Living beyond the Dream
A Journey of Faith into the Talented World of Kentucky Basketball
by
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However, the truth is, I’m not sure Kentucky needed to hang the ninth banner in Rupp Arena as another reminder of how talent is king over all. Maybe we weren’t destined to win. Maybe we were destined to learn through the loss. I had come to understand through my career at Kentucky that I couldn’t and shouldn’t be defined by my talent, and the team had learned this as well. We were forged with talent, but we were refined by adversity and finally began to excel when we made selfless choices and cared more about each other than personal success.
Even though I had won a national championship two years before and tasted what it was like to own a ring, I had more fun in the year that we lost the championship game. We had been through more together. We had learned about forgiveness and how to love our enemies. We had lost our hope of a deep tournament run, only to have it revived when we started playing like a team as the tweak did its work. There was no tweak, but there was love.
When I was finally able to see from this perspective, life got a whole lot more meaningful. The way we normally keep score versus what actually constitutes a win or a loss are very different gauges. The Bible mentions actually being thankful for the things that are difficult, the setbacks, or the weaknesses, the trials, the insults, and the hardships. That sounds crazy, impossible, and out of touch with the gloomy world we live in. But the perspective must be grounded in the knowledge of the one who made the world since trust in Him means that the tragedies we encounter don’t actually constitute the final score. We know that individual losses will mean little when compared to the total victory found in Jesus. There are days when I might lose perspective and blame God for not answering the way I would have liked or cushioning my circumstances the way I think I deserve or making Himself known like I think would be most beneficial. But I’ve got to let go of that blame, of that bitterness, and begin to trust Him again. If I can stop focusing on the circumstances I think I need, I will realize the blessings I already have that are eternally more significant than whatever trinket I would seek in comparison.
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About the Book
Jarrod Polson’s journey to the University of Kentucky began with a dream in elementary school. Living beyond the Dream offers an inside look into Polson’s life as he describes that dream to play basketball for his beloved Wildcats.
This memoir narrates the lows and highs and speaks to the lessons Polson learned throughout college. In a world of talent and fame, he understands the choices one makes are more important than the gifts one has been given.
Praise for Living beyond the Dream
“Jarrod Polson is Kentucky basketball. [He] turned down scholarships to other Division 1 schools to live out his dream of playing for the Wildcats. He was given little chance of playing … But not only did he play, he was an integral part of UK’s 2012 National Championship. To me there is something more important. Jarrod Polson lives what he believes.”
—Cameron Mills
“Following UK’s miraculous run in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, Jarrod Polson and I were given the opportunity to visit thousands of … school kids throughout Kentucky. Those kids saw that a UK National Champion who got to live his dream can be humble, patient, and kind and still be a champion. You will love getting to know him and Him through Polson’s book Living beyond the Dream.”
—Jeff Sheppard
“In my time here at Kentucky, I’ve been fortunate to have been around some of the strongest character kids in the country. JP is at the top of that list, his faith in how he lives his life, his dedication to team and winning spirit made it fun and a joy to coach. He will always be one of my favorite wildcats.”
—Kenny Payne
“Jarrod Polson writes about the honor to wear a Kentucky uniform and the thrill of being a part of BBN.”
—Dick Vitale
About the Author
I taught Jarrod everything I know. If you don’t believe me, watch any of our home videos. You’ll witness some sort of competition between Wes, me, and Jarrod—with four years between each of us—you’ll hear our mom or dad narrating, and you’ll see Ashley and Alyse doing whatever it is little girls do. Most of the videos consist of me making an idiot of myself because winning was, and sadly sometimes still is, more important to me than anything. I showed Jarrod no mercy, even if it meant arguing, diving for a loose ball, or using brute force on my much smaller younger brother. It didn’t matter if it was basketball, Ping-Pong, or Monopoly Jr; if there was competition, it had my name on it. I once threw my Ping-Pong paddle at him so hard that it stuck in the drywall behind him, right where his head would have been if he hadn’t ducked. But this book isn’t about me. It’s about Jarrod. So I mention that because although I taught Jarrod everything I know, I only wish I could say that I taught him everything he knows. Somewhere along the way, he learned a lesson that I know I didn’t teach him. It took the words of Jesus and me joining the military for me to learn a lesson that, as far as I can tell, Jarrod was born with. It’s probably my favorite attribute about him, and if you don’t count his blond hair and blue eyes, it’s certainly what draws most people to him: he is a team player. He doesn’t let his ego get in the way of the team. In a world that tells you to watch your own back and to take care of number one, playing with and watching Jarrod play basketball broke all the rules. He somehow always managed to be the best player on the court without acting like it.
Humility isn’t easy to come by. I believe God has gifted Jarrod in this way, and lucky for you, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Whenever I read books written by two people, I always find myself trying to figure out how much of the book was actually written by the famous author. Jarrod and Wes labored over this book together, but there’s two ways to know for sure who wrote a particular portion of the book. The first is obvious after what I’ve just told you about Jarrod: anything that sounds like he is being boastful, or even remotely confident, probably wasn’t written by Jarrod. Plain and simple. In order to reveal the second, I will have to tell you a little bit about Wes. Wes is a storyteller. There’s a reason that Jarrod wrote the book with Wes instead of me. When Wes tells a story, he tells a story. Every aspect is included, the truth is exaggerated if needed, and maybe even a few harmless details are added just for good measure. I think it all stems from the fact that Wes inherited both his and my imagination. I could bore you with plenty of examples, but I’ll get to my point. If you find yourself reading about dragon slaying, or maybe even things you’ve never heard of, that part was probably added in by Wes.
The beauty behind this is that the two of them make a perfect combination. Jarrod finishes a story, and you have to play twenty questions just to get all of the details out of him. Wes finishes reciting a narrative, and you have to ask him twenty questions to figure out which parts actually happened. Fortunately—or unfortunately—I’m the most literal of the bunch. I can honestly say that, as far as my memory serves me, the truth is portrayed throughout the entire text. The stories from our backyard, Southland Christian Church’s basketball league, West Jessamine High School, and the University of Kentucky all fit into the life of Jarrod Polson. I am obviously extremely biased, but I think you are in for a real treat. Enjoy!