But I know Him

John 8:29 "But I know Him"

My question for athletes is: Do you know the Lord?

Not, do you know of the Lord.

Not, do you know the words of the Lord.

Not, have you heard of the Lord.

Do you know the Lord?

Jesus tells us, in Matthew 11:29, "learn of me". 

Have you taken the time to learn of Jesus?

Vanity of vanities, all is vanity is what Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes. All the trophies, awards, scholarships, championships, wins, losses, money, fame, and recognition - its all vanity. 

What is not vanity is learning how you can use your game to lift up Jesus to the lost, encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ, and glorify God. 

This is your responsibility, and it can only be done if you know Him. 

So.....

Do you know Him?

CJ Pomeroy

Develop Mental Toughness

Being Mentally-Tough is key if you are going to become the best at what you do. There are going to be days where you must keep going even though it may feel like everything is against you. Those who are mentally-tough will overcome these difficulties, and experience the rewards of pushing through.

Check out these 5 simple steps to help you develop mental-toughness from PGC Basketball.

Striving For Excellence

Coach CJ

www.chsmhouston.com
www.facebook.com/chsmhouston
@CJPomeroy1
@chsmhouston

Are You Coachable?

The quest for a championship requires a commitment to do away with those things that can prevent you from winning. Allowing yourself to be coached is a requirement on every championship team.

PGC Basketball posted this great article on how to make sure you are not a hard player to coach.

Quit Being So Hard to Coach

Be a player your coach loves to have on their team!

Coach CJ

CHSM

Strive for Excellence

www.chsmhouston.com

Pay the Price

All those whom we call "great" had to start at the bottom. They had to pay the price required to achieve their goals and dreams. Simply put - you can't skip the required steps and still achieve greatness.

The Great's didn't Start that Way

Even in the Christian walk, the same price is required to live a joyous Christian life and receive all that God has planned for you. You must die to self, abide in Him, and not let anything take the rightful place of God being first in your life.

So next time you think about quitting, just remember, even the great athletes, businessman, and Christians had to start at the bottom and pay the price.

Don't quit. With God's help, the right attitude, and continuous excellent effort - you will overcome!


Striving for Excellence

CJ Pomeroy
President - CHSM

www.chsmhouston.com
www.linkedin.com/in/cjpomeroy

Do you have courage?

2017 is upon us. New goals are being set as we go into the new year. Most of us know that the hard part is in obtaining the goal, and that is where courage comes in. We have to have courage to step outside of our comfort zone if we desire to achieve the goals placed in front of us this year, and grow to new heights.

Do you have the courage to do what it takes to reach your goals this year?

Finding the Courage to Grow

The Christ Centered Athlete's First Priority

Christ Centered Athlete - An athlete who exemplifies a Christ in everything they do - on or off the court.

 “It’s better to have God approve, than the world applaud” Unknown

One of the most difficult balances in life is the pursuit of our dreams while keeping Christ in first place. An excellent Christ Centered athlete is still required to dedicate an exorbitant amount of time training to achieve their career goals, and many times that will be disproportionate to the time they spend growing in Christ. Both are requirements for a player’s success, which makes it difficult for an athlete to balance and to also ensure that Christ does not take 2^nd place in their life

From the beginning of time, God requires that He be #1 in our life. It is the first of the Ten Commandments, and reiterated in many Old & New Testament scriptures. Many times God’s children, the Israelites, would worship the god’s of other people and suffer greatly because of it.  The Bible is also filled with God blessing His children when He was #1 in their life.

In today’s culture, there are many things that vie for our time, talent, and money. This creates an opportunity for many things to take precedent over God. A December 2015 study published in Time Magazine showed that the average American checked their phone 46 times per day. Those between the ages of 18-24 checked their phone an average of 74 times per day. That means someone is checking their once every 19.5 minutes! A 2014 study conducted by the Barna Group found that only 15% of Bible reading adults read the Bible daily. This study also revealed the number one reason for a decrease in Bible engagement was because people felt they did not have time to read the Bible. When you consider these facts and the required amount of time for an athlete to achieve their athletic dreams, then it’s easy to see how God takes a back-seat in the life of a player.

