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13 — Tokyo Olympics: What you need to know about the Tokyo Olympics, the first Olympic Games to be postponed and not canceled.

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16 — Endurance For The Race: U.S. women’s soccer star Julie Ertz is set to participate in her second Olympics, but her first as one of the unquestioned leaders of the national team. Challenges during the past four years have brought her closer to God and deepened her faith.

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20 — Blessed To Be A Blessing: Christian Taylor is one of the world’s most

For information on subscriptions, back issues, discount bulk issues, or changing your subscription address: 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 General correspondence, Letter to the Editor, or Writer’s Query No unsolicited manuscripts, please E-mail: support@sportsspectrum.com Permissions, Reprints Phone: 1-866-821-2971 E-mail: support@sportsspectrum.com COVER • PHOTO CREDITS:

Julie Ertz (AP Photo/ David Vincent), Christian Taylor (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel), Michelle Moultrie (USA Softball), Kyle Snyder (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez), Jessica Long (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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VP OF MINISTRY OPERATIONS Howard Haworth DIRECTOR OF MEDIA Jason Romano MANAGING EDITOR Jon Ackerman, jon@sportsspectrum.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Aaron Dean Sauer, aaron@sportsspectrum.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joshua Doering, Kevin Mercer, Jimmy Page, Joshua Pease, Becky York, Reza Zadeh BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS MANAGER Tricia Hudson MARKETING INTEGRATION MANAGER Jacob House COPY EDITORS Shannon Ackerman, 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 © 2021 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

dominant athletes — the two-time reigning Olympic triple jump champion. As he sets his sights on a third gold medal as well as the world record, he allows himself to be used by God to reach thousands.

24 — Hills And Valleys: Helen Maroulis made Olympic history by winning gold in

2016, but briefly retired three years later following severe concussion symptoms. She says God called her back onto the mat, and she grinded through a torn MCL to qualify for the Tokyo Games.

27 — Faithful To Dominate: He’s shined at every level — high school, college,

international — and owns so many accolades he’s been dubbed “Captain America.” But Kyle Snyder pins his identity on Christ, the Giver of his wrestling talents.

30 — Embracing God’s Call: Brooke Sweat is set to return to the Olympics, now playing alongside beach volleyball legend Kerri Walsh Jennings, after overcoming a series of injuries, one of which would have kept her out of the Tokyo Games had the pandemic not pushed them back a year. 33— Adapt And Persevere: The past year has brought plenty of pain and

uncertainty for U.S. rugby star Carlin Isles. But he’s relying on God, trusting His plan, and tirelessly training for Olympic success — possibly in two sports.

36 — Shocked By God’s Plans: As the sport of softball rejoins the Olympics for the first time since 2008, and the top-ranked U.S. women battle for gold, national team veteran Michelle Moultrie will be leading on the field and in team fellowship.

38 — Vehicle For His Glory: David Boudia has been to three Olympics, won four

medals and seeks more as he competes in a new diving event at the Tokyo Games. But his job isn’t to win more medals. His faith in Christ gives him peace in knowing his job is to simply be faithful and live out his purpose.

40 — On Fire For Him: As an adopted amputee athlete, Jessica Long wasn’t always

thrilled with the challenges placed before her, but the Paralympic swimming superstar now sees the incredible testimony God was shaping all along.

42 — Alive For A Purpose: After growing up the son of missionaries, David Prince

dropped out of high school and nearly died in a motorcycle accident. He lost a leg and struggled with addiction, but ultimately found God’s plan for his life, and now hopes to make a third Paralympic appearance.

44 — Pressing Closer To God: USA Softball player Janie Reed shares about

what the past year has been like enduring the pandemic and resulting isolation, and also how she aims to see Christ increase in her life.

49 — The Increase Devotionals: Messages from professional athletes and team chaplains.

62 — The Pursuit: The Greatest Upset

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63 — Victory Beyond Competition: Trust The Process By Reza Zadeh + PLUS

2 - By the Numbers | 4 - Around the Spectrum | 6 - SportsSpectrum.com 8 - Heart of an Athlete & Coach | 64 - Gospel Message SPORTS SPECTRUM

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BY THE NUMBERS

QUARTERBACKS TAKEN IN THE FIRST THREE ROUNDS OF THE 2021 NFL DRAFT, THE MOST SINCE 1967. THE FIRST THREE PICKS (TREVOR LAWRENCE, ZACH WILSON, TREY LANCE) WERE ALL QUARTERBACKS.

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ALABAMA PLAYERS TAKEN IN THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS OF THE NFL DRAFT, THE MOST FROM A SINGLE SCHOOL SINCE 1967. FOUR (INCLUDING JAYLEN WADDLE) WERE AMONG THE FIRST 15 PICKS.

SEASONS WITHOUT A PLAYOFF BERTH FOR THE PHOENIX SUNS, WHO SNAPPED THE SECOND-LONGEST ACTIVE NBA PLAYOFF DROUGHT APRIL 28 WITH THEIR 44TH VICTORY.

CAREER TRIPLEDOUBLES FOR RUSSELL WESTBROOK, WHO ON MAY 10 BROKE OSCAR ROBERTSON’S ALL-TIME NBA RECORD, WHICH HAD STOOD SINCE 1974.

AP Photos/Jeff Haynes, Ross D. Franklin, Ashley Landis, Michael Thomas, Rebecca Blackwell

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100 40 82 339 MILES PER HOUR OF A PITCH THROWN BY ANGELS STAR SHOHEI OHTANI ON APRIL 4, WHEN HE ALSO HIT A HOME RUN WITH AN EXIT VELOCITY OF 115.2 MPH.

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CONSECUTIVE WINS BY THE OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL TEAM, THE THIRD LONGEST STREAK IN NCAA HISTORY. IT WAS SNAPPED APRIL 20, SEVEN SHY OF THE ALLTIME MARK.

EVENTS ON THE PGA TOUR BETWEEN WINS FOR JORDAN SPIETH, WHO WAS ONCE THE WORLD’S NO. 1 PLAYER BUT WENT ALMOST FOUR YEARS WITHOUT A WIN BEFORE TAKING THE TEXAS OPEN.

MEDAL EVENTS ON THE PROGRAM FOR THE TOKYO OLYMPICS, AN ALL-TIME RECORD.

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AROUND THE SPECTRUM BAYLOR DOMINATES

In one of the most dominating performances in NCAA title game history, Baylor knocked off previously-undefeated Gonzaga, 86-70, for the first men’s basketball championship in school history. Gonzaga was looking to become the first unbeaten national champion since Indiana in 1976. Within moments of securing the title, Baylor’s entire team gathered into a circle on the court and gave God thanks in prayer. Moments later, when presented with the national championship trophy, head coach Scott Drew talked about the team’s culture. “We play with a culture of J.O.Y.,” he said. “That’s Jesus, Others then Yourself.”

STANFORD REIGNS

AP Photo/Darron Cummings, Eric Gay, Chris O’Meara, Charlie Riedel, Jeff Haynes, John Peterson

Led by star freshman Paige Bueckers, who nearly swept all the national player of the year awards, UConn reached the national semifinals for the 13th tournament in a row and appeared headed for a 12th national title. But it was stunned in the national semifinals by Arizona, which then made its first national championship game appearance. Stanford, however, made sure Arizona would get no further. The Cardinal held on for a 54-53 victory when it forced an errant shot by Arizona on the final possession. The win marked the Stanford women’s program’s third national title and first since 1992.

HOCKEY HISTORY

Pro hockey hasn’t seen many all-Black forward lines. Brothers Herb and Ozzie Carnegie and Manny McIntyre skated on the first documented line for Sherbrooke in the Quebec Senior Hockey League in 1948-49. But on May 10, the Tampa Bay Lightning featured three Black players when Daniel Walcott made his NHL debut and joined teammates Mathieu Joseph and Gemel Smith on the same forward line. Anson Carter, a Black hockey analyst for NBC Sports, told NHL.com, “This isn’t a team that’s not in the playoffs, that’s rebuilding, that’s struggling. These are three Black players that are playing for the Stanley Cup champions.” 4

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MERCEDES ROLLIN’

White Sox catcher Yermín Mercedes played 617 games and recorded 2,128 at-bats in the minor leagues before he was put on a major-league roster as a third option behind the plate this season. He had appeared in just one MLB game. But then he became the first player in the modern era to begin a season 8 for 8. “Just keep working hard, keep the head up, trust in God. Because God knows what is going to happen,” Mercedes said after that streak. He’s kept up the hot hitting since — through his first 100 at-bats of 2021, he was hitting .380.

DRAFT WATCHING

With an average audience of 6.1 million TV and digital viewers over the three days, the 2021 NFL Draft goes down as the third most-watched NFL draft ever. The most-watched draft in history was last year’s virtual event, which featured 8.3 million viewers, and the second most-watched draft was 2019’s event with 6.2 million. The 2021 draft, which was aired across ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes and digital channels, took place in Cleveland and featured limited fans and guests. Cleveland the city averaged a 10.9 HH rating, the highest host city draft rating on record.

VOLLEYBALL FIRSTS

With a four-set victory over Texas on April 24, Kentucky won its first national championship in women’s volleyball, which was also the first for the Southeastern Conference. The Wildcats lost only two sets in five tournament matches, and the only match they lost all season was a five-setter to Florida. On the men’s side a couple weeks later, Hawaii won its first national championship in men’s volleyball with a dominant three-set victory over BYU. The top-seeded Rainbow Warriors didn’t lose a single set during the NCAA tournament. (Hawaii was stripped of its 2002 national title for using an ineligible player.) www.sportsspectrum.com

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‘FAITH-DRIVEN’ TREVOR LAWRENCE SELECTED NO. 1 OVERALL IN NFL DRAFT BY JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS BY JON ACKERMAN

PUBLISHED APRIL 29, 2021

— even though it was a near certainty — former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was selected No. 1 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. “Pretty surreal,” Lawrence told ESPN’s Marty Smith on the broadcast after being selected. “Obviously this has been the dream for the past few years. And like I’ve said, I didn’t even dream this as a kid so [it’s] really special and just having all the people that I care about here watching, it’s really hard to explain.” The 6-foot-6 QB is Mel Kiper Jr.’s fourth highestgraded quarterback prospect ever, behind only John Elway, Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. Lawrence is the first No. 1 overall pick in Clemson history, after going 34-2 as a starter in three seasons with the Tigers. He threw for 10,098 yards, 90 touchdowns and only 17 interceptions, in addition to rushing for 231 yards and 18 touchdowns. He’s going to a Jaguars franchise that has lost at least 6

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10 games in nine of the past 10 seasons. After winning their first game in the 2020 season, they closed it by losing 15 straight. When/if the Jags lose a regularseason game next season, it’ll be the first regular-season loss of Lawrence’s life, according to the NFL Network’s James Palmer. Lawrence will suit up for new Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer, who’s making the jump to the NFL after 17 years as a college football coach, winning national championships with Florida and

Ohio State. Lawrence’s college coach, Dabo Swinney, believes Meyer will love Lawrence. “Urban Meyer is going to love this guy,” the Clemson coach said on the Sports Spectrum Draft Special. “He’s going to have all those things he loved about Tim Tebow (whom he coached at Florida), he’s going to have all those same things — that toughness, that grit. But

[Lawrence has] just got this elite skill set that you just sit there and you go ‘wow.’” Swinney also believes the transition to the NFL will be no problem for Lawrence. “I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck, I’ve been around football a long time. This will be the easiest transition of any kid I’ve had,” Swinney said. “He’s been in the spotlight since the ninth grade, he’s been a starter since the ninth grade. … This guy’s been on TV, he’s been on social

a foundation of faith,” Swinney said. “Great mom and dad, great people around him, but he’s strong in his faith now. He’s an inside-out kid in this world of outside-in. “People are paralyzed by other people’s opinions and what some person says on social media, and all this stuff. He’s not affected by that, he really isn’t. He’s got very thick skin, which you know that’s something that’s very needed if you’re going to go play quarterback in the NFL. Self-motivated, self-driven and he’s going to set the tone the day he shows up. He’s not going to wait on anybody to set the tone for him.” Lawrence, who was recently married to his high school sweetheart, has spoken openly about his faith ever since arriving at Clemson. He left Cartersville High School in Georgia as media, he’s had expectations, the No. 1 prospect in the nation he’s been at every 7-on-7 camp. by many recruiting services, and … He’s been the guy with he enrolled at Clemson early, in enormous expectations forever. January 2018. Later that summer, That’s his norm.” according to Sports Illustrated, A man of strong faith in Christ, he went on a retreat called “The Swinney said Lawrence’s own walk Gauntlet” to Daytona Beach, Fla., with the Lord is what he admires with South Carolina’s NewSpring most about his former QB. Church. On that retreat, Lawrence “What I love about him more told Sports Illustrated, he “was than anything is he’s faithtruly saved.” He discovered his driven. He has built his life on identity in Christ...

