Sport has a way of revealing who we are and who God is in the rawest moments. Wins and losses, injuries, comebacks, late night prayers in empty gyms… this is where I share real stories of how faith showed up when it mattered most. Some are mine. Some are from others. All of them remind me that God doesn’t sit on the sidelines. He’s in the game with us.
December 8, 2025
Leading From Character, Not Ego
Teams thrive when leaders act from character, not ego. Moses shows that the most powerful leadership is grounded in service stepping forward for the sake of others, working hard without seeking attention, and doing what is right even when it is difficult.
“Trustworthy… and those who hate dishonest gain.” — Exodus 18:21
This is the kind of leadership that inspires. The kind that builds culture. The kind that lasts.
Today, lead with purpose. Lead with honour. Lead with strength that serves.
December 6, 2025
Leadership That Steps Forward
David teaches us that selfless leaders step forward when others step back. They protect their team, their mission, and their integrity.
“The battle is the Lord’s.”
Lead with courage. Lead with compassion. Lead with a protector’s heart.
December 5, 2025
The Quiet Work That Builds Champions
True champions are formed long before anyone is watching. Nehemiah’s unwavering work teaches athletes that honour is not a moment, it is a lifestyle.
“I am doing a great work and cannot come down.”
Focus. Commit. Build with honour.
December 4, 2025
A Foundation That Carries You Forward
Commitment builds confidence. Courage builds momentum. When these two qualities combine, an athlete becomes resilient.
Joshua teaches us that courage is not loud, it is consistent. It is the daily choice to trust, work, and continue.
“Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God is with you.”
November 22, 2025
Leadership That Leaves a Legacy
Shepherd style leadership doesn’t always get applause, but it always builds legacy.
It creates trust.
It strengthens teams.
It transforms environments.
The Good Shepherd shows us that leadership isn’t measured by how many follow you, but by how well you serve those around you.
“I am the good shepherd… I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” — John 10:11,14
When athletes lead with care, they change the tone of the locker room. When coaches lead with compassion, they change the culture of the team. When believers lead with love, they change the world around them.
Lead today with a shepherd’s heart steady, caring, and courageous.
November 21, 2025
Playing With Peace, Not Panic
Competing with peace doesn’t mean you stop caring, it means you stop carrying what was never meant to be yours. You don’t carry fear. You don’t carry other people’s expectations. You don’t carry yesterday’s mistakes.
When Jesus says, “My peace I give you,” He offers the kind of inner stability that pressure can’t steal. And that kind of peace makes you a better teammate, a stronger competitor, and a more grounded leader.
Play today with a steady heart. Play from peace, not panic. When you do, you’ll find that you perform with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose.
“Peace I leave with you… My peace I give you.” — John 14:27
November 13, 2025
Competing from Peace, Not Pressure
Athletes often hear, “Stay focused on what you can control.” But faith teaches something deeper, “Stay connected to the One who controls it all.”
When you remain in the vine, your identity is no longer fragile. Wins and losses can’t shake you because your roots run deeper than the surface. You begin to compete from peace instead of pressure. You start to play not to prove something, but to express something the strength that already lives in you.
The best athletes, like the best believers, are those who stay connected. They know where their source is. They know where the fruit comes from.
November 9, 2025
Competing with Eternal Perspective
In sport, as in faith, the scoreboard doesn’t tell the whole story. Some of your greatest victories will never make headlines the moments of perseverance, humility, forgiveness, and courage known only to you and God.
When you seek the Kingdom first, you begin to see competition differently. Winning becomes a byproduct of discipline, not an obsession. Your peace no longer depends on outcomes, because your purpose stands firm in something eternal.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” Matthew 6:34
Seek first what lasts and you’ll find that every other part of your life begins to align in quiet, powerful order.
November 8, 2025
What You Build Lasts Beyond You
In the end, faith and sport share a common truth: both are about what endures. Trophies fade, headlines disappear, but integrity, humility, and love remain. Every practice, every choice, every act of mentorship adds to the structure of your character.
Storms will come fatigue, doubt, loss, but those who build on faith will stand firm. Your foundation is your legacy. Build wisely, build faithfully, and let others find shelter in the strength you’ve built through God.
“When the rain fell and the floods came, the house did not fall.” — Matthew 7:25
October 26, 2025
Living Your Example
Athletes, coaches, and leaders shape culture through small, consistent acts. Being salt and light is not about grand gestures, but about everyday decisions: lifting a teammate, encouraging effort, playing fairly, and honoring your word. Your influence spreads beyond the court, field, or arena it reaches families, peers, and the wider community.
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16
Remember, impact is never accidental. It is intentional, faithful, and grounded in integrity. Be the presence that makes a difference.
October 19, 2025
The Calm Between Plays
Every athlete learns that games are won in the pauses in those moments between plays when focus, composure, and trust return. Life is the same. We all face noise, conflict, and expectation, but grace gives us the ability to find clarity when the world demands reaction.
