1
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE TO SPORTS SPECTRUM: CALL 866-821-2971
COMPASSION
IS GREATER THAN COVID-19 Nate Solder (NY Giants)
#TeamUp with pro athletes to help children in poverty through this crisis.
to these desperate children and families — often door to door. They need our help.
We’re all feeling the weight of COVID-19, but for those living in extreme poverty, this pandemic has been devastating. COVID-19 has interrupted care for nearly 70,000 children around the world. That’s the capacity of the average NFL stadium!
Pro athletes have teamed up to respond to this challenge. With your help, together we can get urgent support to a stadium’s worth of children in crisis.
As the world is in the grips of COVID-19, it has led to more than sickness. Parents can’t work. Food is scarce. But Frontline Church Partners around the world are courageously delivering essential items
Join football legends Nate Solder, Matthew Slater, Nick Foles and many more.
This is one stadium that can’t remain empty. Join the movement. Donate today at compassion.com/TeamUp
2
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE TO SPORTS SPECTRUM: CALL 866-821-2971
CONTENTS
EST. 1985 To subscribe, or for questions about your subscription, call:
1-866-821-2971
13 — Race and Faith
Views from former NFL quarterback Steve Stenstrom, former NFL tight end Benjamin Watson and current MLB shortstop Nick Ahmed.
$18, 4 ISSUES (PRINT)
16 — 2020 NFL Predictions
For information on subscriptions, back issues, discount bulk issues, or changing your subscription address:
17 — Verses of Impact
Web site: www.sportsspectrum.com/magazine/ Phone: 1-866-821-2971 Mail: 640 Plaza Drive, Suite 110, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 Email: support@sportsspectrum.com
Eight NFL players share Bible verses that have had an impact on them.
20 — Stepping Up In Faith
General correspondence, Letter to the Editor, or Writer’s Query No unsolicited manuscripts, please E-mail: support@sportsspectrum.com
Whether in Bible studies or team chapels — or pregame in the showers? — Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is leading his teammates and sharing his testimony in hopes that he can provide the spiritual guidance he didn’t have, or seek out, when he was a young pro.
Permissions, Reprints Phone: 1-866-821-2971 E-mail: support@sportsspectrum.com
24 — Locked In On Him
Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson found the Lord at a young age and has relied on that foundation as football success has come his way. Though he’s still young, he recognizes the platform God has given him and is using it to love others, serve others and share God’s Word.
COVER • PHOTO CREDITS:
Ben Roethlisberger (AP Photo/Don Wright) Demario Davis (AP Photo/Jason Behnken), Trevor Lawrence (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker), Casey O’Brian (Courtesy of University of Minnesota)
28 — Identity Secured
“Heart of a Coach” and “Heart of an Athlete” are registered trademarks of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and used with permission.
Trevor Lawrence is arguably college football’s biggest star and a popular pick to go No. 1 in next year’s NFL Draft. He’s also humble, genuine and grounded by his faith in Christ, which has been shaped in large part by a pastor from a church that’s been a safe haven.
PUBLISHER Sports Spectrum Media PRESIDENT Steve Stenstrom
32 — Holding Onto Hope
VP OF MINISTRY OPERATIONS Howard Haworth MANAGING EDITOR Jon Ackerman, jon@sportsspectrum.com ART DIRECTOR Aaron Dean Sauer, aaron@sportsspectrum.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Becky York PODCAST HOST/PRODUCER Jason Romano CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cole Claybourn, Kevin Mercer, Jimmy Page, Bill Sorrell, Art Stricklin, Reza Zadeh BUSINESS OPERATIONS Jacob House, Tricia Hudson COPY EDITOR Lori Stenstrom
Sports Spectrum Global is a multimedia ministry with the purpose to impact people by connecting faith and sports in a relevant way, ultimately directing people, with resources for discipleship, toward a personal, loving God who demands Christ-centered lives. Printed in USA. Copyright © 2020 by Sports Spectrum Media. Bible quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SPORTS SPECTRUM, 640 Plaza Dr., Ste 110, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
AP Photo/Matt York
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Rick Wright
Casey O’Brien is a five-time cancer survivor as well as a University of Minnesota football player. Above all, the 21-year-old placeholder is inspiring teammates, coaches, fans and fellow cancer patients as a follower of Jesus.
36 — A Platform Pointing Others to Jesus
As all sports in the Baylor University athletic department seek excellence in their games, they also seek — and share about — excellence in Christ. Since Mack Rhoades took over as athletic director, the Bears have seen unprecedented athletic success at college sports’ highest level.
40 — Socially Distant, Spiritually Present They were forced to leave their homes and families, the season was conducted in less than a month, and they had to keep their distance from peers. But nearly 70 players in the National Women’s Soccer League engaged in a virtual Bible study taught by author Annie F. Downs to keep growing in their walk with Christ despite all the pressure surrounding them.
45 — The Increase Devotionals Messages from professional athletes, chaplains and leaders.
62 — The Pursuit: Be The Buffalo By Jimmy Page 63 — Victory Beyond Competition: Perspective By Reza Zadeh
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for current news and updates!
1
SPORTS SPECTRUM
1 1
WWW. sportsspectrum.com
+ PLUS
2 - By the Numbers | 4 - Around the Spectrum | 6 - SportsSpectrum.com | 8 - Heart of an Athlete & Coach | 64 - Gospel Message TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
61
113.1 6 35 8
BY THE NUMBERS Wins in the bubble by the Phoenix Suns, the only undefeated team in the NBA restart. Yet, they missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker.
Points scored by rookie Chennedy Carter on Aug. 6, becoming the youngest player in WNBA history (21 years, 9 months) to surpass 30 points in a game.
Hours it took (five OTs) for Tampa Bay to defeat Columbus in Game 1 of their firstround playoff series.
Ball speed off the bat for Aaron Judge’s ninth home run of the season. Giancarlo Stanton holds the record at 121.7 mph.
AP Photo/Kim Klement, Phelan M. Ebenhack, Paul Vernon, Kathy Willens, Ashley Landis
Points scored by Damian Lillard on Aug. 11, the second NBA player in history with three 60-point games in a season.
2 2
S SP PO OR RT ST SS SP PE EC CT RT RU UMM
T OT OS SU UB BS SC CR RI BI BE E: :C CA AL LL L8 86 66 6- -8 82 21 1- -2 29 97 71 1
BY THE NUMBERS
$
18 1.1MIL 200-1 5-1 9 Years in between MLB saves for pitcher Daniel Bard, whose struggles forced him out of the majors for seven years.
Odds for Kansas City to win Super Bowl LV, tops in the league. No NFL team has repeated as champs since 2005.
AP Photo/David Zalubowski, Wilfredo Lee, John Raoux, Gene J. Puskar
Odds for Jacksonville, Washington and Cincinnati to win Super Bowl LV, worst in the league.
Total prize pool money for the MLS is Back Tournament, $300,000 of which went to the Portland Timbers for winning.
Women who formed their own pro softball team, This Is Us, after leaving the Scrap Yard Dawgs due to an insensitive tweet by the team’s GM.
3
SPORTS SPECTRUM www.sportsspectrum.com
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971 SPORTS SPECTRUM
3
AROUND THE SPECTRUM
The NBA was essentially the first domino to fall in U.S. sports, shutting down March 11 due to the coronavirus. Seemingly every other league soon followed suit. But the NBA restarted July 30 with 22 teams in a “bubble” near Orlando. After each squad played eight games, and a “play-in series” was held for the West’s No. 8 seed, the playoffs began Aug. 17. Milwaukee and Toronto secured the East’s top two seeds, with the L.A. Lakers and Clippers taking the West’s. The NBA Finals begin Sept. 30. As for next season, it’s scheduled to start Dec. 1.
WNBA BUBBLE
Instead of a late-May start, the 2020 WNBA season tipped off July 25 with the league’s 12 teams in Bradenton, Florida. All squads will play a 22-game regular-season schedule, followed by a traditional playoff format. The season’s first game pitted the Seattle Storm against the New York Liberty, which features Sabrina Ionescu, the No. 1 pick in April’s draft. She totaled 12 points, six rebounds and four assists in her WNBA debut, then poured in 33 points in her second game. Unfortunately, she left her next game with a severe ankle sprain that could jeopardize her rookie season. 4 4
SPORTS SPECTRUM SPORTS SPECTRUM
With its season put on hold during spring training, MLB battled with the MLB Players Association on how to proceed, but the sides finally agreed to restart spring training July 1, with each team in its home stadium (except for the Toronto Blue Jays, who were denied permission by the Canadian government). The regular season began July 23, with each team playing a condensed 60-game schedule. That same day, the league also announced an expanded 16-team postseason tournament would begin Sept 29. The World Series is set for Oct. 23, with a potential Game 7 on Oct. 31.
RIGHT INTO BATTLE
The NHL resumed its season Aug. 1 by jumping right into a new-look playoff featuring 24 teams. The top four in each conference played three round-robin games for seeding; the other 16 teams competed in best-of-five qualifying series. The first round commenced Aug. 11, and the Stanley Cup Final is scheduled to begin Sept. 22 and have a champion crowned by Oct. 4. All Eastern Conference teams are in Toronto, and all Western Conference teams are in Edmonton, which will host the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final. As for next season, Dec. 1 is tabbed as the start date. TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971 TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images via AP, Pool, AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, Jeff Roberson, Charles Krupa
NBA BUBBLE
60 GAME SPRINT
AROUND THE SPECTRUM
NFL READY
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, Paul Sancya, John Raoux, Paul Sancya, Rick Bowmer
While other pro leagues worked through restarts and bubbles, the NFL largely sat back and observed. Its 2019-20 season concluded Feb. 2, and the 2020-21 season is scheduled to begin Sept. 10. However, the NFL was still impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. It was forced to hold its first-ever virtual draft, and all offseason training activities were canceled, as was the preseason. But as teams gathered for training camps in late July into August, no virus outbreaks were reported. On Aug. 5, the first results were released: 56 positive tests, or about 2 percent of the approximately 2,600 players.
PORTLAND IS BACK
The Portland Timbers took the MLS is Back tournament in Orlando, defeating Orlando City in the final. It marked Portland’s second MLS title, after winning the 2015 MLS Cup. The victory also earned the Timbers a spot in next year’s CONCACAF Champions League, where it can earn a berth in FIFA’s Club World Cup. Following the tournament, the league immediately transitioned into its regular season, which was halted in March. MLS released a schedule of games through Sept. 14 and plans to schedule more, with the playoffs and MLS Cup to be played by the end of 2020. 5
SPORTS SPECTRUM www.sportsspectrum.com
COLLEGE SPORTS DELAY
What many feared became reality Aug. 11, when the Big Ten and Pac-12 postponed their football seasons, becoming the first of the Power 5 conferences to do so. The Big Ten postponed all fall sports and said they could possibly play in the spring, while the Pac-12 postponed all sports, including basketball, through the end of 2020. With football being the primary revenue-generator for many schools, the effects of the cancellations and postponements could be long-lasting. Meanwhile, the other Power 5 conferences (SEC, ACC, Big 12) plan on proceeding with fall sports under strict guidelines (as of Aug. 15).
DALY LEADS DASH
The Houston Dash defeated the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL Challenge Cup final to capture the first trophy in club history, capping a 23-game, 29-day tournament in Salt Lake City that made up the 2020 National Women’s Soccer League season. It was the first U.S. pro sports league to play amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Houston’s Rachel Daly was named Tournament MVP, and awarded the Golden Boot as the top scorer. She logged 614 minutes over seven games, collecting three goals and two assists, including the game-winning goal against Portland in the semis to send Houston to its first championship game. TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971 SPORTS SPECTRUM
5
SPORTS SPECTRUM
For your daily sports and faith content — such as news, podcasts and devotionals — visit SportsSpectrum.com
.COM
NWSL’S JULIE ERTZ, CASEY SHORT PRAY TO GOD DURING POWERFUL ON-FIELD EMBRACE by
KEVIN MERCER
In
Chicago Red Stars’ Julie Ertz, left, consoles teammate Casey Short as they knelt during the national anthem, June 27,2020. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
an incredibly poignant display on June 27, Julie Ertz of the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League consoled tearful teammate Casey Short as both players knelt during the national anthem before their match against the Washington Spirit. In light of the racial unrest America has endured, most of the players knelt to protest police brutality and racism. The emotion of the moment brought Short, a defender on the Red Stars and a Black woman, to tears. Kneeling beside her, Ertz, a Red Stars captain and White woman, wrapped her arms around Short in solidarity as she shed tears of her own. The Spirit defeated the Red Stars 2-1 on the first day of the NWSL Challenge Cup qualification round, the first American professional team sports league to return to play after the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the lasting image for many will be Ertz and Short and the hope for unity it symbolized. On her Twitter page June 30, Short released a statement on behalf of Ertz and herself to further explain both players’ thoughts and emotions.