To read the rest of this story, search “Trevor Lawrence” on SportsSpectrum.com — your home for daily sports and faith content such as news, podcasts and devotionals.

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Photos courtesy of Taylor Spencer

ENDING MONTHS OF SPECULATION

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HEART ATHLETE OF AN

HIGH SCHOOL

KRISTA ELICKER “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” — 1 Corinthians 13:4 -7 (ESV) HOW DID YOU COME TO KNOW CHRIST? I accepted Christ when I was 5 years old. As I was finishing my lunch one day, I asked my mother questions about salvation. She told me when I was ready she would guide me in the sinner’s prayer. I responded, “Oh, I’m ready!” Right then and there, we stopped what we were doing and prayed in the kitchen. From that day forward, I became a follower of Christ. As I grew, I was off and on with my faith. I was influenced by the wrong people for a few years, but I found new friends on the cross country team, and my life group at church has inspired me to take my faith seriously and spread His Word. HOW HAS YOUR FAITH IMPACTED THE WAY YOU PLAY YOUR SPORT? I pray at every starting line and ask God to help me do my best. When I feel tired and worn before I reach the finish line, I call out to God silently to give me the strength to push forward and finish what I started. Praying to Him before every race has helped me learn to be more thankful and confident in the gift He gave me. He put me on the team for a reason, and that reason helped me grow in my faith. My teammates helped me grow by being more encouraging to others.

NORTHERN YORK HIGH SCHOOL – DILLSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA 8

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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VERSE AND WHY? My favorite verses to help my walk with Christ are 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. These verses stick in my mind because I realize that I don’t always live my life that way. But Jesus sacrificed His life for me because He loves me. I want to live a life where I always remember that Jesus died for me and I shouldn’t let that go to waste.

Photos courtesy of Krista Elicker

Krista Elicker is a senior at Northern York High School in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. Born in Guatemala and adopted into an American family, she joined the cross country and track and field teams when she began high school.

HOW HAS YOUR FAITH BEEN CHALLENGED AT SCHOOL? I go to a public school and would always pray for opportunities to talk about my faith, but when an opportunity came, I didn’t take it. I feared and still fear “man” because I fear that they will make fun of me, bully me or not want to be friends with me anymore. That fear has swept over me and crippled my heart. Even now I struggle to trust Him. I’ve been praying daily, asking Him to give me the fight, strength and courage to win this struggle with the devil. Despite me being intimidated by speaking out against the worldviews in school, my family encourages me to do my best in those conversations.

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COACH KARRMAYNE KING “Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider what great things He has done for you.” — 1 Samuel 12:24 (NKJV)

HEART COACH

WESTSIDE CHRISTIAN - TIGARD, OR

OF A

HIGH SCHOOL

HOW DOES YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST IMPACT HOW YOU COACH? My faith in Christ permeates every area of my life, so it is just as relevant on the basketball court as it is when worshipping in the pew at church. It gives me, personally, a purpose to coach for, and it gives our team a purpose to play for. Our purpose is that we will honor and glorify God in every game and practice through our actions, reactions and even our thoughts. We can worship Him on the court with an attitude and effort that is pleasing to Him. My faith also gives me strength to lean on. My first prayer every morning is asking the Lord to fill me with His wisdom and His love, and to flow it through me to those I come in contact with each day. His thoughts and His ways are so much better than mine, and to be able to rest in His sovereignty and draw from His guidance daily is such a comfort and strength-builder. HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE CHRISTLIKE LEADERSHIP ON YOUR TEAM? First, I try to model it as much as possible. It is so true that actions speak louder than words, but we need both aspects to truly lead. We spend time talking about our purpose and I like to ask the players a lot of questions to make them think and communicate. It is so exciting when you hear them share their understanding of Godly principles and then see it in action. And then it is important for our leaders to model Christlike character so that others will follow and learn what that means, and will be learning to lead as well.

Photos courtesy of Karrmayne King

WHY DO YOU LOVE TO COACH? I love to coach because: 1) I love seeing kids accomplish things they didn’t think they could do, and build life skills and character at the same time. 2) I love that God gives us an arena such as sports to be able to impact young lives. And 3) I love seeing a group of individuals become a team when they work toward a common purpose and are able to focus on “WE” instead of “ME.” WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE AND WHY? So many verses have impacted me during different times of my life, but I would have to say, overall, my life verse has been 1 Samuel 12:24: “Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider what great things He has done for you” (NKJV). It has been a lifelong reminder that HE is my purpose for coaching, teaching, serving, etc. Everything leads back to Him when we have the heart of serving and loving Him in all we do.

Karrmayne King has been a fixture at Keswick Christian School in St. Petersburg, Florida, for the last 36 years. She’s coached the varsity volleyball team for 31 of those years, winning more than 500 matches, and the varsity girls’ basketball team for 32, with more than 600 victories. For the last 20 years, she’s also been the school’s athletic director. She was selected to the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2020. KESWICK CHRISTIAN SCHOOL - ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

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HEART ATHLETE OF AN

COLLEGE

ALISHA DAVIS “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” — Luke 14:11 (NIV)

HOW HAS YOUR FAITH IMPACTED THE WAY YOU PLAY YOUR SPORT? My faith has greatly impacted the way that I play. Being competitive is a huge part of sports, but my faith helps me to keep the balance between being competitive and bringing people joy through the way I play. I also think it helps with me staying humble because I know all of the glory belongs to God for giving me the abilities He has blessed me with. HOW DID YOU COME TO KNOW CHRIST? I came to know Christ at a very young age. I grew up in a very spiritual family and they have always encouraged us to seek God to help us through our life. As I got older, I began to see Him show up in my life on my own and that just strengthened my relationship with Him. HOW HAS YOUR FAITH BEEN CHALLENGED AT SCHOOL? As a believer, your faith is challenged daily. There will always be things you go through, things you see and people you meet that will try to deter you from seeking God. I think as you get older and are exposed to more things and different ways of life, it only becomes harder to focus on the cross. This is something I especially had to learn once I got to college. Once I chose to trust in God and embrace those challenges, life started to make sense again and I was able to find comfort in that.

HOW HAS YOUR FAMILY BEEN AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOU? My family has always been there for me, no matter what mistakes I make, win or lose. I can always count on them to be there for me to laugh, cry or celebrate. I have an incredible support system and they have been one of my biggest blessings.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO – GREELEY, CO 10

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Photos courtesy of UNC Athletics

Alisha Davis just finished her sophomore season at the University of Northern Colorado, after which she was named the Big Sky Conference women’s basketball MVP. She was the conference’s leading scorer (17.1 points per game) and rebounder (10.1), and recorded 14 double-doubles during the 2020-21 season, giving her 21 for her career. Also a spiritual leader, Davis is pursuing a degree in nursing.

HOW HAS GOD REVEALED HIMSELF TO YOU? God has always shown up in my life, but I was not always aware of His presence. My senior year of high school is when I really started to pursue spiritual growth on my own. Once I got to college, I really struggled with being away from my family and not knowing what my purpose was. That only got worse when the pandemic hit and everything stopped. This is when God revealed Himself to me. I had a lot of time to reflect and pray about life and not what I wanted out of it, but what He had for me to do while I’m on earth. This was a huge turning point for me.

If you would like to nominate an athlete or coach to be featured,

DAVE HIEB “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” — Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

HEART COACH

WESTSIDE CHRISTIAN - TIGARD, OR

OF A

COLLEGE

HOW DOES YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST IMPACT HOW YOU COACH? I look at my role as someone who is to prepare young men and women to go out and to impact lives for Christ. When we play other teams, our job is to prepare our athletes to compete for hearts and compete for wins. Our athletes may be the only Bible our opponents read. HOW HAS YOUR FAITH BEEN CHALLENGED AS A COACH? It’s easy to fall into the ways of the world and to focus solely on the end goal. In 1 Corinthians 9:24 (NCV) it says, “You know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. So run to win!” As a young athlete, I spent my focus on winning and not on the race. The more I focus on the race, and to race at the very best of my ability, the wins will happen. If I don’t win, I know that I have run the race to the best of my ability. WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR PLAYERS REMEMBER ABOUT YOU? That I love them and want the best for them. My hope and goal is that each player has grown in their faith, is academically prepared and is athletically strengthened to be their very best in everything they do in the future. I hope our players remember the great time they had playing baseball at Northwestern, and continue to build into the lives of each other.

Photos courtesy of Vince Croce

WHY DO YOU LOVE TO COACH? Sports are fun. I love to see our players have success and I take joy in watching our athletes celebrate. I enjoy the teams and how similar and different each team is. Each season is like a book and every game, every week, every event is a new chapter in that book. And I don’t think players truly know how much I am impacted by them. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE AND WHY? In Colossians 3:23-24 is the full meaning of what “running the race” is all about. First off, “whatever” means that all things should be done with intention and passion. Nothing is wasted. The next part, “work with all your heart,” means to do my very best for His best. My job is to do everything I come in contact with at a high level. The next part, “working for the Lord,” is a reminder that I’m not living this life and working this job for a paycheck, but to impact lives for Christ.

Dave Hieb is in his 26th year as the head baseball coach, and 32nd year overall, at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, a Division III private Christian university in St. Paul, Minnesota. Hieb also serves as the head men’s athletic trainer and an assistant professor of kinesiology. He seeks to reflect Christ in all his various roles on campus.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN - ST. PAUL, MN

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s you might assume, we previously scheduled an Olympic edition for the summer of 2020, but we all know what last year was like. If events weren’t canceled all together, they were delayed by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, of which we’re still feeling the effects. Thankfully, the Tokyo Olympics were not canceled (at least as of press time), just pushed back a year. And it actually marks the first time an Olympic Games was postponed and rescheduled, rather than canceled. There have been five Olympic cancellations previously, all due to war. The 1916 Summer Games were canceled because of World War I. Then, both the Summer and Winter Olympics of 1940 and 1944 were all canceled due to World War II. So while the Tokyo Games won’t look like previous editions of the world’s largest sporting event, at least they’re taking place. The 11,000-plus athletes, who have been training for years for their Olympic moment, are surely grateful. They may compete year-round in their respective events, often in relative obscurity, but for many, the pinnacle of their athletic careers comes at the Olympics. In the pages that follow, we’ll give you a primer on what you need to know about this phenomenon that comes around once every four — or five — years. You’ll also learn more about 11 U.S. athletes in particular who have not only been training with sights set on Tokyo, they’ve done so while finding strength in Christ. Many of the athletes you’ll read about have already achieved Olympic glory in the form of gold medals. For those who haven’t, they’ll have a great chance to do so in Tokyo. All the while, they give glory to God. As you might assume, we’re excited to watch. w wwww. ws p. sopr ot sr st spsepcet cr ut rmu.mc o. cmo m

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Olympic Primer

JULY 23 - AUGUST 8 TOKYO, JAPAN

NUMBERS GAMES

WHAT YOUNEED TO KNOWABOUT THE TOKYO SUMMER GAMES

NEW SPORTS

Across 339 medal events, more than 11,000 athletes from more than 200 countries are expected to compete in the Tokyo Games. The Opening Ceremony will be July 23, but some soccer and softball matches will actually take place July 21-22. Six new sports were added to the Olympic program for the Tokyo Games, with four making their Olympic debuts. Baseball and softball will return for the first time since 2008, while skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing and karate are all making their first appearance.

