The Family Blueprint: Raising Athletes the Right Way

Season 2, Episode 8 of the Discipleship Hoops Podcast features a special family conversation with Neal Broome and his twin sons, Max and Miles.

This episode is about more than basketball.

From Neal’s journey playing at Southern Miss to now raising and developing two young athletes with discipline, structure, and accountability, this conversation dives deep into fatherhood, leadership, sacrifice, and what it truly means to build young men the right way.

In this episode, we discuss:

Balancing fatherhood and player development
 Raising athletes in today’s youth sports culture
 Discipline, accountability, and habits at home
 What separates athletes who grow from those who stay the same
 The importance of structure, sacrifice, and consistency
 Building confidence and character beyond basketball

This is a powerful conversation for parents, coaches, and athletes who care about long-term development both on and off the court.

If you believe in building leaders through the game, this episode is for you.

Subscribe, share, and help us continue impacting the next generation through basketball, leadership, and discipleship.

For sponsorship opportunities and partnerships, visit our website.

Discipleship Hoops Podcast

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome to Discipleship Hoops Podcast where basketball meets a purpose. This isn't just about mastering skills on the court, it's about developing the complete athlete. We're here to help young players grow stronger, smarter, and more skilled while deepening their character and strengthening their faith. At Discipleship Hoops, we believe basketball is more than a game. It's a platform for transformation, teaching discipline, teamwork, and resilience. Together, let's empower the next generation of leaders to excel both on and off the court. Next, is discipleship groups through basketball.

SPEAKER_02 1:15

Welcome to the latest and greatest edition of the Discipleship Hoops podcast. It's your host, Jimmy, and today we're doing something a little differently for this episode. It's a family affair. I've been uh doing all I can to bring you great insight, to bring you great information from coaches all across Mississippi. And I was like, hmm. I asked coaches to give a parent's perspective and a player's perspective. And you know what? God was like, Why don't you bring a parent and a player on? So I was like, hey, there you go, let's have it. So uh nothing short of greatness sits to my right. Uh he's not just uh a man of God, he's not just a father. Uh I consider him a dear and great friend, um, Mr. D Mr. Neil Broom. Thank you and your boys, Max and Mouse, for coming out today. I appreciate you joining us today.

SPEAKER_01 2:03

Look, we are honored to be a part of this. Thank you for the role that you played in their life. Thank you for your friendship through the years, and uh, we're just excited to be here.

SPEAKER_02 2:13

Yes, yes, absolutely. All right, I'll pay them to say that. All right, so uh before we get into it, like I say, I I know who you guys are. Um, we spent a lot of time together. You know, you and I, we we're 20 plus years in uh over the last two years. You know, I spent a lot of time just you know with you all. But for those that uh that don't know, um, one by one, start with your dad. Introduce yourself uh to the world wide web.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Yeah. So my name is Neil Broom, and uh, as you can see, I am the parents of twin boys. I'll let them introduce themselves. But Max and Miles here, um, been married to Aubrey for the last 20 years, been a good friend of Coach Lucas here for 20 plus years. He and I have gone back uh on the hardwood a long time, many, many wins over the years, many good battles, and I've been on the receiving end of a lot of his great passes and and thankfully been able to score a few of those to give him the assist. But uh uh by trade, I'm a financial advisor, but uh outside of the intersection of faith and finances, where my real passion is, uh near and dear to my heart is also the intersection of faith and poops, which is where Coach Lucas lives. So excited to be here and excited to be on the podcast. Yep.

SPEAKER_05 3:27

All right. I'm the older one.

SPEAKER_04 3:31

Um basketball, tennis, and around family, but that's about how you're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_02 3:40

All right, and you're you are which twin? Max.

SPEAKER_04 3:44

And I am Miles Broom, the younger sibling. And we go here at Hartfield Academy in eighth grade, we're 14. And some of the things I love is fishing, basketball, and tennis, and spending time with friends and family. But most of all, so we love Jesus and love serving him.

SPEAKER_02 4:00

So how do how do people tell you all apart? Or is it still a guess? Are they still guessing? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 4:05

So once you get around us long enough, you'll know. You know, yeah. It's like most people.

SPEAKER_02 4:11

So in the classroom, they like, hey, room, or they just say max and whoever speaks up.

SPEAKER_04 4:18

We usually say max and one of us will look up.

SPEAKER_01 4:21

Look up after a day of school here, the hair is not perfect, but most people in the morning time, the hair is parted on a different side, and that's how they can tell.

SPEAKER_05 4:28

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 4:30

All right, so New, like, like you mentioned, uh, our basketball journey together, you know, is 20 plus years now. And um before that, right? Like before you, you know, we transitioned from um, you know, where it counts to where we just play for fun and try to stay healthy, right, and keep up with our boys. Uh, what was your journey like for basketball?