“Through our continuous conversations we wanted to make sure that whatever we decided to do, it would not be an empty gesture,” the letter said in part. “It would be a gesture that portrayed that we have heard those who needed to be heard, validated and loved. That moment during the anthem was difficult, very difficult. We are still searching but we are humbled by the outpouring of support. Our actions going forward WILL be the change! “With all the uncertainty going on in the world, the one constant for us has been Jesus. Those tears were the first time we felt hope in a long time. In a time when we were truly at a loss for words, we prayed. We asked for clarity, we asked for God to clean our hearts, and we asked to come together so that we don’t fall apart. We talked about suffering together to one day being able to rejoice together.” The letter ended with a reference of 1 Corinthians 12, which says God’s people are all uniquely made, yet all one body in Christ. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” — 1 Corinthians 12:26
6
SPORTS SPECTRUM
To read the entire story, search “NWSL” on SportsSpectrum.com.
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
Right now, children are enslaved for the profit of others. Join International Justice Mission today. End slavery in our lifetime. IJM.org/endslavery
7
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
HEART OF AN ATHLETE
HEART ATHLETE
“I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” — Philippians 4:13
OF AN
HIGH SCHOOL
BRYSON LUND
HOW HAS FAITH IMPACTED YOUR SPORT? Faith has impacted me the most in my athletics through basketball. Growing up and playing AAU basketball, I would frequently travel to Boston to play in basketball tournaments. When I walked in these gyms, the players were swearing and fighting, and their parents would be encouraging them to do this. This just was not a pleasant sight. I knew in that moment that I wanted to be different, because in reality what was happening at these tournaments was selfish and childish. From the time I saw these actions, I wanted to be Christlike in how I played the game of basketball. I was always humble, a team-first player, and I always encouraged my teammates instead of tearing them down, because that does nothing for a team. That is how faith impacted me the most in my sport, by realizing that a lot of people who play this sport are not believers, so if I can be different and show them the love of Christ as I play, then I am doing something right.
Bryson Lund is a recent graduate of Portsmouth Christian Academy in Dover, N.H., where he played soccer, basketball and baseball. In 2018, Lund was named MVP of the baseball team and made second team all-state in soccer, basketball and baseball. In 2019-20, he was named MVP of the basketball team and made first team allstate for basketball, as he scored his 1,000th career point and was named the Granite State Conference (South) Player of the Year. 8
SPORTS SPECTRUM
BRYSON LUND - DOVER, NH
HOW HAS YOUR FAMILY ENCOURAGED YOU? This question hits home because my family has always been there for me every step of my athletic career. They came to every game, even the ones that were three hours away, and they would help me achieve my goals. My dad always encouraged me to strive for my best, and with that, my brothers would always come out and try and beat me up when we played basketball in the driveway. Mom was always in the stands screaming so loud that others would get annoyed at her, but she did not care, so she kept doing it anyway. My family has always been there for me and I am forever grateful for that. I am happy that I was able to make them proud. TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
If you would like to nominate an athlete or coach to be featured,
Photos courtesy of Bryson Lund
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VERSE AND WHY? My favorite verse is Philippians 4:13, which says, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” When people think of this verse, they think of the literal translation and hope that it comes physically to them. That being said, I like to flip it and have it be mental toughness. We know that our body is going to fail at one point or another, but our mental strength is what really holds our body together, because if we are receiving thoughts to give up, we will. But if we can control what we are thinking and be precise in our actions, it is not only going to benefit us, but the team as well.
HEART OF A COACH
HEART COACH OF A
HIGH SCHOOL
GENE WATSON
“Above all, you must live as citizens of Heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.” — Philippians 1:27 WHAT ADVICE DO YOU GIVE YOUR PLAYERS? My advice is to use your God-given talent to maximize all of your ability, both on and off the field. I love how at the beginning of a season we are all individuals, and by the end we’re a family — a team of players willing to do whatever for their teammate. WHAT ROLE DOES YOUR FAITH PLAY IN YOUR COACHING? I wanted to be a coach to give back to kids, and be someone they could look up to and depend on — things I learned as a kid from my coaches. My faith plays a key role in my coaching. I try to use God’s Word in every aspect of coaching. My faith can be challenged as anyone else’s would. It is challenging when I hear what different types of homes each player comes from. Some may have upstanding parents and be believers in Christ, while others could come from divorced homes where there is no father figure — Dad is not there to guide them. HOW DO YOU HOPE TO IMPACT YOUR PLAYERS? I hope my players can say that they learned life skills from me. I hope to show them how applying God’s Word in their everyday life can work for them. I hope I impact my players with Christian values, and that they understand the meaning of integrity, serving, teamwork and excellence. These are the things we coaches strive to teach them.
Photos courtesy of Gene Watson
HOW DO YOUR PLAYERS IMPACT YOU? I’m impacted by the change I get to see in them. They may not realize they have changed but I do. Others come up to me and say, “That’s not the same kid that I once knew.” Knowing I played a small role in developing young athletes to go out and impact the world for Christ … well, there’s no better feeling. I of course cannot take all of the credit. I thank my Heavenly Father and the coaches who I get to work with, who are the best of the best.
Gene Watson started coaching sports when his son began T-ball. His son is now in college, and Coach Watson is the security coordinator and assistant varsity baseball coach at Portsmouth Christian Academy in Dover, N.H. www.sportsspectrum.com
please email us at heart@sportsspectrum.com.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VERSE? I have several favorite verses, but I’ll leave this one. Philippians 1:27 (NLT), “Above all, you must live as citizens of Heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.” This verse is a constant reminder not just for my players,but for me, other coaches and anyone who is a follower of Christ.
SPORTS SPECTRUM
9
GENE WATSON - DOVER, NH
HEART OF AN ATHLETE
HEART ATHLETE
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
OF AN
— Jeremiah 29:11
COLLEGE
ABBY SCHMIDT
WHAT DOES TEAM LEADERSHIP MEAN TO YOU? I’m in a unique position since I was the oldest (class wise) on the team last year as a junior. Now that I am a senior, I have the ability to build on my leadership from last year. Even as a sophomore, I was a team captain and involved in a lot of our leadership. Being a leader can look like a lot of different things; I don’t think there is just one way to lead your team. If you try to adapt your personality to fit into a different style of leadership, it won’t be authentic. I try to lead by example; I’m not always the loudest or most outgoing person on the team. But for me, I try to hold myself accountable so that I can do the same for others. I try to be the person who always completes the workouts and motivates others to do the same. HOW DOES YOUR FAITH IMPACT YOUR SPORT? Those two are really intertwined. It doesn’t always come across in the 40 minutes you spend on the basketball court, and it’s not always clear to the people in the audience, but it’s known in your inner circle and on your team. Your faith is also shown during practice, how you prioritize your life, and how you treat other people. How you treat others is an example of what God looks like to you. Your faith is reflected in the team culture you build.
Abby Schmidt is a senior at Bethel College in Newton, Kansas, her hometown. She’s on pace to become the best women’s basketball player in Bethel’s history, as she’s one of seven players in school history to surpass 1,000 career points, and she already owns Bethel records for most career blocks and total rebounds. She’s been on the All-Conference team each of her three seasons, and was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2018-19. Schmidt is also on Bethel’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes leadership team, and is the secretary of the school’s Student-Athlete Leadership Team. 10
SPORTS SPECTRUM
ABBY SCHMIDT - BETHEL COLLEGE
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN IMPACTED BY MENTORS OR COACHES? I have a lot of people I’ve connected with really well during my time here. It’s one of the things I love the most about Bethel. My coach and I have a similar faith background and he’s really open to talking about that. And since I’ve been the admin assistant for our athletic department for the past three years, I’ve been able to grow close to our athletic director. He was the one who invited me to go to the church I now attend. We often talk about faith and life stuff; he’s been someone I can lean on. He’s also given me a great idea of what career path I want to take. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VERSE AND WHY? Jeremiah 29:11. A pretty well known verse, but I can’t count the number of times I’ve gone back to this verse throughout my college years. There have been numerous situations where I can look back and see how perfectly God’s plan and timing has played out even when it made no sense at the time. The idea that He has our entire future planned out and all we have to do is trust Him is incredible.
Photo courtesy of Josh Booth, Bethel College Athletics
HOW HAS YOUR FAITH BEEN CHALLENGED DURING YOUR COLLEGIATE CAREER? College, for me, has been a time when I’ve challenged my identity. I’ve been involved in a lot of different things on campus, such as our FCA leadership group. That has made me look at my faith in a different way and challenged me to be public with it. I also found a different church to go to. I really enjoy connecting with different people even though it’s not the easiest to leave your home church when it’s five minutes away.
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
If you would like to nominate an athlete or coach to be featured,
HEART OF A COACH
HEART COACH
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
OF A
— Galatians 2:20
COLLEGE
ALI MALAEKEH
HOW DOES YOUR FAITH IMPACT THE WAY YOU COACH? My faith has drastically changed in the past five years. After being born and raised in a Muslim home, I experienced a 180-degree life change in 2003 when I gave my life to Christ. While coaching soccer, I was growing in my faith and thought I was following Christ well, but suddenly I had a huge burden on my heart. Something was wrong. My small group was going through a study of what it really meant to give yourself fully to the Lord, recognizing your life is not your own, it’s His. I soon realized soccer was an idol in my life, and I had to walk away from it. HOW DO YOU SERVE CHRIST THROUGH SOCCER TODAY? I had a heart change. I needed to transition the way I coached. Immediately, my tone of voice changed at the start of games. I used to be so wrapped up in the results — winning, regaining players, my kids making their university teams, pleasing parents — that I would scream at the players. It was clear — winning was my idol. Once I saw this, I reframed my perspective. I’m still coaching, but I realize the responsibility of nurturing people’s most prized possessions — their kids. WHAT IS YOUR GOAL AS A COACH? I want to be a transformational coach. Jesus was transformational in the lives of His disciples and I want to be the same for the children I coach. To do this, I try to stay relevant to them, build friendships with them, and get to know what their goals are. I have to first build a relationship and then be tough with them, that way they know I’m being tough because I love them and have their best interest at heart.
Photo courtesy of Ali Malaekeh
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VERSE AND WHY? “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” — Galatians 2:20
Ali Malaekeh is the Fellowship of Christian Athletes leadership coach for Orange County in California. Having coached soccer for 32 years, Malaekeh adopted this title five years ago, becoming the first full-time FCA college ministry personnel in Southern California. Currently the head coach of the Southern California Blues (a youth soccer program), Coach Malaekeh has a heart to touch lives through sport. www.sportsspectrum.com
please email us at heart@sportsspectrum.com.