EXPANDED SPORTS

Other sports are expanding their programs. Basketball will include a new 3x3 tournament (10-minute games, or until one team reaches 21 points; half-court; 12-second shot clock), cycling will include freestyle BMX, and there will be mixed-gender team events in swimming, track and field, archery, judo, shooting, table tennis and triathlon. SPORTS SPECTRUM

Despite being rescheduled for 2021, the “Tokyo 2020” name is still being used for marketing and branding purposes. The Games mark the second time Japan has hosted the Summer Olympics, as Tokyo also hosted in 1964, making it the first Asian city to host the Summer Games twice.

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AP Photo/ Koji Sasahara, Felipe Dana

TOKYO 2020

JULY 23 - AUGUST 8 TOKYO, JAPAN

NO FOREIGN FANS

Foreign spectators will not be allowed at the Tokyo Olympics as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers said 600,000 tickets were sold to fans from outside Japan, but they were promised refunds.

Olympic Primer

TRADITION & INNOVATION

Forty-two venues will be used for Olympic competition, the majority of which are located in Tokyo. The Tokyo venues are mostly within the “Heritage Zone” and the “Tokyo Bay Zone,” with the Olympic Village at the intersection of those clusters. The Heritage Zone represents traditional Tokyo with many repurposed venues from the 1964 Games, while the Tokyo Bay Zone includes mostly new, innovative venues.

AP Photo/ Jae C. Hong, Eugene Hoshiko

OLYMPIC STADIUM

TOKYO METRO The stadium formerly known as National Stadium, built for the 1964 Games, was demolished in 2015 and rebuilt with a larger seating capacity for these Games. The official capacity is 68,000 but can expand to more than 80,000 with temporary seating on the track for certain events. It will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, most track and field events, and the gold-medal match for women’s soccer. wwwwwww . s..spspoporortrsttssspspepecectcrttrurum umm. c..cocomomm

More than 37 million people live in the Tokyo metro area, making it the most populous metropolitan area in the world. It accounts for more than a quarter of Japan’s total population. In Olympic history, Japan has earned its most medals in gymnastics (98), its most gold medals in judo (39), and saw its best performance at the 2016 Games with 41 medals.

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JULIEERTZ

U.S. WOMEN’S SOCCER STAR JULIE ERTZ IS SET TO PARTICIPATE IN HER SECOND OLYMPICS, BUT HER FIRST AS ONE OF THE UNQUESTIONED LEADERS OF THE NATIONAL TEAM. CHALLENGES DURING THE PAST FOUR YEARS HAVE BROUGHT HER CLOSER TO GOD AND DEEPENED HER FAITH.

BY JOSHUA DOERING

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Ertz (née Johnston) is no longer the bright-eyed newcomer experiencing international soccer on the biggest stage for the first time like she was at the 2015 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. She’s now one of the veteran leaders hoping to guide the U.S. to a fifth Olympic gold medal and make the shootout loss to Sweden in the 2016 Olympic quarterfinals a distant memory. She’s also a spiritual leader on her teams, both national and club. The 29-year-old grew up in a Christian home and regularly went to church. Faith was always part of Ertz’s life even though she didn’t develop a personal relationship with Christ until she was in college.

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AP Photos/Steve Luciano

lot has happened in Julie Ertz’s life since making her Olympic debut at the Rio Games in 2016. She got married and watched her husband win a Super Bowl. She won a second World Cup with the U.S. national team. She also went through what she described as the most challenging period of her life.

ENDURANCE FOR THE RACE

“I FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING THAT IS SPOKEN ABOUT PURE JOY AND HAPPINESS AND LOVE IS WHAT EVERYONE WANTS. FOR ME, EVERY TIME I READ AND DIVE IN [TO THE BIBLE], I REALLY FEEL LIKE I GENUINELY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS.” – JULIE ERTZ

“I grew up going to church but not really understanding what it meant to have a true relationship with the Lord,” she said recently on Sports Spectrum’s “Recalibrated” podcast. James McCann at the 2019 All-Star Game Home Run Derby with his twin boys, Christian and Kane.

Ertz credits consistently being surrounded by believers for helping make her faith her own. While at Santa Clara University, a volunteer chaplain met with Ertz and some of her teammates. It was during those four years that her faith really started to blossom. “I was kind of constantly surrounded with it, which I’m so grateful for because I don’t think I could have been able to be vulnerable, but [also] open and understanding about where my relationship [with God] was,” Ertz said. The Mesa, Arizona, native also came to another lifealtering realization during her college years. She captained the U.S. to a victory in the 2012 U-20 World Cup (the final of which was played in Tokyo, at a stadium that was demolished so a new stadium could be built for the 2020 Olympics), and the experience made her want to pursue a professional career. “I just remember after we lifted the trophy, I was like, ‘You know what? I want to do this for the rest of my life,’” Ertz recalled. That dream quickly became reality. The Chicago Red Stars selected Ertz with the third overall pick in the

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2014 National Women’s Soccer League draft following her four-year career at Santa Clara. She scored the only goal of the game in her NWSL debut and went on to win Rookie of the Year honors. By the time the 2015 World Cup in Canada came around, Ertz had cemented herself as a regular member of the national team. She was one of five players to be on the field for every minute of the tournament, as the U.S. beat Japan 5-2 in the final to become world champions for the first time since 1999. The 2016 Olympics did not end on the same happy note for Ertz or the team. She missed two of the three group-stage games with a groin injury, returning for the quarterfinal loss to Sweden. Soon after, Ertz entered what she considers to be the most difficult time in her life. She did not elaborate, but said she was simultaneously facing challenges in her professional career as well as her personal life in late 2016 and early 2017. She described it as “that typical, when it rains it pours” type of season. “It was definitely the first time in my life where I absolutely dropped to my knees,” Ertz recalled. “I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do. I’m drowning completely.’” The experience taught her to rely on God in a deeper way. She realized she couldn’t carry those burdens on her own, and she embraced surrender. That’s not to say the process was an easy one, as Ertz only got through the dark period by confronting doubt and frustration. “I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t angry,” she said. “It’s hard to not be angry at Him and I think sometimes people get scared to say SPORTS SPECTRUM

JULIEERTZ

“WHEN I READ THE WORD, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF NOT JUST HOW TO BE A BETTER PERSON, BUT A BETTER SUPPORTER, A BETTER WIFE, A BETTER FRIEND, AND REALLY JUST SEE LIFE IN A MORE CLEAR PERSPECTIVE.”

AP Photo/Alex Gallardo

– JULIE ERTZ

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ENDURANCE FOR THE RACE that and, don’t get me wrong, understandably so. But I was just angry about a lot of things.”

On March 26, 2017, she married Philadelphia

Eagles tight end Zach Ertz and became Julie Ertz. She is now leading a Bible study for the wives of Eagles players. Reading the Bible is not just something Ertz does, it is a fundamental part of the way she lives every day and the guiding force of her life. Her values and beliefs are Biblicallybased, and they in turn shape how she sees and understands the world. The implications go beyond her personal relationship with God. “When I read the Word, I feel like I have a better understanding of not just how to be a better person, but a better supporter, a better wife, a better friend,” Ertz said, “and really just see life in a more clear perspective.” A marriage between two professional athletes presents a unique set of challenges, particularly for the Ertzes. Both Zach and Julie have spent their entire careers with one team in different cities: Zach with the Eagles, Julie with the Red Stars. Though their ability to spend time together is often limited, they have managed to be there for each other’s biggest moments. Julie was in the stands for Super Bowl LII, when Zach’s Eagles defeated the New England Patriots. And Zach attended both the 2015 and 2019 World Cups to cheer on Julie. Amidst all of that, they started the Ertz Family Foundation in 2018. The organization’s mission is to “empower others by sharing faith, learning through sports, and advancing education to build supportive communities.” They have done just that during the coronavirus www.sportsspectrum.com

pandemic. In 2020, the foundation was involved in a variety of initiatives to help those impacted by COVID-19 — such as making a $100,000 donation to Philabundance to help address food security issues in Philadelphia, teaming up with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and other groups to put on a recruiting showcase for high school football players, and partnering with 11 local nonprofits to launch the Philly Bridge Project. For Julie, it’s all about spreading the love of Christ to as many people as possible. “I feel like everything that is spoken about pure joy and happiness and love is what everyone wants,” she said. “For me, every time I read and dive in [to the Bible], I really feel like I genuinely understand what that means.” Now beginning her eighth NWSL season, Ertz has evolved into a vocal and spiritual leader for the Red Stars as well as the national team. She captained Chicago to an appearance in the final of the NWSL Challenge Cup last summer, where the Red Stars lost to the Houston Dash. That came during a year in which her word for 2020 was a fitting one: endurance. The choice was inspired by Hebrews 12:1 (NLT): “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” The past five years since the disappointment in Brazil have brought Ertz, now accustomed to being one of the widely-recognized stars of the U.S. team, closer to God — teaching her what running the race with endurance really looks like. SPORTS SPECTRUM

CHRISTIANTAYLOR

CHRISTIAN TAYLOR IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST DOMINANT ATHLETES — THE TWO-TIME REIGNING OLYMPIC TRIPLE JUMP CHAMPION. AS HE SETS HIS SIGHTS ON A THIRD GOLD MEDAL AS WELL AS THE WORLD RECORD, HE ALLOWS HIMSELF TO BE USED BY GOD TO REACH THOUSANDS.

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

n many track and field events, including Christian Taylor’s specialty, the triple jump, athletes train for years for one moment in time. That moment sometimes lasts only seconds, and it can determine whether your name is enshrined in Olympic glory or a footnote in another champion’s story. Almost even before stepping off the top step of the podium in Rio in 2016, Taylor had his sights set on the Tokyo Olympics. Then only 26, Taylor had already been at the top of his sport for years, having just won the gold medal in the triple jump for the second consecutive Games. In the subsequent four years, Taylor trained to maximize his abilities for his one moment in Tokyo. Yet in March 2020, just like that, all he had prepared for was plunged into doubt. The Tokyo Olympics would not be happening in 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I would say for about four weeks, we were really just trying to put the pieces back together,” Taylor said last summer on the Sports Spectrum Podcast.

Taylor competes at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 20 20

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AP Photos/Matt Slocum, Charlie Riedel

BY KEVIN MERCER

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

James McCann at the 2019 All-Star Game Home Run Derby with his twin boys, ChristianI LIVE OFF THE “NOW, and Kane. IDEA OF ‘BLESSED TO BE A

BLESSING.’ … YOU DON’T KNOW HOW YOU DOING SOMETHING CAN AFFECT SOMEBODY ELSE. EVEN JUST SAYING SOMETHING COULD GIVE SOMEBODY THAT STRENGTH TO GO ON ANOTHER DAY.” – CHRISTIAN TAYLOR

As he and his coaches sought to repair the damage the delay had done, both physically and emotionally, they resolved to use the delay to his advantage. If we were prepared for 2020, how much more prepared will we be for 2021? Taylor knows he is in a favorable position to withstand a year’s delay and still compete at a high level. He will only be 31 in August, yet he’s familiar with the Olympic policies and procedures, having experienced them on the way to gold medals in 2012 and 2016. He knows the danger of being distracted, but also of having tunnel vision. He’s confident, but not arrogant. Most importantly, he’s learned to root his identity not in his sport, but firmly in his Christian faith. “Now, I live off the idea of ‘blessed to be a blessing.’ … You don’t know how you doing something can affect

Taylor celebrates after winning the men’s triple jump gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. www.sportsspectrum.com

somebody else,” Taylor says. “Even just saying something could give somebody that strength to go on another day. So I’ve really seen how God has been able to use me, use this platform to just get through me and reach thousands. And that’s been absolutely a blessing for me.”

aylor has been familiar with Jesus since he was a child growing up in Tyrone, Georgia, but he says it was in 2012 at the Olympics in London that he sensed the Lord most powerfully. “I had a peace in a moment where I thought I actually could lose it all,” he said on the podcast, recalling when he nearly missed qualifying for the final round before going on to win gold. “And that was the moment for me, where I’m ready to take my faith to another level. I was baptized right after that.”

