It’s officially March, and if everything goes according to plan, there will be March Madness and the NCAA Tournament with all of the upsets, buzzer beaters, and crazy finishes!
I love college basketball, but one of the biggest changes over the years has been the trend of players leaving school early to head to the NBA. This has been especially true for my favorite team, Duke.
Unfortunately, many teams have focused on recruiting top-ranked high school players who have no intentions of sticking around the campus for very long, so the school only enjoys their talent for a year or two.
It's nice to see how this year's top teams in the country are the ones with juniors and seniors, showing what a significant advantage upperclassmen can be.
At this point, Gonzaga is probably the favorite when you consider their undefeated record, previous tournament experience, and six seniors and juniors, including Wooden Award candidate, Corey Kispert.
Michigan has a total of twelve upperclassmen, while Baylor has seven, including Wooden Award candidate, Jared Butler.
Illinois will head into the tournament with eight upperclassmen including, Ayo Dosunmu, Wooden Award candidate.
The veterans are expected to be key factors in the success of teams making a deep tournament run in the coming weeks.
Teams that understand what it takes to win in March, and have previously witnessed the tournament’s intensity and challenges are the ones worth considering when filling out our brackets.
Although talented and exciting new freshmen can do extraordinary things during the tournament, even teams with top freshman must rely on veteran leadership to make it through the grueling NCAA Tournament.
Along with the importance of seasoned players in college basketball, we benefit greatly from understanding the value of veteran leadership in our own lives.
In business and relationships, shouldn’t we appreciate the advantage of having seasoned mentors, advisors, and friends on our team?
After all, these are the people we can look to for guidance, leadership, and stability. They understand what it takes to win, have already gone through challenges that we're experiencing, and can pass on lessons learned.
Undoubtedly, young people can rely on passion and natural ability, but they lack what those with more know-how have to offer. “Freshmen” need to embrace those with seniority and leverage their understanding and experience so they can reap the benefits.
These same principles are important when it comes to pursuing a mature faith. People who have experienced walking with Jesus for many years can share what they’ve specifically learned and help us to grow.
There is infinite value in the seasoning that comes from a lifetime of commitment to God. We can look to their example and glean from their previous journeys.
Relying on their veteran leadership helps us make it through our own grueling seasons of life by becoming aware of particular pitfalls and mistakes not worth making ourselves.
The Bible’s book of wisdom gives us the following verses to learn from:
"Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life” (Proverbs 19:20; NLT).
"Through pride and presumption comes nothing but strife, but wisdom is with those who welcome counsel” (Proverbs 13:10; AMP).
“The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old” (Proverbs 20:29; NLT).
College basketball teams sometimes hide their seniors at the end of the bench, despite their worthy experience, and we’ve been known to conceal the gray in our hair or overlook the wealth of knowledge from those who have been around.
Today, I hope we are encouraged to look at the older and wiser with an appreciation of their seasoning. Also, let’s accept our role of seniority, so we can share our wisdom with others that are looking to us.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray I wouldn’t downplay those who are more seasoned than I am. Show me how to rely on their knowledge, and admire them for what they offer. Help me embrace my role as I gain wisdom, and be willing to share with those who are behind me. Thank you for helping us grow through experience. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What is your approach to gaining wisdom from “seniors” and “veterans” in life?
What holds you back from sharing wisdom to those younger...or from receiving wisdom from those with seasoning?
Comments