Pressure will always come. What defines you is not whether you feel it, but whether you let it consume you or refine you. When you respond with grace calm, humility, and faith you don’t just win the game; you elevate it.
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14
October 13, 2025
Seeing Victory Before It Arrives
Champions are built in the unseen hours in prayer, in planning, in persistence. Faith allows us to play the long game with peace, knowing that every small step contributes to something eternal. The scoreboard may not always show progress, but the soul does. Vision teaches us to celebrate the journey, not just the result.
Just as a coach draws the play before the game begins, so must each of us learn to draw the outline of our lives with clarity and faith. The game of life demands not only strength and skill but also spiritual sight the kind that sees victory even when the outcome is still in God’s hands.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7
October 12, 2025
“Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self control than one who takes a city.”
In sport and in life, patience and self control often determine the outcome more than raw power or speed. True victory begins within in the ability to remain centered, disciplined, and faithful when the game is at its hardest.
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
October 8, 2025
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”
Athletes know fatigue but faith transforms it. Waiting on the Lord isn’t standing still; it’s trusting the unseen conditioning happening within. Whether you’re rebuilding after loss or restarting your goals, remember: the game is not over it’s simply beginning again with stronger purpose.
October 5, 2025
The Ground We Stand On
The field, the court, the rink all are equal ground. The scoreboard fades, but character remains. Humility is what roots you when the spotlight fades and the noise stops. It’s the soil from which endurance, leadership, and peace grow. Remember: the higher you rise, the deeper your roots must go.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.” — 1 Peter 5:6
September 28, 2025
Sportsmanship Above All
In 2012, Kenyan runner Abel Mutai was just meters from winning a race when he slowed down, confused about where the finish line was. Behind him, Spanish runner Iván Fernández could have taken advantage and passed him. Instead, Fernández shouted for Mutai to keep running and even guided him forward so he would win the race he had led all along.
That act of integrity stunned the sports world. It was a reminder that real victory isn’t about beating others at all costs, but honoring fairness and respect. Micah 6:8 captures it: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
September 27, 2025
The Bigger Picture
In 2006, the Italian soccer player Fabio Grosso scored the decisive penalty kick in the World Cup final. While the nation celebrated, Grosso fell to his knees, overwhelmed, pointing to the sky in gratitude. His celebration wasn’t about glory, but about acknowledging something greater than himself.
Sports can teach us that life is bigger than the scoreboard. Our victories, small or large, point us back to the One who gives us strength. Philippians 4:13 says it simply: “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”
September 22, 2025
When Love Defines Victory
In 2019, tennis legend Naomi Osaka won the Australian Open. After defeating Petra Kvitová, Osaka comforted her opponent, who had just come back from surviving a brutal attack and rebuilding her career. Instead of rushing to celebrate, Osaka paused, embraced Kvitová, and offered love in the middle of her own triumph.
That moment reminded the world: true faith in the game is not about crushing opponents, but honoring their humanity.
1 Corinthians 13:4 reminds us: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
September 21, 2025
Playing for a Greater Purpose
Sports often get reduced to scores, stats, and standings. But faith in the game means recognizing that every moment whether it’s a pass, a timeout, or even sitting on the bench carries meaning.
Colossians 3:23 says: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” When athletes root their effort in something greater than themselves, every game becomes a form of worship, and every play becomes sacred.
September 19, 2025
Humility in Victory and Defeat
Wins feel amazing, but they don’t define who we are. Losses sting, but they don’t destroy who we are. Humility keeps our feet on solid ground in both moments.
Micah 6:8 says: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
The athlete who plays with humility wins something far greater than medals or trophies: respect, integrity, and the chance to reflect God’s character in every situation.
September 18, 2025
Competing with Purpose
There’s always a deeper “why” behind playing. For some, it’s chasing scholarships; for others, it’s representing their community. But faith invites us to compete for something even greater. Colossians 3:23 reminds us: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
This doesn’t mean ignoring competition or ambition it means reframing it. Every game becomes more than a contest; it becomes worship. Every practice becomes an offering. Every sacrifice, every ounce of discipline, every moment of perseverance all of it becomes part of a bigger story.
September 14, 2025
Faith in the Unseen Future
Athletes constantly step into unknowns, a game outcome, an injury recovery, or even what comes after retirement. Life is no different. The future is uncertain, but faith gives us courage to move forward anyway. Think about Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner from Chariots of Fire.
He chose to honor his faith above fame, refusing to run his best event on a Sunday. Many thought he threw away his chance yet he went on to win gold in another event. His story proves that trusting God with the unseen is never wasted.
September 12, 2025
Hope Beyond the Game
Every sport has its end. The buzzer sounds, the season closes, the jersey is eventually hung up. But the lessons learned live on. Former NFL player Warrick Dunn, who lost his mother as a teenager, used his career not only to excel on the field but also to build homes for single parent families through his foundation.
His legacy reminds us that sports are not the end but a platform. Paul writes in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him.” The ultimate victory is not trophies, but lives touched through the hope we carry forward.