Taylor says that during his time at the University of Florida, while he was busy winning back-to-back NCAA indoor and outdoor championships, he would go to church on Sundays and Wednesdays, as well as Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action events. Inside, however, his heart was cold. It wasn’t until he was near the end of his rope, exhausting himself with the burdens of training and the pressures of performing for others, that God brought him to a saving relationship with Himself. Since then, God has led Taylor to invest more in his church. He began to watch sermons often and steward his time and money for the benefit of the Kingdom. He hounded his pastors for wisdom and contributed to various small-group offerings. The results were evident during the 2016 Rio Olympics, when a full congregation

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CHRISTIANTAYLOR

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

“IT’S NOT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO. IT’S ABOUT YOUR HEART POSITION AND WHO YOU REALLY ARE. TAKE YOUR IDENTITY AWAY FROM WHAT YOU’RE DOING, BUT REALLY TRY TO SHARE LOVE, TRY TO SHARE JOY, TRY TO SHARE PEACE. GOD LOVES YOU REGARDLESS OF HOW FAST YOU RUN, HOW FAR YOU JUMP.”– CHRISTIAN TAYLOR

Taylor competes at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. 22 22

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BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

came together to watch a livestream of his competitions and cheer him on. Slowly, Taylor says, he began to mature, moving from spiritual milk to the solid food of the Kingdom of God. Seeking to live out his mantra of “blessed to be a blessing,” Taylor has made a habit of using his valuable free time to benefit the next generation. He certainly tells kids about his Olympic experiences, the legendary jumps, the roars of the crowds and the flashes of the cameras. But he also wants to leave every kid with one overarching message: “It’s not about what you do. It’s about your heart position and who you really are. Take your identity away from what you’re doing, but really try to share love, try to share joy, try to share peace. God loves you regardless of how fast you run, how far you jump.” Taylor said he reminds himself often of that very truth: “Win, lose, it doesn’t matter. I’m loved.”

ith his identity secured, Taylor is free to pursue the goals he’s set for himself in the Tokyo Olympics using the talents his Savior has given him. He is one of the triplejump favorites as the two-time defending Olympic gold medalist. He’s also the reigning world champion, winning four of the last five world titles, including the most recent in Qatar in 2019.

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1995. “I’m No. 2 all time (18.21 meters; 59 ft., 8 3/4 in.) and it’s not a place that I want to finish my career at. And so we’re saying with these added days (of the COVID-19 delay), I dream of getting the Olympic record [and] getting the world record at the Olympic final.” It’s ever-present on Taylor’s horizon, staring him in the face each time he takes the track, exhorting him for just one more rep. That kind of pressure is unbearable for some. It’s good Taylor sets his eyes upon Jesus every morning, remembering who He is and what He’s done. Taylor calls it the First 15 challenge: five minutes in prayer, five minutes in worship and five minutes in Bible reading. It was a challenge first given to him by his pastors, and Taylor’s daily discipline has grown to nearly an hour of quiet time with God before turning his attention to the track. “If God’s providing for the birds, they are not putting things in a storehouse but He provides for them, why would He not do the same for us?” Taylor said on the podcast, paraphrasing Matthew 6:26. “He values us and He cherishes us and we’re His children, why would He not provide for us?”

Yet one obstacle still stands in his way, one mountain he has yet to climb.

This summer’s Olympics will be a defining moment for Taylor. If he comes out on top in Tokyo, he will be only the second triple jumper in the modern era to win gold in three straight Games, and he’ll go down as one of the greatest of all time. If he loses, he may never again have an opportunity to achieve such great athletic heights.

“The biggest motivation for me now is the world record,” Taylor said about the mark of 18.29 meters (60 feet, 0 inches) set by Jonathan Edwards of Great Britain in

Either way, God’s steadfast love will remain. His provision is perfect and constant. Taylor knows he was made for much more than one moment every four — or five — years. SPORTS SPECTRUM

HELENMAROULIS

HELEN MAROULIS MADE OLYMPIC HISTORY BY WINNING GOLD IN 2016, BUT BRIEFLY RETIRED THREE YEARS LATER FOLLOWING SEVERE CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS. SHE SAYS GOD CALLED HER BACK ONTO THE MAT, AND SHE GRINDED THROUGH A TORN MCL TO QUALIFY FOR THE TOKYO GAMES.

BY KEVIN MERCER

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Burkert sobbed under the agony of defeat on one edge of the mat. Maroulis collapsed with tears of joy on the other. That April day in Fort Worth, Texas, Maroulis accomplished a feat some thought may never come to pass. She had overcome years’ worth of injuries, doubts and lessons from God. Maroulis was bound for Tokyo with the U.S. Olympic wrestling team. “I just felt like I was purging and screaming out some deep-down stuff from the last couple years,” Maroulis, the 29-year-old Olympic gold medalist, told Sports Spectrum about her tears of joy. “And you know you’re called to a journey

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AP Photos/Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press, Charlie Riedel

s Helen Maroulis walked out onto the wrestling mat for the decisive third round, she knelt for a quick prayer. Moments later, still healing from a torn MCL, Maroulis brought her opponent, Jenna Burkert, to the mat with one swift swipe of the leg. She pinned her a few seconds later.

HILLS AND VALLEYS

“I JUST REMEMBER THINKING, ‘WOW GOD, NOT MANY PEOPLE WIN THE OLYMPICS. ... IT FELT SO OUT OF REACH FOR SO LONG THAT I JUST ASSUMED YOU NEEDED TO BE PRETTY MUCH SUPERHUMAN IN ORDER TO WIN.” – HELEN MAROULIS

James McCann at the 2019 All-Star Game Home Run Derby with his twin boys, Christian and Kane. Maroulis celebrates after beating Japan’s Saori Yoshida for the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

and you definitely feel like God has led you, but until it actually happens, there’s still that 1 percent of [doubt].” She says it was King David’s words in 2 Samuel 7:18 that kept coming to her during the bout: “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far?” Maroulis will tell you that her faith in Christ is at the core of her identity. It permeates everything she does, even her wrestling. And it was ultimately this sport that Christ used to lead her to faith. In 2010, a wrestling coach of hers asked that she go to church while she was in town. “OK, cool,” Maroulis thought, “I’ll just sleep while they’re in church. No big deal, you know? And I heard a sermon about love and it totally rocked my world.”

Maroulis holds up her gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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She realized more and more just how unreliable and weak human love is. God’s love is flawless and infinite, and that is how God loves her. Her walk with the Lord began that day in 2010, and it has only

grown deeper since. Now an active member of her church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she regularly sports a cross necklace, mentions her faith in interviews and competes with grace. It is the Holy Spirit, she says, who guides her every step. “It’s about praying and journeying with Him,” she says, “and also having that community that helps keep you accountable and helps you see the ways He’s moving in and through you.”

aroulis’ win over Burkert on a torn MCL in April secured her second trip to the Olympics. While this trip will be sweet, her first trip was unforgettable for a very different reason. In 2016 at the Rio Games, she pulled off a shocking defeat of Japan’s Saori Yoshida in the final match of the 53kg/116.5 lb. event. Yoshida was the three-time defending Olympic champion and perhaps the greatest women’s freestyle wrestler in history.

Throughout the championship match, the refrain “Christ is in me, I am enough” focused and soothed Maroulis. Her victory earned her the first Olympic gold medal for a United States woman in an Olympic wrestling event. The little 7-year-old girl who only fell in love with the sport because her brother needed a sparring partner had reached the pinnacle of the sport. “I knew I was going against a really respectable opponent, and after the buzzer hit and I found out I had won, I was in shock — disbelief — and I just remember thinking, ‘Wow God, not many people win the Olympics,’” she said. “‘This is so cool because it was a goal for so long and it felt so out of reach for so long that I just assumed that you needed to be pretty much superhuman in order to win.’ “And so when I won, it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, no. Normal people win, and you win with your strengths and your weaknesses.’ It’s not like you’re perfect and then you win; you

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HELENMAROULIS

Maroulis competes against Jenna Burkert at the U.S. Olympic wrestling trials in April.

The gold medal catapulted Maroulis into Olympic stardom just as the sun was rising on the peak years of her career. That she would be back in the Olympics with a chance to do it all again seemed inevitable. She was well on her way — until a 2018 tournament in India, when she was hit between the eyes and suffered a serious concussion. And then, before she was fully healed, she endured another concussion in practice. It was her third since 2015. The severe post-concussion aftereffects persisted, and they weren’t simply physical. Her personality changed, opponents targeted her head and, eventually, she was diagnosed with PTSD. For weeks on end, she says, she couldn’t even think about wrestling. The sport she’d loved for decades had become a place of fear and anxiety. Maroulis’ battles — both internal and external — drove her to move back in with her parents in Maryland and briefly retire from wrestling in 2019. She was exhausted, bedridden and in need of a healer. “I really just felt like I got completely broken down in order 26 26

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for God to rebuild me again,” Maroulis says. “So [retirement] was actually one of the worst but one of the most amazing things I’ve ever gone through.” Maroulis was at peace in retirement. Out of the spotlight, she took up dance and now freely admits she didn’t want to come back. But God had other plans. “I just kind of felt like He revealed to me that if wrestling is where your pain and trauma happened and you run away from it for the rest of your life, you’re not ever going to heal from it.” It was God, she says, who called her back.

enewed in mind, body and spirit, and now wrestling at 57kg, the dynamo made her triumphant return to the mat in January 2020. Qualifiers for the Olympics were only a few weeks away, and although she hadn’t fully regained her conditioning, doctors assured Maroulis there was nothing to fear. Then came March 2020 — the Great Delay. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, made large gatherings impossible and

pushed the Olympics to 2021. It came as a shock to athletes around the world, Maroulis included. But yet again, she inclined her ear to the voice of God: “If you can trust Me from now until August of 2020,” she remembered Him saying, “you can trust Me from now until August of 2021.” The Tokyo Games in 2021 will be unlike any in the history of the Olympics. It was announced in March that stadiums will not allow any overseas spectators. Masks and social-distancing measures will be commonplace. Athletes have been at work for an additional year preparing for a chance at Olympic glory. Hopes are high for another medalwinning performance from Maroulis this August. For many, the weight of those expectations becomes too much. Not for Maroulis. She knows the One who can bear any burden, and she wants to tell others all about what He’s done. “I like sharing what God’s done in my life,” she says, “and I’ll share about the good or the bad because at the end of the day, He’s with you through all of it and it’s not about winning or losing. It’s about knowing that, no matter what, He’s there and He’s good.” TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971

Photo by Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors

just win with what you have and who you are.”

KYLESNYDER

HE’S SHINED AT EVERY LEVEL — HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, INTERNATIONAL — AND OWNS SO MANY ACCOLADES HE’S BEEN DUBBED “CAPTAIN AMERICA.” BUT KYLE SNYDER PINS HIS IDENTITY ON CHRIST, THE GIVER OF HIS WRESTLING TALENTS.

BY COLE CLAYBOURN

FAITHFUL TO DOMINATE

yle Snyder has garnered a reputation as one of the best wrestlers in the world. Some in the wrestling community have gone as far as to say he’s the best pound-for-pound freestyle wrestler on the planet. In winning gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the 97kg/214 lb. weight class, the 20-year-old became the youngest American to ever win Olympic wrestling gold. He added that title to NCAA and world championships within the previous 12 months — the Triple Crown of wrestling. He ended his college career at Ohio State in 2018 with three straight national championships. During his college years he also became the first U.S. man to not only win back-to-back titles at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial Grand Prix, one of the toughest tournaments in the world, but the first to win it twice at all.

AP Photo/Markus Schreiber,

Yet, perhaps the performance that turned the heads of anyone not already aware of Snyder was his defeat of Russian Abdulrashid Sadulaev at the 2017 World Championships. His come-from-behind win gave USA Wrestling its first team world championship in more than 20 years, and Snyder his third consecutive world or Olympic title.

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KYLESNYDER

Now Snyder, whose accomplishments have earned him the nickname “Captain America,” is set to defend his Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games, which were delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s safe to say the spotlight is on the 25-year-old heading into Tokyo, but as far as pressure goes, he’s not putting any on himself to defend the 2016 gold. “That title was five years ago,” he recently told Sports Spectrum over a Zoom call. “I’m not really concerned about that type of stuff. I’m more focused on what’s happening right now.” Snyder was ready to go and compete at the Olympics last year, before the pandemic changed everything. He had just gotten back from the PanAm Championships, where he felt he wrestled well. His confidence was high. While it could’ve been tempting to focus on the disappointment of the delay, Snyder was able to keep things in perspective.

Snyder listens to the national anthem after winning a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

For a while he was able to return home to Maryland and be with his family. Like many others at the start of the pandemic, Snyder’s community experienced a strict lockdown. In an otherwise hectic schedule of training and competing, Snyder welcomed the sloweddown life that resulted from pandemic lockdowns. “It brought us all back together,” he said of his

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family. “We were having pickleball tournaments. It’s just not often where we don’t have anything going on. No one can go to work, and stuff like that, so I was very thankful for that time period.” He eventually got back to training, moving from the Ohio Regional Training Center to the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club at Penn State University. With another year to prepare for the Olympics, he used that time to strengthen himself physically and mentally, relying heavily on his faith in God to do so. “When that happens, I just know that God’s in control,” he said. “If God is relaxed, then His children should be relaxed. There’s nothing to stress out about. So I wasn’t stressed. I just continued to work on the things that I could work on.”

ho Snyder is as a man and a competitor is largely shaped by his faith, but it wasn’t always like that. He tallied a perfect 179-0 record and three state championships at Our Lady of Good Counsel, a Catholic high school in Olney, Maryland. During those high school years he read the Bible at school and attended church, but wrestling usually took priority. He said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in 2019 that in that season of life, he didn’t make his faith his own. “I grew up going to church and stuff, but I didn’t really care about it,” he said. “All I really cared about was sports and getting good enough grades so my parents would let me play sports.” As a senior, he left his hometown of Woodbine, TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971

AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, Marcio Jose Sanchez

“I JUST WANT TO COMPETE THE WAY THAT GOD WANTS ME TO AND BE FOCUSED ON THAT. I’M NOT TOO FOCUSED ON BUILDING MYSELF UP OR A BRAND OR WHATEVER. I WANT TO GO OUT THERE AND WIN AND DOMINATE.” – KYLE SNYDER

FAITHFUL TO DOMINATE

Maryland, to live at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was there that he met two coaches who would not only change the course of his wrestling career, but also his faith journey. Freestyle wrestling coach Bill Zadik and assistant coach Brandon Slay, an Olympic gold medalist from the 2000 Sydney Games, immediately began pouring into Snyder upon his arrival. “Whatever they told me to do, I was going to do,” Snyder said on the podcast. “Then the first week they asked me to go to a Bible study that they had, so I started going to Bible study. I was like, ‘If I’m going to go, I’m going to go with an open mind and try to learn as much as I can,’ because I don’t really know anything.’” As Slay recalled, it started simply out of curiosity for Snyder. “But over time, I think it became a strong hunger to learn,” he told Sports Spectrum Magazine in 2019. Snyder’s faith has only grown from there. Even as the spotlight has gotten brighter on him, he’s poured himself even deeper into the Word. “That’s my No. 1 priority,” he said on the recent Zoom call. “Some days are busier than others. That just means that you stay focused on Him

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throughout the day when you’re doing whatever you’re doing.”

also to prepare for waiting after the Olympics commence. The Opening Ceremony is July 23, but Snyder’s weight class doesn’t begin competing until two weeks later.

nyder doesn’t do a ton of media interviews and keeps his days rather regimented. He’s intentional about his time and how he focuses it. His focus lately has been “eliminating anything that isn’t necessary to the main goal.”

While his schedule will be demanding and the training is vital leading up to Tokyo, he also knows the importance of making time to be with God. It’s also important to just enjoy the experience.

“I just want to compete the way that God wants me to and be focused on that,” he says. “I’m not too focused on building myself up or a brand or whatever. I want to go out there and win and dominate. That’s what I’m focused on.”

“I think it’s just being present each day,” Snyder said. “That’s why faith is so important to me. All the ways that God has benefited my life — I’m able to enjoy the moment, but I’m also able to stay focused and train the way that He wants me to.”

He’ll get that chance when the wrestling portion of the Tokyo Olympics take place August 6-7. Snyder will wrestle in a field of 16 wrestlers and have to win three matches the first day before hopefully competing in the gold-medal match on the second day.

Snyder’s goal, at the end of the day, is to tech fall each one of his opponents — beat them 10-0. He has no plans of making anything close and hopes he reflects Christ in the process. One of Snyder’s favorite verses to live by is Luke 16:10: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”

It’s a slightly different format than other events, so he’ll mostly be doing what he called simulation training ahead of the tournament to prepare. A lot of it is mental training as much as it is physical, he said, to prepare to wrestle three matches in one day. And

“I believe God has given me these gifts and He wants me to compete in a dominant way,” Snyder says. “Now it’s up to me to be faithful and train the way He wants me to and get ready for it.”

SPORTS SPECTRUM

BROOKESWEAT

BROOKE SWEAT IS SET TO RETURN TO THE OLYMPICS, NOW PLAYING ALONGSIDE BEACH VOLLEYBALL LEGEND KERRI WALSH JENNINGS, AFTER OVERCOMING A SERIES OF INJURIES – ONE OF WHICH WOULD HAVE KEPT HER OUT OF THE TOKYO GAMES HAD THE PANDEMIC NOT PUSHED THEM BACK A YEAR.

There was the first torn rotator cuff in 2015, right in the middle of trying to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. The second torn rotator cuff in 2018 made Sweat consider retirement again. And just after the pandemic hit in 2020, she suffered a serious knee injury that required surgery, and would have sidelined her for the Tokyo Olympics. BY JOSHUA DOERING

EMBRACING GOD’S CALL 30 30

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It all ended up working out, though. Sweat did make it to Rio in 2016. The 2018 injury led to a partnership with an all-time great. And the pandemic postponed the 2020 Games, giving Sweat the time she needed to recover. Now, she’s set to make her second Olympic appearance (barring any major setbacks in the final few weeks of the qualifying period, which wraps up in early June), this time with three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings as her partner. The 35-year-old Sweat can only offer one explanation for the series of events that have

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AP Photos/Matt Slocum, Charlie Riedel, Marcio Jose Sanchez

rooke Sweat can point to specific moments she thought her career as a professional beach volleyball player might be over.

EMBRACING GOD’S CALL

James McCann at the 2019 All-Star Game Home Run Derby with his boys, Christian “Itwin LOOK BACK AND I JUST and Kane. HAND OVER SEE GOD’S

ALL OF IT. THAT IS THE ONLY REASON WHY I’M HERE AND I WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY. I WANT TO USE MY PLATFORM FOR HIM. VOLLEYBALL IS COOL, I LOVE PLAYING VOLLEYBALL, BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT.” – BROOKE SWEAT

Sweat competes at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

led her to this point.

Nick out to practice.

“God’s just calling me to be here right now,” Sweat said in a recent interview with Sports Spectrum. “I think that’s the only way I’m here, is because God wants me here. This is my calling right now and I’m embracing it.”

Now married, the two still train together.

After four years of

indoor volleyball at Florida Gulf Coast University, Brooke Youngquist was just thankful her body held up. She wasn’t thinking about playing professionally. But she started to go play on the beach with Nick Sweat, whom she met in high school and reconnected with in college, and his twin brother. Her first impressions of beach volleyball were not positive. “I hated it,” Brooke recalled. “It was just so different than indoor and anything else I knew. And I was pretty bad at it.” Soon enough, though, she was dragging

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In 2012, Sweat felt it was time to seriously pursue a professional career, so she packed up her things and moved from her native Florida across the country to California. “It was scary,” she said. “I mean, I left my home in Florida, I left my family, moved to the other side of the country not knowing what I was doing, not knowing if I had a partner.” Sweat prayed about the decision before making the move, something that was instilled in her by her parents, Harvey and Rene. Sweat says they are “the best parents ever” and “live by faith.” Faith has been a part of her life from the beginning, as she grew up going to church and a Christian school. Sweat credits her parents with planting the seeds that would eventually blossom into her personal relationship with God.

“It just started with my mom and my dad,” she said. “They still encourage me, and my mom sends me Bible verses every day pretty much, letting me know she’s praying for me. It’s who I am. It’s not just part of me; it is me.” No matter where in the world Sweat is, her devotional book and Bible are always with her. Daily devotionals are one way she keeps her relationship with Christ “No. 1,” she says. She also watches online sermons from her home churches in Florida and California. Sweat realizes volleyball provides a platform to live out her larger purpose, which is to bring glory to God. “I look back and I just see God’s hand over all of it,” Sweat said. “That is the only reason why I’m here and I want to take advantage of this opportunity. I want to use my platform for Him. Volleyball is cool, I love playing volleyball, but that’s not what life is about.”

SPORTS SPECTRUM

BROOKESWEAT

In the final that day at Huntington, Sweat faced Lauren Fendrick, who would become her partner the next year. They immediately set sights on qualifying for the 2016 Olympics. Then came the torn rotator cuff in the summer of 2015. The injury not only put her Olympic dreams in jeopardy, but she was also aware of the impact it had on Fendrick and the rest of their support team. But they ultimately managed to survive the grueling qualification process and secure one of the two spots allotted to U.S. women. Placed in a pool with teams from Poland, Russia and Brazil, Sweat and Fendrick lost all three of their Olympic matches. The disappointing result and overall Olympic experience, however, stiffened Sweat’s resolve to get back. “Unfortunately, we were in a really tough pool and if we didn’t play our best, we weren’t going to win,” Sweat said. “That’s what happened, and I use that now as motivation.”

The second torn rotator cuff in 32

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2018, while she was playing with new partner Summer Ross, put a return to the Olympics in doubt. But as Sweat was rehabbing and contemplating moving on to the next chapter of her life, Walsh Jennings gave her a call out of the blue. The conversation wasn’t about volleyball at first. Near the end, however, Walsh Jennings asked Sweat what her plan was once her shoulder was healthy. They eventually spent some time on the sand together, and Sweat didn’t have to put much thought into her answer when Walsh Jennings — who won Olympic gold with Misty May-Treanor in 2004, 2008 and 2012, and bronze with April Ross in 2016 — inquired about becoming partners. Sweat was not going to pass up the opportunity to play alongside a legend. Then came her knee injury in May 2020, just as the pandemic was ramping up. It turned out to be more severe than doctors initially expected, forcing Sweat to have surgery in June. She was on crutches when the Olympics were originally scheduled to take place. Though safety measures due to the pandemic will prevent her second go-around from being everything she hoped it would, Sweat is simply grateful the Olympics are taking place and she is able to participate. “We can’t really feel sorry for ourselves,” she said. “We’re there

competing, doing what we love. I think we’re just going to have to focus on that and be thankful we have the opportunity to do that.” Sweat hasn’t decided if she is going to continue her career once the Tokyo Games are over. Whenever someone asks about her future, she tells them the truth: She doesn’t know. She’s just trying to take it all in and live in the moment. “At the end of the day, the Lord wants me here and I’m just going to be excited about it,” Sweat said. From that first time she played volleyball on the beach with her nowhusband, Sweat’s journey has been an improbable one. She moved to California without a defined plan and suffered major injuries before winding up on the same side of the net as one of the most successful beach volleyball players ever. In the moments she thought about giving up, it was her trust in God’s plan that kept her going. Even Sweat herself can’t believe the road she took to get to Tokyo. “When you know you’re doing the Lord’s work and following His call for your life, you just put your head down and just be obedient,” she said. “I never thought I was going to end up here. Ever. Never dreamed of this. But this is the road God wants me on.”