If I say I’m a follower of Christ, I have to live this out. Because the Spirit of God lives in me, my life has to ooze Jesus — full of grace, love and truth. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT COACHING? The impact you make in kids’ lives. I have kids I coached asking me to officiate their weddings or tell me that they are telling their kids things they only heard from me. “Coach said” are two of the most powerful words in the English language. They can either be life-giving or life-taking. The relationships you lead with these kids can lead them to the Lord. SPORTS SPECTRUM
11
ALI MALAEKEH - ORANGE COUNTY
12
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
AND RACEFAITH
“African Americans have stood alone for far too long, screaming in hopes that a silent majority will hear. George Floyd’s words, ‘I can’t breathe,’ were heard loud and clear, and it’s time for all people to stand united until all stand equal.” – STE VE STE N STROM
ACT JUSTLY, LOVE MERCY, WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD There are moments in life when evil is personified — it confronts us and shakes us to the core. The murder of George Floyd and the image of that officer kneeling on his neck is just that — evil in the flesh. Let’s not mince our words here. The sin of racism was on full display that day in Minneapolis. Some moments become “defining moments,” meaning “events which typify or determine all subsequent related occurrences.” I hope and pray the horrific scene that ended George Floyd’s life will serve as a defining moment for our nation, as well as for the Church, and is something we never have to witness again. African Americans have stood alone for far too long, screaming in hopes that a silent majority will hear. George Floyd’s words, “I can’t breathe,” were heard loud and clear, and it’s time for all people — regardless of color — to stand united until all stand equal. God’s best for mankind is not yet true on this earth. Our positional reality — in Christ, as sons and daughters of the King — has not permeated every experiential reality in our lives. Sin is on display. Evil is personified. The enemy seeks to steal, kill and destroy. So, what can we do? One conversation I had recently with a couple yielded this: He said to me, “Steve, the opposite of racism is not being non-racist. The opposite of racism is found in loving your neighbor” (Mark 12:31). Upon hearing that, I instantly remembered a sermon
www.sportsspectrum.com www.sportsspectrum.com
BY STEVE STENSTROM
SPORTS SPECTRUM PRESIDENT & FORMER NFL QUARTERBACK
I heard years ago in which the pastor applied the “love your neighbor” principle in his life, and his message really stuck with me. The pastor posed the question: What would he do if it was one of his kids who was the victim? He then upped the ante and said something to the effect of, “It’s not a matter of what would I do, but more precisely what wouldn’t I do.” The more you ponder that question and what your response would be, the greater understanding you’ll have as to how you should respond in our current climate. That’s where I am today and I hope you are too. Wrestle with the simple question posed to us in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37): If it were you, what would you do? And then ponder the real issue: If it were you, what wouldn’t you do? As God makes that clear in the context of the manifest evil we just witnessed through this display of racism, allow His thoughts to inform your own and His Spirit to guide your actions. We have no choice but to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with Him and each other (Micah 6:8). It’s time. No more. SPORTS SPECTRUM
13 13
RACE AND FAITH
“Do not allow your anger to make you do or say something that is contrary to what you should be doing as a follower of Christ. We are to be justice warriors, but our method in doing so needs to be distinctly Christlike.” – BE N JA M I N WATSON
IN YOUR ANGER DO NOT SIN
“‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” — Ephesians 4:26
14 14
SPORTS SPECTRUM SPORTS SPECTRUM
I’ve been thinking a lot about this verse, because I’m really angry. I’m not just angry at those who have acted cruelly lately. Blatant injustice in general burns me up, whether related to race, economics, sexual abuse or anything else. For most of us, as fellow humans, we don’t like to see brutality happen right in front of our eyes. This is not just about the events that happened in Minneapolis with the police killing of George Floyd. I’m angry because this is the tip of the iceberg. As Black people living in America, we aren’t afforded the luxury of not seeing race in every circumstance. The way we were brought into this country and the way we’re often treated in it still today — policies that are made, individual acts of violence that are carried out, residential segregation, the wealth gap (the average Black family makes onetenth of what the average White family does), you name it — isn’t easy. And much of it is hidden. When I think of all these layers of injustice, I feel despair. This is our reality because people have made it this way. So how do we tackle something like this? I’m angry because some people don’t acknowledge this as an issue. They disregard history, and I’m not talking about hundreds of years ago, I’m talking about yesterday and backward. With social media, we’re able to see a lot of what people think; some of it’s great and some of it’s ugly. Over the past few weeks I’ve found myself discouraged and despondent. I can’t honestly say I’ve had a lot of positive feelings about the situation
BY BENJAMIN WATSON FORMER NFL TIGHT END
of America, as well as us as individuals within it. At all times, in all circumstances, our actions and reactions are vitally important. As Christ-followers, there’s a certain way we need to carry ourselves in the midst of injustice. We have a responsibility to do so. Our primary goal in this life is to bring God glory. That doesn’t mean we don’t address the issues of our day or engage in civic debate. As citizens and members of our specific communities, we should not remove ourselves from the situations that desperately need our attention. It does mean we have a mandate to engage in a way that brings glory to God and ultimately points people toward Him and the things He cares about. We are to do so in a way that is different than those who don’t know Him. Being a Christ-follower doesn’t mean we can’t get angry. Jesus got angry. God was angry a whole lot of times! But the Bible does say, “In your anger do not sin.” Do not allow your anger to make you do or say something that is contrary to what you should be doing as a follower of Christ. We are to be justice warriors, but our method in doing so T O S Uneeds B S C R I B E : C Ato L L 8 6be 6-821-2971 distinctly Christlike. S P O R T S S P E C T R U M
AND RACEFAITH
“How did Jesus love? He was selfless. He was non-discriminatory. He listened. He asked questions. He led with grace. He welcomed and devoted Himself to all people groups no matter their age, religion, nationality, social status or gender.” – N I C K A HM E D
LOVE AS JESUS LOVES
www.sportsspectrum.com www.sportsspectrum.com
My heart has been burdened for the Black people of our nation. This has been a very difficult year with the coronavirus pandemic and now the devastating murders of people like George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. But this is not a new issue that has popped up out of nowhere like the coronavirus. This is a systemic issue that has plagued our nation for hundreds of years. Watching the video of George Floyd being murdered caused a great pain in my soul. And knowing that this is not an isolated incident, but something that has been happening over and over and over again, has me torn up on the inside. Also, now learning that the vast majority of these horrific acts have been swept under the rug, unpublicized, with justice not being served, is completely unacceptable. Knowing that I’m White and that I’ll never fully understand doesn’t change the fact that I have a responsibility. I have a responsibility to listen and learn, to educate myself, to raise my children well and to not just talk about it but to be a part of the change. As a follower of Jesus, my view of the world and people is that all people have been created in the image of God and have the exact same value and inherent worth. God created differences in skin color and He didn’t make a mistake when He created some people Black and some people White. We are all the same in His eyes, no matter what we look like. But the unfortunate fact is that this is not a reality in the way we treat people in our country. Black people have not been treated the same as White people —
BY NICK AHMED
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS SHORTSTOP
not now and not in the past. Oppression, police brutality, racial profiling and lack of justice are the reality for Black people in our country. They have not been afforded the same privileges and freedoms that White people have. We all have an opportunity and responsibility to change that in the future. In some of His last moments with His disciples, Jesus gave them this commandment: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). This was a commandment, not a suggestion. And this commandment is commanded to us. So how did Jesus love? He was selfless. He was non-discriminatory. He listened. He asked questions. He led with grace. He welcomed and devoted Himself to all people groups no matter their age, religion, nationality, social status or gender. He loved sacrificially. He was an advocate, who spoke up for those whose voice was undermined and devalued. He confronted systems that were broken. He never gave up. He was never in a rush. I am committed to love people like that. This is how God calls all of us to love people. All people. Black people included. I will listen and learn and love in the best possible way I can. I will be 15 S P O Ran T S S P advocate ECTRUM and an ally. 15
AFC EAST 1. Buffalo 2. New England 3. N.Y. Jets 4. Miami
N FC E AST 1. Philadelphia 2. Dallas 3. N.Y. Giants 4. Washington
AFC N ORTH 1. Baltimore 2. Pittsburgh 3. Cleveland 4. Cincinnati
N FC NO RT H 1. Minnesota 2. Green Bay 3. Chicago 4. Detroit
AFC SOUTH 1. Houston 2.Tennessee 3. Indianapolis 4. Jacksonville
N FC SO U T H 1. New Orleans 2. Tampa Bay 3. Atlanta 4. Carolina
AFC WEST 1. Kansas City 2. Denver 3. Las Vegas 4. L.A. Chargers
N FC WE ST 1. Seattle 2. San Francisco 3. L.A. Rams 4. Arizona
AFC Championship Game — Kansas City over Houston NFC Championship Game — Seattle over New Orleans Super Bowl — Kansas City over Seattle Offensive Rookie of the Year — Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Defensive Rookie of the Year — Chase Young, Washington Comeback Player of the Year — Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Coach of the Year — Pete Carroll, Seattle Offensive Player of the Year — Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Defensive Player of the Year — Aaron Donald, L.A. Rams 16 16
SPORTS SPECTRUM SPORTS SPECTRUM
MVP — Russell Wilson, Seattle
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
R YA N TA NNE H IL L TENNESSEE TITANS
THROUGH THE GRIND OF LIFE AND LONG FOOTBALL SEASONS, ATHLETES DRAW STRENGTH FROM GOD’S WORD. PRIOR TO THE 2020 NFL SEASON, WE ASKED EIGHT NFL PLAYERS FOR BIBLE VERSES THAT HAVE HAD AN IMPACT ON THEM.
“AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DO IT HEARTILY, AS TO THE LORD AND NOT TO MEN.” — COLOSSIANS 3:23 (NKJV) “A verse that has been on my mind for a long time, and every time I sign an autograph, I write it under my name, is Colossians 3:23 — ‘In all that you do, do it as to the Lord and not to men.’ I try to think about that a lot of times when I don’t feel like doing something or I’m annoyed by something but I have to do it. It’s like, ‘All right, if I’m going to be doing it, do it as unto the Lord. Just go all out and do it.’ So it’s been very impactful for my life and it’s something that I write just to try to get people to look it up, and hopefully it’ll impact their life as well.”
DEMARIO DAVI S
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
“GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.”
AP Photo/ Mark Zaleski, Jason Behnken
— MATTHEW 28:19 (ESV)
www.sportsspectrum.com
“The Great Commission: Matthew 28. ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations’ is important to me because that’s what God is calling us into. We are all a part of this great story of reaching all nations, that our Christ is coming back, and that we’ve all been called into this relationship to go to the nations. It has nothing to do with any of us, it has to do with going and reaching other people. God wants to reach the entire world and He is choosing us, so that means it’s on us. I like that, it’s like my coach is calling my number, that’s the play. I can’t just sit here with the ball, I got to go do something with it. So that 17 SPORTS SPECTRUM excites me.” 17 SPORTS SPECTRUM
C.J. HAM
KE LVI N BEACHUM
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
ARIZONA CARDINALS
“BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU.” — MATTHEW 6:33 (KJV) “I think the premise of my life — whether it’s marriage, whether it’s football, whether it’s raising my kids — is really, how do I seek God first? How do I put Him first? If it’s starting my day, how do I seek Him first before I even think about looking at the phone, looking at an email, how do I seek God first? If it’s literally rolling out of the bed and hitting my knees, first thing I do, just seek God first. For me, that’s been something that’s been powerful for me. It’s been a verse that my parents and grandparents shared with me at an early age, and a verse that’s seared onto my heart.”
18 18
SPORTS SPECTRUM SPORTS SPECTRUM
CA R S O N W E NT Z
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
“TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING; IN ALL YOUR WAYS SUBMIT TO HIM, AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT.” — PROVERBS 3:5-6 (NIV) “The beginning, ‘trust in the Lord,’ that’s an easy one to say you checked the box, and ‘He will make your paths straight’ sounds great at the end. But ‘leaning not on your own understanding and submitting’ is the biggest challenge for me. I think for a lot of people, especially men that think they’re smart, you know? So for me that’s one that I always have to just keep going back to and saying, ‘All right God, I’m going to not just trust in You, but I’m going to lean not on what I know and what I think is best.’ And I’ve had to live that through relationship issues, through family drama, through injuries in high school and college and the pros, just so many different situations that we all go through. ‘All right God, now I’m forced to trust in You. This isn’t my own understanding, I’m submitting this to You.’ And that’s a daily submit, and it’s definitely a challenge, but it’s something that I have to walk through every day.”
“BUT GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS OWN LOVE FOR US IN THIS: WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.” — ROMANS 5:8 (NIV) “That verse has really come to light in my life. It’s really impacted me in the fact that it wasn’t when we were done sinning, it was while we were still sinners He made the sacrifice for our sins. And it really just encourages me every single day, knowing that I’m not a slave to my sin anymore. He paid the ultimate price for that. He felt all the pain of the entire world’s sin and He brought that on to Him. We are set free from the law and we no longer are a slave to that feeling of what sin brings to us, but we can just live freely in His grace.”
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971 TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
STEFEN WIS NIE W S K I PITTSBURGH STEELERS
“FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND, THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM.” — EPHESIANS 2:10 (ESV)
JUS TI N SIMM ON S
AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, Roger Steinman, Steve Luciano, Phelan M. Ebenhack, David Zalubowski, Rick Scuteri
DENVER BRONCOS
“AND WHATEVER YOU DO, WHETHER IN WORD OR DEED, DO IT ALL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS, GIVING THANKS TO GOD THE FATHER THROUGH HIM.” — COLOSSIANS 3:17 (NIV) “That verse is pretty self-explanatory but it’s just how I’ve wanted to model my life, whether I’m speaking life into people or speaking in general, whatever I’m doing. Actions-wise, right now it happens to be football, but regardless, when that’s all said and done, anything that I’m doing pertaining to life, I want it to honor thew w wLord. And I make sure I’m .sportsspectrum.com holding that in high regards.”
“The idea is that we’re this creation, this work of art that God is shaping, molding and constantly working on. That’s what we go through trials for, God’s shaping us. That’s why God brings certain people into our lives, is to teach us things to shape us. Ultimately what He’s trying to create in us is He’s trying to create Jesus. That’s the goal is that we would look, walk, talk, act, love like Jesus did. And I love it too, the second part of the verse says ‘He has good works planned for us.’ I think a lot of times as Christians we can get complacent and say, ‘Oh, God loves me, so my spiritual growth will kind of plateau for a while.’ But God has good works planned for me and if I’m not growing throughout my walk with Him, I’m going to be missing out on those works. I’m not going to be equipped when those times come.”
