THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 26, 1996 TAG: 9601250189
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
GREENBRIER CHRISTIAN JUNIOR Scott Sherwood admits that when he made a trip last summer to Costa Rica his Spanish wasn't as good as it should have been.
But his basketball skills were.
And through his court sense, Sherwood and his coach Terry Evans were able to break the language barrier.
Sherwood, then 16, and Evans traveled to Costa Rica on a missionary trip to play basketball and spread the word of God.
``I've always wanted to do something like that,'' Sherwood, a 6-foot-4 forward for the Gators said. ``I never thought of myself as a missionary. But I got the chance to play basketball and preach. It made me feel good to give someone a message about Christ by playing basketball.''
Sherwood's team, comprised mostly of players from Tennessee where S.C.O.R.E. (Sharing Christ Our Redeemer Enterprises) International is based, played six games while giving testimonies at halftime.
``We had a bible and told them stories and how to get saved,'' he said. ``It was kind of weird because we would say something and then the interpreter would tell them what we had said. But we didn't know what he was saying. They would just look at us and smile.''
Evans, who learned of the program through his former coach Ron Bishop, said the language barrier didn't seem to keep the Costa Ricans from getting the message.
``It was difficult for us to try and talk to them,'' Evans said. ``But is was amazing to me how attentive they were and how they all seemed riveted.''
And, Sherwood and Evans agreed, it carried over onto the court.
While Sherwood had to adjust to the concrete floors of the open gym that was surrounded by a drainage ditch, his Costa Rican opponents played the most competitive basketball he's seen.
``It was more physical,'' Sherwood said. ``You play against guys over here and you know how they're going to play. But then when you switch over, it was more intense than I thought it would be. They teach you the way they play and different moves.''
Evans said that Sherwood's experience has helped him become more aggressive, which is part of the reason why Greenbrier Christian is 10-3. Sherwood, who sat out most of last season with a fractured bone in his ankle, is averaging 9.5 points and 8 rebounds a game.
``It helped him become tougher under the basket,'' Evans said. ``It was more physical. The junior national team we played over there, they had everything - size, speed, shooters. Scott had to adapt. He played really well.''
Not only did Sherwood learn more about his game, he also learned to appreciate what he has in life. Sherwood spent his time off the court touring the city where he saw poverty-stricken people sleeping in boxes in the alleys. He saw children selling things on the street to make money for their families. They were scenes, he said, that will forever be engraved in his thoughts.
``I'm thankful for what I have and what my parents have provided me with,'' Sherwood said. ``It made me grateful for who I am and what Christ has provided me with here and just knowing that that my parents and Christ are looking out for me and are going to continue to do so.''
That's one thing he's sure of, no matter what language it's said in. ILLUSTRATION: Scott Sherwood
Greenbriar Christian junior
by CNB