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Photo courtesy of FIVB

weat eventually formed a partnership with Jennifer Fopma, and they won the 2013 AVP Championships at Huntington Beach. Sweat collected AVP Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2013 and 2014.

Sweat (right) and teammate Kerri Walsh Jennings compete in an FIVB World Tour event.

CARLINISLES

THE PAST YEAR HAS BROUGHT PLENTY OF PAIN AND UNCERTAINTY FOR U.S. RUGBY STAR CARLIN ISLES. BUT HE’S RELYING ON GOD, TRUSTING HIS PLAN, AND TIRELESSLY TRAINING FOR OLYMPIC SUCCESS — POSSIBLY IN TWO SPORTS.

arlin Isles has never struggled to find motivation. This past year might have provided him more of it than ever before. BY COLE CLAYBOURN

ADAPT AND PERSEVERE

It’s been a year of pain, heartache, disappointment and uncertainty for the U.S. rugby sevens star. There was the pandemic that caused a year delay to the Tokyo Olympics. Then there were a series of injuries he and his teammates had to fight through. And there were other pauses and stoppages to practice because of the pandemic. While challenging and frustrating, all of it paled in comparison to what happened on Nov. 16, 2020, when Carlin’s younger brother, Chase, was shot and killed in Jackson Township, Ohio.

Carlin’s word for the past year: adapt.

AP Photos/Themba Hadebe

“I fought through that with a different perspective,” Isles told Sports Spectrum recently. “That was tough, especially for our family. I missed a lot of rugby. I missed a lot of things, but I continued to train. So, for me, what I already knew about myself is I’m able to continue keeping my objective over anything. I am so self-sufficient and am able to work hard regardless of anything that’s happening or comes my way.”

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SPORTS SPECTRUM

CARLINISLES

Carlin and Chase were close. Though they lived in separate cities, they talked often. Chase would watch Carlin play any chance he could, and their close bond was evident through social media posts they appeared in together. His brother’s absence is palpable, but so is his assurance in God’s protection over him. “His will, His timing,” Isles said. “Whatever is done is for His glory and what’s best for Him. I never lose that. It’s not about me. We’re all children of God. Whenever it’s somebody’s time, that’s their time. I’ve kind of kept that perspective and relied on His strength. When I did that, I was fine. It’s OK not being fine, but I was fine because I knew who I was relying on, and that’s Him.” Isles’ training, and what he hopes will be a run at an Olympic gold medal, are dedicated to the memory of his brother. And make no mistake, when Carlin Isles trains, he trains hard.

ubbed “the fastest man in rugby,” Isles became somewhat of an internet sensation when videos of him running and juking out defenders caught people’s attention. Now his social media feeds show just how he became that fast: through his intense speedtraining exercises. 34

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When the Tokyo Games

were postponed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Isles went right back to the weight room and the field to train. Oh, and the track as well — not only to work on his speed for rugby, but because he’s also hoping to make the U.S. Olympic track team as a sprinter. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.13 seconds in high school, which would’ve set a record had it been run at the NFL combine. In college at Ashland University in Ohio, Isles was an All-American in the 60-meter dash. His 100-meter times were fast enough to qualify him for the U.S. Olympic trials, but he ultimately never competed in the event. His best path to the Olympics became rugby. When events like the past year happen, it’s not in him to just sit by passively. “I put in so much time that even with the time I lost, it was already covered,” he said. “The base, and the training, and the load that I have in my body, I’m proud when I look at myself — I’m one determined guy. I can’t sit back and just let stuff happen to me.” He gets that strength from his faith in God — a God he’s never found himself mad at despite the numerous hardships he’s endured in his lifetime. He’s only met his birth father once, and his birth mother was arrested on drug charges when he was just 7 years old. Isles has not seen her since. He and his sister, Tambra, then bounced around in foster homes as children. Isles struggled in school and sometimes got in fights because he was protecting his sister. They didn’t get proper care early on in the foster care system, and Carlin recalls being forced to eat dog food at times. TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971

AP Photos/TRingo H.W. Chiu

“I’VE KIND OF KEPT THAT PERSPECTIVE AND RELIED ON HIS STRENGTH. WHEN I DID THAT, I WAS FINE. IT’S OK NOT BEING FINE, BUT I WAS FINE BECAUSE I KNEW WHO I WAS RELYING ON, AND THAT’S HIM.” – CARLIN ISLES

ADAPT AND PERSEVERE “I was just praying, ‘God, please get me out of here,’” he said. “And then He sent a family. That’s when He answered my prayer, and that’s when I knew He was real.” In a way, the past year has been nothing new for Carlin. Much like his childhood, it was about adapting.

Isles and his team went into the 2016 Olympics expecting to medal, but they failed to get out of pool play and finished ninth. That alone has provided enough motivation for him and his teammates, on top of everything else that’s been going on with him personally. The goal is pretty simple: win gold. The biggest competition is themselves, Isles said.

Isles competes during a rugby sevens match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“There’s no way we shouldn’t [compete for a medal]. With the team we have, with the work ethic that we have and the coaching staff that we have, there’s no way,” he said. “We’ve

just got to worry about the process, do the best we can and let the outcome play the outcome. As long as we know we drilled the process and owned the process, we’re going to be very confident going into Tokyo. It’s all about who is going to persevere the most and who can stay on task. I think we can do that. We are doing that.” Regardless of what happens, Isles hopes his story of perseverance and overcoming can serve as an inspiration to others. “I just always wanted to use my gift,” he said. “I opened my heart and let God take the wheel, instead of me saying, ‘No, I’m going to stick to this.’ Because you may limit yourself. Many times you may limit yourself so much that what you want isn’t what’s best for you, and maybe not best for you but also others. You can touch a lot of other people. “So for me, I opened my heart and said, ‘God, if this is what’s best for You, if this is what You want me to do, I’ll do it.’”

“Ronald Blue Trust has helped open our eyes to finances in a new and healthy way. We would encourage anyone who is looking for biblical counsel around their finances to talk with the team at Ronald Blue Trust. Their planning process helped us understand our finances and pay off our debt and also empowered us to make decisions for the Kingdom!” – Daniel Murphy, Former MLB Infielder (Murphy family pictured)

Bridge Your Faith & Finances

DON.CHRISTENSEN@RONBLUE.COM | 602.432.7082 REED.CROSSON@RONBLUE.COM | 770.280.6190 RONBLUE.COM/ATHLETE

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

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financialw wservices advice to over 9,500 clients across the wealth w . s p o r t s s p eand c t r u mobjective .com spectrum in all 50 states. As of 6/30/20 and subject to change.

The client’s experience many not be representative of the experience of other clients. 35 SPORTS SPECTRUM This story is also not indicative of future performance or success.

MICHELLEMOULTRIE

AS THE SPORT OF SOFTBALL REJOINS THE OLYMPICS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2008, AND THE TOP-RANKED U.S. WOMEN BATTLE FOR GOLD, NATIONAL TEAM VETERAN MICHELLE MOULTRIE WILL BE LEADING ON THE FIELD AND IN TEAM FELLOWSHIP.

or the past year USA Softball national team star Michelle Moultrie has been training in isolation to play a sport that is, at its core, a team activity. It hasn’t been easy.

SHOCKED BY GOD’S PLANS

The delay of the Tokyo Olympics has been difficult for every Olympian, but there are unique challenges for the athletes of the U.S. women’s softball team, who play a sport that generates little revenue. As pro softball leagues struggle to turn a profit, players often live on as little as $500 a month. Additionally, softball was not featured in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, and currently isn’t on the docket for 2024. In other words, these are the only Olympics some of these women will get to compete in, and over the past year they have had to prepare largely in isolation, while working around their full-time jobs. “When things got shut down [in April 2020], I had to trust God and the fact that we really didn’t know ... It was just very uncertain

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BY JOSHUA PEASE

“A year ago when COVID hit, everyone got sent home and we were told, ‘We’ll let you know when we hear any news,’” Moultrie told Sports Spectrum recently. “Everybody on our team lives in different places. So I’m at home, practicing by myself. It’s really difficult to throw and catch by yourself! So you have to find people who live around you. It’s a little inconvenient, a little difficult on the practice side.”

SHOCKED BY GOD’S PLANS

“INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT PEOPLE’S COMPARISONS, MY FINANCES, OR HOW OTHERS EXPECT AN ELITE ATHLETE TO LIVE, THE LORD GIVES ME PEACE AND FREEDOM BECAUSE I KNOW HE’LL ALWAYS MAKE A WAY — HIS WAY.” – MICHELLE MOULTRIE

what the future would be,” Moultrie said. “It wasn’t just about me. These teammates are my best friends and I was wondering if I would ever get to play with them again. My family is apart.”

“It’s been such an unusual time. We’re not able to say, ‘Well, this is how we did it last time.’ Everybody is in new territory,” Moultrie said. “We’ve been out of the Olympics for so long. The staff has changed When the Olympics were since last time. It’s new for delayed, some players who had built their work schedules around everyone. And I think there’s Olympic training had to return to also the pressure of waiting for this opportunity. Everyone their jobs, meaning some have expects you to win gold, struggled to participate in every training session. However, starting no matter what training or preparation we go through. in January, those players able Nobody is going to say if we to make it have been gathering lose, ‘Well, it was a weird year.’ for monthly training sessions in There’s no excuses as athletes.” Florida, Texas or California. In March, the women’s team played against Mexico’s Olympic team and swept a three-game series. In April, the U.S. squared off against Italy, which it’ll also face in Tokyo, and collected a 16-0 run-rule victory in three innings (the teams cleared the scoreboard and kept playing to get in more preparation for the Olympics). May featured exhibition matches against college teams in California, and training wraps up in June in Texas with more exhibitions against a collection of collegiate and professional players. Ranked No. 1 in the world and winners of three of the four Olympic tournaments in history, the U.S. is favored for gold in Tokyo.