September 9, 2025
Hope in Darkness
In 2010, the world held its breath as 33 Chilean miners were trapped nearly half a mile underground for 69 days. Conditions were unbearable darkness, heat, fear, and the uncertainty of survival. Yet amid the chaos, many of the miners prayed daily, clinging to hope. When the last man finally emerged from the rescue capsule, he wore a shirt that read: “Gracias Señor” (Thank you Lord).
What struck people most wasn’t just their survival, but their testimony of faith. Several of the miners said they had never prayed so much in their lives and that they felt God’s presence in that darkness. It was a reminder that sometimes, the deepest valleys are where faith is refined.
John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” The miners’ story reflects that verse perfectly. Even in the deepest pit, where hope should have died, faith carried them through.
For us, whether it’s a tough season in sports, leadership, or personal struggles, this story teaches that light is never fully gone. We may be trapped in a moment, but God’s light still finds a way in.
September 6, 2025
True Victory
Sports often define success by championships, medals, or records. But real victory is found in how we carry ourselves in the process.
A powerful example came during the 2018 World Cup. After Japan’s heartbreaking elimination by Belgium, their players didn’t storm off the field or sulk in defeat. Instead, they went back to their locker room, cleaned it spotless, and left a handwritten note of thanks in Russian. That simple act of humility and gratitude made global headlines. They lost the match, but they won the world’s respect.
Faith in the game means realizing that competition is about more than performance it’s about leaving a mark of kindness, integrity, and respect. It’s about showing the world what character looks like under pressure.
Paul captures this beautifully in Philippians 2:3–4: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.”
In the end, true victory is not measured by the scoreboard, but by how faithfully we live out our values, even when the world is watching most closely.
August 31, 2025
Joy Beyond Winning
In 2021, Afghanistan fell back under Taliban control. For Afghan women, especially athletes, this meant a return to fear and silencing. Zakia Khudadadi, a taekwondo athlete, had trained her whole life to compete on the world stage, but after the Taliban takeover, she was trapped at home and feared her dream was over.
With international support, she was able to escape and made it to the Tokyo Paralympics. She didn’t win a medal in fact, her results barely made headlines. But the courage it took to simply step into the arena was more powerful than gold. For millions of Afghan women watching, her presence was proof that their voices and bodies could not be erased.
Her story reminds us that success isn’t always measured by a scoreboard. Sometimes, the greatest victory is simply showing up when the world tells you not to. True joy comes not only from achievement, but from courage, hope, and resilience.
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10
August 30, 2025
The Search for Peace
The search for peace is not about escaping conflict but about carrying calm within it. In competition, pressure rises, emotions run high, and the outcome feels decisive. Yet peace comes when identity is no longer tied to winning or losing.
To carry peace is to play, work, and live with freedom. It is to give your best, knowing that the result does not diminish your worth. It is to strive without being enslaved by the scoreboard. Peace allows you to compete harder, with clearer focus, because nothing is at risk of being lost within yourself.
August 29, 2025
Lessons Learned
One of the hardest lessons in both sport and faith is this: you can give your very best and still lose. Without peace, those moments crush you. With peace, those moments shape you. Peace in competition means understanding that the scoreboard doesn’t define your worth. Victory may bring joy, and defeat may bring pain, but neither changes your identity.
When you play or live with peace, you compete freely. You no longer carry the heavy backpack of fear or insecurity. You move with clarity, confidence, and purpose. The outcome matters, but it does not own you.
August 28, 2025
Terry Fox’s Enduring Legacy
Every Canadian knows the story of Terry Fox, but it never loses its power. When he dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean to begin his Marathon of Hope, few people believed he could make it beyond a few days. Instead, he ran 5,373 kilometers in 143 days, raising awareness and uniting a country. What struck people most wasn’t just his effort it was his peace. His calm, determined spirit inspired hope far beyond sport.
That peace is what Philippians 4:7 calls “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding.” Terry’s run wasn’t about winning a race; it was about showing that even in pain, there can be joy, purpose, and strength that outlives us.
August 25, 2025
The Marathon of Terry Fox
No story captures peace within struggle like Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. Running a marathon a day on one leg after losing the other to cancer, Terry didn’t just run he inspired a nation. People described his presence as calm, focused, and filled with quiet strength. His run wasn’t about medals but about giving others hope.
Philippians 4:7 describes a peace “which transcends all understanding.” Terry embodied that. His journey showed that sport, when fueled by purpose, becomes more than competition it becomes a source of unity and healing.
August 24, 2025
Playing with Freedom
When Usain Bolt stepped onto the track, the world expected perfection. Every Olympic Games, every championship, all eyes were on him. And yet, he carried himself with joy. Before races, he laughed, joked, and even danced. While others tightened up under the pressure, Bolt loosened up. That was his secret he ran not just with speed, but with freedom.
There’s a lesson here for anyone chasing big goals. Pressure has a way of stealing joy, of making us forget why we started in the first place. