COACH

What made Ike Sr. accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and follow God?  God was already working on Ike Sr. before his mom passed. After his mom passed Ike Sr. became withdrawn and quiet. (Angela Riley/wife) invited him to Liberty Temple in Chicago under the leadership of Chief Apostle, Dr. Clifford E. Turner

 

When did Ike Sr. give his life to God? A few months later Ike Sr. accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. (1996). A few years later Ike Sr. was ordained as a Deacon. He began serving at Liberty Temple Full Gospel Church as a Deacon and helping with the youth ministry titled “Boys to Men”. In 2012 Ike was ordained again as an Elder at Liberty Temple. In 2013 Ike Sr. joined Family Christian Center, he was happy to worship again in the same building with his wife and family.  Ike Sr. continued to coach and mentor with blessings from Leadership at Liberty Temple Full Gospel.

 

What year did Ike Sr. began coaching? Ike Sr. began coaching the Liberty Warriors in 2002 at Liberty Temple. Ike Sr. was a coach and mentor until 2020 when he became ill.

 

How long did Ike Sr. coach? 23 years and never missed a game. Ike Sr. took every opportunity to enter the Liberty Warriors into Tournaments and Competitions through Athletes For Christ Association (AFCA).  The Our Father Prayer was the Liberty Warriors banner and prayer before every game.  God allowed me (Angela) to teach my husband the Our Father Prayer when we were just boyfriend and girlfriend.  When Ike became a coach and mentor, he believed that every child should at the least know the Our Father Prayer. He taught the children that were members and the children that were not members of the church the Our Father Prayer.  The Warriors won many games, tournaments and championships.  The championships became many for the Liberty Warriors; the church had to create space for the championship trophies.  Ike Sr. started with the Liberty Warriors basketball teams at Liberty Temple Full Gospel Church in Chicago. Over time Ike Sr. added another sport, he started recruiting young men for the Warrior baseball teams also. 

 

Sacrifices Made:  Ike Sr. never thought being a Deacon or a Coach was a sacrifice; he served the church and the youth thanking God every day for choosing him. Ike Sr. always said when the going got tuff “if I can help one young man stay out of trouble or come out of trouble and come to Christ through sports all the sacrifice is worth it”

 

Ike Sr. mentored on the basketball courts and on the baseball fields. Ike Sr. was always a phone call away with all of his team members.  His coaching went beyond the courts and fields.  Late night phone calls, driving anywhere and everywhere needed to help the team or an individual in a life crisis.  Praying with them and always directing them to Jesus. The young boys and teens became young adults. Ike Sr. continued mentoring them as the young men went off to college and as young men trying to figure out their life purpose.

 

Ike Sr. AKA Coach would take his own money and buy uniforms and equipment, pay tournament fees and gym rentals. Coach would have Bar-B-Q’s, give the young men small jobs to do so he could pay them instead of just giving them money.  Coach would hire them at his work place if they needed a job. Coach attended graduations, trunk parties, family affairs, birthdays for his team members. Ike Sr. would get their school sports schedules and attend the games of those he encouraged to play on a team at their schools. Ike Sr. would start his day at 4 am during coaching seasons and end his day as late as 12 midnight driving home teammates. Ike Sr. loved every bit of it, he never complained. God graced Ike Sr. to do all of this and still spend time with his own boys (who are now men) in their endeavors to play sports.

 

What would be something very encouraging to know about Ike Sr. (coach) that would help others to know anything is possible when you put God first?

 

Ike Sr. was raised in a single parent home.  He was raised by his mother and grandmother along with six other siblings in poverty.  As a young boy, teen and man he did not have a male role model in his life.  When I met Ike Sr., he did not know anything about a God who loved him. Ike Sr. did not have any desire to attend church. He hustled and made money never thought about getting a job.  He completed high school but not college.  After Ike Sr. gave his life to Christ and became fully committed to God and the church everything began to change for him.  The favor of God was upon him for sure. Ike Sr. got a job at a nonprofit organization; he started out as a janitor.  Ike Sr. got promotion, promotion, promotion. When his 37 years ended at Sertoma in 2020 after becoming ill, he was the Contract Janitorial Manager. By God’s grace and favor Ike Sr. took a $16,000 a month department called the J-Team to a $4,000,000 + a month department. God blessed and prospered every good thing Ike Sr. put his hands to do. Ike Sr. always wanted a relationship with his earthly father and during the last twelve years of Ike Sr. life he had a genuine relationship with his biological father and this relationship filled Ike’s heart with happiness. Ike Sr. forgave his Dad for all the years he missed and refused to say publicly Ike Sr. was his son.  God is Excellent!