DAVI D J O H N SON
HOUSTON TEXANS
“SURELY YOU KNOW THAT MANY RUNNERS TAKE PART IN A RACE, BUT ONLY ONE OF THEM WINS THE PRIZE. RUN, THEN, IN SUCH A WAY AS TO WIN THE PRIZE. EVERY ATHLETE IN TRAINING SUBMITS TO STRICT DISCIPLINE, IN ORDER TO BE CROWNED WITH A WREATH THAT WILL NOT LAST; BUT WE DO IT FOR ONE THAT WILL LAST FOREVER.” — 1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-25 (GNT) “That’s the one I’ve always really cherished and lived by ever since college, when I really started stepping into my faith. That just teaches me that life — not just football or being an athlete — life isn’t easy. And you want to basically be disciplined in your faith and really fight through all the battles, fight through all the body blows, the hardships, the ups and downs, the struggles in life, not just football but life in general. And that’s one of the things that I’ve taught, especially at the end where it says, ‘I don’t want to be disqualified from winning the race.’ Or doing God’s deeds, being a disciple; I don’t want to cheat or do it the easy way. That’s one of the things I really cherish and that’s always in the back of my head no matter during the third week of camp, no matter during a test in college, no matter when life is hitting me hard, trying to be a parent. Anything that’s going on in life, that’sSone of the verses that 19 PORTS SPECTRUM I always have in the back of my head.” 19
BE N RO E
WHETHER IN BIBLE STUDIES OR TEAM CHAPELS — OR PREGAME IN THE SHOWERS? — STEELERS QUARTERBACK BEN ROETHLISBERGER IS LEADING HIS TEAMMATES AND SHARING HIS TESTIMONY IN HOPES THAT HE CAN PROVIDE THE SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE HE DIDN’T HAVE, OR SEEK OUT, WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG PRO. BY JON ACKERMAN
As the minutes tick down toward kickoff, NFL locker rooms tend to grow quiet. Guys methodically strap on their gear. Many have headphones on or earbuds in; the music helps set their mood. A week of practice, training, film study, meetings — it all builds up to this game. The players are locked in. In the Pittsburgh Steelers’ locker room, as 53 men prepare to take the field for pregame warmups, this is when their leader stands up, walks across the room and makes an announcement. At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, he’s a commanding presence simply in appearance.
20 20
S PS OP RO TRST SS PS EPCE TCRT UR MU M
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
R O ET HL IS
AP Photo/ Don Wright, Gene J. Puskar
As the team’s starting quarterback since 2004, his voice carries some weight. With two Super Bowl rings, six Pro Bowl selections and a slew of records, he’s a future Hall of Famer. So when Ben Roethlisberger speaks, teammates listen. “Prayer in the shower,” he yells. “Anybody who wants it, come get it.” And with that, a big train of big men — pads, cleats and eye black on — voluntarily roll into the showers behind Big Ben. They circle the cramped space, lock arms or hold hands, and hone in on No. 7, who delivers an encouraging leadership talk, two minutes tops. Then he picks someone to pray. Maybe offensive lineman Ramon Foster, or tight end Vance McDonald. Sometimes Roethlisberger himself prays. “Game faces on and they are holding hands in the shower, which I just thought was hilarious,” says Kent Chevalier, who as the Steelers team chaplain has witnessed this pregame prayer in person. “It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I never thought of this, that I’d be holding hands in the shower with a guy and we’re praying to the Lord.’” For some, it may be the only prayer they hear all week. For others, it may be one among many. But Roethlisberger doesn’t force anyone to come, doesn’t keep track of anyone not there. He simply steps up as the team’s leader, and puts his faith in Jesus on display for his teammates to see. Then the train departs for the field, where the Steelers have been quite successful with Roethlisberger leading the way.
www.sportsspectrum.com
Chevalier shares this shower prayer story as he watches the team run through drills in late July at Heinz Field (instead, due to COVID, of their usual fan-friendly summer training grounds at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa.). He asked for and was given permission by Roethlisberger to discuss the quarterback’s faith journey, much of which has only recently been shared publicly by Roethlisberger. Chevalier wonders if last season’s injury stirred up something inside him. In possibly the most disappointing year of his NFL career, Roethlisberger injured his elbow in Week 2, resulting in surgery that kept him out the remainder of the season. He’d previously never played fewer than 12 games in a year. It was made even more disheartening considering his strong 2018, when he led the NFL in passing yards (5,129) and signed an offseason extension to keep him under contract through 2021. “I can only trust God’s plan,” Roethlisberger said following the injury, “but I am completely determined to battle through this challenge and come back stronger than ever next season.”
By all accounts through the early part of Pittsburgh’s 2020 training camp, he’s made good on that vow. McDonald said after the first week of training that he’s “never seen ‘7’ like this. And like this, meaning he has a fire under him. He is so hungry to not only get the season rolling, but to win it all.” Roethlisberger says he’s throwing without pain for the first time in years, and at 38 years old, knows he doesn’t have too many seasons left to nab a third Super Bowl. But in the past year, Chevalier has noticed a spiritual shift in Roethlisberger. He was hired as team chaplain only a year ago, prior to the team’s 2019 training camp, but as a lifelong Pittsburgh native, Chevalier has long watched Roethlisberger from afar. He was a pastor in the city for 23 years before joining Athletes in Action, through which he serves the Steelers organization. His cousin has also been
“HE LOVES US SO MUCH THAT HE LET HIS SON DIE FOR US. THAT LOVE, IT JUST DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, BUT I’M SO THANKFUL FOR IT.”
SPORTS SPECTRUM
21
was the biggest chapel we had. We were above 50 people in that chapel, all face to face and Ben crushed it. Man, he did such a good job. I was so proud of him for going public with all of his teammates.” Chevalier told Roethlisberger as much afterward, then encouraged him to keep sharing his story. It can not only connect with NFL players, he said, but kids and fans everywhere. In February, Ben and Ashley attended their first Pro Athletes Outreach conference, at which they met dozens of other Christ-following couples in the NFL. And then in June, Roethlisberger shared his testimony even more publicly. He was a featured guest for ManUp Pittsburgh, an annual conference Coach Tomlin helps lead with the Urban Impact ministry. Roethlisberger had been asked to speak for years, Chevalier says, but finally did this summer. It’s usually an event for some 1,500 men in the Pittsburgh area, yet due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 conference was a condensed online program free to anyone. Organizers were at first disappointed that the usual large crowd wouldn’t be able to hear Roethlisberger speak — but were soon blown away when the mainstream sports media picked up on the QB’s 15-minute interview. Most outlets, unfortunately, focused
in on two sentences from his talk: “I’ve fallen as short as anybody. I’ve been addicted to alcohol, I’ve been addicted to pornography, which makes me, then, not the best husband, not the best father, not the best Christian I can be.” The word “addiction” ran in headlines across the country, and commentators discussed his remarks in segments on ESPN. But the widespread attention brought more viewers to the ManUp video than would have likely seen it otherwise. Thus, more people, many for the first time, learned about Roethlisberger’s faith journey. And during his 15 minutes, he shared about a moment that likely sparked the spiritual shift. “Three years ago I got baptized,” Roethlisberger said. “I was baptized as a kid; my parents took me as a baby. But I didn’t make that decision. So three years ago now I made the decision to be baptized because I felt like I needed to do that. I wanted to have a closer walk, a better relationship with Jesus, with my wife, with my kids, with my family — become a better person. “So I think the person that brought me to Him was Jesus. Jesus is the One who brought me back to Him, and I’m so thankful for it because I feel I’m a better Christian, a better husband and a better father today because of His forgiveness of me.”
“I DIDN’T NECESSARILY GO AWAY FROM MY FAITH; I ALWAYS BELIEVED. I DIDN’T LOSE MY FAITH IN HIM, BUT I DIDN’T GROW. I DIDN’T GROW AS A CHRISTIAN IN COLLEGE, AND I WISH MORE THAN ANYTHING I WOULD HAVE. I WISH I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE PATH OF GROWTH AND TRYING TO GET CLOSER TO HIM ALL THROUGH COLLEGE BECAUSE I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHERE I’D BE NOW IF I WOULD HAVE DONE THAT.”
22 22
SPORTS SPECTRUM
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
R O ET HL IS
a Pittsburgh pastor for 20-plus years. Members and active participants in the kids ministry at his cousin’s church for the past decade have been Ben and Ashley Roethlisberger. Being the new guy among the Steelers’ fellowship gatherings — which include player Bible studies, team chapel services, as well as couples and wives studies, all of which receive much backing and support from head coach Mike Tomlin — Chevalier wanted to get to know the players better. So he asked a few to share their testimonies, one each week at chapel the night before games in the team hotel. All season, he asked Roethlisberger. “He’s like, ‘Ah, I don’t know, I don’t know.’ And then right at the end, like in December, he came up to me and goes, ‘Hey, have you found your last chapel speaker yet?’ And I was like, ‘Yes, you,’” Chevalier recalls, laughing. Roethlisberger agreed, and so the night before the Steelers faced the Ravens at Baltimore in Week 17, their leader shared his journey of faith. He talked about growing up in a Christian home, not pursuing his faith in college, the instant fame he found in the NFL, and how he now lives out his faith in Christ. “When he spoke at chapel that last week, I invited everybody I could — like front office guys, staff,” Chevalier said. “It
“WE’RE DISCUSSING A PASSAGE AND YOU’VE GOT DUDES WHO ARE JUST AT THEIR LOCKER, WHO ARE NOT FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST, WHO ARE NOT INTERESTED AT ALL, BUT THEY’RE OVERHEARING THE CONVERSATION OF THEIR VETERAN PLAYERS, THEIR GUYS. BEN HAS BEEN A PART OF THOSE BIBLE STUDIES AND THEY’RE HEARING HIM SHARE HIS PERSPECTIVE, HIS FAITH IN THOSE SETTINGS.”
– TEAM
CHAPLAIN K E N T C H E VA L IE R
www.sportsspectrum.com
Kent Chevalier and his wife, Erica. (Photos courtesy of Kent Chevalier)
R O ET HL IS In July, just a few weeks before reporting to training camp, Roethlisberger further shared his faith journey when he joined former MLB All-Star Matt Holliday and his wife, Leslee, on their “Table Forty” podcast, which is a part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network. For nearly 40 minutes, he was just as open and honest about his faith, his struggles, his marriage and his family. Born and raised in Northern Ohio, Roethlisberger’s parents divorced when he was young. Still, he “can’t ever remember missing church. Sports? You better get back on Sundays for church,” he said. That foundation provided some comfort for an 8-year-old whose mother suddenly died in a car accident. “All I could think of was, ‘I’m going to see her soon.’ I had no concept of how long life is, but I would think, ‘Oh, I’m going to see her in Heaven soon,’” he said. Sports were always a part of his childhood, and his sports idol was his father, Ken, who had played football and baseball at Georgia Tech. Ben says he wanted to be a quarterback because his dad was a QB. “That’s kind of how I grew up, wanting to be like my dad, and that’s in all areas of life — from an athlete to a father to a Christian man to a husband. He always was and has been and still is my role model,” Ben says. Roethlisberger starred in baseball, basketball and football at Findlay High School, earning Ohio’s Division I Offensive Player of the Year football honors in 1999. He garnered offers from nearly every college in the country, but chose Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, because it offered first. His star continued to rise at Miami, as he secured every major passing record in school history during his three seasons. And with the 11th overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected their quarterback of the future. But while he was growing in fame, he wasn’t growing in Christ. “I didn’t necessarily go away from my faith; I always believed,” Roethlisberger said. “I didn’t lose my faith in Him, but I didn’t grow. I didn’t grow as a Christian in college, and I wish more than anything I would have. I wish I would have been on the path of growth and trying to get closer to Him all through college because I can only imagine where I’d be now if I would have done that.” That stagnant spiritual season carried into his first few years as a pro, when he experienced much success — 13-0 as a regular-season rookie starter, a Super Bowl win in Year 2, a Pro Bowl his fourth season, and another Super Bowl in Year 5. Throughout those early years, Roethlisberger didn’t have a mentor. He wishes he would have, but admits it was likely his own fault for not seeking one out. He also doesn’t remember Steeler teammates getting together for Bible studies back then, but
again, he wasn’t exactly looking for that kind of fellowship either. He is now, however, and he’s found it. He and Ashley (whom he married in 2011) have “an amazing church family,” are a part of a Steelers couples group led by Chevalier, and Ben takes part in the players’ Friday morning Bible study, which meets around the Steelers emblem in the practice facility’s locker room. “What’s wild for me,” Chevalier says, “is we’re discussing a passage and you’ve got dudes who are just at their locker, who are not followers of Christ, who are not interested at all, but they’re overhearing the conversation of their veteran players, their guys. Ben has been a part of those Bible studies and they’re hearing him share his perspective, his faith in those settings.” He shares in hopes that others can learn from him. Roethlisberger may not have had a mentor during his early days as a pro, but he enjoys being one now. He’s been criticized in the past for not being a good teammate, but in recent years has actively tried to connect better. One such way is sharing his story — whether in Bible studies, chapel services, small groups or, apparently, the showers. He talks success, marriage, fatherhood, struggles and injuries, and how God has worked through it all. He shares about how much God loves and has forgiven him, and how much God loves and will forgive them. The father of three painted as clear a picture as possible for his chapel audience last season. “If any of you have kids, raise your hand,” Roethlisberger said. “If you have one kid, would you let your kid die? I wouldn’t let my kid die for any of you in here. I love you all to death, but I wouldn’t let my son die for any of you guys, or anybody for that matter. “And He loves us so much that He let His Son die for us. That love, it just doesn’t make sense, but I’m so thankful for it.” Anybody who wants it can come and get it. S P O R T S S P E C T R U M
23
WA TS ON
HOUSTON TEXANS QB DESHAUN WATSON FOUND THE LORD AT A YOUNG AGE AND HAS RELIED ON THAT FOUNDATION AS FOOTBALL SUCCESS HAS COME HIS WAY. THOUGH HE’S STILL YOUNG, HE RECOGNIZES THE PLATFORM GOD HAS GIVEN HIM AND IS USING IT TO LOVE OTHERS, SERVE OTHERS AND SHARE GOD’S WORD. BY JASON ROMANO
At 24 years old with three years of NFL experience to his credit, Deshaun Watson enters the 2020 NFL season among the league’s leading MVP candidates. Since landing with Houston at 12th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, he’s led the Texans to playoff appearances the past two seasons, in which he was also named to the Pro Bowl. The pro success comes after Watson helped Clemson to college football’s national championship in 2016-17. He led the Tigers to a victory over Alabama when he tossed a last-second touchdown to receiver Hunter Renfrow, and also set the record for most passing yards in a championship game (420). We talked to Watson on the Sports Spectrum Podcast over the summer about preparing for the NFL season amid the COVID pandemic, how his faith plays an important role in his life, and writing his first book, “Pass It On: Work Hard, Serve Others...Repeat,” which is available Sept. 8.
