The world is vast. There are many languages, cultures, beliefs, and religions that shape each region. Those differences can divide nations and negatively impact communication between people.
Yet the sound of a basketball "swooshing" through a hoop means the same thing in every language.
For the past few years, Buffalo has been involved with a Christian sports ministry called Athletes in Action. Founded in 1966, the group travels around the globe to spread Christianity through sports.
According to Tommy Young, a member of Athletes in Action's communication staff, the overall goal of the group is to build worldwide spiritual movements using sports as a platform.
Collegiate basketball is Athletes in Action's main vehicle for spreading good will. The organization is well known for touring worldwide with teams made up of former or current college basketball athletes from approximately 150 campuses.
On these tours, the organization's activities range from holding youth basketball clinics to wide-scale humanitarian efforts. Athletes in Action's recent efforts include building basketball courts and public bathrooms in Kenya, caring for orphans in the Czech Republic, and delivering sporting equipment to East Asia.
The group doesn't get any monetary awards when it embarks on its missions. However, Morris Michalsky, basketball specialist for Athletes in Action, explains to his teams that the journeys go far beyond material purpose.
"You tell the team that you're looking for an enviable spirit that can be forged where other people gather a breathless form of wonder and say ‘How does this happen?" Michalsky said. "You tell them you want to bring honor to Christ."
Michalsky has been involved with Athletes in Action since he was coaching college basketball in the late '80s. Since being named basketball specialist in 2004, he has accompanied groups to Guatemala, Poland, and Croatia – among plenty of other places.
He is also the chaplain for the U.S. Men's National Basketball Team, a position he held during its gold medal run in the 2006 Olympics. Although Michalsky's position with the national team may seem more important to the public eye, he believes his relationship with the college athletes and the professional players is of equal importance, as spiritual awareness is a universal goal.
"I feel like I switch wherever I need to be," Michalsky said. "The guys in the NBA are just guys. [Senior guard] Zach Filzen and [senior forward] Titus Robinson are just guys…we're all learning to pursue truth and grace."
Buffalo has been building a steady relationship with Athletes in Action ever since head coach Reggie Witherspoon took over in 1999. Witherspoon was aware of the ministry's work even before he came to UB, and had no second thoughts about asking Filzen and Robinson to join when they first came to Buffalo.
Filzen, a devout Christian, was on board immediately after the offer.
"I was never skeptical," Filzen said. "I knew [Athletes in Action] was solid, and my faith is very important to me. It's the most important thing in my life, so I could tell right away that it was the real deal."
Filzen and Robinson engaged in some minor activities with Athletes in Actions before their biggest endeavor with the ministry came last summer.
In June, the two made a two-week journey with Athletes in Action to East Asia to play against professional teams and hold clinics for youths. The athletes were part of a 10-man team that consisted of players from Appalachian State, Memphis, Michigan, Clemson, Northwestern, and Cornell.
Robinson, too, was passionately on board for the journey.
"I knew that it would help me in my personal faith and that it would be a great experience to play overseas," Robinson said. "So I just chose to go with it."
However, the well-intentioned athletes weren't allowed to spread their Christian beliefs in the Republic. The nation isn't democratic, and the spreading of religious beliefs could lead to persecution by the Communist government.
The 10 athletes went on with their mission undeterred. They were able to teach basketball ethics and fundamentals to the youth without pushing their beliefs. Michalsky wasn't surprised that the organization was able to accomplish this mission, as he's been in similar situations before.
"It's amazing when you come in with compassion for oppressed people or people who are addicted to their power," Michalsky said. "Compassion is a way to reach people's hearts. Secondly, sport is a language. Sport, music, and love are international languages. You don't need a whole lot of words to communicate those things."
The Athletes in Action squad grew stronger on the court as well. According to Robinson, the team won seven of the eight games it played against the East Asian professional teams. The athletes' success was made even more impressive by the fact that they only had five days of training camp before going overseas.
"We were very successful on the court and that's a great credit to those young men," Michalsky said. "None of the guys we took, other than Zach and Titus, were teammates. So for them to learn to play in a cohesive way was extremely praiseworthy. I was extremely pleased with this particular group to buy into the mission."
Michalsky praised Robinson. The coach believed that Robinson's heightened spiritual awareness reflected in his play.
"Titus played out of his mind," Michalsky said. "He was on fire the whole tour. He got more confident about who he was and who he was supposed to be in his position before God, and it transferred to how he felt on the court. He was one free bird."
By the end of the journey, it was clear to Witherspoon that Robinson and Filzen were more focused than ever. Filzen said that the journey helped them become better leaders for the Bulls, and the level of competition they faced during their time in East Asia would only help them to become better players.
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