Most coaches simply want to win, so whether it's basketball, baseball, football or any other competitive sport, the predominant goal for players and teams is pretty clear: be victorious.
But Baylor University basketball coach Scott Drew has a different take. While he most definitely wants his athletes to be unstoppable on the court, he's most concerned with their spiritual well-being.
Consider his reaction to the Bears' somewhat rocky season -- a response that can only be described as uncommon.
"We may not win another game this year, and I may be a horrible coach, but if any of these guys leave without knowing Christ, that will be the real loss," Drew recently said while speaking with team chaplain Scott Brewer.
What's perhaps most remarkable about Drew's comments is that they were made just moments before he entered a press room to answer journalists' questions about his team's recent string of losses, reported Fox Sports' David Ubben.
Baylor coach Scott Drew motions to his players during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Iowa State in the Big 12 men's tournament final, Saturday, March 15, 2014, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
While it might seem curious that a coach who is moments away from speaking publicly about his team's deficiencies was thinking about anything other than what to tell reporters, Drew's response shows his uncommon level of compassion and care for his players.
And that devotion actually seems to be paying off, spiritually speaking.
Two of Drew's players recently became Christians -- and five of them were baptized February 25, when the coach accompanied his team and staffers to Highland Baptist Church in Waco, Texas.
Baylor coach Scott Drew thanks the fans after Baylor defeated Iowa State 74-61 in an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, March 4, 2014, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Rod Aydelotte)
"Winning the game of life is a lot more rewarding than a 40-minute basketball game that's so temporary," Drew told Ubben. "To have an opportunity to help be a part of an impact on a young person's life is the best feeling."
There's no telling how the Bears' season will end on the court, but it's clear that Drew has made a lasting spiritual impact on his players. And his own standards, this can only be defined as true success.
(H/T: Fox Sports)