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oultrie never expected to play softball on the world stage when she walked on to the University of Florida team in 2009. But she not only excelled in college, she thrived as a member of the U.S. women’s national team, which she has represented since 2011. At the 2018 World Championship, she went 10-for-25 (.400) with eight RBIs and four runs scored, leading the U.S. to a gold medal. “If you’d told me coming out of high school I’d be doing what I’m doing now, I’d have said, ‘There’s no way that would ever happen,’” Moultrie said. “God has opened up different opportunities throughout my career. It’s so been the hand

of God. In college, I never felt like a star player. Some of my teammates, this was always their dream, but I have always been shocked with what God has planned for me.” Moultrie says she’s never felt comfortable as the loud, outfront leader. Rather, she leads by example, and advocates for her teammates behind the scenes as an athlete representative on the business side of the women’s national team. Her teammates see the work she is putting in. “[Moultrie] really has been the glue that has kept this whole thing running,” infielder Valerie Arioto told The Undefeated in April 2020. “Going almost 10 years with the national team and not being in the Olympics was made easier because of people like her. She stayed around, she stayed loyal, she kept the program at an excellent standard.” Moultrie’s leadership is also spiritual. In 2016, she and teammate Janie Reed (see page 44) began doing Bible studies together, inviting teammates to join as well. Over the years, many have, and it led to Reed helping start Church in the Dirt, a softball ministry. “Jesus loves people so much, and he has a heart for

people, so for me it’s about not getting so caught up in outward goals of winning, winning, winning,” Moultrie says. “I don’t want any of my teammates to feel left out. I find those things very important. Even just getting to spend time with them, having those special conversations and how we can find God as we’re on the road and spending time together.” She may not be loud, but Moultrie’s faith is always evident — whether by having worship as her walk-up song during games, or crediting the Bible as one of her favorite books on her Team USA bio, or saying “created for His glory” and referencing Isaiah 43:7 in her Twitter bio. Moultrie works every day to remember her career is in God’s hands, and she’s free to let go of control. “If I didn’t have Him in my life today, I think I would be so overwhelmed with the pressures and constant comparisons that you face as a professional softball player,” Moultrie says. “Mentally, that can be hard to deal with, but I am able to find freedom from this in Christ. So instead of worrying about people’s comparisons, my finances, or how others expect an elite athlete to live, the Lord gives me peace and freedom because I know He’ll always make a way — His way.” SPORTS SPECTRUM

DAVIDBOUDIA

VEHICLE FOR HIS GLORY

avid Boudia is an Olympic gold medal-winning diver for the U.S. He won the 10-meter platform event at the 2012 London Olympics, and bronze in the same event at the 2016 Rio Games. He also won a bronze medal with Nick McCrory in the men’s synchronized 10m platform event in 2012, and silver in the same event with Steele Johnson at the 2016 Olympics. Boudia made his Olympic debut in the 2008 Games, where he finished 10th in the individual 10m platform and fifth in the synchronized platform. In Tokyo, he will compete on the 3m springboard. We caught up with Boudia after the Tokyo Olympics were postponed to hear about his journey of faith and finding his true purpose in life. What’s the biggest difference between competing at your first Olympics when you were 19 as compared to where you are now? I look at my life when I was 19 and look at the goals I had and what I was doing them for, and I was always ambitious 38 38

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AP Photo/Victoria Will, Michael Conroy, Michael Sohn

BY JASON ROMANO

DAVID BOUDIA HAS BEEN TO THREE OLYMPICS, WON FOUR MEDALS AND SEEKS MORE AS HE COMPETES IN A NEW DIVING EVENT AT THE TOKYO GAMES. BUT HIS JOB ISN’T TO WIN MORE MEDALS. HIS FAITH IN CHRIST GIVES HIM PEACE IN KNOWING HIS JOB IS TO SIMPLY BE FAITHFUL AND LIVE OUT HIS PURPOSE.

VEHICLE FOR HIS GLORY

“I STARTED TO REALIZE I ACTUALLY CAN’T DO THIS LIFE BY MYSELF. AND SO WHEN I BECAME WEAK AND HELPLESS IS WHEN I LOOKED UP AND ACCEPTED CHRIST.” – DAVID BOUDIA

as a kid. I always wanted to perfect what I was trying to do. Unfortunately for the first Olympics, the focus was all myself. It was about what I wanted to accomplish. If someone was in my way and I saw it as an obstacle, I’d push it out of the way.

[at Purdue], I was in deep depression. I remember laying in bed one specific night and just thinking, “What’s the purpose of all of this? Why am I here? What’s the point of this life?” I was in deep depression, drinking a lot, contemplating suicide and those thoughts petrified me.

From 19 to 31, you’d hope to somewhat mature. After my first Olympic Games in Beijing, I was putting my hope in that and left the Games bankrupt, kind of just looking around and saying, “Is that it?” The 2008 Olympics were a blessing in disguise because it was a realization that I didn’t have a purpose in life. That’s the biggest difference from then to now is the purpose in my life and what I’m pursuing and why I’m pursuing it.

So that’s when I reached out to my current coach, Adam Soldati, and went over to his house a couple of days later, and that’s when he shared the Gospel with me. I started to realize the hope that I was putting my life in was like a broken cistern. I was putting my hope in all of these things that I was not supposed to be putting my hope in. And that’s when Adam shared with me about the Gospel of Jesus and the sacrifice He had for my life. I started to realize I actually can’t do this life by myself. And so when I became weak and helpless is when I looked up and accepted Christ, probably a month after investigating God’s Word.

Can you tell us about the journey of faith in your life? We grew up going to church but I would describe my faith walk as non-existent. God was kind of an accessory to my life. If I needed something, if I wanted something, I’d go up to the shelf, I’d brush off the dust and ask for my wishes. I kind of put God in a box where He was my genie trying to give me everything that I’ve wanted in life. In 2009, after I started my sophomore year of college www.sportsspectrum.com

You used the word investigate. How important was it to investigate Jesus and investigate what you were putting your faith and trust in? I wanted this faith to be my own. I didn’t want it to be my parents’ faith or my coach’s faith, but a faith where it was a

personal relationship with my Creator and I. How did you stay connected to God at the Olympics? I look at my 2012 experience and I look back and see the freedom that I had in the competition where I’m not so wound up in competing in the Olympic Games. I went into those Games ranked second in the world. I remember going into the finals and I was so nervous, and before I went out to compete, I got a text from a friend and he put it in perfect perspective. He said, “Dave, what is there to be nervous about? God’s already walked through your next six dives in this event. What you need to do is go out there and be a vehicle for His glory. You need to be faithful and go out there and guard your heart and mind in Christ.” The freedom you have in a competition at a high level like an Olympic Games is contentment. Typically your mind is chaos at an event like the Olympics. For me, it was complete peace and contentment knowing that my job wasn’t to win a gold medal. My job was to be faithful and live out my purpose.

Did you notice when you

won a gold medal that your platform was increasing, and it was an opportunity to point people toward Christ? This is why community is so important in your walk with the Lord. I knew this would be a hard road, everyone wanting my attention, everyone praising my name. I remember going to New York City for a big media tour right after winning gold in 2012, and I had one of my pastors, Brent, meet me there and he went with me to every single interview, back to back to back and he was right by my side. And that’s where I started to realize how to do an interview that wasn’t about me. The counsel I had from Brent during that media tour was absolutely crucial. What is God showing you right now? I think about thankfulness. I look at my wife who stays home with the three kiddos and she stays home, works hard to love them and discipline them and train them and teach them. I’m extremely thankful for her. I’m also thankful for my coach who puts in the long hours that I do. I would say the biggest lesson is having a grateful heart that spurs me on to love God and others around me. SPORTS SPECTRUM

JESSICA LONG

AS AN ADOPTED AMPUTEE ATHLETE, JESSICA LONG WASN’T ALWAYS THRILLED WITH THE CHALLENGES PLACED BEFORE HER, BUT THE PARALYMPIC SWIMMING SUPERSTAR NOW SEES THE INCREDIBLE TESTIMONY GOD WAS SHAPING ALL ALONG.

Very few of Jessica Long’s childhood

memories don’t involve her church community. Raised and homeschooled in a Chrisitan household in Baltimore, Maryland, “God was everywhere,” she says. It was just a part of the Long family norm.

ON FIRE FOR HIM

One time while swimming in that backyard pool, the bone in one of Long’s legs broke through her skin. She just kept playing. She knew once her parents saw the bone sticking out, they’d rush her to the hospital. “I do not want to go back,” Long whispered to herself. The hospital was an all-too-familiar place. A double amputee since she was 18 months old, she endured surgeries about every six months for years. She was born with fibular hemimelia, which left her without fibulas, ankles, heels and most of the other bones in her feet. After amputation as she continued to grow, she had to get bones in her legs shaved back so she could continue wearing prosthetic legs. All the surgeries — 25 total in her lifetime — likely wouldn’t have taken place had she not been adopted. Born in Irkutsk, Russia (Siberia), in 1992 to a 16-year-old girl who couldn’t take care of her, Long spent the first year of her life in an orphanage. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Maryland, Steve and Beth Long attended a

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AP Photo/ Emilio Morenatti, Leo Correa, Lefteris Pitarakis)

BY JON ACKERMAN

The routine often included going over to her grandparents’ house after church. They had a pool in their backyard, and Long just loved pretending to be a mermaid. Amongst all her siblings and cousins, Long was typically the first one in and last one out.

ON FIRE FOR HIM

“I DIDN’T WANT TO QUESTION IF I WAS A BELIEVER OR NOT. THE BIG THING THAT I KEPT SAYING WAS, ‘I WANTED TO GIVE GOD MY WHOLE HEART AND NOT JUST PART OF ME.’” – JESSICA LONG

church meeting one night about adoption, and saw a picture of a 1-year-old blonde Russian girl with leg deformities. They just knew that was the child God wanted them to adopt.

pain caused by her legs, from feeling unwanted by her birth mom — much of which was directed at the God who was all around her.

“I just challenged everything,” Long says. “That The Longs brought Jessica determination is great in the back to America, where they pool but in everyday life with saw countless specialists for my mom and homeschooling insight on what to do with her and God, I just struggled with legs. They ultimately decided this idea that I was never good on amputation below the knees. enough, and that all I had to do She received her first pair of was ask for forgiveness [from prosthetic legs and learned how God], because it just seemed to walk at 18 months old. almost too simple.” But in the pool, it So determined in the didn’t matter that she was pool was Long that barely missing legs. She joined a two years after taking up competitive swimming team competitive swimming, she at 10 years old, and thrived was appearing in the 2004 on competition. She especially Paralympic Games in Athens. enjoyed beating swimmers Expectations weren’t high with legs, many of whom didn’t for the youngest athlete realize she was missing her legs on the U.S. Paralympic until she got out of the pool. swimming team — but then “I think for me as a little she won three gold medals 10-year-old, there was such (100m freestyle, 400m a fire and [in swimming] I just freestyle, 4x100m freestyle felt like I finally belonged relay). Her career took off in something,” Long said from there. recently on the Sports Seventeen years later, Spectrum Podcast. “But at the now 29, Long is the second same time, I never wanted my most-decorated Paralympian in legs to hold me back. I never U.S. history with 23 Paralympic wanted to be the girl with no medals (13 gold, 6 silver, 4 legs, and that came into play bronze; only Paralympic Hall of in sports and I didn’t want any Fame swimmer Trischa Zornspecial treatment.” Hudson owns more with 55). Her fire was ignited This summer in Tokyo (Aug. 24partially by anger — from the Sept. 5), Long will enter her fifth www.sportsspectrum.com

Paralympics and could contend in seven events. She’ll do so just as determined and feisty as she was in her Paralympic debut, but not nearly as angry. Much of her hostility subsided in the summer of 2013, when she was living at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. “I feel like I had done all the worldly successes — I had won gold medals, I had signed a deal with Nike, I had a CocaCola commercial, I walked red carpets with celebrities,” Long said. “I had done all these worldly, amazing things and it never felt enough. No matter what, I just never felt enough.”

afternoon when I’m struggling — or just to have all of me,” Long says. Even after giving her heart to Christ, Long struggled to resist placing her identity in swimming. That was especially challenging at the 2016 Games. Despite being the world-record holder in many of her events, she won only one gold medal. By worldly standards it was a low point in her decorated career. But she learned to rely on God in ways she never had to when she was winning at an incredible clip.

So she began attending church consistently and joining small groups in Colorado.

She used to question why God made her an amputee. She used to question why He made her so feisty. Long now sees the bigger story God was writing all along.

“It didn’t happen overnight; it was three years of showing up to my Bible study, to church, having a community of believers, and again I fought God on everything. But there was this moment in June of 2013 that I just felt it on my heart that I didn’t want to question if I was a believer or not. The big thing that I kept saying was, ‘I wanted to give God my whole heart and not just part of me.’ I didn’t want to give Him just my Sunday or my weekends, I wanted to give Him a Wednesday

“I definitely think that’s been one of the coolest things — reaching other people through my story, my testimony.”

“As a little girl it’s easy to think that I did something wrong … and just feel really angry at God who made me an amputee,” Long said. “... As a little girl, it’s hard to comprehend that God’s going to use you in this big way and that swimming’s eventually going to come into play, and it’s going to be this platform to reach other people.

