He’s won almost every accolade a basketball player can.

• Indiana High School’s “Mr. Basketball”
• National High School Player of the Year
• Olympic gold medalist
• Two-time first team collegiate All-American
• Four-time MVP for Indiana University
• Leader of the Hoosiers’ last national championship team
• NBA star

Now as a coach, Steve Alford’s staring down another achievement-laden career.

Satisfaction would seem to be one of the most elusive commodities on the planet. In the world of sport it is not uncommon for a sideline reporter in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl to ask a player or coach for his thoughts and to hear, “We’re going to win it again next year!” The game isn’t even over yet, but the player is already thinking of next year.

Sadly, this is often due to the inability of the highly achieving to simply be satisfied with their achievements. There is the constant push for more, bigger, greater and higher.

He was lying and he knew it. When the friendly stranger in the parking lot of what was then RiverSide Stadium in Harrisburg, Pa., had asked Jamey Carroll how he was doing, Carroll had told the man that things were going “great.” But deep down, he knew life was anything but great. Jamey Carroll was miserable.

Seven years later, Arnold Thornton still feels the tingle of amazement. He remembers that late August day in 2001, gawking with his brother at the flickering images on ESPN: "Is that really David — our David — putting a lickin' on the defending national champs?"

It was. The name on the back of his jersey was the giveaway. Otherwise, Arnold would have had his doubts. Sure, his son had been a gifted three-sport athlete at Goldsboro (N.C.) High, but Arnold had never seen David fly around the football field like this before.

Dr. Gary Cramer, FCA Director at the University of Alabama, discusses a chaplains role in helping athletes transition from High School, to college, and on to the professional ranks.

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Our defeats are seldom instantaneous. In reality, most of them have been long in the making. And, unfortunately, we often supply the means for our own self-ruin.

There is an old fable about an eagle and an arrow that concludes with the magnificent creature being shot down by a hunter. It is with great pain that the eagle realizes the arrow was made with one of its own feathers. It had essentially brought about its own death.

Last season, sophomore offensive lineman Barrett Jones helped the University of Alabama football team win their 13th national championship. The right guard blocked his way to Freshman All-American honors after spending his Saturdays opening holes for Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mark Ingram. Jones also stayed active off the gridiron as a member of both the Crimson Tide’s FCA Huddle and Campus Crusade for Christ; spent his spring break caring for earthquake survivors in Haiti; and maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom.

Water is the single most important nutrient in the body. To be honest, it's impossible to be healthy without water. Yet, even though we know we're probably not getting enough, many of us still don't do anything about it.