Dru Joyce II - Beyond Championships: A Playbook for Winning at Life

PRAISE FOR BEYOND CHAMPIONSHIPS

Coach Dru has shared some valuable principles in life with us in Beyond Championships. My son, Jibri, came to Coach Drus program at St. Vincent-St. Mary as a junior in high school and has become a better person and a better player. I am grateful for Coach Drus mentoring and the leadership he is providing for so many young people. Beyond Championships reveals the heart and soul of a good man and a good coach. Its a must-read for young people, as well as for older people. Thanks, Coach Dru, for sharing with us some lifetime lessons we can all use on our journey.

Mel Blount, four-time Super Bowl champ and member of the NFL Hall of Fame

After graduating from high school, the number one question I received was, What was it like playing with LeBron? The second most-asked question was, What kind of coach did you have? The first question was easier to answer than the second. But now you can read this book and begin to understand how great a man Coach Dru is! For Coach Dru, living a full and productive life has always been about more than just basketball. Its about relationships and being a Christian man and being a great father. Its about how to treat women, how to compete, how to be a student athlete, and so much more. Coach Dru is the best coach Ive ever had. Not just because hes so good at the Xs and Os, but also because he knows how to help a young person be the best person he can be. Coach often asked, Are you prepared for the game of life? Because it never stops, even when the clock on the scoreboard hits 00:00! Thank you, Coach Dru, for all you have done to prepare me for the game of life.

Willie McGee, Fab Five member of the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball team (19992003) and current assistant coach of the Chowan University mens basketball team

One of my favorite maxims is serve the underserved, and few people put these words into practice like Coach Dru Joyce does. We all know the incredible work he did in helping LeBron James develop into the player and, more importantly, the individual hes become. Im excited that in Beyond Championships, Coach Dru shares the principles that helped mold so many other young lives as well. Coach Drus story should inspire all readers, both young and old alike, to have the faith to chase their dreams, no matter what obstacles they perceive to be in front of them.

Russell Simmons, cofounder of Def Jam Records and author of Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All

Anything that Dru Joyce has to say is important, because he is a quality man who cares about young men!

Bishop F. Josephus Johnson II, presiding bishop of The Beth-El Fellowship of Visionary Churches and senior pastor of The House of the Lord

Coach Drus teachings on faith, family, and character are an inspiration to athletes and nonathletes alike. Beyond Championships transcends sports the way Coach Drus influence on young lives reaches far beyond the basketball court.

Kristopher Belman, writer/director of the documentary More Than a Game

Dad, you have been an ongoing leader in my life. I value what you taught me both on and away from the basketball court. Youre a man of many quotes to live by. Each morning as I was growing up, you would always remind me, Be a leader and not a follower today. Well, I would follow your lead any day. Proud to be a former player, a student to your lessons, and, most of all, I am proud to call you my dad.

Dru Joyce III, Fab Five member of the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball team (19992003)

Beyond Championships is what happens when one of the nations most influential high school coaches lets us in on his secrets to success. Whether or not you love sports, this book and the life lessons herein are invaluable to both young and old. Sit down, read, enjoy, and learn!

Harvey Mason Jr., music/movie producer; producer of More Than a Game

Heartfelt and inspiring, Beyond Championships is a book for people of all ages and both genders. The teachings from my fatherCoach Druapply not only to sports but to life as well, and thats what makes this book so good. Through sports, were able to see real-life situations and how they tie in both positively and negatively in our lives.

Cameron Joyce, assistant coach at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, and youngest son of Coach Dru

ZONDERVAN

Beyond Championships

Copyright 2014 by James Dru Joyce II

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

ePub Edition January 2015: ISBN 978-0-310-34053-9

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Cover design: Curt Diepenhorst

Cover photography: Dan Davis Photography

Photo insert: All photos courtesy of Coach Dru Joyce II unless otherwise noted

Photo insert background: tothzoli001 / Shutterstock

Interior photography: moomsabuy / Shutterstock

Interior and photo insert design: Kait Lamphere

First printing January 2015

To Carolyn, my wife,
life couldnt have given me a better soul mate and partner. You have challenged and inspired me to always be better. You most likely could have done well in life without me, but I know I could have never made it without you.

With all my love,
Dru.

CONTENTS

BY LEBRON JAMES

BY LEBRON JAMES

I ts hard to believe now, but I was close to the same age my son is today when I first met Coach Dru.

As a young kid in Akron, Ohio, I was like a lot of other kids. I wanted to play basketball and hang out with my friends. So when Coach Dru asked me to play on his team, at the time it was all about basketball. But looking back on it, I now know there was something far greater at work that made me walk into that dusty Salvation Army gym in Akron. Because as much as I wanted to learn and play basketball, what I needed at that point in my life was someone who could show me more than just the Xs and Os. Coach Dru taught me about life.

Being raised by a single mom, I knew it was important that I had a male presence in my life men I could look up to and go to for direction. Prior to meeting Coach Dru, Frank Walker gave me that guidance. When Coach Dru came along, my support system grew, and I related to him on a different level he knew what it meant to be poor, a feeling I was already too familiar with as a ten-year-old. Most importantly, he knew how to transcend his circumstances, and he wanted to share that knowledge with us too.

Thats why Im so excited for this book. I know firsthand how well these principles work. They worked for me and my brothers Dru, Sian, Willie, and Romeo growing up in Akron. My brothers and I were no different from other kids all over the world. We all had dreams. For too many kids, those dreams feel unreachable. But for us, they never did. Because Coach Dru showed us that no matter what sort of obstacles we faced, we could make our dreams a reality.