So how does the athlete ensure the God maintains a #1 place in their life? Matthew 6:33 provides the answer. When an athlete seeks first the Kingdom of God, then everything else will be taken care of. Psalms 37: 4-5 says “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and He shall bring it to pass.” Make a commitment each and every day that your relationship with Christ will come before anything you do, and then follow through on it. Commit your training and preparation to the Lord. Talk to the Lord on a regular basis throughout your day. Make it a goal to memorize scripture or to write down what God is teaching you every day. Give God, and only God, all of the glory for your achievements. That’s how the athlete ensures that God stays #1 in your life.

To be a successful Godly leader, always remember that He will give you the desires of your heart, when you make desiring His heart your first priority.

In Christ,
Coach CJ

President
CHSM

Website: www.chsmhouston.com
Twitter: @CJPOMEROY1 or @CHSMHOUSTON
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chsmhouston

*http://time.com/4147614/smartphone-usage-us-2015/

*http://www.americanbible.org/uploads/content/state-of-the-bible-data-analysis-american-bible-society-2014.pdf

Reach Heights You Never Dreamed Possible!

On April 5th, 2016, the UCONN Huskies women's basketball team won their 4th straight national championship while winning their 75th game in a row. Their 3 senior starters were a perfect 24-0 in the 4 women's tournaments they participated in, and averaged more points per game than their opponents. So how do 3 incredible talents and Hall-of-Fame coach achieve unprecedented success? The answer is very simple. By committing themselves to excellence in their role, recognizing the end goal requires help, and being humble enough to serve each other in pursuit of that goal. That's called TEAMWORK.

The amount of character these girls had to have in order to win is more than we can ever imagine. They did make it look simple, but the truth is - SUCCESS IS SIMPLE. Failure is complicated.

The same is true in our walk with God. Success is reached when we keep your eyes on Christ in pursuit of His will for our life, recognizing that we can’t achieve anything of substance without His blessing and the help of others, a willingness to be broken down and corrected, and being humble enough to serve and sacrifice to help others in pursuit of their desires.

Commit yourself to excellence. Recognize that you cannot experience your dreams without the help of others. Be willing to be humbled, corrected, and selfless to help others in pursuit of their dreams. By doing so, we too can reach heights we never dreamed possible!

In Christ,
Coach CJ

President - CHSM

Website: www.chsmhouston.com
Twitter: @CJPOMEROY1 or @CHSMHOUSTON
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chsmhouston




Read about UCONN's 3 senior starters - Click Here!

Attitude

Our attitude is in constant need of adjustment. When it pertains to having a good attitude, there will never be a time when we will have "made it", or a time when we will never have to worry about our attitude again. Our attitude needs to be reviewed, renewed, and adjusted every single day – sometimes multiple times during the day!

This is the essence of what it means when you hear "You are the driver of your bus." (Rule 1 from The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon) Whether you go forward or backward is a choice you and you alone make.

The person who allows the actions of others to affect their attitude has not given up the driver's seat of their bus. Instead, they have chosen to drive their bus in a direction that others are going.

You cannot control whether the sun shines, the clouds produce rain, or the snow falls. You can only control the manner in which you drive your bus. To drive the bus safely you will check that the essentials are working properly.

The same applies for your attitude. To successfully arrive at your destination, check the essentials each and every day, and keep both hands on the wheel. Always move forward knowing that, if you are in Christ, then God’s got a great plan for you!

Jeremiah 29:11
Proverbs 3:5-6


In Christ,
Coach CJ

President - CHSM

Website: www.chsmhouston.com
Twitter: @CJPOMEROY1 or @CHSMHOUSTON
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chsmhouston

Level Up

Guest Post written by Jason Pomeroy - Assistant Coach of CHSM Boys 14U.

While this post was written for CHSM athletes, it would be terrible to not share this great insight with everyone. I hope you enjoy this incredible challenge to "Level Up".

CJ Pomeroy

Level Up

If someone asked you what it means to “level up”, what would you say? Some, if not most, would probably talk in video game terms and say that to level up means that you have earned enough points or credits to take on new missions or possess new and better attributes. It means that you have “paid your dues” - you have fought well - and now you are ready to take on tougher challenges. Think about that for a minute.

Now let’s switch gears for a second. All year the leadership at CHSM has been talking about how we should “strive for excellence”. To strive, quite literally means, to fight…and not just fight, but to fight hard. The Greek word for strive is “agonizomai” – “to engage in intense warfare or battle”. Wow…look at that word again, “agonizomai”. It sounds a lot like “agonize”, doesn’t it? And look at its meaning again, “to engage in intense warfare or battle”. So what if we change the phrase up from “strive for excellence” to “agonize for excellence”? Or how about we say it this way, “To engage in intense battle for excellence”? YIKES! That is far more meaningful, don’t you think?