SPEAKER_01 4:49

Yeah, so uh so I played through high school, graduated from Bassfield High School, which interestingly enough is a school that no longer exists. Bassfield High School and Prentice High School merged a few years ago to form Jefferson Davis County Jaguar. So that I guess would be my my alma mater. Signed to play basketball at Southern Miss. And I know one of the things that uh Coach Luca had asked me about was how that journey at Southern Miss and playing through college, uh, how that helped prepare me or that journey, how do I use that uh to help them and lead them in their basketball journey? And I thought about that, and here's the first thing I was going to share with you. One of the things I've tried to be very intentional about, and the boys can speak to whether I've done a good job of this or not, is I don't ever want them to compare their basketball career with their experience in day-to-day with what dad did. Right. They've heard a lot of stories and there's a lot of jokes, and we talk about it, but at the end of the day, obviously, here's two identical twins, uniquely designed by God, fearfully and wonderfully made, and he has a unique path for them to follow. And I've always felt like if if they're looking at my scoring average or my accolades or awards or even my college career uh instead of their own, then I've failed in that. So I wanted to communicate that. I've I've said that to them several times, but in a in a forum like this, just because I want their journey, I want to be a part of that journey, I want to lead, I want to help. Obviously, we'll spend a lot of time talking about what that looks like. Right. But at the end of the day, uh I want their career to be unique and I want them to blaze their own path.

SPEAKER_02 6:30

Thank you for this season's sponsor, Power Financial Group. The mission of Power Financial Group is to glorify God by helping their clients be good managers of the resources entrusted to them. Whether it is investing for the future, planning for retirement, getting out of debt, or becoming a generous giver, their desire is to be your trusted partner on your financial journey. The team at Power Financial Group strives to serve their clients with integrity and expertise. Getting to know them, building a strong relationship with them, and helping them pursue their goals is the top priority. They take seriously their God-given responsibility to faithfully serve those families God entrusted to their care. As Power Financial Group, they can be reached at 601-790-1180 or send them an email at info at powerfinancialclaims.com. Thank you again, Power Financial Group. Yeah, that's good. And so let's stay right there for a second. So I'm a I'm a guest. Maybe eight months ago, uh maybe a year ago, there was a point where you, what we call old man basketball, right? You guys have heard me talk about it uh on a podcast, um, three our three-on-three morning ball. So there's a time where you were, you know, where you were playing great old man basketball, and then at some point, I really want to say maybe November time frame, you shifted from not playing old men, but then to bringing them along. And so what was that like? What went into that where you transitioned and why did you transition from okay, my one day a week playing three on three, I'm gonna do it with all men, to nope, now I'm gonna do it, incorporate my boys with it.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

Great question. And uh part of the answer is the older I get and the harder it is to be competitive with our group that we're playing, you know, I realize that the my time of being ultra competitive on the basketball court is winding down. Theirs is just beginning. Right. My goal all along has been to stay in basketball shape, continue to play until they were able to join us. And so the second part of it was them just getting big enough, strong enough, old enough to be able to come out there. Right. And as you've now seen, they're playing with us and contributing and probably just a few short years away from us chasing them around instead of vice versa. Um, so I really wanted to hold out and continue to play basketball. Basketball's been incredibly good to me. I've played it my whole life, but I really wanted to be able to do it with them. Right, right. And it makes it even more special whenever, like this past uh couple days ago we played and we're on the same team. So we're playing three on three, and it's me and my boys playing three others. Right. Funny story, Coach Lucas. Uh this week in the Wall Street Journal, Khan Kanippel, there's an article about him. You need to look it up. Okay. That he got his start playing against old men when he was 14 years old. His dad and his dad's buddies invited him to start coming play, and he played with them. He said that's where he learned basketball. Right, right, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

Yeah, that's good. You know, uh my favorite quote, basketball quote from John Wooden, uh is that basketball doesn't um basketball doesn't build character, it reveals it. So through your journey from Bashfield to USM to you know pick up to three-on-three to now playing alongside them, what has your journey through basketball has taught you and that you have passed on to them when it comes to character?

SPEAKER_01 9:55

Oh, uh well, as you well know, sports are there's so many things you can take from sports and apply to life. Right, right. And I think through my journey, and the first word that comes to mind is sacrifice, because playing at the college level, especially, what people don't realize, they see the glitz and the glamour of you know, you're running out of the tunnel, tunnel and the bands playing, and it's on TV, and you think of Mark's madness and all those things. Those boys go through a lot, boys and gals. I mean, same on the women's side, but it's many times, especially the offseason days are starting at 5:30, 5 o'clock a.m. It's practice, it's class, it's workouts, it's weights, it's study hall, it's travel. I mean, it to be a student athlete is an incredible challenge, but it's a great sacrifice. Yep. And I've always heard it said that nothing great is ever achieved without sacrifice. So the the first thing I had I tell them is in order to get something great and to be great, you got to give something up. Sometimes it's a choice between the PlayStation or shooting ball in the backyard. You know, I get on them all the time too about getting in a good book and reading and learning, listening to podcasts. There are ways to make yourself better, but in order to spend time doing that, you've got to sacrifice something else. Yeah, yeah. Um the other thing that I think that really just changed me in playing sports was discipline, where just managing time and prioritizing and working hard and all of the things that come with just having to be disciplined, whether it's your body, your time, your mind, all of those things that go into trying to make yourself give yourself a chance to be a great athlete. Right, right. Um so those are two of the things I probably preach to them a lot is is just sacrificing something to be great, but also be disciplined and doing the things you need to do to be better. Yeah. So so what's that like though?

