My Basketball Testimony: How God Gave Me a Second Chance!

How My Addiction Benched My Basketball Dreams!

10 Bible Verses About My Basketball Testimony!

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On this page, I share how basketball shaped my childhood and became a consuming passion. At age 16, drugs and alcohol derailed my basketball dreams and led to ten years of addiction, loss, and heartache. After reaching rock bottom in 1986, I turned wholeheartedly to God and experienced His mercy, healing, and guidance. My testimony celebrates God’s second chances and encourages others to place faith, family, and relationships above personal ambitions. On this page, I also honor my mother, my biggest fan, and my coaches; highlight my favorite NBA players; and offer Christian encouragement and resources.

As I reflect on my life and basketball’s influence on me, I am reminded of the incredible power of God’s love and guidance. Despite struggling with addiction and sin, I was given a second chance to have God put my life back together. Basketball had always been my passion. This abrupt change of plans from basketball to drugs hit me hard for the next 10 years, full of losses and heartaches. By God’s grace, He rescued me from my own nightmare! Things began to change for the better when I realized God needed to be first in my life. At age 62, I wrote a book called “Only God Can Move Mountains.” Read more below. ~ Bill Greguska

 

 

I tried out for varsity my sophomore year, but Coach Bunneta wanted me to get more playing time on Junior Varsity, which worked out well. 

 

• Bill Greguska

• Testimony Of Bill Greguska

• A Fun Basketball Video B.G. 

• My Love For Basketball 

• Websites 

• How To Pray 

• Free Christian Counseling

 

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How Basketball Shaped My Childhood and Teen Years!

I was born in 1960 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I have played basketball since the 5th grade. I loved (and still do love) basketball, but when I turned 16, thank God, my focus shifted from basketball to drugs and alcohol, which I allowed to get me off track and onto the bench of life for about ten years.

But by the grace of God, He did not cast me out. Things progressed only after about a decade of self-induced problems, resulting in terrible times. I thank God that I finally realized that God could save me, so I fully reached out to Him. On June 25, 1986, when I decided I had had enough, I came to my senses, and God came into my life as I hit bottom, but God was there for me. I was finally genuinely open to the Holy Spirit doing work in my life.

After years of knowing who God was, I finally experienced God in a real way as He reached down to me, picked me up, and dusted me off. My reaching back to God’s invitation was not half-hearted; the previous ten years had gotten me nowhere fast. If I could share one thing I would do if I could live life over again, it would be to get more serious about my relationship with God much sooner, not be so concerned about being “so-called religious” in the eyes of men, and not let my personal desires throw my life out of balance. I am thankful that God is a God of second and third chances because God loves you and me!~ Bill Greguska.

 

 

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My Coaches Who Made a Difference

I was blessed to always have good coaches from 4th grade through High school. My freshman basketball coach at Pius XI was Tom Diciaula, and my varsity coach was Joe Bunetta. I was also blessed with good sophomore and junior varsity coaches, Jim Rehm and Gary Pieske.