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DAVIDPRINCE

ALIVE FOR A PURPOSE

n 2018, two-time Paralympian David Prince endured a tough divorce, then found himself deeply depressed and struggling with addiction. In early 2019, he was ready to be done with his career as a Paralympic athlete. “I didn’t want to keep running,” Prince said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in February 2020. “I wanted to just fade into working a regular job, and I guess God didn’t see that in my plan. He kept on shutting doors and made it pretty evident to me that I needed to pursue the end of my [athletic] career. And God just continued to open doors that I didn’t want to open.” Less than a year later, Prince surprised even himself by winning a bronze medal in the men’s 200-meter sprint at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championship in Dubai, making him a strong candidate to represent Team USA at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Like the Olympics, the Paralympics were delayed a year, so Prince’s sights are

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BY JOSHUA PEASE

AFTER GROWING UP THE SON OF MISSIONARIES, DAVID PRINCE DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AND NEARLY DIED IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT. HE LOST A LEG AND STRUGGLED WITH ADDICTION IN THE AFTERMATH, BUT HE ULTIMATELY FOUND GOD’S PLAN FOR HIS LIFE, AND NOW HOPES TO MAKE A THIRD PARALYMPIC APPEARANCE.

ALIVE FOR A PURPOSE

“I WANT TO PURSUE WHAT IT IS THAT GOD WOULD HAVE ME DO. AND IF BEING A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE OR BEING A PARALYMPIAN IS WHAT HE WANTS ME TO DO, AND THAT’S HOW I CAN SERVE HIM IN THE LONG RUN, THAT’S WHAT I’M GOING TO DO.” – DAVID PRINCE

now set on Aug. 24, 2021, when he hopes to make his third Paralympic appearance. He must first qualify, which can be done at the U.S. Paralympic track and field trials June 17-20. It’s an unusual story, a world-class athlete reluctantly returning to the highest level of competition, but Prince’s story has never been typical. He grew up as a missionary kid, his father helping translate the Bible into a local dialect of Spanish for remote villages near Oaxaca, Mexico. Their family moved often between cities and villages, and when Prince finally settled into life at a public school in ninth grade, he was surrounded with temptations he’d never seen before. “I definitely got distracted with girls and drugs,” Prince said. “I experimented pretty heavily with drugs in high school and ended up dropping out, buying a motorcycle [at the age of 18 in 2002], and wrecking it a couple of days later. I hit a median around 140 miles an hour ... tumbled across the road, hit a guardrail, and amputated my leg pretty much on site.” Prince remembers a night not too long after the surgery when he tried to catch his fall with a leg that was no longer there. He collapsed on his bathroom floor, angry at God for letting this

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happen to him. “And I came to the realization on that bathroom floor that I did this to myself,” Prince said. “And so I’m going to have to deal with this thorn in the flesh for the rest of my life. I’m going to have to figure it all out. It took me a while to really come to terms with the fact that I was going to be an amputee for the rest of my life. It was a hard, hard lesson to learn, but it was the only way that I would have been able to learn it. I’ve always had to learn things the hard way, unfortunately.” Learning to live without his leg wasn’t Prince’s only challenge. He had developed addictions to drugs and alcohol that were stronger than ever after the accident. It wasn’t until his mom threatened to kick him out of the house that Prince came to terms with the plan God had for his life, and the addictions that were in the way. “I just broke down one night and I was thinking about suicide and was thinking about ending my life, and I just saw God telling me, ‘David, I kept you alive for a purpose, for a reason.’ And so I came to the conclusion in prayer that night that I needed a replacement addiction. And basically, I prayed that night that God would give me some replacement addiction. I needed to have different friends. I needed to be in a different atmosphere.

I just said, ‘God, I know You’re going to provide this replacement addiction. I know You’re going to help me with my addictions and You’re going to give me something that is going to overcome them,” he said. Prince began going to the gym for hours each day, training relentlessly even as he didn’t know what he was training for. His prosthetist recommended Prince reach out to a prosthetics company to pursue a sponsorship. The company gave him a high-end running prosthetic and he began training for his first triathlon. Prince also began participating in track and field meets around the country, and he caught the eye of Joaquim Cruz, a 1984 Brazilian gold medalist and one of the U.S. Paralympic track and field coaches. Prince’s self-styled training, at this point, was just brutal, endurance-style running, biking and swimming. Cruz told Prince he should begin training specifically for sprints. It wasn’t long before Prince caught the eye of more U.S. coaches and began competing first in the high jump, and then sprinting. “It just kind of happened,” Prince said. “I don’t want to say it was happenstance, but I never really thought much about, ‘Well, I want to break world records, I want to win medals at games.’

It was just kind of like, ‘I want to pursue what it is that God would have me do. And if being a professional athlete or being a Paralympian is what He wants me to do, and that’s how I can serve Him in the long run, that’s what I’m going to do.’ And so it just kind of all unfolded, and it’s been a wild ride for me.” After narrowly missing qualifying for the 2008 Paralympic Games, Prince won bronze in the 400m at the 2012 London Paralympics, and he placed sixth in the 200m at the 2016 Rio Games. Now, although Prince’s struggles with addiction and depression in 2018 and 2019 reignited his doubts over his athletic career, he is committed to following God wherever He leads, which currently means training for the Tokyo Games. “God showed me [in 2019] that, ‘Nope, you’ve just got to hold on to the promise that I’ve already made to you … and I’m going to continue showing you through your hard head that this is where you’re supposed to be …’ “Now, I look at [training for Tokyo] and it’s like, ‘OK God, I need to put in 100-percent effort. I need to be smart about my training, I need to surround myself with people who want to see me succeed, so I can walk through the next door that You have open and waiting for me.’” SPORTS SPECTRUM

JANIEREED

PRESSING CLOSER TO GOD

f someone would have told me that the NBA, the MLB, the NCAA Tournaments, all of college sports, and the Olympics were all going to be put on hold, I wouldn’t have believed them. Not in our lifetime, not in our country. It truly was unprecedented. When the news first came out last year that the Tokyo Olympics were being postponed, I thought it was the best thing they could have done. Watching the news, I had prepared myself for this to happen, and I couldn’t help but think about other athletes, such as track and field athletes, who hadn’t yet had their qualifiers. Not being able to train would have made it unfair for them. For us, new information was coming out every day, so we had to learn to just take it one day at a time, unsure when or even if our softball season would begin. But through the pandemic, God really grabbed my attention and helped me realize what’s truly important in life. I saw Him bringing about a lot of purposeful heart-change during COVID. It’s been humbling to think that our plans are not as set in stone as we sometimes think they are. We may think some plans are up to God, but some of our own plans can’t be touched. Think again. Nothing is as firm as we think it is — nothing except God. This pandemic has

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BY JANIE REED

USA SOFTBALL PLAYER JANIE REED SHARES ABOUT WHAT THE PAST YEAR HAS BEEN LIKE ENDURING THE PANDEMIC AND RESULTING ISOLATION, AND ALSO HOW SHE AIMS TO SEE CHRIST INCREASE IN HER LIFE.

PRESSING CLOSER TO GOD

“THE THOUGHT OF MISSING OUT ON HIS VOICE IN MY LIFE SADDENS ME. BUT IN ORDER FOR THE VOICE OF GOD TO INCREASE IN MY LIFE, I NEED TO DECREASE THE WANTS AND DISTRACTIONS I’VE ALLOWED TO CREEP IN.” – JANIE REED deepened my trust in Him. Thankfully in the midst of all the unknown, I know there really is Someone so much bigger and mightier who is in control of the universe.

James McCann at the 2019 All-Star Game Home Run Derby with his twin boys, Christian and Kane.

Going through times of fear or disappointment is not easy, but we can know God will use those times to produce perseverance in us. It’s up to us to decide if we are going to use these situations to find joy, knowing God has a lot of fruit to produce in us as a result. We can become so comfortable in the lives we create for ourselves that we often don’t realize all the mini idols we hold in our hearts. It could just be that the most loving thing our God can do is force us to be removed from those comforts. In fact, it would be unloving for Him to allow us to continue in a pattern of always wanting more for ourselves. For me, the isolation was uncomfortable. Even before COVID, I think we were already isolating ourselves through technology. Then the government physically socially-distanced us, which made it even more difficult to connect with others. Thankfully, in the absence of a spring season last year, I was able to stay very connected to others, joining an online Bible study with some friends, staying in touch with our Church on the Dirt ministry community, and reconnecting with some college connections. When we were physically forced to be apart, we just learned

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how to use technology for a better purpose — for creating community instead of hiding from it. I feel so blessed to have such a spiritual powerhouse of women around me, but I need to stay connected to them. They help keep me accountable, and I can do the same. Whether it’s a mentor of mine or someone I’m mentoring, others can see from the outside what we’re going through, and speak truth to areas we may be blinded to. But our mentors can only be as close to us as we let them be. We must stay connected and close to those who can speak truth into our lives. We need people who can kick us in the butt in a loving way. Thinking that others may not have a similar community has been really heavy on my heart. It’s caused me to think, whether I’m on the road, in a hotel room or at home, I need to carry my prayer list with me wherever I go. During the time of isolation we all experienced, I became persistent in prayer more than ever. When I’m alone in my house, I’ve learned to just walk around and pray about things, anything, and believe God for the things I pray. Doing this has unlocked so many things in my spiritual walk; I’ve felt a really close intimacy with God that I was lacking. Ultimately, my constant prayer is that Christ is on display in my life, and increasing Christ in my life has multiple meanings for me. There is the aspect of putting God first in my day-to-day life and being intentional about getting quietly alone with Him regularly. The more you spend time with someone or do something, the more that will increase in your life. SPORTS SPECTRUM

JANIEREED

I find this to be so true in my relationship with God. And then, since we are one-track-minded beings most of the time, other things in my life tend to decrease in significance. Many times, as I go about my day, there are certain things I want to do or choose, but it takes intentionality to choose what I know would be the way of following Christ. Yet the more I make these decisions, the more second-nature following Him becomes for me. Being like Christ means putting others first, which is totally countercultural. Our world is all about “do what’s best for you,” but when we choose to inconvenience ourselves and do what’s best for someone else, people take notice. The more we do these things, even if that means just staying late after practice to pick up equipment, the more people will see glimpses of Jesus’ character. Christ will be displayed in our lives. In John 13:34-35, Jesus says, “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

Distractions to this lifestyle come 46

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from all angles and all different sources. Something that’s been weighing heavily on my mind since we entered the new year is how much time I spend on meaningless things such as my phone screen or social media. I want to be a proper dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, not out of obligation or the chance to earn something, but out of adoration for who God is and how holy He is.

When I think about my heart, mind and body being a temple, not in a selfserving way but in a humble way of service, I get a reality check. We need to discipline ourselves in order for the Spirit to reveal the ways in which we need to grow more like Him. What do I want playing over and over in my mind, that post on Instagram or the Word of God? I don’t want to allow myself to be distracted from what God wants to reveal in me. The thought of missing out on His voice in my life saddens me. But in order for the voice of God to increase in my life, I need to decrease the wants and distractions I’ve allowed to creep in. I’m nowhere near where I want to be, but I continue to press closer to God so that I may decrease, and He may increase.

Created and led by pro athletes, The Increase is a ministry on mission to see all athletes, coaches, fans and people everywhere have an Increase experience with Christ as found in John 3:30. For more stories, videos and resources to help you discover that the best life is found as we die to self and live for Jesus, visit TheIncrease.com. TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971

Fight Hunger Poverty and Suffering with Convoy of Hope. convoynation.com 47

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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

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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.

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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).

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Janie Reed, USA Softball

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).

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“I remember todeserve live a performance-based lifestyle “The Gospel is God graciously how givingdraining us whatitwewas don’t through His Son Jesus before I accepted Christ Lordand of my life.that TheHe peace unconChrist. If we choose to accept Him into our as hearts believe died of forbeing our sins ditionally loved by a Savior who paid the price for my salvation and rose again three days later, we can also receive the free gift of forgiveness and is humbling and uplifting at thethat same There’s no greater joy than eternal life in Heaven. It’s about understanding we time. can’t do anything to earn Jesus’ knowing that can abideare in motivated love instead of having to work forthey it.” love, He freely gives it. Then weIourselves to love others even when don’t deserve it, because that’s what Jesus does for us.”

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

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“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

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