SPEAKER_02 11:49

Like so you have a uh, you know, it could be a gift and a curse, right? And you're in a position to where not you're not just a dad, right, but you're also a developer, right? You have to discipline your competitor, right? When you're playing with them, you still have the complaints to win, right? And and then also, like, you know, I mean, really, they're coached, right, at home, right? And and from the sideline, right? So what's that development process like just internally? And how do you, you know, keep from not getting gray hair as a basketball?

SPEAKER_01 12:20

Well, I do have the gray hair, so evidently I'm not winning in that. Um no, great question. And and I will say this first and foremost, I'm a father to them. Right. And I feel like I've been very intentional about that aspect of it because on the basketball court or the tennis court or whatever it is, if I'm even fishing or whatever they're we're doing, I'm proud of them and I love them, and I want them to know it is not performance-based. Right, right. You know, if they score 40 points and we win by 30, we're gonna celebrate and we're gonna all be excited. But if they have a bad game and we lose, and even if it was one of their faults, I don't love them any less. So as a father, that's what I want them to know is I love them and I'm proud of them, and it's not performance-based. Yep. Putting my coach hat on, I mean, there are things, obviously, you think of the word accountability, right? There are things that uh I share with them that I do with them, the stuff we may do in the backyard, the stuff we may do, you know, in the gym at other places, that um it it those are just things you have to do to get better. And you can choose not to do them, but the the the penalty of the price you pay is not improving. Right. So yes, it's a juggling act, but but I I try to make sure that first and foremost, I'm prioritizing my role as their father. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

And I want you guys to answer when you hear that, um, what how does that make you feel? Like, what do you think when you hear that? And while you're thinking about it, I would say on like with you know, my son that's playing at Colin, I was watching him play, and he came down, he hit like, I don't know, he went like four for four from threes. And then his last three, he was celebrating. Right, rah-rah, rah, rah, rah. And while he was celebrating, his man cut back door and got a layout. And the coach took him out and he didn't see the floor no more. And this was like 11, 12 minutes ago in the first half.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

So you're celebrating and now you just got beat on defense.

SPEAKER_02 14:21

But they will learn, or they have learned, like the game turns so quickly, especially three on three. It's like you could be celebrating the shot. Why are you celebrating the shot? You know, we're getting beat. Yeah. Yeah. So having that that discipline part that you were talking about is really key uh just for development, right? That's whether that's on the court or off the court. Yeah, it's the development. So when you guys hear that, what do you what do you hear?

SPEAKER_04 14:45

Well, I would say like when I was talking about having dad as the I mean home trainer and father, having him as a basketball player, obviously he's been in many years of college ball. I mean, he knows everything there is pretty much, and so that's one factor he can teach us all of his basketball lessons, but also having his father, he's there as a a leader in teaching us all these lessons and different uh sessions or what do you think?

SPEAKER_02 15:27

And so how how are you guys preparing for pressure, right? Because there's um I I I don't I personally like to use the word pressure because, you know, it's like luck, right? For me, luck is when preparation meets opportunity, right? There's no such thing as luck. We create our own luck, right? And um, and like there's no pressure when you're prepared, right? So just pressure, just expectations. You know, you walk around here and everyone knows him, everyone knows he's a great player, and like do you feel like uh I gotta I have to live up to that, or are you okay with I am who I am, I'm gonna be sometimes I'm like I wanna be the best of best.

SPEAKER_04 16:04

I mean, I want to be the one who's just known as like the best basketball player, but at the same time that's all that's not that isn't always reality. And right sometimes it's just what what God has gave us, like it's not cannot cannot always be always super high level of something.

SPEAKER_05 16:20

Right.

SPEAKER_04 16:20

Be the best thing, or how good that is.

SPEAKER_02 16:26

Yep, yeah. Yeah, and the important thing though, I I I tell kids uh your age is like be who you are right now. Right. Allow the results to be the results five years from now. Right? But do what you do. If you do everything we say, if you commit, right, if you're disciplined, if you put the work and the sacrifice and all those things in, the results gonna be the results, right? That's a lot of things outside of basketball that are out of our control. Right? We can control, you know, beef, right? We can control balance eyes, elbow policy. Even with that, you're probably gonna miss. I gonna make them all time.

SPEAKER_01 17:02

Right. Well, and what they said, I'm glad to hear because I have strongly encouraged them, and even more so because they're identical twins. And I mentioned this earlier. Be the best you that you can be. Exactly right. God has a unique plan and purpose for Miles. Yep, God has a unique plan and purpose for Max. He's got a unique plan and purpose for you and I. And even though they're identical twins and they have common interests, and up until recently, even here in the same bedroom, right? They are unique individuals created by God. And I think where expectation and pressure and some of those things go away is when you know you were you were striving to be the best you that God created you to be, right? And leaning into that, whatever that giftedness is.

SPEAKER_02 17:49

Exactly right.

