I wasn’t sure what we’d signed ourselves up for at the beginning of basketball season this year, but isn’t that how we all feel at the beginning of anything new?

The group of boys all had different reasons for being there. Different personalities. Different abilities. Different, yet so much the same. Boys — wanting to be bigger, stronger, and faster than they really are. Boys — hoping for stardom and easy shots. Boys who showed up for practice every day, but didn’t always have a clear picture of how much effort and persistence it would really take to make the shot, get the rebound, and make the plays that count, day after day after day.

As I watched from the sidelines, over the course of those three long months, I couldn’t help but make my own mental notes about their performances. I watched their body language on and off the court, I cringed at their mistakes, and I applauded the shots they took that went in, and even those that didn’t. And throughout the whole season, I kept coming back to the same verse from the Bible over and over again.

Luke 9:23 (MSG): “Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: ‘Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat — I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?’”

The varsity team Mason started for as a freshman had a record of 0-25. They didn’t win a single game. And even though they showed up to every practice, and every competition, it never was quite enough. The only advice I have for them as they prepare for next year, and the years after that, are from these silly little notes written in my journal that really aren’t so silly at all:

Keep your head up

Looking down is easy. It doesn’t require much thought, it doesn’t challenge you, and you only see a limited piece of where you are and not one extra inch of the people and places beyond yourself. Keep your head up and allow your eyes to lead the way. Allowing your eyes to guide your feet pushes you to that place where greatness can happen, not because of how many shots you made or even how many you missed, but because you were willing to see the big picture and not just yourself.

When it’s hard, don’t run away

Finding the easy way out is what a lot of people do these days. The tendency is to run the other way and try to figure things out all on your own, refusing to stick with a plan for a variety of reasons, but mostly because you’re afraid to fail. None of us want to look foolish, and I don’t think any of you wanted to let anyone down — especially your coaches. Hard builds character. Hard pushes us to places we’ve never been before. Hard has the potential to turn us into selfless people — where selfishness can’t even think about growing. Facing hard head on — that’s where you find out what you’re made of and who you’re really trusting to get you through.

Remember to jump and follow through

You are not going to make every shot you take. Sometimes you forget to jump, sometimes you forget to follow through, and sometimes, you’re just plain off. The important piece is that you remember why you’re here in the first place. Not just to win, not just to hear the crowd cheer, and not just to make the buzzer-beater in overtime — although that would be nice. You’re here with your head up and your eyes wide — listening and learning — even when you’re on the bench, to become a better person, a better player, and a better teammate. If your success doesn’t require persistence, practice, getting along with your teammates, jumping in when it’s easier to jump out, and following through, not just with your words, but with your actions — game in and game out — you’re not really learning anything.

Even though the season is over, I continue to reflect on that verse in Luke and what basketball season did for all of us. It may have been grueling and hard to keep going day after day, but I’m so very thankful for the habits we all gained during those months — keeping our heads up, running toward life (not away from it), jumping in when we were needed most, and following through to the best of our ability. Those habits that were formed are crucial not only for playing basketball, but they are also critical for success in life.

Habits are hard, but they do make life easy. Keep shooting boys — and don’t forget to jump and follow through with all you’ve got. You were born for this!