not the specifics of those talents that make people excellent. It is what people use those talents for in the kingdom of God that leads to excellence. You see, God’s measuring stick for excellence in our lives, is what we do with what He has given us. Do we invest it to the best of our ability? Or do we hide it? Are we risky in putting ourselves and what God has given us out there? Or are we conservative with God’s gifts? In reading this parable, I believe that God’s message to us is clear. What God has given us, we should wholeheartedly invest in furthering His kingdom. We should invest it not for ourselves, but for Him and others. We should take calculated risks in using what He has gifted us. Here are three simple points to take away from this passage. 1. We must use the talent that we have been given. It is how we best leave a legacy, impact others, pursue excellence. 2. We are given talents to take risks for the kingdom, not to play it safe. 3. We use and invest them for someone else, not ourselves.
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I had an assistant coach who shared an analogy with me about God, talents and expectations. He told me that someday we would all stand before our Lord and Savior. He simply asked me “how are you going to show up at the gates? Are you going to be dirty and grubby, bandaged up, tattered and disheveled? Or are you going to be pristine, put together, in your best dressed?” His hope was the former. The goal is to use our gifts to such an extent that we show up having used them to best of our abilities. We have been through the war and used our gifts to make an impact. We have used our gifts on this earth so much and so hard, that people see it. At the end of a game, would you rather have your uniform dirty and grubby because you were so involved and worked so hard, or nice and neat because you were just happy to be part of the team? Do you use your talents every day to make a positive impact for God, your family, our school and teams to such a degree, that people can see the stains, blood, tears and effort all over your uniform? My hope has been that the athletes that were part of our program, would know that they have very specific gifts given by God. My hope has been that they embrace those gifts and realize in a team setting they are all equally important. A team is strongest when each individual is investing their gifts . . . that is what drives them to excellence. My hope has been that they will take calculated risks to impact others around them through those gifts. Their identity is not based on the worlds definition of excellence. Who they are is based on God’s definition, and how each individual invests the gifts given to them. Show up at the pearly gates with cuts, bruises, sweat and blood stains, and tear lines on your face. Until then, live every day using your gifts to such a degree that you leave nothing to doubt.
WE LIVE THE WILDCAT WAY ABOUT THE AUTHOR Coach Freace filled many roles at Westminster – teacher, director of student life, athletic director, dean of students, upper school principal – but the role that remained consistent was soccer coach. During his 17 year tenure, he won 24 region championships (with both girls and boys teams) and nine state championships. He was inducted into the Westminster Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018. Coach Freace also played soccer at Houghton College and coached at Roberts Wesleyan College.
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