SPEAKER_05 17:49

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Uh so you alluded to it a few minutes ago, but expound on what are some of your whether it's at home or on in the classroom, on the court. Like what are some non-negotiables?

SPEAKER_01 18:02

Well, they've mentioned it, I'll mention it. We want our home to be centered around Jesus Christ. Our faith is the foundation of everything that we do. Right. So when you think about non-negotiables, faith is the first one. Well, you say, how does faith translate to the basketball court? Well, how you treat people, how you treat referees, how coachable you are, how hard you work, how you're how much you're using your giftedness for God's glory.

SPEAKER_05 18:29

Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 18:30

Um, one that I also that's a non-negotiable at home, and I believe that translates to certainly life, but it can apply to the court, is just having integrity, right? Doing the right thing, making the right decisions. Right. Um, excellence is another one they hear me talk about often. Uh we we've recently had a conversation about not just settling for good, striving for greatness. Right, right. Because I believe that when we figure out who we are in Christ and how God uniquely wired and gifted us, what we need to offer to Him is our best. Right. And so I think at home, the court, the community, whatever we're doing, those are the things that are kind of uh the broom non-negotiable. That's good.

SPEAKER_02 19:11

So Maximal is uh over the past couple years, you know, you've uh I've watched you grow uh uh on the court. I mean, off I mean, literally grow, right? Almost as tall as you now. Yes. So uh Coach Gilman and I were talking about man, Max Amal, they're either gonna be 6'9, 230, or they're gonna be 6'75.

SPEAKER_01 19:33

I was 6'7, 185 when I graduated high school.

SPEAKER_02 19:38

It's like, man, we gotta get them some pro put protein shakes and uh peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the locker room.

SPEAKER_04 19:44

We eat a lot of mess at the home.

SPEAKER_02 19:47

We gotta just stock it up.

SPEAKER_01 19:48

It is not for lack of eating because every time I walk in that kitchen, they're in there fixing something. A protein smoothie or a peanut butter and jelly.

SPEAKER_02 19:56

Uh so over the past couple years, you know, I watched you all on the court, you know, on officer court, and you know, you've had great moments and then you've had challenging moments, right, throughout this couple uh last couple seasons as you really kind of like what we call big boy basketball. You know, it's it's graduated from upward, you know, you you move and pass, uh everyone gets a trophy right now just for keeps. Right. And so throughout the season, I mean it's a long season, right? Whether you're playing eighth grade or high school, I think we played 35 games uh this year. So it's a really, really long season. So you have ups and downs. And um, you know, how how have those challenges been for you all? Like I know it's been uh it's been tough. So when it comes back to those roots and that foundation, um, what has that been like this you know, getting through seventh grade, now you get through eighth grade, going into the summer of your ninth grade year? Like what are some things that you've learned?

SPEAKER_04 20:50

I would say when it's like those really hard times and it just feels like nothing's going away, that's not like the end. Like there's always gonna be better moments and more opportunities, and you have to just trust God at those times and you know he'll get you through it. Yeah, I I constantly keep in mind if we keep working, we're gonna be the best no matter what challenges occur. And if we're not missing shots or we're not making the right passes, then we just gotta think at the end if we put in enough work and we're gonna be we're gonna excel other farther than others.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

Yeah, trust the preparation. That's right. Trust the reset. I tell this one all the time because he's got a smooth shot. Yeah, all that work you're putting in, that form you all the years you developed that form, right? Trust it, let it fly.

SPEAKER_02 21:36

Yeah, I like I I remember watching you play and um you you went, you got a rebound, you dribbled down the court, and you made you pass it to where the play was designed for the player to be, but the player wasn't there in the end of the turnover, and you made it, you like dropped your shoulders in your head, and I was like, Man, I need to like that's the right play, though. You know it's the right play from a player. Point guard, I love you, right? Because it was the right place where they should be. Exactly, right? Right. Right. And then uh I just I and I remember having a conversation and it was like like that's in seventh grade. In tenth grade, that's a bucket. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? So don't shy away from making that same pass.

SPEAKER_04 22:19

More goodness passes, then it's gonna be right just as you keep going.

SPEAKER_02 22:23

Exactly, because you're gonna the the court shrinks and the players become different. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:29

So I'll put you on the spot. Uh tell we were talking about some of the questions you had to send us ahead of time, and one of the stories was about telling about the kid that when y'all played upward, that the lesson that I gave you back then, and now you're starting to see that it's it made sense.

SPEAKER_04 22:45

So it was just player only played upward and these jumped in that he would just take all these.

SPEAKER_03 22:53

Well, he was there a lot of times, and he would just take all these, I mean, threes and bang and big on and mean that and like charging right away and airplay right because they were not strong enough, right? Right. Right.

SPEAKER_04 23:09

Well dad said how team making these like he's grabbing like yeeting it towards the goal. Swinging it, right, right. He probably went, I don't know, three for eight or something, but he made it on the we're like, we can't even hit the goal yet. But we're like actually trying to do it right. He's like you need to trust that you're doing it right. Right. Do not uh do not do it like him because one day he's not gonna be able to shoot and fix it, right? And you're doing it right now, which is gonna lead to success later on. Fast forward now. Me and that's top shooters on the team. And nevertheless, that kid doesn't play basketball anymore and see if he can't shoot him out.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

He stepped with the wrong foot and he threw it from his shoulder, but right they would be frustrated because he would bank it in from 30 feet. Right. I was like, he's not gonna be able to go back to the biggest. Now he's a baseball player.

