Life Influences: John Sivley

Mr. John Sivley (Coach Sivley) was my high school basketball coach at Ocala Christian Academy (OCA).  Coach Sivley always taught his basketball players about discipline, respect, and trust.  Focusing on those aspects, he led our OCA team to four consecutive Florida Christian Conference championships from 1986-1989.  I still have the trophies, plaques, and t-shirts from those years, but the most important memory is the godly example that Coach Sivley lived.  I remember the numerous trips to games in the school van where Coach Sivley took the time to provide practical applications of living a Christian life.

My very first post on this blog related to Coach Sivley, and reflected his coaching style in a business context. Click here to read the post.  After writing the MBA paper, I researched and located Coach Sivley in Alabama.  It had been nearly twenty years since we last spoke, but the memories were still there for both of us.  After the call, I mailed Coach Sivley a copy of my paper, and the articles I had found during research.  However, the phrase that resonates in my mind from my conversation with Coach Sivley is "you are the first player to call me".

That phrase still saddens me, but at least I know that in the few minutes that we spoke, I was able to convey to Coach Sivley that his example did make an impact.  This blog post is a tribute to his never-ending dedication to basketball players, his godly example, and his impact on my life.  Coach Sivley, thank you.

The six seniors and Coach Sively from our 1989 championship year.