Let’s go back to video games now and start putting these thoughts together. There is nothing more frustrating than spending hours upon hours in order to “level up”, only to find out that you’ve been fighting the wrong battles all along. Have you been there this year? Maybe it’s worse than that, maybe you KNEW what battles you should have been fighting, but were avoiding it because you were trying to find a short cut. Now, you are frustrated and have to make the decision - do you quit or do you engage in the right fight? Do you throw the game away and say, “It’s a stupid game anyways”? Or do you dust yourself off, gear up, and head straight into the battle that you were intended to fight all along?

Some of us think that we have “strove for excellence” very well this year, but consider this – if the fight wasn’t intense, was it really striving at all? Maybe you think that because you are one of the top players on your team that you “strove for excellence” this year because you worked hard at home all season long. Well, maybe your “battle for excellence” had nothing to do with your skill development at home but it did have to do with your team development at games and practice. Leadership and character - not basketball - was the battle that God intended for you to fight this year but did you fight it? For some of you it was basketball related. Maybe you were told to get tougher, practice your free throws, play lower, box out, etc. Did you fight that battle? Or were you comfortable in the skills you already had and didn’t think it was necessary to “agonize for excellence” in a way that your coaches said would help you to “level up”?

Now you might think that it’s silly to invoke God into video games or basketball games, but let me tell you this – life is a game, and it's a very serious game. You get to live it once - and only once. Don’t you think that God takes the game of life seriously? He does, and that is why he says in Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” You should go back and read the rest of this sobering verse, but I can tell you that God takes life seriously. He shows it is serious when He gives you a challenge in order for you to grow spiritually. And He doesn't take a straw poll to see if we think it is necessary or not. He just gives it, without your input or recommendations, and He expects you to take it seriously. By the way, He won't give you a "new mission" or "new and better attributes" until you do.

We are less than 6 weeks from State, and 8 weeks from Nationals and I know that we have a lot of players who are disappointed with how their year has gone so far. Teams have under-performed - maybe some of your teammates have. Maybe you think the coaches keep making the wrong decisions (we are human, too, you know). You keep losing games that you should have won. Or maybe you are playing against teams that you have no chance against in the first place. But let’s put that behind us now, and instead let’s ask ourselves this – “Have I been missing, or avoiding the battle that God intended for me to fight this season, all along?”

We all have a choice to make now. For some of us, it’s mental, for some, it’s physical, but in the end it’s all a spiritual. Philippians 3:14 says, “I press (strive) towards the mark (goal) for the prize OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD in Christ Jesus”. God’s calling is always a call to battle, both spiritual and physical – and that is the choice that lies before us now. Will you continue avoiding the battle God has called you too this season? Or are you willing, for the next 6 to 8 weeks, to “agonize for excellence” in order for you to “level up”? It doesn't matter if you lose every game from here till the end of Nationals but it does matter if you fight the battles that God has called you to, starting today. If we do this, I think we will all be able to say at the end of the year that we had a winning season!

Jason Pomeroy​

Staying Healthy

One of the greatest blindsides to a team is sickness. It sneaks up and, before you know it, you are calling your coach to let them know you won’t be at the practice or game because you came down with something. Here are some ways you should combat looming sickness during the season.

                Sleep: This is one area where most high school kids fail. Most athletes require 8-9 hours of sleep, and the best sleep is regimented - going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. It’s not always easy to do, and it won’t work all the time. BUT, all athletes should attempt to get 8-9 hours of uninhibited/scheduled sleep.

Champions - Do not stay up late before practices/games.

                FYI - Practicing while battling a sickness that is keeping you from performing at a high level is not necessarily a sign of toughness. If anything, it can be more detrimental to your team (and long-term health) if you try to push through practice while sick. Just stay home and get better (then do all the things mentioned here).

                Water: The average person should be drinking roughly 64oz of water per day. Athletes should probably consume more since they sweat more. Water helps remove bacteria from the body, and provides athletes the ability to recover more quickly after physical exertion. It also helps with cramps, spasms, and joint issues.

                                

Champions - Stay away from unhealthy drinks - like soda.