SPEAKER_02 24:09

All right, so how early? How early did you start instilling that discipline and character and you know, structure and all that with on the sport side?

SPEAKER_01 24:18

It was not uh extremely early. Like most families, we tried our hand at rec baseball and upward basketball, swimming. Y'all did swimming a year or two. Um and I got them some golf lessons and tennis lessons somewhere mixing there, which they fell in love with tennis. Right. But sports, you know, as a dad, you know this, especially as a basketball dad. Yep. When you hear that you're having sons, you start thinking about what could be. Right, right. But I had sat down with enough people who had spoken truth into my life to to know that I was going to be supportive of whatever path they chose. I mean, if they chose to play basketball or play the piano, you know, I I was gonna be all in and be a good dad. But of course, your heart is happy whenever it becomes the sport that you played and and love. Um so it took a little time on the on the on the sport side of things for us to narrow down what they wanted to do, what they liked. And then we started really being a little bit more intentional about working on form and teaching fundamentals and things like that. Right, right. Um but uh as far as laying the foundation of discipline and faith in our in our home, I mean that was immediate from praying together as a family, obviously church attendance. Right. Uh for them, it was kids' ministry, it was Sunday school, um, devotionals, Bible stories. I mean, we really tried from the very beginning to uh teach them about Jesus and and make sure that their foundation was solid uh and and beliefs were in line. So that's yeah, that was more probably and and I'm sure it should be this priority much earlier than when we started working on basketball.

SPEAKER_02 26:08

Right. Yeah, yeah. All right. So what would you say, all right, you know, Neil Broom as a freshman in high school. High school. In high school, right? And you know, them can go into the freshman of their summer of their freshman year. All right, what's one hard lesson you learned that you that you hope that they don't have to go through as you did?

SPEAKER_01 26:27

Well, my story is so unique. I think I shared it with with your team earlier this year.

SPEAKER_02 26:37

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SPEAKER_00 27:19

Thank you. Dogwood Pediatric Gift.

SPEAKER_01 27:22

Um, so I'll tell a little bit of it and then I'll answer your question. My coach came to me after one. I had only played one year of basketball in my life. It was as an eighth grader. I mean, uh I like to say the first organized basketball game I attended, I played in it. And that's that was true as an eighth grader. The coach came to me after that eighth grade year and said he wanted to move me to the high school team. Right. And I resisted because I had just played one year with my buddies and I enjoyed it. Right. Um, but next thing I know, I'm I'm playing high school basketball as a freshman. And then in game one, he tells me that I'm starting. I think I shared this story with your team, but I was scared out of my mind. And uh and from that, I mean, the my my brother still laughed. The first shot I ever took almost went over the backboard. And every time I got the ball, I couldn't get out of my hands quick enough. So I finished with like 11 assists in my first game. So my my my journey was a little unique because I was thrust into basketball so quickly. And then all of a sudden I found myself playing at a higher level, a lot faster than I would thought. Right. Um for them, you asked the question about maybe I'll I'll word it this way, what will I have done differently? The things that you're doing with them, the things that I'm doing with them, the things that they're getting at at school and even in the backyard, I think is better preparing them for when they do step into that next level, call it high school. Right. Um, they will be more fundamentally sound, more prepared. I was kind of learning on the fly and had to learn some lessons in a hurry. Right. Um, so I hope that through my experience, what I've tried to pour into them and teach them will prepare them when that time comes. They won't be caught off guard by a coach throwing them into a game when they're not ready.

SPEAKER_02 29:07

Right, yeah, right. I I don't know if you guys uh have noticed, but for whatever reason, maybe it's just more video is out there now. But this has been a crazy year, more than I've ever ever witnessed. Just fights in basketball, and you know, all that uh parents fighting referees.

SPEAKER_04 29:26

It's all over the internet. It's like it's it's run out for punching revs. Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

It's it's uh I mean, even with you know, here at home, like we had an incident that happened, but it's like again, maybe it's just highlighted for every before. Maybe my algorithm is like I put in basketball and it just and and development, and it's just shows all these different fights and stuff. Um what do you see the game? Like, what do you all see the game? I I've I have seen that the purity of the game has gone.

SPEAKER_05 29:57

Right.

SPEAKER_02 29:58

Just the and people have really truly forgotten that it's a game. You know, and and and um it's just the just the beauty of it, the purity of it, you know, just the it for me playing up when I got on the basketball court, it was my safe space, you know, or the soccer field, right? But it was my safe space. And now uh it's it's changed, right? You either gotta pay to play or get paid to play. It's just not just for the love of the game anymore. And um so I mean anyone can answer, but what do you see the state of basketball? Where would you like it to go and where do you see it going?

SPEAKER_03 30:33

I would like it to go back to like back in the day where like you give it to the post player and he does all his minutes and and doesn't have it out to jump over.

