When Jordan Mueller and Chris Hubbs bow their heads in prayer before each Yankton Bucks basketball game, they're searching for something even bigger than victory.

"We don't pray to win," Mueller said Thursday, after a Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast before the start of the state Class AA boys basketball tournament. "We pray that it just be in God's glory and that we play the best we can."

Don't get him wrong. The 6-foot-4-inch junior forward wanted to win badly when the Bucks took on the Mitchell Kernels in the first-round game at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. And he and his teammates were understandably deflated when they lost in overtime.

But they were also comforted by their commitment to a spiritual life that blends seamlessly with an athletic one - a combination that leaders in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes believe can help young people learn to make wise choices, even when they face defeat in sports or life.

"That's kind of the message we bring here this morning," West River FCA organizer Bob Parsons of Custer said before the breakfast for the AA tournament teams at the South Canyon Baptist Church. "We hope to encourage the kids to really consider their choices and to celebrate with them, too, because they're here at the tournament. It's a special occasion."

Watertown High School head coach Brian Norberg, a former Watertown and South Dakota State University standout, was one of several coaches and players who spoke to the gathering. Norberg urged the players from all eight state AA tournament teams to make the most of their basketball experiences but also to expand their passions beyond the confines of a hardwood court.

"Basketball has been a huge part of my life," Norberg said. "But it better not define you. And don't let it define you. Don't let these high school days be the best part of your life."

As good as they are, the high school years can be a prelude to even better days and a more fulfilling life, especially for people who commit themselves to a deeper relationship with God, Norberg said.

Arlin Likness, assistant basketball coach at Yankton High School, encouraged the many teammates present to consider the value of playing for "the team Jesus Christ" in their personal lives. Likness said that FCA and its camps and events could be "a place where you can find yourself" in ways that sports alone can't provide.

John Vining and Brett Anderson of Sioux Falls Lincoln said they have experienced that type of self-discovery through FCA. Anderson said he had "never really had a come-to-Jesus moment or anything like that," but did find strength in his spiritual beliefs to deal with difficult times in life.

The 6-foot-4-inch junior forward also said it made him appreciate the greater value of basketball.

"There's more to basketball than just winning," he said.

Chris Hubbs, a 6-foot-2-inch junior forward for Yankton, believes in that deeply. He also believes there is more to life than just basketball.

Still, he loves hoops, so much that he gets "really nervous" before each game. A pre-game prayer usually helps, he said.

But this is the state tournament. He's extra nervous.

"I don't know," Hubbs said. "I might have to pray at halftime, too."

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com