                Wash their hands: The basketball gym, gym bags, and locker rooms are rampant with germs. I know, I might have just scared a few people, but as long as athletes wash hands on a regular basis, then they should be fine. One of the best ways to combat the flu is to wash hands on a regular basis. Players should be washing hands before games/practices, after games/practices, and any time they are handling basketballs, etc....

Champions - Understand the importance of cleanliness. 

                Use Vitamins: The bodies of athletes are constantly fighting. Whether it is germs or physical exertion - the body is constantly draining and refilling. Use of proper vitamins in a proper manner will help the body in the fight to stay healthy.

Champions - Understand the importance of living healthy.

It really is a miracle that our athletes don’t get sick on a more regular basis, and we should really thank The Lord for this. The season is half-way thru, and I want everyone to have a great finish. Let’s encourage our athletes to take care of themselves so that they can perform at a high level in the big games!

Striving for Excellence,

Coach CJ

Executive Director – C.H.S.M.

www.chsmhouston.com

Follow CHSM on Twitter (@chsmhouston)

Follow Coach CJ on Twitter (@CJPomeroy1)

www.facebook.com/chsmhouston

Face Your Giant. Meet Your Giant. Defeat Your Giant.

When trying to reach the next level, in anything, one will encounter tougher experiences on the way. In a video game, you must defeat multiple levels of difficulty in order to beat the game. Life works the same way, and everybody is on a different level of the “game”. In order to level up, one must defeat their current level with enough “life” to help them beat the next level.

This is no different in sports. There are various levels, and while players are on a single team, the level of difficulty varies from player to player. In order to win the game, each player must conquer the level they are on and still come out of each game with life. This is what makes coaching so hard. It’s not just making sure to understand X’s & O’s, but to know how to help your team get through the difficult levels of the game with life. For this to work, each member of the team must be willing to face their giant. In 1 Samuel 17 we find the story of David & Goliath – a story every athlete has heard. However, most athletes understand the story to mean that the underdog can defeat the favorite. This is true, but most do not understand why David could defeat Goliath. Let’s look at some very important points to understand.

 1 – David had to submit to authority.

              1 Samuel 17:17-20 we find that David was commanded by his father to deliver food to his brothers. David would have never had the opportunity to defeat his giant if he did not submit to his father’s authority.

2 – David had to be passionate about the God he served, and why he served Him.

                Verses 23-26 tell us how David heard Goliath boastfully defy his God, and it stoked the passionate fire inside David’s heart to not let the enemy speak so defiantly against his God.

3 – David had to recognize the problem, and come up with a solution.

                It was one thing for David to tell his brothers how someone should stand up and fight Goliath, but it was completely different to have to tell the king that, essentially, everyone in the army was a wimp – including the king! David recognized that fear had paralyzed the Israelite army, and that for 40 days Goliath was winning the battle of the mind. This battle of the mind was the pre-cursor to the physical battle. The Philistines were trying to scare the Israelites into submission, and if they would not submit, then they would paralyze them with fear, thus making the physical battle an easier victory for them. David not only saw that, but he had to come up with the solution for overcoming the problem. (17:26-32) Overcoming the problem would only happen because….

4 – …David was prepared to overcome the problem.

                Saul asked David why he thought he could defeat the giant. I’m sure he wasn’t ready for the answer! 1 Samuel 17:33-37 tells us how the Lord had prepared David. God brought multiple difficulties into David’s life before Goliath. David, on his own as a shepherd, faced those difficulties and conquered them. Conquering those difficulties allowed David to “level up” in his faith towards God, and his courage.

5 – David took what he had, and he RAN towards his giant with confidence and God’s power.

                David declined the best armor in the army because he didn’t believe it was going to help him. Instead, he took his trusted slingshot and foot speed to battle. 1 Samuel 17:43-49 tells us how David went into battle knowing that God would not only give him strength to fight, but victory over the enemy. However, for David to be victorious, he had to RUN TOWARDS his giant (vs.48).

Parents, Players, and Coaches must do the same to face and defeat their giants. In order to defeat our giants, we must:

Submit to the authority of the coach/program,

Be passionate about the program,

Recognize problems and develop solutions,

Prepare ourselves mentally to overcome obstacles in our way,

Take what we have and RUN TOWARDS the giant – knowing that if we are in the Will of God, then nothing can stop us!

This week, let’s encourage our athletes to face their giants, develop a solution to overcome the giant, and then run with confidence to meet & defeat their giant. That’s how David slays Goliath!