SPEAKER_04 30:43

I think it's so like people are just gonna now for me for testing in they really just want like they want the money, and they I I mean I don't even know if they care about winning a ton of games, maybe winning the championship, but like they're really just doing it for the fame, I think, and we just need to go back to winning just to actually feel fulfilled and winning and going back to the base and tell us what we play.

SPEAKER_05 31:10

What do you think?

SPEAKER_04 31:11

Well, for me, I see basketball kind of just like I mean it yes, it's a sport where we can, you know, make shots and stuff. But I see it as a way to work hard and get better and become more disciplined and you know have fun with my friends and with my dad and these two. And uh just you know, also you can glorify God through playing basketball. Just you can share the gospel through it and uh behind your teammates and uh opposing players, but just to work at it with all your ability and just to glorify God while playing basketball.

SPEAKER_02 31:45

That's that's good. So let me ask you how how do you all balance it though? How do you all say my friends want to go the party safari, right? But I want to go out and shoot jumpers, right? Or you know, uh, I'd rather play the video game. You know, I've been at school all day, I know I need to go outside. I mean, you really you really have zero excuse, right? You have no more. Not only do you have a court at your house, but you have 24 hour access to a gym and a weight room and all those things, right? So you really have um no excuse. But how do you balance that between friends, fun, and like just staying locked in and staying committed?

SPEAKER_04 32:25

I would say most of the time uh I know that there's higher competition and that most people are still working ahead of me. I'm like, I can't go sit on video games and eat potato chips for five hours and expect to be in shape and be good at basketball. So like knowing there's higher competition, it it challenges me to work harder and also to just I guess what you said stay locked in.

SPEAKER_02 32:50

You feel the same way? So um is he harder on you than your coaches?

SPEAKER_04 32:58

I would not say so. He's he's a really good uh coach. Dad's not as tight to yell at you in like the whole practice. Dad's gonna pull you to the side, sub someone in real quick, tell you what you did wrong, encourage you. Tell you how he can fix it, encourage you to the biggest encourager that I've ever seen. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:15

He's a great role model, yes. All right, so what's the hardest part about him?

SPEAKER_04 33:19

I said when he wakes us up before 6 a.m. to go play with to come play with you. We know it's getting us better, but at that same time, yeah, you're like, Well how am I doing this? Like, I couldn't be sleeping in right now.

SPEAKER_01 33:30

Yeah, we're gonna we're gonna tell on her a little bit. But uh, if I'm the encourager in the family, who's the one who gives y'all the hardest love?

SPEAKER_05 33:38

Mom. Mom.

SPEAKER_01 33:40

Mom's competitive too. Mom gives them those looks from the stands and the sidelines, and uh, and of course pep talks are the way home. They like riding home with dad. But I will say too, you point back to something I said earlier, a big part of that for me is is I'm very probably overly aware of them viewing my career and my success. And I don't want them to ever say, dad is is hard on me because we're not as good as him, or we didn't accomplish what he accomplished. Right, yeah. I'm overly sensitive about that, but I'm also an encourager by nature, you know that.

SPEAKER_02 34:20

Yeah, yep, yeah. I um tell him when uh Tristan was coming up, you know, through high school and the college recruiting process. Like I'm a trainer and I hired a trainer for him. Because it's just it didn't. Right. It didn't what I mean it paid off, right? It worked out for him. So um, you know, I used to tell him, he used to get mad because as a senior, I was like, what separates you? What makes you different? Right? You're you're a six-three shooting guard. I can go to Walmart and there's a six-three shooting guard getting buggies out the parking lot that I can find, right? So what separates you from that, right? Everyone can put the ball in the basket nowadays, right? What makes you uniquely different? Right. So uh what makes you all, even though you're the same as twins, what makes you uniquely different? What's your individual skill that you think can push you to the next level? What's your skill can push you to the next level?

SPEAKER_04 35:13

I would uh I would say I'm not the greatest shooter. I'm he's a better shooter than me, but but um I make passes that most people can't and I see the floor very, very well. And so I kind of kind of playing like as a team.

SPEAKER_01 35:38

Coach Lucas's heart just swelled up here, and uh, because we're gonna we're gonna put that on the wall.

SPEAKER_02 35:43

My teammates said I'm gonna put that on the wall. He's uh he's a younger version of this man right here. Yes. I love the like it's something about as your dad turns and cuts without looking at it. Don't even have to throw the ball over somebody's ear and he just sticks his back.

SPEAKER_01 36:03

I put my hand, if it's a bounce pass, I know it's coming. I cut the balls there.

SPEAKER_05 36:11

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 36:16

So just all right, so you know as kids your age, okay. If you had to like give up, if you were sitting in front of a group of kids your age, would your message to them be about what it takes to just become not just a a great young man of character, right, and faith and discipline, but a good basketball player. What would your message to that to that group be?