24 24
S PS OP RO TRST SS PS EPCE TCRT UR MU M
S
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
WA TS ON
AP Photo/ Charlie Riedel, Jeff Roberson
YOU’RE AN AUTHOR. HOW DOES THAT FEEL? It’s pretty crazy, something I never thought I’d be able to call myself. Especially at age 24 because in school, I used to hate reading books. But now, to be able to write my own and have it come out this year, it’s incredible.
TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK AND WHY YOU DECIDED TO WRITE IT. WHAT’S YOUR HOPE WHEN PEOPLE READ IT? I feel like even though I’m so young and early in my career, in my journey, I feel like my testimony speaks a lot for what I’ve [gone] through and what I’ve had to experience and be aware of. I feel like every time I go to these events and I share my story, from teenagers to adults in their 40s and 50s, [they say] how much they got out of that story and how much it’s helping them with their lives. I want to write many more books, but this is the first part, the first 24 years of my life and what I went through on and off the field in my faith. [It’s incredible] to be able to give to the people and let it speak.
video games so I said, ‘Once I make it to the NFL, I want to be just like him and do the same thing he’s doing.’ LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR FAITH, I KNOW IT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU. CAN YOU SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY AND WHERE THAT BEGAN? That’s my foundation. That’s my background. It keeps me balanced. It keeps me sane. I really found the Lord back in middle school and then once I got to high school, still kind of going through that phase, but after my freshman year, when my mom got diagnosed with tongue cancer, that’s when I really nailed down and said, ‘Hey, this is what I need to do. I need Somebody to keep me balanced.’ And ever since then, I’ve been so locked in on Him and been able to share His Word to a lot of other people.
“HE PUT ME HERE FOR A REASON. HE PUT ME RIGHT HERE TO SERVE OTHER PEOPLE AND USE THAT PLATFORM IN THAT WAY.”
WHAT DID YOU LEARN MOST ABOUT YOURSELF IN PUTTING TOGETHER THIS BOOK? You reminisce and experience a lot of memories that you kind of forgot about. And a lot of things, at this time, thinking about how incredible it was that I got through that situation. It’s incredible how detailed I am and being able to express what I went through. Because you have family members, best friends where you kind of open up, but this is the first time where you put everything on the table and you just let it be free for the whole world to see it, and you can control the outline of it.
YOU TALK ABOUT SEVEN CORE VALUES IN THE BOOK. I WANT TO FOCUS ON EMPATHY. WHY EMPATHY? Being able to understand each other. Being able to love each other and treat each other as one, as equal. Like these times with the pandemic, social justice, we can all come together. And it’s hard because everyone has different beliefs. But I feel like it’s not impossible; I feel like it is possible.
To listen to the entire interview with Deshaun Watson, visit SportsSpectrum.com
www.sportsspectrum.com
YOUR STORY REALLY GOES BACK TO 2006 AND CROSSING PATHS WITH FORMER NFL RUNNING BACK WARRICK DUNN. CAN YOU SHARE WHAT TOOK PLACE WITH WARRICK? Most definitely. That’s where I feel like I learned about servant leadership. He was able to bless me and my mom with a Habitat for Humanity house and get us out of the hood, out of the projects where the environment was chaos. This gave us a new foundation to refocus our family and fulfill our dreams with new opportunities. I think I was like 11 at the time, and that just really changed my life. I played with Warrick Dunn on
SPORTS SPECTRUM
25
each and every day and never get too comfortable, then I think things will go the way He wants them to go. That’s my purpose and my why — to keep me sane and keep me balanced. HOW DO YOU STAY CONNECTED WITH GOD THROUGHOUT THE SEASON? The football part and the season part is the easiest part for me. That comes natural. I think it’s more about the time outside the facility. Being at home, just wanting to relax and watch a movie. We don’t get to go to church on Sundays because we’re traveling or playing that game, so you have to find that extra time
“THE LORD IS TEACHING ME AND SHOWING ME THE SMALL DETAILS IN HOW TO BECOME A MAN. NOT JUST A MAN, BUT A YOUNG, BLACK, SUCCESSFUL MAN THAT CAME FROM NOWHERE, AND USING THIS PLATFORM IN THE RIGHT [WAYS] AND FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.”
ON “WHEN MY MOM GOT DIAGNOSED WITH TONGUE CANCER, THAT’S WHEN I REALLY NAILED DOWN AND SAID, ‘HEY, THIS IS WHAT I NEED TO DO. I NEED SOMEBODY TO KEEP ME BALANCED.’ AND EVER SINCE THEN, I’VE BEEN SO LOCKED IN ON HIM.”
26 26
SPORTS SPECTRUM
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
LET’S TALK ABOUT PLATFORM. YOURS HAS GROWN AND GROWN, BUT CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH WANTING TO SEE THE PLATFORM INCREASE WHILE STAYING HUMBLE AND TRUSTING GOD THROUGH THAT? I just feel like you can never get too comfortable. I know sometimes it is easy to get comfortable and you lose sight of the Lord. You lose sight of why He put you in the position He put you in. And that’s why I always want to stay grounded and remember where I came from. He put me here for a reason. He put me right here to serve other people and use that platform in that way. So if I can continue to remind myself
AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith, Michael Zito
WA TS DABO SWINNEY WROTE THE FOREWORD FOR YOUR BOOK. WHAT HAS HIS IMPACT BEEN ON YOU AS FAR AS YOUR FAITH? Committing to Clemson and signing with Clemson University and Dabo Swinney was one of the best decisions of my life. Those three years changed me and brought so many different perspectives on how I view life and how I view being a man. I didn’t have that father figure in my life. Being able to see his family and how he cherishes his family and his coaches and his players, his kids, it really just opened my eyes and got me locked in on what I wanted to do with my life. It was a great decision.
to study and read the Word or watch church on a Wednesday or Saturday. But I’m happy that I have my mentor, Michael Thurmond; he’s back home in Gainesville (Ga.). He’s a chaplain, a pastor, and he sends me verses every day. My uncle Tim, he’s a pastor back home and he sends me verses. And I have the Bible app, so I just do things like that to kind of keep me refreshed on what the Word is every day. THIS HAS TO BE THE WEIRDEST OFFSEASON. WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU DURING A PANDEMIC IN 2020? It’s been hard. You can’t really do much with your teammates, especially your new teammates. It’s been tough. I’ve been trying to work around it and adjust as much as possible. It’s definitely a new experience. THEN THERE’S THE RACIAL UNREST AND THE GEORGE FLOYD MURDER, AND I KNOW YOU WERE ON THE STREETS PROTESTING. HOW HAVE YOU PROCESSED THIS AS A YOUNG BLACK MAN? It’s actually good right now that the whole world is seeing this, not just one community. People are getting on board and getting this train in the right direction. I think change is going to happen sooner than later. I think everyone is now seeing what has been going on for so many years and why things need to change.
WHAT IS THE GOOD THAT HAS COME OUT OF 2020? I’ve been able to find myself — expand my mind and get more knowledge on things that I wasn’t even aware of at the beginning of 2020. That wasn’t the first thing that popped up in my mind [in the beginning of the year] and football of course is No. 1, but you have to make sure your family is safe. It’s really opened my eyes to more things going on in the world and not just my football bubble. WHAT IS GOD TEACHING YOU RIGHT NOW? The Lord is teaching me and showing me the small details in how to become a man. Not just a man, but a young, Black, successful man that came from nowhere, and using this platform in the right [ways] and for the right reasons — being able to serve and love and work even harder than I have before. These last six months, I’ve been growing so much and I believe it’s going to take me to new and better heights and more blessings.
“Since Ronald Blue Trust’s team joined our family on our stewardship journey, we have more clearly understood our finances and have been empowered to accomplish our goals. We now see the value of having a financial planner, not just an investment advisor, to oversee all aspects of our situation. We would encourage anyone desiring biblical-based counsel, financial expertise, and objectivity to engage with Ronald Blue Trust.” – Demario and Tamela Davis, New Orleans Saints and Founders of Devoted
Bridge Your Faith & Finances Ronald Blue Trust advisors apply biblical wisdom and technical expertise to help clients make wise financial decisions to experience clarity and confidence and leave a lasting legacy. With nearly $10 billion of assets under advisement and a nationwide network of 16 offices, we offer comprehensive financial wservices and objective advice to over 9,500 clients across the wealth ww.sportsspectrum.com spectrum in all 50 states. As of 6/30/20 and subject to change.
Dreamers Foundation (Davis family pictured) DON.CHRISTENSEN@RONBLUE.COM | 602.432.7082 REED.CROSSON@RONBLUE.COM | 770.280.6190 RONBLUE.COM/ATHLETE Ronald Blue Trust is a Division of Thrivent Trust Company. Investment Product and Services: Are Not FDIC Insured • Not Bank Guaranteed • May Lose Value The client’s experience many not be representative of the experience of other clients. 27 ORTS SPECTRUM This story is also not indicative of future performance orS Psuccess.
TR EV OR
TREVOR LAWRENCE IS ARGUABLY COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S BIGGEST STAR AND A POPULAR PICK TO GO NO. 1 IN NEXT YEAR’S NFL DRAFT. HE’S ALSO HUMBLE, GENUINE AND GROUNDED BY HIS FAITH IN CHRIST, WHICH HAS BEEN SHAPED IN LARGE PART BY A PASTOR FROM A CHURCH THAT’S BEEN A SAFE HAVEN. BY COLE CLAYBOURN
Most anywhere he goes, Trevor Lawrence is greeted by adoring fans asking to snap a photo or sign an autograph. Such is the life of one of college football’s biggest stars. Though he’s never one to turn down a positive interaction with a fan, on Sundays at NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina, the 6-foot-6 Clemson quarterback with flowy blond hair can sort of just blend in with the rest of the congregation. “Church actually became quite a family and a haven for him,” says Dan Lian, teaching pastor at NewSpring Church. “By and large he’s loved and respected and effectively left alone when he comes out to church. The small group around him, our Bible study group, is probably his tightest group.” The church is where Lawrence can just be himself, and in a lot of ways, it was where he really found himself. It’s where he met Lian — a relationship that would ultimately change the trajectory of his life, both on this earth and eternally.
28 28
S PS OP RO TRST SS PS EPCE TCRT UR MU M
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
LA WR EN CE
AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth, Gerald Herbert
Lawrence — who enters his junior season in 2020, after which he’s a likely top-five pick in the 2021 NFL Draft — will tell you that prior to arriving at Clemson, his identity was wrapped up in football. After starting as a freshman and leading his Cartersville (Ga.) High team to two state championships — and breaking former Clemson star Deshaun Watson’s state records for touchdowns and passing yards — he entered college as the nation’s No. 1 quarterback prospect. If there’s anything America loves almost as much as college football, it’s college football recruiting — especially in the South. It’s not hard to see how that attention could mess with a teenager’s identity. “I didn’t really know who I was outside of being this football player that was supposed to be good and play his freshman year,” Lawrence told Sports Illustrated last summer. “But who am I outside of that? I didn’t really know.” He admittedly didn’t make the best decisions when he enrolled a semester early at Clemson, in January 2018, so he could participate in spring practice. The astronomical expectations made for a lot of pressure on a kid who was theoretically still supposed to be in high school “First year being on my own, got this freedom now … I made some decisions, not good decisions,” he told Sports Illustrated. But he soon started going to church and began feeling a tug in his heart toward God. He’d always believed God was real, he just hadn’t experienced it personally yet. That was about to change.
revelation of his identity. “In America, there’s no shortage of religion. But religion primarily centers around activity — what you do and what you don’t do. Whereas the Gospel centers on our identity — who God is and who He says you are. That was deep for him.” By this point, Lawrence was ready to get serious about his relationship with Jesus. Lian noticed a change in Lawrence’s heart on a summer 2018 retreat called “The Gauntlet” in Daytona Beach, Florida — a week filled with fun, community building, Bible studies and worship. The goal is for people to strengthen their relationship with God or encounter Him for the first time. Lian described Lawrence’s body language initially as shy and timid on the first night, but he soon started opening up.
“FOOTBALL’S IMPORTANT TO ME, BUT IT’S NOT MY LIFE. IT’S NOT THE BIGGEST THING IN MY LIFE. I WOULD SAY MY FAITH IS.”
