Sports were a big part of my high school and college experience at Boone High School and DMACC. I received over 14 varsity letters throughout my high school experience and broke the record for the most varsity letters earned by a female at our school. Many joyful moments came through sports, however, during my senior year of high school and freshman year of college, I became keenly aware that something was still missing in my life. I was building my life around myself, how much applause I could receive from others, and I was empty. Empty and exhausted of creating my life around what society valued rather than how God’s word directed me to live. Maybe you can relate to this. Sports, teamwork, friendships, pursuing a mutual goal, these were all exciting aspects of my life. Yet the Bible reminds us that only what is done for Christ will last. “What is your life? You are a spec that appears for a little while and then vanishes,” James 4:14. During my freshman year of college, the Lord brought me to my knees. He brought me to faith in Himself. He allowed me to experience a taste of the weight of my own sin and I could not carry shame and brokenness any longer. Jesus came to me in compassion and mercy. A new life in Christ was exactly what I longed for. But how was I to live out this new life on my college softball team? How do I truly study the word of God? How do I live in the world but not be of the world? These were all questions I wrestled with being in the college athletic environment. The same questions many college students and high school

students ask. It is a privilege to walk alongside athletes and coaches as we “look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2).