One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is that we don't have enough time. We tell ourselves we'll start lifting after vacation, update our recruiting profile after the next tournament, send those emails when life settles down, or spend more time with God once our schedule opens up. The problem is that life never really slows down. There will always be another practice, another assignment, another work shift, another family obligation, and another distraction competing for

If you’ve been around athletics long enough, you know what it looks like when a team starts believing the game is already over before the final whistle ever blows. It is not always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it shows up in the way players stop communicating, the way a team quits pursuing every ball, the way an athlete walks back to the huddle already defeated, or the way the bench slowly loses the energy it had at the beginning of the match. That same thing can happen in our

The conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus is one of the greatest transformation stories in Scripture. Saul of Tarsus wasn’t simply opposed to Christianity; he was convinced he was defending God. As a Pharisee trained in Jewish law, he believed followers of Jesus were undermining the faith of Israel. With authority from the religious leaders, he pursued, imprisoned, and persecuted Christians, believing his actions were righteous. As Saul traveled toward Damascus, a blindi

“No job is so simple it can’t be done wrong.” –Unknown That quote stings a little, doesn’t it? Not because it’s harsh, but because it’s true. Most of the time, the things that go sideways in our lives don’t start with one massive, dramatic mistake. They start with small things done carelessly. Little corners cut. Little details ignored. Little moments where we tell ourselves, “It’s not that big of a deal.” And that’s exactly why Colossians 3:23 is such a perfect companion ver

There’s a difference between doing quality work and letting work own you, and culturally I think we’ve distorted that line. Words like “excellence, discipline, and grind” love to live in faith spaces, locker rooms, and office buildings. Somewhere along the way, the pursuit of excellence stopped being about stewardship and started becoming an acceptable demand for perfection. However, Psalm 127:2 (ESV) says, "It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and that matters to me in a very personal way. This is not just an awareness campaign or something I repost because it generates clicks or because it’s trending. It’s personal. In the prologue of Saved to Serve , I shared that on August 31, 2006, I was drugged and raped by someone I thought was a friend. This August 31 will mark 20 years since that night. Twenty years is a long time to carry something that violent, and it is also a rem

In my earlier article, Being Set Apart, I wrote about the responsibility college athletes have to live differently—not only to pursue excellence on the court, but in character. Being Set Apart was centered on Romans 12:2, where I emphasized that disciples of Christ are called to think, live, and measure success differently than the common culture around us. That calling applies whether an athlete is on the court, in the classroom, or traveling with a team. Being set apart is

Pastor Steve LeBlanc of Sherman Bible Church in Sherman, TX, said, “A verse without context is a pretext.” It’s a simple statement, but it packs a punch. When Scripture is taken out of context, it can be used to justify almost anything we already choose to believe. At that point, we’re no longer submitting to God’s Word—we’re just using it. We turn the Bible into a tool for self-confirmation rather than a source of transformation. Context matters because God didn’t give us a

Ephesians 4:17–6:20 offers one of the most direct depictions of what it looks like to live differently after being made new in Christ. Paul isn’t writing abstract theology. He’s describing a way of walking that shows up in daily relationships, in discipline, in authority, and in pressure. This is why this passage resonated so strongly with me in the context of sports. Sports amplify who we already are. Pressure exposes character. Locker rooms reveal hearts. Coaching reveals l

There’s something alluring and exciting about an underdog story. You know… when the smaller, slower, overlooked player rises against a giant. Or when the team with no budget and virtually zero chance of pulling off the impossible does. This is the kind of stuff sport dramas are made of—and if you think about it, it’s the essence of the Gospel. Traditionally, God has done some of His best work through the people no one expected anything from. Scripture is full of “dramatic ups

Leadership shows up in a variety of styles, but one contrast stands out everywhere: some leaders operate with flash while others operate with legacy. Flash leadership is loud, attention-seeking, and focused on being noticed. Legacy leadership is steady, humble, and more interested in impact than visibility. One fades quickly. The other continues influencing people long after the moment has passed. 2 Corinthians 10:18 says: “For it is not the one who commends himself who is ap

I give thanks with a whole heart, remembering the wonders You have done (Psalm 9:1). Your steadfast love endures forever, even in the quiet places of my life (Psalm 136:1). With thanksgiving I enter Your courts, choosing praise over worry (Psalm 100:4). This is the day You have made, and I rejoice because You are near (Psalm 118:24). In all circumstances, I give thanks, for this is Your will for me (1 Thessalonians 5:18). With gratefulness I lift my prayers, knowing You hear

There’s a particular kind of silence that follows being told you’re not starting. It doesn’t matter how old you are, how talented you are, or how hard you’ve worked—those words hit in a place deeper than your stats. And if we’re being honest, for a lot of athletes, that silence quickly turns into something louder in your spirit: shame, frustration, doubt, or even anger. I’ve seen it happen again and again—athletes who go from confident to crushed because they didn’t make the

When you think about leadership in sports, names like John Wooden or Tony Dungy may come to mind. But some of the greatest lessons for leaders—coaches, captains, and athletes—are found in Scripture. When most people think of heroes in the Bible, they might name Moses, Joshua, Samson, Esther, or Judas Maccabeus (Catholic and Orthodox). I just finished the Book of Nehemiah in my Bible in a Year podcast (Fr. Mike Schmidt). Nehemiah is the Old Testament leader who rallied God’s p

A follow-up to the previously published article: “Athletes and Body Dysmorphia” There is a big difference between taking care of your...

