Coach Greg Tonagel
Before watching any message that i post, please consider this. There is no way that you will agree with everything said by each speaker in all the messages i ha e shared. Always make sure what said aligns with the word of God. One of my mentors once told me, “Eat the meat and throw out the bones!” It is as simple as that. Look for nuggets that you can apply to your life and your team! I have only shared a handful of the great messages i have heard from these Spiritual warriors of God, i had to stop somewhere, so for now i hope you enjoy and are empowered from what i have shared. If you hear a great message that needs to be heard, please feel free to email me the link! I will listen to it prayerfully and consider adding it to the list!
Podcast – I Am 3rd
All Greg’s IWU teams have done is win 3 of the last 5 NAIA Division 2 National Championships! His team camps are impacting Indiana High School Basketball for Christ. Greg played at Valparaiso for Hall of Fame Coach Homer Drew. In 2011, I was blessed with the opportunity of spending three days with Greg as he asked if he could come observe our program at SAGU for 3 days. It was the post season and i told him that i was not sure what he would learn this time of year as all we had going was bringing recruits in to tryout. After 3 days of awesome fellowship, I realized what a powerful Spiritual Warrior Greg was, a true mighty man with a heart for God. I asked Greg, “What are you taking with you from your 3 days in Texas?” He complimented our team on our ability to play fast and still focus on the details. I thought, i was glad that someone saw this instead of what one coach once told me, “You guys just defend, rebound, run and shoot!” I laughed, but thought surely that is not what everyone thinks. Another coach said, “Does the first player that touches the ball across half court have the green light to shoot?” My response, “If he is a good shooter. Shooters shoot right? But the other four guys better Hope is missing and be offensive rebounding!” Greg was able to see through that, probably with his spiritual goggles. He said, “Donnie, your kids play free of fear, it blew my mind how fearless they play. I saw it when you beat us is 2010 and when you won the National Championship in 2009. I had to come see it again. We have struggled to get past the Elite 8. I realize now that the further we advance in post season the more fear i am instilling in my players. All you talk about is faith and telling them to attack. Letting them know it is ok to make aggressive unselfish mistakes, just don’t make the same mistake twice.” Greg went home and covered his entire locker room wall with the word FEARLESS. As his team studied it throughout the season, they used it as the pillar foundation to win the National Championship that season and have even went beyond since! I would watch every one of these podcast of i were you! Our teams went together to the Dominican Republic this past August. It was one powerful trip!