NONCONFERENCE-GROWING OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE

Experiencing Firsts

Canaan Coffey, Freshman

As a freshman, this year was full of new experiences. It was a year of tremendous growth, both on and off the court, with many ups and downs scattered along the way.

A lot of this growth came from times when I was pushed out of my comfort zone and forced to experience something new. Throughout this growth process, I loved being able to experience different “firsts” with this team.

One of these times of growth came on our trip to Hawaii. Every day while we were there, a different player would lead a team devotion.  These led to conversations that strengthened the unity of our team.

Coach Tonagel had asked me a few days before the trip if I would give a devotion on the last day of our Hawaii trip, and I jumped at the chance. I had never done something like this before, and I don’t usually like sharing personal things in front of a big group of people.  Still, I knew stretching myself in this way would help me grow.

When it was time for me to give my devotion, the team gathered on the serene Hawaiian coastline.  While my heart was pounding and my nerves were racing, I began to think about how special that moment was. I was surrounded by Godly men who were listening to me speak about how God was working in my life. We could’ve been sleeping in, but instead we were joining together in fellowship and diving deeper into our faith. I realized that nobody cared if I stumbled over words, they just wanted to hear what God was pressing on my heart. I thought it was one of the coolest things I had ever experienced. Not many college athletes can say that they’ve been a part of a team like that before.

Although basketball is a big part of my life, it doesn’t define who I am. I am grateful to be on a team that values growth in our faith, and on the basketball court, and is willing to walk alongside me as I grow out of my comfort zone. This was just one of the many ‘firsts’ I experienced in my freshman year as a Wildcat, and I’m excited to see where God leads me throughout the rest of my college journey as we continue to push ourselves out of our comfort zone and experience new things.