*Heads up— I was hanging out in left field with this one. It has nothing to do with athletics. A few weekends ago, I visited Lake Pointe...

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Bible, wedged between Amos and Jonah. His message was directed towards the Edomites—Esau’s...

I take issue with how casually some pastors and teachers present the gospel, especially when it comes to the topic of salvation. The book...

I still remember the sting of her words like it was yesterday. “You’re like having five players on the court instead of six.” That’s what...

This post is longer than usual, but please—stick with me. I’ve recently been reflecting on my adult baptism and how vastly different it...

Today’s post will be a little different. I wanted to approach this article from a very practical and inclusive point of view. Yes, there...

James 3:1 reminds us of the weight that comes with teaching. It warns that those who step into that role will be judged more strictly....

Within the realm of athletics, the search for greatness is often much more than simply fighting for a win; for a large number of athletes...

Coaching a team with talent levels ranging from beginner to advanced can test every part of your coaching ability. You can't run a productive gym by pretending everybody is starting from the same place, but you also can't lower the standard every time somebody struggles. The job is to figure out what each athlete needs to improve while building a team that understands 100% effort doesn't mean identical performance. 1 Corinthians 12 uses the human body to explain the diversity

There's a difference between an athlete having a hard day and an athlete making every hard day everybody else's responsibility. Sports put people under pressure, and pressure exposes insecurity, fear, frustration, and self-doubt. Athletes are human, and coaches should never expect them to become emotionless machines. There should be room for disappointment, anxiety, tears, frustration, and asking for help. But there also comes a point when constant reassurance, repeated emoti

Sports love a plan. We set goals, build training schedules, study film, visualize outcomes, track progress, and convince ourselves that if we work hard enough, eventually everything will fall into place. Planning matters, but Christians need to be careful about confusing a well-designed plan with God's promise. Proverbs 19:21 (ESV) says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” We can prepare relentlessly and pursue somethi

As we find ourselves just a week away from Christmas, the spirit of the holiday fills the air with joy, hope, and a sense of...

There was a time when winning fueled me more than I would've liked to admit. I wanted successful programs, athletes who performed at a high level, and tangible proof that the work we were putting in mattered. There's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to win because competition is part of sports, and nobody trains all week hoping to lose. The problem comes when winning stops being something we're pursuing and starts becoming the thing that determines our worth, our identit

In the schwang and bang of life, specifically in the sports world, it's easy to lose sight of what truly matters. Proverbs 4:23 tells us,...

Jesus is in the business of healing people, and He has never required us to get every part of ourselves cleaned up before we come to Him. He is not standing at a distance with a checklist of character flaws, bad decisions, sinful habits, and past mistakes waiting for us to fix ourselves first. Throughout Scripture, Jesus repeatedly moves toward people carrying shame, regret, grief, rejection, sin, and pain. He sees all of it, including the parts we would rather hide, but He d

In pop culture, the intersection of faith and sports has been a recurring theme in movies, books, and media. The narrative often revolves...

Athletes spend enormous amounts of time preparing their bodies to compete, but anyone who has competed or coached at a high level knows that physical preparation only gets you so far. Your mind can be your best friend or your worst enemy when the pressure hits, and what you allow into it before competition matters. Music has always been one of the tools athletes use to control energy, narrow their focus, manage nerves, and get mentally ready to perform. For Christian athletes

In today’s NCAA landscape, the conversation surrounding Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) has rapidly evolved. When NIL rights first took effect in 2021, the focus was largely on correcting a long-standing imbalance. For decades, universities, media networks, and apparel companies generated billions of dollars from college sports while athletes were prohibited from earning anything beyond their scholarships. Allowing athletes to profit from their own name, image, and likeness w

Sports rivalries have always been a powerful part of athletic culture—fueling passion, loyalty, and intense competition between teams and...

Throughout my coaching career, I saw firsthand how athletes' dietary choices were often influenced by their beliefs, cultures, families, and personal ethics. Whether it was vegetarianism, or its mature older brother veganism, religious fasting, or a commitment to more ethical eating, those choices could affect training, recovery, energy availability, and the way athletes thought about stewardship and discipline. As a Christian and a vegan, I've had to think through that inter

Today’s post is in response to an email I received back in July. It's not sports-related, but I think it's relevant, considering most female coaches and athletes tend to be pretty " Type A." I know this has been a struggle for me, so hopefully, this is relatable to the general female audience my site appeals to. Hi Coach! I would love to know your thoughts on the Proverbs 31 woman. -Allison M Good morning, and thanks for the email! The Proverbs 31 woman gets held up as the bi

Locker rooms bring together people who may have very little in common outside of the uniform they're wearing. Different backgrounds, personalities, beliefs, families, struggles, abilities, and experiences all get shoved into the same space and expected to function as a team. That's one of the things I love about sports, but putting different people on the same roster doesn't automatically create inclusion. A team can share a jersey and still make people feel like outsiders. M

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6, ESV). Jesus says this during His conversation with Nicodemus about the necessity of being born again. He isn't describing self-improvement, a new outlook on life, or becoming a more spiritual version of ourselves. He's talking about something we can't produce through effort, education, morality, or good intentions. Spiritual rebirth is the work of God, and when the Spirit giv