SPEAKER_04 36:39

I would probably say do everything with integrity, even like even if you're like kind of what I was saying earlier, you know you should be doing something different, but you're doing the easy things, the things that get you nowhere. Do do what will actually get you somewhere. Um I would tell them basketball-wise, you're not gonna want to drive up to the gym at eight in the morning. You're gonna wanna sleep in, get up uh play video games, uh watch TV. Right. But it's the things if you s if you want to be better, you have to you have to put in the work and I just say do have integrity and putting work in.

SPEAKER_02 37:21

Let's let's stay right there for a second. What does integrity mean? Like define any of your own.

SPEAKER_04 37:25

I would say doing the right thing when nobody's watching. Yeah. I would kind of just put he said, but just hard work is so important. There's you can do all things, you can do all things through price and strength and you, but um you can do things but you can't do them 100%. Like I would say do everything with a purpose, everything to get better and do it like 100%. I see the quote 1% better every day. I use that all the time.

SPEAKER_02 37:58

Yes. All right. So, Neil, what when they're when it's all said and done and they're growing and gone and they're sitting in your chair, all right, and um, you know, their sons are here. Uh what is what do you want them to say about your the legacy that you uh have instilled? Great, great question.

SPEAKER_01 38:15

Number one is I I want them to know how much I love them and how proud I am of them, regardless of performance, regardless of and I tell them too, you're gonna make mistakes in life. Right, right, but I want to be uh an encourager, a leader, and someone who helps prepare them for whatever life throws their way. Right. And the biggest part of that, we've talked about it, we all share this common belief, is if if I have pointed them to Jesus in every way, with my words, my actions, the things they see me do, the things they hear me say, the decisions I make, then I will have left the legacy that I desire to. They will, if they're men of integrity that love the Lord, want to do the right thing, and they're prepared for life, I'll sit back in my rocking chair and you know, sip on my sweet tea and and and and and feel like I've I've done the best I can do.

SPEAKER_02 39:19

Yeah, that's good. And if you honor the game, you know, I tell you all, if you honor this game, like the game will take you far. Like, like me honoring the game, you know, as a 19-year-old kid in Germany is is has propelled me to be where I am right now today, right? Because I always did it with enjoy well, not always, I'm not gonna say that. It's not absolute. I in every in the best I could, I honored the game with like just respect, with character, um, with integrity, you know, all the time. And it it, you know, I like to joke and say I've been to more countries because of basketball than states.

SPEAKER_01 39:59

Well, I I didn't say this earlier. You asked about my basketball journey, but truly, I mean, basketball changed my life in every way. Yeah. No doubt it kept me out of a lot of trouble, right? Probably for the first 22 years of my life because I was so obsessed with the game, and I spent my Friday nights and my Saturday nights, and when I was in college, and you know, I was not out doing things a lot of college students are doing. Right. I wanted to take care of my body, I wanted to take care of my mind because I wanted to be the best basketball player I could be, right? Like you. I mean, right. I've played basketball in prisons against inmates, I've played in other countries on mission trips. Um, it's it's it's amazing what God has done in my life using basketball as the platform, and he's doing that right now through you.

SPEAKER_02 40:45

Yeah, it is. I I can't I can't remember who we were playing three on three with. He was like, why y'all put me on the young guy? I don't like I'm older than everyone out here. But to your point, just you know, just taking care of, you know, it'll take care of you and be taking care of you.

SPEAKER_01 41:01

Yeah, it's a it's a great game. One of the reasons I introduced them to golf and tennis was because along with basketball, to me, those are the sports that you really can play later in life.

SPEAKER_05 41:10

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_01 41:11

They didn't really love golf, but they're playing tennis. But I just told them, I said, you know, I'm 47, right? You're a little older than I am, but we're still playing basketball.

SPEAKER_05 41:19

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:19

And you're not out there getting a tackle football game up or a fast pitch uh baseball game, right? But you can still play basketball and of course a couple of those other sports.

SPEAKER_05 41:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:29

All right, so I'm gonna put you on the spot, and then I'm gonna come put you two on the spot. All right. Uh as a parent and has been through, you know, the journey, right? Um what what would your I don't want to say, what would your message to parents be just like just you know, sitting from watching being a dad from the sideline, um, being a parent from the sideline, but also on the floor with your son. Like what what message of advice would you give your parents about just patience?

SPEAKER_01 41:59

Right. That's a good one. I I'm afraid that what I've seen, many parents are living out their passions or their interests through their kids. Right. And because of that, they're putting a lot of unnecessary pressure. Right. I've also seen uh, and I can give you a story, I won't call any names, but I've seen kids burn out because of the parents putting lots of pressure, and I think that comes from a place of I don't know, there's a there's a lot of Drake says I could go with that, but uh we were actually standing in this very gym one night, and I heard a mother say, I am so sick of baseball. We are ready for a baseball season to be over. Right. And she said, My son doesn't even like baseball. And I heard her say this, and I said, Well, why doesn't he quit? She goes, We've put way too much time and money in it for him to quit now. Right. Yeah. And this was the parent driving the kid to play baseball, and he didn't even want to. So I say all that to say, if I'm speaking to parents, number one, I would say be careful about making these athletic competitions the focal point of your entire existence. Right. Because I think the minute that moves into number one in your life and replaces your Lord and Savior and your faith, right, problems are gonna arise from that.

