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What comes to mind when you think about the Fourth of July? Maybe it’s family cookouts, community celebrations, fireworks, or the American flag flying outside your home. Maybe you think about the sacrifices made throughout our nation’s history, the sound of Taps being played at Arlington National Cemetery, or standing for the National Anthem before an athletic event. For me, it’s a combination of all of those things. But as a Christian, the Fourth of July also makes me think

Being a parent (step-parent) and coaching college athletics are both genuinely enriching, and both demand patience, dedication, and real hard work. At the core, they're the same job in a lot of ways: building an environment where growth and learning can actually happen. That takes being well organized, handling hard moments with grace and common sense, and staying current on what kids and athletes actually need developmentally. Communication holds it all together. Keep expect

Easter has always felt like a season of renewal—a time filled with joy, reflection, and the powerful reminder of Jesus’ resurrection. While the world may lean into bunnies, baskets, and all things pastel, for those of us who follow Christ, it’s a sacred celebration of sacrifice and victory over death. Still, I’ve come to appreciate how both the playful and the profound can exist side by side. For me, Easter’s past brings together rabbits, rhubarb, and the Resurrection—all wra

For those who don't know me, I'm a professional volleyball coach and a passionate scuba diver. As a certified PADI Divemaster, I've gone through rigorous training to help others explore the underwater world safely, whether they're just enjoying a relaxed dive or pushing themselves on something more challenging. Scuba diving is incredibly rewarding. It opens up a whole new world filled with beauty, mystery, and adventure. It's not without real risk, though, which is exactly wh

I was hesitant to post this since it has nothing to do with higher education or athletics. It's about the lesser known Book of Judith instead. But Lent is just a few days away, and this book spoke to me enough that I wanted to share it anyway. Consider this a bonus piece. Did you know the Catholic Bible includes seven books not found in Protestant Bibles? Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1 and 2 Maccabees, plus additional material within Esther and Daniel that Prote

Success for an athlete means consistently showing excellence in her sport, and that takes dedication, hard work, discipline, and mature decision-making. It also means training to reach new levels, building the mental grit to handle real pressure, and having the right people around her, coaches, teammates, family, who actually push her toward growth instead of just cheering from the sidelines. At the end of the day, success is about setting real goals and reaching them in a wa

As the primary author of this site, you need to understand who I am as a person. I am sharing a personal story of faith, identity formation, and how these have shaped my life. This journey has been one filled with struggle and triumph; through it all, I remain passionate about helping others discover their potential in whatever way possible - whether this is through coaching or higher education. Being genuine and vulnerable as an author is important because it allows you (the

Getting a team to actually put the group ahead of the individual is one of the hardest things to build as a coach. You can't just tell athletes to be selfless and expect it to stick. What actually works, at least in my experience, is grounding it in something bigger than a locker room rule, and Scripture gives us more than enough to work with. Four verses in particular have shaped how I think about this: Galatians 6:2, Philippians 2:3, Mark 10:45, and Hebrews 10:24. Each one

Being a college athlete is an incredible opportunity, but it also comes with responsibilities and pressures that most people never see. College athletes are expected to balance practices, games, travel, academics, strength and conditioning, recovery, relationships, and everything else that comes with being a young adult trying to figure out life. They have the opportunity to represent their school, compete at a high level, travel to different places, and create experiences an