Miami Student

Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: Sports

Senior forward Tim Pollitz (pictured) and junior gaurd Eric Pollitz have each matured in both their roles on the basketball team and their devotion to Chirstianity. The two brothers attend Oxford Bible Fellowship, Athletes in Action and Campus Crusade for Christ, in addition to leading a team Bible study.

Senior forward Tim Pollitz and junior gaurd Eric Pollitz (pictured) have each matured in both their roles on the basketball team and their devotion to Chirstianity. The two brothers attend Oxford Bible Fellowship, Athletes in Action and Campus Crusade for Christ, in addition to leading a team Bible study.

Tim Pollitz faced an array of expectations coming into this season. As the only senior on Miami's basketball team, he was expected to be a leader both on and off the court. As the first Miami basketball player in five years to earn first-team all MAC honors, he was expected to be the RedHawks'
top performer.

What was not expected of Tim was for him to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

In leading the Red and White in nearly every significant statistical category (16.2 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, 3.2 assists per game and 36.3 minutes played per game) this season, Tim has shown his ability to lead the team toward success.

In leading a team Bible study, attending church at Oxford Bible Fellowship and becoming involved in campus ministries such as Campus Crusade for Christ and Athletes in Action (AIA), Tim has sought to live according to a completely different set of expectations.

Tim and his twin brother Eric have been going to church since they were born. Fathered by a Lutheran pastor, the idea of Christianity is nothing new to them. However, having a dad who is a pastor did not make it easier for these brothers to be Christians. Tim would even argue that it made it harder.

"Half the time I wouldn't even pay attention to (my dad's) sermons," Tim said. "I'd sleep. It had no affect on me."

Yet coming to college did make a difference in Tim's beliefs. During his junior year, Steve Newman, director of AIA, gave Tim a book, "The Case for Christ," that left a lasting impression.

"I'm the type of person who needs facts to know if this whole thing is real," Tim said. "When I read that book I was like 'Oh my gosh' because it was becoming real to me."

Being student athletes doesn't provide a lot of spare time for the Tim brothers to keep up with their new religion. Between games, practice and school work, they are both hard pressed to find time for church, ministries and daily devotions.

Nevertheless, Tim and Eric said they strive to make their faith the center of their lives.

"With AIA and Crusade, you might not always have time to actually go to those different places," Eric said. "But when you do focus on God and you do take time to read your Bible, it kind of refocuses you in terms of your whole life."

This truth became especially real to Tim last year when he was struggling with a knee injury. Tim found that he had to look to his relationship with God as his injury worsened.

"I thought basketball was the world to me," Tim said. "I lived through basketball. I thought, if it wasn't for basketball then what am I? God put this knee injury in my life to make me realize that there's a whole other thing besides basketball."

To both Tim and Eric, being a Christian is not so much a religion as it is a relationship. While they may struggle with finding time for fellowship and prayer, it is not a problem because according to both brothers, their faith is more than simply sitting in a church pew on Sunday mornings.

"Sure you're playing for your team, and you want your team to do the best they can," Eric said. "But you're also playing for the Lord. You're playing for something much bigger than anything you've ever played for before."

Tim said he believes that being a Christian athlete gives him a competitive advantage. He said he feels that his religion helps better his attitude, work ethic and perseverance.

"(God) gives you extra strength when things are going tough and adversity sets in," Tim said. "You've got something right there always to fall back on. When you hit rock bottom, you have a foundation and you know that it's more powerful than anything in the world."

Miami's Head Coach Charlie Coles doesn't believe that the Pollitz brothers have a competitive advantage because of their faith, but says that it certainly doesn't hurt either. He appreciates what Tim and Eric bring to the team and the habits that their faith has produced.

"Their sportsmanship is phenomenal," Coles said. "They both work very hard and I think that's how they lead. They're good leaders and they're good examples."

Being a Christian athlete is not easy, according to Tim and Eric. According to both brothers, they are regularly faced with pressures to conform and compromise their convictions.

Tim said that one challenge he has faced is balancing his spiritual background with his athleticism and challenging stereotypes against Christian athletes.

"A lot of people think that Christians are soft as athletes," Tim said. "I try to use that as a fuel."

More than anything, Coles said that it is refreshing to see the positive influence these two players can be.

"You hear about all the bad stories," Coles said, "but there are an awful lot of fine young people out there that are doing some good things too."

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