Lysa’s team was doing well. Their height and ball-handling abilities were working for them, yet the opposing team was running moves and strategies the Stanwyck girls weren’t acquainted with. The tipping point came during the fourth quarter when, instead of simply trading the lead, the Stanwyck girls fell behind by two baskets. Sonja knew these girls, and she could see the drive draining from their faces. As discouragement eclipsed their discipline, the turnovers increased. Too much passing. Not enough taking the ball to the basket. Shooting from anywhere, and more fouling than fighting for rebounds. When discipline cedes to desperation, the game is already over.
Except that’s not what happened. Lysa didn’t believe her girls were second-best. She knew they could be the regional champs, so with seven minutes left, she used a timeout to remind them of that. “I see exactly what you’re doing,” she told them with shining eyes. “You’re setting them up! They think you’re done and gone home, but what you’re really doing is lulling them into overconfidence. If I know you girls, you’re getting ready to go out there full-throttle and play as you’ve never played before. As no one has ever played on this court. You’re about to play better than any Stanwyck team ever, and no one will ever forget it!”
And that’s what happened. Relentless rebounds, crisp steals, solid blocking, and their tightest, most practiced shots. Shots they knew so well they could do them in the dark. No fouls, no misses, and no letting up until the final buzzer found them six points beyond the better-ranked team.
Stanwyck’s fans went wild, and when the other team’s head coach walked over and shook Lysa’s hand, he said, “What a turnaround! Whatever you told those girls at your final timeout should go into a book, my friend. Congratulations, Lysa—your girls have every right to feel great about this one!”
*Excerpted from Stanwyck’s Secret. We all know discouragement, which is why encouraging others makes such a difference in any relationship or group. Never underestimate the value of noticing what’s good (Philippians 4:8).
