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I played in the Series A,
which is the top league in Italy.
I was on the National Youth Team,
and I went all the way up
to the Men’s National Team.
Just the fact that you are good
at your job is gratifying,
and then there is also the financial aspect.
My mom and dad were Jehovah’s Witnesses,
and so was my older brother.
At a certain point,
I felt conflicted,
especially when I decided
to draw closer to the truth.
It was no longer a “family” thing.
In time, something started to develop in me
—a fire, a small fire.
Gradually,
I came to the point of dedication to Jehovah,
although I still played.
But maybe
—not maybe, definitely—
I wasn’t giving Jehovah my best, my energy.
I was fitting my spiritual life
around my work life
and not the other way around.
I excused myself, saying:
“I’m just working.
“It’s a profession.
“Yes, it’s time-consuming,
but it’s of short duration
because athletes retire earlier.”
The closer I drew to Jehovah,
the stronger my inner conflicts became.
The circuit overseer who served
the area I was associated with helped me.
I had known him since I was a child.
When we met again,
the first thing he asked me was,
“Are you happy with what you are doing?”
It seems like a simple question, right?
But this question went deeper.
I’m very grateful to him and his wife
for all the time they devoted to me.
They were very busy,
but even on their day off or in the evenings
after long days of activity,
they spent time with me.
In time, I moved to different cities
and changed to various teams.
So he entrusted me, so to speak,
to two other families.
They poured themselves out for me,
sacrificing their time,
without ever making me feel bad
for what I did.
With regard to decisions about basketball,
they never told me what to do.
I had to reach that decision on my own,
whether I should continue playing or not.
It was their way of life that corrected me,
so to speak.
Their example
—their lifestyle, the priorities they set,
and the joy they had in doing
what they did—helped me.
It was more their example
than their words.
It helped me understand
what I really wanted from my life.
I started in 1995
and continued until April 2008
when I played my last match.
I, let’s say,
made a cut and quit playing basketball.
I’m glad I made it.
Sometimes I say to myself:
‘If only you’d done it earlier!
If only you’d had the courage earlier!’
I had the privilege
of serving as a regular pioneer
for two and a half years.
I was asked
if I would like to apply for Bethel service.
And to my surprise,
I was invited to the Italy branch
and served there for five years.
A few months after leaving Bethel,
I had the privilege of attending
the School for Kingdom Evangelizers.
It was wonderful!
This sport
—basketball—
it’s great, it’s thrilling, it’s exciting,
but it’s not the source of true happiness.
It’s true that the world
can give you a measure of satisfaction,
but everything comes at a cost.
But it took me
a long time to understand this.
Knowing that I am giving Jehovah my best
has made me happy.
Yes, there is a team,
a large one, and we all play for Jehovah.
And its goal is beautiful, it’s exciting,
and its success is sure.

Samuele Podestà: I’m Playing for a Better Team