The NCAA basketball tournament began three weeks ago with 68 teams. By midnight this Monday 67 of those teams will have lost, and over 800 college basketball players will have experienced the agony of defeat. While the dozen members of the championship team need to be gracious in victory, character is most tested and most evident by one’s attitude in defeat.

King David won many victories. But David also experienced the torment of being beaten in battle. Notice when you read Psalm 13 that David maintained his faith in God even though the struggle didn’t go his way.

“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “’ have overcome him,’ and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.  I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.”

During this year’s NCAA tournament, I was really impressed with the character of two Christian coaches who kept their faith in defeat. Both coaches set an inspirational example for the young men God entrusted to them by demonstrating how to accept defeat and go on with what is most important in life.

Tony Bennett, the coach of the University of Virginia Cavaliers, experienced a humiliating defeat in last year’s NCAA tournament. This year his team made it to the Final Four. But last year Virginia, a Number One seed, was upset in the first round by a 16 seed. It was the biggest upset in tournament history…one of biggest upsets of all time.

Coach Bennett was the target of a lot of ridicule and criticism last year. It would have been easy for him to become defensive and bitter…or just quit altogether. But Tony Bennett is a dedicated Christian who seeks to be a Godly influence on his players. Following last year’s defeat he told his team from that moment, “If you learn to use [adversity] right, it will buy you a ticket to a place you couldn’t have gone any other way.”

This year Virginia overcame the stigma of that humiliating loss and the adversity of the additional pressure and made it to the Final Four. Tomorrow night they play for the championship. I hope they continue to do well and Tony Bennett has an expanded platform to share his faith. But regardless, he has used his position to positively influence the young men God entrusted to him by maintaining his composure and his testimony in defeat.

I was even more impressed this year with the coach of another Virginia school that wasn’t expected to go very far. Coach Buzz Williams ended his career at Virginia Tech with class when his team suffered a heartbreaking two-point loss to Duke in a sweet sixteen game.

Take a moment to watch Coach William’s heartfelt prayer for his three graduating seniors in the locker room after that agonizing defeat. Williams is leaving Virginia Tech to become the head coach at Texas A.& M. But listen to his passionate prayer for the three seniors who have just played their final game under his leadership and who are going out following a gut-wrenching loss.

By the way, as you watch this video keep in mind that these are the kind of people the politically correct crowd calls “mentally ill” because they pray and “dishonorable” because they believe in the Bible. These are the types of leaders that the progressives are attempting to silence because they pose such a threat to the freedom and future of America. Really? You be the judge about the kind of people you think are best equipped to guide our nation’s youth.

 

Follow BobRussellKY on Twitter and LIKE the Bob Russell page on Facebook