SPEAKER_05 43:25

Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 43:26

Number two, I would say be careful about burning the kids out with the amount that's on the schedule and with the things you're saying to them and the pressure you're putting on them because of the game. Um, and then number three is kind of where I started is I think if we can just take a step back and let them live out their God given purpose and path and lead and encourage and support and love and be patient, I think we can then relax and know that it's not our responsibility. To make them NBA players or Major League Baseball players. But it is our responsibility to love them well, be patient with them, encourage them, teach them, lead them, but do it within a I'd say a biblical worldview. Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_02 44:14

And most importantly, in my opinion, just be present. Yes. Yes. Be there. Yeah, just be present. And a lot of times being present doesn't mean you have to say something. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:24

Sometimes what they need after a game is a hug from mom or dad and a quiet ride home.

SPEAKER_02 44:29

That's right. Yeah, yeah. Chicken fillet sandwich and they're happy.

SPEAKER_01 44:33

They're happy. I learned that the hard way, you know, early on in some of their games. Uh, I guess it was baseball. The game didn't matter at all. What mattered is what the snacks were after the game. And the kid would run you over to get to the snack line. I'm like, I think I focused on the wrong thing.

SPEAKER_02 44:53

Yep. Okay, so as we get ready to close. All right, you ready? All right. So there's only one right answer. One question, only one right answer for all three of you. All right. Jordan Olivron. Jordan. Jordan.

SPEAKER_05 45:06

Jordan.

SPEAKER_01 45:09

Jordan.

SPEAKER_04 45:10

Is that a question? Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 45:13

I want the guy that takes the winning shot, not that passes to a teammate for the winning shot. And I say that. John Paxson, Steve Kerr, but that was probably off of a triple team.

SPEAKER_02 45:25

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_05 45:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:26

Yeah. Yeah. All right. Anything else y'all want to add before we close out?

SPEAKER_04 45:30

Could you give us like let's do some advice in all the young years watching?

SPEAKER_02 45:35

Yes. Uh oh, absolutely. Great question. The interviewer again interview. My advice would be number one, uh, prayer. All right. Um prayer works. All right. Um, and never be afraid to go to God about anything, right, and everything. Uh, because you know, physically you may feel alone, but internally you're never alone. Right. You always have someone that you can talk to. And don't ever allow the game, whatever game it is, tennis, baseball, basketball, to take you out of that praying mindset and that what's what you're built on and what you're grounded. That's number one. I always pray. And then number two, uh so as a coach, from a coaching uh perspective, once season starts, it's no longer my job to prepare you to get ready. Exactly. Exactly. Once the season starts, like I'm I I'm not finna take you on the side and teach you how to dribble with your left hand. All right, that's stuff you have to already come with. And if you come with that stuff already, then as a coach, I'll put you in a position to for you to be successful. So never stop working. Um but then also like most importantly, to your dad's point, if basketball is not just your thing, then don't play. Like, don't just you know advocate for yourself and be like, you know, I just want to play with the old man on three on three. I really don't want to have to play. And be honest. Like be honest about it. You know, be honest with yourself. And be honest to your parents about your feelings and your thoughts, uh always. All right. And that's it. Most importantly, just talk. Like communicate. That's how we say in basketball. Always communicate, communicate. Sometimes overcommunicate. Right?

SPEAKER_04 47:27

It's it's weird walking on court and it's just running back and down, just silent, except the ball drill on here like all the people.

SPEAKER_01 47:34

But the old man three-on-three league, y'all hear a lot of talking.

SPEAKER_02 47:37

Yes. Yes. Uh and lastly, you don't have to be in the gym to work on your game. You can lay in your bed and work on your work on your jump shot. Uh, I'm not saying drillboard basketball in the house unless you have a silent ball.

SPEAKER_05 47:50

We have one nowadays.

SPEAKER_02 47:52

We like the sound of a basketball belt from our house, so we're good. Yep. Never use that as an don't you don't have to use that as an excuse. Well, I can't get to the gym. You can always run. You have a neighborhood, you can run up and down the street a couple times. You know, it's all never stopped working.

SPEAKER_01 48:07

Right. Yeah. We appreciate you. Yes. This is this was fun. And uh, thank you for all you're doing. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for your doing what you're doing here and with with my boys, but also thank you for what you're doing for the kingdom. Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 48:21

Uh making a difference. Yes. Yep. That's it. Just trying to my little piece, trying to do my part with my little piece. That's all we're calling. Be strong and courageous. Let's go. You know. Do the best you can with what you have, where you are. Exactly, exactly. All right. Well, appreciate it. And that wraps up another episode of the Discipleship Hoops podcast. If today's conversation added value to you, do me a favor. Like it, subscribe to the channel, and share this episode with a coach, a parent, or athlete who needs to hear it. We're building something bigger than basketball here. We're building leaders. If you or your business would like to sponsor an upcoming episode and partner with us in Python Next Generation, visit our website at www.gllucas.com or send us a direct message. We'd love to connect. Until next time, keep waiting to stand, keep waiting for purpose, and remember, the game is the platform. Please feel