Heart of a Coach
December 2008

Sylvia Crawley
Head Coach, Women’s Basketball
Boston College

Chosen Attribute: Leadership

Dictionary definition: “The ability to guide or direct.”

My definition: “Being both a servant and a visionary.”

Who has helped me develop leadership: “My mom and my older sister. They are strong leaders and women of faith.”

Favorite Scripture that illustrates leadership: Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV) – “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

Why I chose this passage: “The greatest leader of all time was Jesus Christ. And we, as Christians, are trying to be Christ-like—to be His followers. Jesus never had other people serving Him; He was the servant. So, the greatest servant who ever walked the face of the earth was also the greatest leader. He really served, and He served so much that He gave His life for us.”

How I have developed leadership in life: “Being a leader came naturally to me because I was tall—6-foot in the sixth grade. People would follow me just  because I was the biggest. But I didn’t always want the responsibility.

“I was nominated to be a captain when I played basketball at North Carolina, but I declined it. I knew a captain had to lead by example, be on time and do everything right. At the time, I didn’t want that responsibility. The coaching staff, however, made me a captain anyway because they saw leadership ability in me. They helped develop me into a strong leader.

"...the greatest servant who ever walked the face of the earth was also the greatest leader."

“Being a leader was something God was grooming me for. He took me through different stages and levels because He knew that I  wasn’t able to handle my calling at a young age. Even as an adult I wasn’t able to handle it at times. But now, God uses that leadership to share His gospel. I do speaking engagements, have shared at WNBA chapels and am currently doing a Bible study with my team.”

How I set an example of leadership through coaching: “I try to have a servant’s heart and figure out how I can serve this team. I think about what I can do to encourage the players and not speak to them where they are, but speak to them where they are going to be.

"Leading as a coach is a ministry. And reading Tony Dungy’s book, Quiet Strength, confirmed that I should be running my team on Christ’s principles. I seek God for every decision. I don’t force what I believe on any of my players, but we make the atmosphere accommodating for the Christian lifestyle. We don’t practice before 2 p.m. on Sundays so that the players can go to church if they want. They see my heart—that I desire to make them into responsible adults. I am hard on them, but I show them that I love them and want the best for them and the team.”

About the Coach:
Hometown: Steubenville, Ohio
College: University of North Carolina
•Member of the 1994 NCAA national championship team 

Coaching Career:
•Led Ohio University to a 38-25 overall record as the head coach from 2006-08.
•Named head coach at Boston College in May 2008.

FCA Involvement:
Crawley was first exposed to FCA as a student-athlete at the University of North Carolina. The ministry played an important role by offering her an outlet for Christian encouragement and fellowship.

“I felt so unbalanced in college because I couldn’t get to church on Sundays,” Crawley said. “FCA and their Bible studies helped keep me balanced and understand that I wasn’t alone in my walk. There were so many other people on campus who were on fire for God, and I needed to see that.”

--For more stories about faith and sport, visit www.sharingthevictory.com, the official magazine of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. To subscribe to STV, click here.

Photos courtesy of Boston College, Ohio University.