Lian, who relocated to South Carolina from Australia, was admittedly naive to how big college football is in America. He didn’t realize that when he met Lawrence, the kid was already a celebrity. Nonetheless, he developed a relationship with Lawrence just like he does with any college-aged student or athlete he’s encountered in his 24 years of ministry. Both Lian and Lawrence soon realized their relationship was growing deeper. They’d often drive around on Sundays just talking, or chat while hitting golf balls. Eventually the conversations moved from surface-level talks to deeper discussions on faith, identity and purpose. “It really was a big thing for him to start reconciling in his heart that even though he wanted to excel in football, and he was graced with the ability to play it, that life was bigger,” Lian says in his thick Australian accent. “That purpose was deeper. It was really cool to be able to see God do some really cool stuff in his heart once he started really coming to a www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
29
30 30
SPORTS SPECTRUM SPORTS SPECTRUM
“That’s just always my personality,” he said during a September 2018 press conference. “Football’s important to me, but it’s not my life. It’s not the biggest thing in my life. I would say my faith is. That just comes from knowing who I am outside of that. No matter how the big the situation is, it’s not going to define me.” His identity is no longer marked by his football accomplishments, he says. It’s now in Christ. “It really does not matter what people think of me or how good they think I play,” he said in the press conference. “That does not really matter. That has been a big thing for me, in my situation, just knowing that and having confidence in that.” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, a man vocal about his own faith, has often praised Lawrence for his character and how he lets his faith guide who he is as a player and a person. “He’s got a great family,” Swinney told ESPN last season. “He’s got a great faith and very strong foundation to his life that serves him well in all these aspects, but also leans on the people that are in his circle if he ever gets overwhelmed with anything.”
“I HAVE DONE YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT — BASICALLY COLLEGE-AGED — MINISTRY FOR THE BEST PART OF 24 YEARS. I HAVEN’T MET SOMEONE WHO WAS AS KIND, AUTHENTIC, HUMBLE, CONSISTENT AS TREVOR.” – PA S T O R D A N L I A N
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
AP Photo/Mike McCarn, David J. Phillip, Gerald Herbert, Rick Scuteri; Dan Lian photo courtesy of NewSpring Church.
TR EV OR
“You could see him leaning in with his hands out of his pockets,” Lian recalled. “By night three he’s singing and then night four he’s surrendered. I saw it. It was genuine. He got baptized, and it was genuine. He shared his testimony, and it was genuine.” Lawrence returned to Clemson for his freshman season with something “real,” Lian says. It was another major step in the spiritual and emotional maturation of Lawrence, who found himself in a QB battle once fall camp started. Four games into the season, Lawrence officially beat out Kelly Bryant for the starting quarterback job, and he eventually became the first true freshman quarterback in more than 30 years to lead a team to the national championship. He had his Tigers team right back in the title game for the 2019 season, but fell to Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 draft pick Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers. Despite the immense pressure Lawrence has dealt with since he set foot on campus, he’s earned praise for his calm demeanor and character, both of which stem from his faith in Christ.
“THERE ARE SOME YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WILL LEAN IN VERY STRONGLY FOR A SEASON AND THEN, YOU KNOW, LIFE CHANGES AND FAME COMES, OR POPULARITY COMES, OR SUCCESS COMES AND THINGS CHANGE A LITTLE. THE DYNAMIC CHANGES. NOT FOR THIS GUY.”
– PA S T O R
www.sportsspectrum.com
DAN LIAN
LA WR EN CE awrence has blossomed into arguably the game’s biggest star — the face of college football. It’s propelled him to lead not just on the field and in the locker room, but also on campus and, more recently, on a national stage. In June, when racial unrest began to take center stage across the nation, Lawrence joined Swinney in addressing students during a campus-wide peaceful protest against racial injustice. Lawrence spoke eloquently, imploring the crowd to be willing to get “uncomfortable” and challenge presuppositions about race. “Recently, I realized that the America that I experience is different from the America that my brothers and sisters experience,” he told the crowd. “I’m on the journey now of discovering how I can use my voice, platform and influence to lift others up and stand for those who shouldn’t have to stand alone.” He also cited 1 Peter 4:8 (ESV), which says, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” “So let’s continue to listen, learn and love even when it is uncomfortable — especially when it’s uncomfortable — because this is when change happens and the world, for generations to come, will be different,” he concluded. “It’ll be better.” As mid-August rolled around and the likelihood of the college football season being canceled due to COVID-19 looked increasingly more likely, Lawrence ascended to another platform — one that spoke on behalf of other players. He became the de facto spokesman for a player-led movement — #WeWantToPlay — where players sought to highlight the benefits of playing a college football season versus canceling it. Pundits and fans alike praised Lawrence for his leadership. “People are at just as much, if not more risk, if we don’t play,” Lawrence tweeted. “Players will all be sent home to their own communities where social distancing is highly unlikely and medical care and expenses will be placed on the families if they were to contract COVID-19.” Such attention can often change people. Not Lawrence. “There are some young people who will lean in very strongly for a season and then, you know, life changes and fame comes, or popularity comes, or success comes and things change a little. The dynamic changes,” Lian says. “Not for this guy. He really doesn’t. It’s genuine, and it’s because — I believe — he’s had an interaction with God. I’ve seen it.” Whether there’s a season in 2020 or not, Lawrence knows his football future is as certain as things can be these days.
Even more secure is his future with his fiancée, Marissa Mowry, a soccer player at Anderson (S.C.) University. Lawrence proposed to her in July on the field at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Most important, though, is that Lawrence’s salvation is set. Ever since that week in Daytona, Lawrence “hasn’t taken a backward step” with his faith, Lian says. “I mean this in all sincerity: I have done youth and young adult — basically collegeaged — ministry for the best part of 24 years. I haven’t met someone who was as kind, authentic, humble, consistent as Trevor,” Lian says. “That’s not to the fault of any other college kid who goes through a hard time, leans into Jesus, the hard time passes and then it’s back to the party life. That’s spiritual formation and that’s some peoples’ journey. “But for Trevor, it was never a ‘get out of jail free’ card. It wasn’t just to help him go to sleep more peacefully. It was a genuine heart transformation and it’s changed the people around him.”
SPORTS SPECTRUM
31
CA SE Y
CASEY O’BRIEN IS A FIVE-TIME CANCER SURVIVOR AS WELL AS A UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FOOTBALL PLAYER. ABOVE ALL, THE 21-YEAR-OLD PLACEHOLDER IS INSPIRING TEAMMATES, COACHES, FANS AND FELLOW CANCER PATIENTS AS A FOLLOWER OF JESUS. BY BILL SORRELL
A
s he laid in his hospital bed, he thought back to when the pain began. He didn’t think it would remain. But life as he knew it had changed. As a promising freshman quarterback at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Casey O’Brien pushed off his left leg as he dropped back to pass. Prior to a game that season, he had noticed a bump inside his knee. “It was hurting me real bad. It kept getting worse and worse,” O’Brien recently recalled. Doctors could not give him an answer for why it wasn’t getting better — until one eventually did. O’Brien, 13, had osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. The teenager’s mind raced as he processed the news. How would he deal with being hospitalized as his friends played sports? How would he handle the mental anguish of hearing doctors tell him the
32 32
S PS OP RO TRST SS PS EPCE TCRT UR MU M
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
LA WR EN CE
sports he had known and loved — football, hockey, lacrosse — were out of the picture? Later in 2012, he underwent a ninehour surgery for a full left knee replacement. Chemotherapy treatments followed. From age 13 to 20, O’Brien would have 19 surgeries — five on his knee, eight on his lung after the cancer spread, and six for chemo port implants. He spent a combined 300 nights in the Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. But he refused to give up on life or athletics. “I wasn’t going to let cancer stop me from looking at football to see what I could do without getting hit,” said O’Brien, who thus became a placeholder. Little did he know how many challenges were still ahead of him.
Photos courtesy of University of Minnesota
C
ancer returned O’Brien’s junior year of high school, but he fought through treatments in 2016 and returned to play football. He received the Honors Courage Award later that year from the National Football Foundation, given to a Minnesota high school player showing perseverance, determination and courage. Now 21, O’Brien is a redshirt junior on the University of Minnesota football team, the only school that would clear him medically to compete. He walked on in 2017. But yet again, cancer has come back three times in college. Most recently, a spot was found on his lung in November 2019, requiring surgery. All said, O’Brien is a five-time cancer survivor. “You beat it one time, what have you got to be scared of? You can do it again,” he says. “You forget about being scared and live your life as much as you possibly can. Being a competitor, I don’t like losing, especially when your life is on the line. I have always been one to figure out how to help give myself the best chance. “I am in a situation where I can worry all day. Faith has allowed me to live more free. Whatever happens in my battles with cancer is out of my control. It has already been written in God’s plan and as long as I believe that, things will take care of themselves. You don’t have a choice. You’ve got to be positive. You can’t hang your head all day. You can’t let circumstances determine your behavior and attitude.” After his second and third bouts with cancer, he developed a “Go First, Fear Second” mentality. He says his positive attitude, a “great team of doctors, great support system” — including his parents www.sportsspectrum.com
Dan and Chris O’Brien, brother Shaymus, sister Brittany, teammates, friends and his community of Mendota Heights, Minnesota — and trust in God have been keys to recovery. He has leaned on God most when scans do not come back the way he had hoped. “I had to lean on something bigger than me. That is when I started diving into my faith and said, ‘This is out of my hands’ and [began] trusting in the plan that God has for me. It doesn’t always make sense. You are doing everything right. God’s plan is all you have to lean on. I have faith in the good Lord that His plan will take care of me as He always has. With ups and downs, I have gotten stronger in my beliefs.” O’Brien’s life verse is Romans 8:31, which says, “If
“I WANT TO LIVE FOR JESUS. HE SACRIFICED SO MUCH TO GIVE US THE LIFE THAT WE HAVE. I WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE IN A WAY THAT HE WOULD BE PROUD AND USE MYSELF FOR OTHER PEOPLE.”
SPORTS SPECTRUM
33
OB RI EN
God is for us, who can be against us?” “As long as God is with me and is on my side, I could beat cancer 100 times. As long as He is with us, no one can take us down,” O’Brien says. “If God is on your side, you’ll be just fine.” O’Brien has looked at Jesus as a “big brother” walking with him through challenges, assuring him of His constant care. “I have learned that my faith is the most important piece of my life. There is no way in my mind that I would be here without God and trust in His plan. It has been something that has grown as time has gone on and something really important to me now. I have found my own way in faith as my journey has gone on. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t a Christian,” he says. Calling himself lucky that cancer has not spread to his entire body, O’Brien knows others who have died from osteosarcoma. “I don’t take that for granted. I enjoy every day. Even on bad days, you are lucky to be alive and around people you enjoy,” he says. O’Brien’s faith was instilled in him at a young age by his parents. He knew going to church was not an
’
option. His Minnesota teammates have helped his faith grow. He helps organize and lead team Bible studies in season and out. “Taking time to stay in the Word keeps me grounded for sure,” O’Brien says. Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck leads team prayer before games. Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan, himself a strong Christian who said that his relationship with Jesus is the most important thing to him, says O’Brien is a spiritual and inspirational leader. “The way he lives his life inspires guys. His positive attitude and energy brings a boost every day and helps push our teammates toward Jesus, because the way he lives his life is different. He gets his confidence from Jesus. That has rubbed off on our team. I see his faith by what he puts his trust in. He never flinches,” Morgan says. Minnesota offensive lineman Blaise Andries agrees. “You can see that Casey trusts God with his entire life by his confidence. The positivity he brings is an inspiration to all of us. With all that he has been through, he still is the most positive person on the team. We
rally around that and we all aspire to have that kind of attitude. “If there is one person who never had a bad day, it would be Casey. He never complains. He is a light of hope and a spark of hope for the team, and he shows it by attacking each day no matter how he feels. He is a fighter. Nothing is going to get in that man’s way. That takes courage,” Andries says. O’Brien wants his actions to be examples of his faith — the way he treats people, and how he is thankful and humble.
Finishing the 2019 season with
an 11-2 record, a No. 10 ranking and winning the Outback Bowl, the Golden Gophers rallied around O’Brien on Oct. 19. After dreaming about it for months during hospitalization, O’Brien (6-foot1, 175 pounds) played his first college game against Rutgers. He was a captain that game and four weeks later against Iowa, and a coin-toss captain most of the season. He was even an honorary captain for the Minnesota Vikings when
“IF THERE IS ONE PERSON WHO NEVER HAD A BAD DAY, IT WOULD BE CASEY. HE NEVER COMPLAINS. HE IS A LIGHT OF HOPE AND A SPARK OF HOPE FOR THE TEAM, AND HE SHOWS IT BY ATTACKING EACH DAY NO MATTER HOW HE FEELS.” – M I N N E S O TA OFFENSIVE LINEMAN B L A I S E A N D R I E S (N O.7 7 )
34 34
SPORTS SPECTRUM SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
“HE IS AN UNBELIEVABLE PERSON. HE’S BEEN THROUGH A LOT. HE’S SO STRONG, SO TOUGH. HE HAS AN UNBELIEVABLE PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE THAT I WISH EVERYBODY HAD, THAT I WISH I HAD. HE INSPIRES ME TO BE BETTER EVERY DAY.”
