A teacher talent show? Immediately the thought popped into my mind: Why not dribble to music?!! I had never done it before and had no clue how I was going to do it. But the thought turned into a vision, and soon the vision turned into action.

So after about 10 hours of choreographing (never thought I would hear myself say that!) the dribbling to the music, it was time to perform. A sellout crowd of 500 kids that see me in the hallways everyday, students I had grown to love over the past 4 years, packed the Memorial High School auditorium. Needless to say I was nervous!!

My arms were shaking, and my stomach was completely in knots. I remember standing behind the closed curtain praying, telling the Lord it was all for him. As my name was announced and the curtain opened, the kids went crazy, having no clue what this white substitute teacher was going to do with a basketball in his hand.

As the ball hit the floor, I think 500 jaws simultaneously dropped. Even more than the dribbling itself, these kids were shocked that it was “Mr. O” doing it. I had a talent the world didn’t know about, and all this time it was hidden from people who saw me everyday. As the music ended and the curtain closed, the place erupted, and I experienced an incredible satisfaction of knowing that God had done, and began, something amazing in my life.

This video is a performance I did about a year later at my school. Two years later I’m doing motivational assemblies all over the country, motivating people to live for something amazing, something so much bigger than themselves.

The God who created me and gave my talent to dribble, is the same Person who “Created the Crossover” within me. He started something in my life that allowed me to “live for something bigger than myself.”

Want to know what He has done in my life, and what He wants to do in yours? Check out my story in our video post:

THE REAL CROSSOVER

This past spring I had the opportunity to spend a week with Ball for Lives’ web designer, Josh Waldron. Josh teaches History at Waynesboro High School in Waynesboro, VA and is a teacher with a vision: by building into his students’ lives he wants them to see the same thing that Ball for Lives is all about–live for something bigger than yourself. Josh is a teacher making a big difference in the lives of public school students. Keep living big Josh!