By Jake Sutherlin
“We want to do the little things well. With basketball? That’s easy; basketball is our passion, but we are here to serve and give. That’s what Jesus did, and we want to model Jesus. We have to make the choice to be elite in everything we do, in every facet of our lives.”
—Richard Westerlund, men’s basketball coach, Great Lakes Christian College
In his four years coaching at Great Lakes Christian College, Richard Westerlund has worked to instill this culture in his players and in the men’s basketball program, which consistently has been breaking school records over that time: most program wins, longest win streaks, national championship appearances, and the list goes on.
Getting players or people to buy into and work for something they are passionate about is easy, but convincing them to buy into a conviction that requires sacrifice is something fewer are inclined to do.
A Jesus model of service and sacrifice can’t be an easy sell for a college coach. The Christian life is hard; Jesus said as much himself: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me . . .” (Luke 9:23, New Living Translation).
To shoulder a cross, to lay aside ambition, to submit and follow—these are patterns of the Christian life, which certainly is not of this world.
But this is a pattern Westerlund has bought into and has invited dozens of young men into.
How’s it going?
During his first two years at GLCC, the men’s basketball program registered more than a thousand hours of community service, highlighted by partnerships with local schools where student-athletes served as tutors and mentors. The team also hosts free basketball clinics where players continue to build service-oriented relationships with families in the area.
A CALL TO GREATER CONVICTION
For several players these opportunities have resonated deeply with their own stories of God’s provision and his call to invest in those who might have less of a chance. One such player is current senior Isiah Reed, a four-time National Christian College Athletic Association All-American.
Reed grew up in Flint, Mich. He describes his background simply as “rough,” and says he had limited faith in his early life. Out of high school he was underrecruited, largely unknown.
It wasn’t until his first few years at GLCC when he began to recognize and appreciate God’s sovereignty. It was the conscious efforts of mentors like Coach Westerlund that made a difference.
“Rich (Westerlund) is going to challenge you in your faith,” Reed says.
It’s that accountability, that call to greater conviction that Reed wants to carry with him, both in life and in his basketball career.
Reed’s prayer is that God will lead him in the direction he is best suited to serve and that the Lord will give him the strength to carry through the times when it’s difficult to be faithful or to see where God is leading.
“You can trust and believe that God is always going to be working with you,” Reed says.
Reed is confident in God’s provision; he’s seen God working firsthand, but he knows the road ahead will not be easy.
A PLAYER-LED CULTURE
GLCC alumnus Lance Adams can testify to that.
Adams and Reed were on Westerlund’s first GLCC roster back in 2018. It was Adams’ final year and Reed’s first.
Westerlund said he leaned heavily on Adams’ leadership to establish the program’s current culture.
“The best cultures are player-led,” Westerlund says.
A coach can go only so far in holding players accountable; the players need to invest in what they’re doing, in what they’re trying to build. For GLCC, Adams was a key player who bought in.
Westerlund saw that whenever Adams went to serve, he always took others with him. He encouraged others when things didn’t go right. He set an example both on the court and off it by elevating his relationships and play.
Faith had been a constant feature of Adams’ life, though as with many, his faith has sometimes ebbed and flowed. Like Reed, Adams was confronted more poignantly with the gospel when he came to college. He began his college career at Rochester College in New York. Through classes, chapels, and team speakers, Reed found a sure-footing in faith.
He credits the transformative power of Scripture for some of his growth, saying there were times in classes when the Bible would mold and teach even if he or other students weren’t really engaged.
God pursues, and God elevates.
God has elevated Adams to a position where he now gets to live out his faith on professional basketball courts. In April, Adams signed for the London Lightning, a professional team in the National Basketball League of Canada.
Of course, none of it came easy. There’s a political side to professional basketball, with clear preference given to bigger names and players from bigger programs. Adams witnessed this firsthand, and he was shocked at the physicality and speed of pro basketball; it was a humbling adjustment.
Despite all of it, Adams is simply grateful for the opportunity God has given him to play. He’s grateful for the coaches and players who have walked alongside him, people like Westerlund and Reed.
ELEVATING YOUNG PEOPLE
Those three, along with many others, have helped develop a program that elevates young people spiritually and athletically.
For Reed it’s been categorized by patience and faithfulness, trusting that God will come through and provide opportunities.
For Adams it’s been a story of community and encouragement, inviting others to join in, to serve and to sacrifice for the things that matter most.
And for Westerlund it’s been a journey similar to the Bible’s Nehemiah.
There were times when building a wall—like building a program—felt impossible. The devil attacks; people doubt and discourage, and many times people feel inadequate for ministry. But God continues to pave a way, strengthening those who are faithful to his call, and lifting up workers for moments such as these both on the court and off it.
Jake Sutherlin, who earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, works as a youth intern for a church in Mississippi.
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