– M I N N E S O TA
HEAD C O A C H P. J . F L E C K
Casey O’Brien and coach PJ Fleck embracing during the Rutgers game.
www.sportsspectrum.com
OB RI EN ’
they hosted Philadelphia on Oct. 13. As he held three extra points for kicker Michael Lantz in the Rutgers game, the emotion was evident. After the first extra point, he held a long, tearful sideline embrace with Fleck that was replayed on sports shows all across the country. “It was amazing, a kind of accumulation of the last five or six years,” O’Brien said. “All the treatments and surgeries were working to get to that moment. It was pretty special and I will never forget it.” In the locker room after the game, Fleck called O’Brien an angel living on earth and added, “He’s now played Big Ten football. No one can take that away.” Fleck later told reporters, “He is an unbelievable person. He’s been through a lot. He’s so strong, so tough. He has an unbelievable perspective on life that I wish everybody had, that I wish I had. He inspires me to be better every day.” O’Brien was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after the Rutgers game. Prior to last season, he was the first walk-on asked to be the keynote speaker at the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon, which was in Chicago in July 2019. After the season, O’Brien was named college football’s most inspirational player for 2019, receiving the Disney Spirit Award. Drawing the cancer symbol (a ribbon) on his game towel, O’Brien uses that to reach out to anyone with cancer who may be watching games on television. “My message to them: I have been right where you are and there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. He wears 16 wristbands sent to him from people across the nation who have survived cancer, are being treated for it or have family members who have died from it. On his bedroom wall he has 40 handwritten messages of encouragement from people who have seen his story on TV. “God has kept me here for a special reason — to inspire people for His name and His Word. He is using me on the platform He has given me. I can have my faith on display,” says O’Brien, who encourages people to live out their dreams, putting adversity aside. Close to his heart is visiting children in hospitals who have cancer. He prays with them and reminds them that faith can be a very important piece of the puzzle to beat cancer. “It’s about giving, serving and being in a position to give back. People going through cancer need a pick-me-up, a visit, a phone call, a message. Families look for something to hang on to and be positive. That is one way I nurture my faith to spread it to others.
“It’s hard for me to see boys and girls younger than myself in situations because I know how hard it is going through the same treatments. They can look at where I am now. I tell them, ‘Whatever you want to do in life, you can.’ To see strength at such a young age, their smiles and positivity inspires me,” O’Brien says. All while he inspires others. “He is incredibly courageous,” Morgan says. “Whatever has come his way, he does not blink. He has persevered more than anyone I know, overcoming extreme odds five times. Casey brings a relentless energy to our team. He brings a never-giveup mentality and truly is a miracle. His attitude is unreal and truly inspiring.” Yearning to have O’Brien’s positive attitude, Andries said it’s nothing like he has seen before, and has gained perspective that “our bad days could have been a lot worse.” Says Fleck, “When you think courage, you think Casey O’Brien. When you think ‘Row The Boat’ (a team mantra), you think of our purpose, you think the University of Minnesota and our state, you think Casey O’Brien.” An Academic All-Big Ten member and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, O’Brien owns a 3.71 GPA majoring in finance. He’s also an avid golfer, averaging a 79 per 18 holes. Above all, O’Brien is thankful to God “first and foremost” for everything he has been given, and he asks that God would take care of others fighting cancer. “I continue to use my story to touch other people,” O’Brien says. “It’s a story I’ll have the rest of my life. You don’t finish cancer. You have scans every year. I want to live for Jesus. He sacrificed so much to give us the life that we have. I want to live my life in a way that He would be proud and use myself for other people.” SPORTS SPECTRUM
35
AS ALL SPORTS IN THE
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT SEEK EXCELLENCE IN THEIR GAMES, THEY ALSO SEEK — AND SHARE ABOUT — EXCELLENCE IN CHRIST. SINCE MACK RHOADES TOOK OVER AS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR IN 2016, THE BEARS HAVE SEEN UNPRECEDENTED ATHLETIC SUCCESS AT COLLEGE SPORTS’ HIGHEST LEVEL. BY ART STRICKLIN
“THAT’S WHY YOU SEE COACHES … WANT TO STAY HERE BECAUSE OF THE PLATFORM OF FAITH THEY HAVE AT BAYLOR. YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR FAITH LIFE WHEN YOU COME TO YOUR WORK LIFE.” – AT H L E T I C D I R E C T O R MACK RHOADES
The idea of a Christ-centered
school being successful at the highest level of collegiate athletics has been discussed for decades. Could an athletic program, across all its sports, use its onfield victories and well-viewed platform to showcase its faith-filled beliefs? That’s the thought Mack Rhoades had when he took Baylor University’s athletic director position in 2016. He was handed the reins to a multi-million dollar 36 36
SPORTS SPECTRUM
private school athletic department in Waco, Texas, in the Big 12 Conference, which is firmly entrenched among the NCAA’s Power 5 conferences. “That was certainly germinating in my mind when the Baylor opportunity came up,” said Rhoades, who previously held AD roles at Missouri, Houston and Akron. “It was the largest factor when I could come up here and take on this challenge.” Is such a program now on display? And
competing on the largest platforms in college sports? In his four years as director of the department, which includes more than 750 athletes and employees, the 54-year-old Rhoades and Baylor have enjoyed the greatest on-field success in the school’s 100-plus-year history. The Bears have won 14 Big 12 Conference titles, and had 17 of 19 sports qualify for conference and NCAA postseason TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
The soft-spoken AD, and just
about anybody else in the athletic department, will tell you that Baylor has not been without well-publicized problems, including football and basketball scandals that have cost multiple coaches and employees their jobs in the past. Yet that shows how much more important it is what Baylor (associated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas) is doing now: sharing faith and evangelical values on a platform at the highest level, while remaining committed to overall athletic success on a national level. “I think for Baylor, it was part of the heritage and part of their mission,” McGuyre says. From head softball coach Glenn Moore, who has been at Baylor 20 years, to head football coach Dave Aranda, who’s barely been at BU 30 weeks (hired Jan. 16), the athletic department has a goal of “Building Champions for Life.” Rhoades brought the mantra to Baylor with him, and two of the four pillars are athletic success and spiritual development. The others are academic achievement and social responsibility. “For me, as a coach, I can wear my faith out front and then have the ability to have a chance to compete at a really high level,” Aranda said at his opening press conference in January, just days after helping lead LSU, as its defensive coordinator, to the College Football National Championship. He’s now charged with accomplishing that feat at Baylor, which finished No. 13 in the final AP poll last year under Matt Rhule, who’s now the Carolina Panthers’ head coach. “The opportunity to be at a school like Baylor invites a strong, rigorous academic experience and balances that with a school that welcomes the Christian faith.” Nobody at Baylor has won more games (600) or more national titles (three) than women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey. While she is not as publically vocal as Drew or Rhoades, she has constantly shared the value of her personal faith in Jesus Christ in her life and in her program at Lady Bear booster meetings and banquets each year. “You’ve got to walk the walk,” Mulkey said during a basketball panel discussion with other Baylor coaches and players. That’s exactly what Baylor men’s golf coach Mike McGraw found out when he arrived in Waco in 2014, at a low point in his career. He was let go from NCAA golf powerhouse Oklahoma State, which is in his home state and a
Men’s basketball coach Scott Drew www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
BAY L O R U N I V E R S I T Y
play every year he’s been at the helm, capped by a third national title in women’s basketball and fifth in acrobatics and tumbling. Each success has been carefully underlaid by a strong faith perspective, constantly showcased on Baylor’s social media, in coaches’ and players’ interviews, and in their actions in general. One such instance was captured this past December on ESPN, and spread throughout social media, during the NCAA volleyball national semifinals, BU’s first-ever Final Four appearance. Despite the top-seeded Bears getting upset by No. 4 Wisconsin, the Baylor women — as they did after every match — prayed with their opponents, as a large viewing audience watched. “The nature of my job will always be wins and losses, but in reality I am coaching for an audience of One, to please Him,” says Baylor women’s volleyball coach Ryan McGuyre. To use the words of men’s basketball coach Scott Drew, whose team was ranked No. 1 for much of the 2019-20 season, Baylor athletics operate with a philosophy of JOY — Jesus, Others, You — all year long. “What we do has to be very intentional, but we have to take it serious, because we don’t want to be hypocritical. That’s always our challenge,” Rhoades says. “If we believe in Christ, we want to have excellence in Christ. We want to do that step by step. That’s the journey we are on.”
37
“WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE WITH TROPHIES AND AWARDS IS ALL GOING TO BURN UP SOME DAY, BUT WHAT YOU POUR INTO MEN’S LIVES WILL LAST FOREVER.” – MEN’S GOLF COACH
38
SPORTS SPECTRUM
Series appearances, the first and second ever for the softball program, but found his biggest accomplishment in his first-ever losing season in 2019. “Certainly it was testing. Daily, it was a struggle, but I’m grateful that others realize my faith in tough times. It was a tough year for us, but my job is to make sure it ends well. I got into coaching as a mission field, and for 20 years at Baylor, I’ve felt like my mission was to maintain values,” Moore says. Perhaps nobody has used his nationally-televised Big 12 and NCAA platform to share his faith more than Baylor’s ever-positive, all-time winning men’s basketball coach (341 wins). In the 17 years Drew has been at Baylor, taking over after one of the worst coaching scandals in NCAA history, he has never missed a chance to shine the spotlight on his eternal calling. “The Spirit works differently with different people, but I feel comfortable talking about my faith in public and what Jesus Christ has done in my life,” Drew says. This past season might have been his best on-court year ever,
spending multiple weeks as the No. 1 team in the nation, and knocking off conference powerhouse Kansas at its gym for the first time. The Bears were seemingly aligned for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and front-runners for their firstever national title. Of course, that never happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Baylor was No. 5 in the final AP poll. But Drew still found perspective through all the troubles. “We all face challenges daily and we all sin, that’s why you have to be daily in the Word and daily in prayer,” Drew says. “We are all around non-Christians and others who may not believe, but your actions will always speak louder than your words.”
T O S U B S C R TI BO E S: UCBASLCLR 8I B6 6E -: 8C2A1L-L2 987616 - 8 2 1 - 2 9 7 1
Photos courtesy of Baylor Athletics
. . . P O I N T I NG O TH E R S T O J E S U S
place where he had spent 20 years, winning three national titles while coaching what he called his dream job. “When I lost my job (at OSU) my perspective changed. I lost the job I thought was the most important, but maybe the most positive influence for me was Baylor, not Oklahoma State,” McGraw says. “I was praying for an opportunity, but I didn’t want to be a bad coach at a bad spot. I had an interview at Florida and Ole Miss, and I got a chance at Baylor when [former coach] Greg Priest left. And that was the right spot for me.” McGraw led Baylor to its first-ever fall conference golf championship last year, along with several tournament titles and other awards. But he’s said his time at Baylor has shown him the real importance of his job as the leader of men. “What we’re doing here with trophies and awards is all going to burn up some day, but what you pour into men’s lives will last forever,” he says. Moore has led Baylor to two Women’s College World
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, Rod Aydelotte, Sue Ogrocki
M I K E M C G R AW
“SOME PEOPLE HAVE THE WRONG IDEA ABOUT CHRISTIANS. GOD TEACHES COMPETITIVE EXCELLENCE. I’M EXCITED TO GET THE WIN BECAUSE IT ALLOWS ME A PLATFORM TO POINT OTHERS TO JESUS.” – WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL COACH R YA N M C G U Y R E
www.sportsspectrum.com
While he boldly leads a faith-filled
athletic department, Rhoades is quick to point out there isn’t a religious litmus test to play or coach at Baylor in a profession which will always be highlighted by wins and losses. “You don’t have to have a personal relationship [with the Lord] to be part of our family. We don’t want to make it a test. We want to show others by our actions,” he says. But with the overwhelming success Baylor has enjoyed in all sports, Rhoades said its unique environment has encouraged head coaches to stay, shine and share their faith. “That’s why you see coaches like Scott Drew and Glenn Moore and Mike McGraw — who have been very successful and would have the chance to go other places — want to stay here because of the platform of faith they have at Baylor. You don’t have to leave your faith life when you come to your work life,” Rhoades says. In 2020, Rhoades and his coaches, as well as those all across the nation, have faced a most unforeseen set of issues, which forced the end of one athletic year early and made the start of another tentative. “I know I believe in God. I believe in Jesus Christ and I know that prayer has gone through this entire process. My faith provides me peace and I grow through adversity like we have now,” Rhoades says. Though it may be unclear what collegiate competition will look like in the coming year, McGuyre wants to clear up one misconception about any Baylor athletic contests that do take place: The Bears aren’t planning on turning the other athletic cheek any time soon. “Some people have the wrong idea about Christians,” he says. “God teaches competitive excellence. I’m excited to get the win because it allows me a platformS Pto O R T Spoint SPECTRUM others to Jesus.”
B AY L O R U N I V E R S I T Y
Football coach Dave Aranda
Softball coach Glenn Moore
39
BY BECKY YORK
40 40
S P OSRPTOSR ST SP ESCPTERCUTMR U M
THEY WERE FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES AND FAMILIES, THE SEASON WAS CONDUCTED IN LESS THAN A MONTH, AND THEY HAD TO KEEP THEIR DISTANCE FROM PEERS. BUT NEARLY 70 PLAYERS IN THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S SOCCER LEAGUE ENGAGED IN A VIRTUAL BIBLE STUDY TAUGHT BY AUTHOR ANNIE F. DOWNS TO KEEP GROWING IN THEIR WALK WITH CHRIST DESPITE ALL THE PRESSURE SURROUNDING THEM. TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
As the global coronavirus pandemic took hold this
(Photo courtesy of Aubrey Bledsoe)
www.sportsspectrum.com
So she started reaching out to partners and ministry leaders who were navigating the same waters of virtual Bible studies. Through a series of connections, Kruger was encouraged to reach out to best-selling author, podcast host and nationally-known speaker, Annie F. Downs, who was already conducting live Bible teaching sessions for The Increase Women, a community of pro athlete wives. “Within 48 hours I was on a Zoom call with Annie, who literally said, ‘What can I do to help? Tell me what would bless the women in the league and I’ll do it,’” Kruger said. Downs, who played soccer through high school, follows the NWSL and U.S. women’s national team faithfully. An avid fan of the game, she was thrilled to be able pour into these women on a spiritual level. “This honestly feels like a dream come true to be friends with and to connect (through the internet) to these women who have brought me so much joy through their sport,” Downs said in the midst of the tournament. “It feels like such an honor and a gift to be a part of this tournament in this way.” The day after Kruger and Downs spoke, 100 of Downs’ books “Looking for Lovely,” and the correlating Bible study guides, were donated and shipped to Utah for the NWSL players. With their books in hand, the women looked forward to four live teaching sessions with the author. Every Monday night at 9 o’clock throughout the tournament, the players tuned into “church.” “Thankfully, the truth of the Gospel can now be accessible for everyone, everywhere, at any time,” said Sky Blue FC midfielder Elizabeth Eddy, who engaged in the online Bible study with six other women on her team. Throughout the NWSL, approximately 70 women from the eight teams participated in the “Looking for Lovely” Bible study with Downs. She would go live on Instagram, La Croix in hand, take her place in front of her iPhone, which rested on a bookshelf, and begin teaching from Romans 5:3-5. “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” — Romans 5:3-5 SPORTS SPECTRUM
41
S O CIA L LY D I S TA N T, S P I R I T U A L LY P R E S E N T
Aubrey Bledsoe (left) with her Washington Spirit teammates participating in the Bible study.
spring, the reality of life without sports began to sink in. Countless sports fans asked: When will sports resume? How will they come back? Who will lead the way? Months of silence in our sports world finally broke on June 27. The National Women’s Soccer League became the first pro league in the U.S. to resume competition. Instead of a full regular-season schedule, the 2020 season was shortened to consist of a 23game, 29-day tournament, with every match played in two stadiums near Salt Lake City, Utah. They called it the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. While all nine club teams were scheduled to compete, just days before the games were to begin, the Orlando Pride announced its withdrawal after six players and four staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The rest of the league’s teams continued training and preparing. Donning masks and practicing social distancing (as much as is possible in a contact sport), the players checked into nearby hotels for extended stays, and soon enough took the field to face their competition. “It’s hard to have a positive outlook on this trial,” said OL Reign forward Bethany Balcer from Utah during the tournament, “but as a league, we’ve been trying to focus on the good things, as opposed to the negative.” One of those good things, she said, was a leaguewide virtual Bible study. Though the question of if the season would happen was answered, many still wondered: How could spiritual growth be fostered during a season with limited social interactions? Once Lori Kruger learned that the restricted season would begin, the volunteer coordinator of chaplains serving the NWSL immediately went to work to find a way for the women to be ministered to. The 14 chaplains who serve the players were not allowed to be present at the tournament, so Kruger knew they would have to get creative. “[The year] 2020 has been marked with so many disappointments,” Kruger said. “I was praying that the Lord would provide something really special for these women during the tournament.”
S O C I A L LY D I S TA N T, S P I R I T U A L LY P R E S E NT
“THE SUBJECT OF PERSEVERANCE HIT ON SO MANY OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE’VE HAD WHILE BEING IN ISOLATION. WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED ANSWERS COMING OUT OF [THE SEASON], BUT WE DON’T HAVE THEM. I REALLY APPRECIATE HAVING SOMETHING EACH WEEK TO RESET MY MIND WITH.” – J A E L E N E DANIELS
Each week the women would walk through one of four subjects found in this passage: suffering, perseverance, character and hope. “They can walk that path very clearly in their physical life,” Downs said of the NWSL women. “They can let their bodies suffer in pain and endurance because it builds muscle and character to do what they want to do. You know exactly what to do with your bodies, but do you know how to do that with your relationship with God? It’s the same concept.”
T
he start to the season was abrupt, and 29 days later, on July 26, it ended. The Houston Dash defeated the Chicago Red Stars in the championship match, 2-0, to capture the organization’s first title. Throughout the four weeks, players continually had to adjust. They often received practice and game schedules with less than 24 hours notice. Though hardly ideal, it was better than nothing. Same with the virtual Bible study. “We are trying to watch the lessons together,” Balcer said from Utah, “but our schedules shift, so it’s very hard to time things with each other. The devil is trying to get in the way, but if we can’t
42
SPORTS SPECTRUM
watch it together, we watch it individually. It’s too important to miss.” North Carolina Courage defender Jaelene Daniels was one of many on her team who found encouragement and structure from the study. “We have quite a few girls on our team who come [to the Bible study] and we are all at different stages in our walk with Christ,” Daniels said from Salt Lake City. “The study has been really applicable to the season we’re in. The subject of perseverance hit on so many of the conversations we’ve had while being in isolation. We feel like we need answers coming out of [the season], but we don’t have them. I really appreciate having something each week to reset my mind with.” Gathering in the tight spaces of their hotel rooms with teammates, or sitting in bed after going face-to-face with their opponents, each of the 70 athletes would tune in to hear the same message from Downs and soak in the same truths from the pages of the book. “I wish that we could all get together and study together, but we’re not able to have contact with the other teams,” Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe said from Utah. “But it means a lot to know we have the same shared experience and we are learning from the same resources. It creates a real sense of unity in the league. These are tough circumstances we’re in, but we’re in it together.” Not only were teams dealing with how to stay safe during the pandemic, they experienced additional media coverage as well. The country wanted to see how players, coaches and teams would respond to the injustices of racial discrimination and national loyalty while the country appeared to be in upheaval. Being one of the only sports in action, many more eyes were on the women of the NWSL. “With all the pressure we’re experiencing and what we’re putting our bodies through physically, it’s been exhausting,” Bledsoe said. Many of her teammates hadn’t been able to see family and friends for five or six months due to quarantine orders. “We’ve been stripped so bare,” she said. “Seeing everyone at their weakest point, we’re all really relying on each other to carry on.” Their devotion to not only their sport, but to each other and their personal walks with Christ, inspired their teacher, who admits she left those days changed by the virtual engagement. “It amazes me their ability to be so
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
disciplined,” Downs said. “Not only in their athletic life, but over and over I’m seeing it in their thought life, emotional life and spiritual life. To me, that is such a sign of maturity and growth. It inspires me. Even though I’m the one teaching it, I’m learning so much from them.” With eight teams in one city for four weeks, the NWSL women formed a socially-distanced camaraderie that transcended jerseys. Eddy has close friends on opposing teams that, although they weren’t able to knock on the nearby hotel room door, found a unique way to grow together. “Girls on other teams have come together despite everything,” Eddy said. “We’re continually saying, ‘I want to pray for you. How can I pray for you?’ And after a long day of games and trying to handle the social, physical and emotional issues we’re facing, the last thing I want to do is to get on the phone and talk with an opponent. But when we do, I find myself talking to them for three hours. “As a sister in Christ, that’s way more important than a sport or sleep. If I can listen, support, love on and speak truth into people, that’s what this is all about.”
Jaelene Daniels (second from right) with her North Carolina Courage teammates participating in the Bible study. (Photo courtesy of Jaelene Daniels)
“THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT SPORTS THAT REMINDS US OF THE THINGS WE LOVE THE MOST — THE SIMPLICITY OF LIFE, THE FUN OF LIFE, AND THE COMPETITION WE ENJOY. FOR SOCCER TO BE FIRST [TO RESUME PLAY], IT’S A SIGNAL TO AMERICA THAT THIS IS WHAT EVERYONE IN THE WORLD WANTS TO WATCH. IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL FOR THEM TO LEAD US BACK TO THE WORLD WE ALL WANT TO GO BACK TO. I THINK IT’S SO POIGNANT THAT IT WAS DONE BY WOMEN AND SOCCER, BECAUSE BOTH OF THEM HAVE BEEN DEVALUED IN A WAY.” – ANNIE F. D O W N S www.sportsspectrum.com
SS PP OO RR TT SS SS PP EE CC TT RR UU MM
43
44 44
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
DEVOTIONALS Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Like the Psalmist says, it’s important for us as Christians to know God’s Word so that we stave off sin in our lives. But the Bible also has many other vital benefits. As Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
These devotionals come directly from The Increase, a community of athletes all pressing toward the goal found in John 3:30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” For more first-person testimonies and stories from the lives of Christian athletes, visit TheIncrease.com.
www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
45
46
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
47
48
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
49
50
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
51
52
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
53
54
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
55
56
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
57
58
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
59
60
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
61
1 2
62
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
63
YOU CAN KNOW CHRIST PERSONALLY
OUR PROBLEM, GOD’S SOLUTION
God created mankind in His own image … God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” Genesis 1:27, 31 God made human beings with personal and relational qualities like His own (Genesis 1:26) and desired to have a delightful relationship with them. But something went terribly wrong. When Adam and Eve chose to follow Satan’s advice in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), sin poisoned the world and now we are all born with the desire to do things our own way, not God’s.
64 64
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 Our sins against a good and holy God have distanced us from Him (Isaiah 59:2). God “cannot tolerate wrongdoing” (Habakkuk 1:12). Through sin we forfeit a relationship with God, and along with it our happiness. The result of all this is death. Spiritual death is separation from God in a very real place called hell. Physical death marks the end of our opportunity to enter into a relationship with God and avoid eternal condemnation (Hebrews 9:27).
If these words reflect your heart and you would like to receive salvation through Jesus Christ, say this prayer to God. It's as simple as A-B-C: Admit, Believe, Confess. SPORTS SPECTRUM
By Randy Alcorn
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
There is absolutely nothing we can do to restore ourselves to God. He is holy, we are not. In fact, He says even our good deeds are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). But God loved us so much He sent us His Son Jesus, fully God and fully man, to deliver us from death and give us life (John 3:16). "God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Jesus went to the cross to pay the price for our sins. He did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. When Jesus died for us, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The Greek word translated “it is finished” was written across certificates of debt when they were canceled. It meant “paid in full.” Jesus then rose from the grave, conquering sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
Matthew Slater, New England Patriots
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 God’s greatest gift is a restored relationship with Himself, delivering us from hell and granting us entry into Heaven (John 3:36). This gift depends not on our merit but solely on Christ’s work of grace for us on the cross (Titus 3:5). He is the one and only way to God. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
[ 3
“I remember how draining it was to live a performance-based lifestyle before I accepted Christ as Lord of my life. The peace of being uncon"I think it's reallyloved important for people understand God is, what is ditionally by a Savior who to paid the price who for my salvation He says about us,and anduplifting what Heatsays sin.There’s You have to turn from humbling theabout sameour time. no greater joy than your old ways, from your old self. It's not going to be perfect, but you knowing that I can abide in love instead of having to work for it.” have to turn and focus your eyes back on Him."
If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24
To be right with God, we must admit our sinful hearts and actions, and ask God’s forgiveness. If we do, He graciously promises full forgiveness: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”(1 John 1:9). Then we are to affirm to others that the resurrected Jesus is our Lord.
The life we long for is freely offered to us in Christ. We can believe His promise and call on Him to save us, humbly accepting His gift of eternal life: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). God’s Holy Spirit indwells us and helps us obey Him (2 Timothy 1:14).
Romans 10:9
[
“Dear God, I ADMIT that I’m a sinner and the penalty of my sin is death. I BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that He died and rose from the dead for my sin. And I CONFESS Jesus as my Savior. Please forgive me. I repent of my sin and surrender my life to You. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen." — Miles McPherson, senior pastor & former NFL player
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE TO SPORTS SPECTRUM: CALL 866-821-2971
4
SPORTS SPECTRUM
TO SUBSCRIBE TO SPORTS SPECTRUM: CALL 866-821-2971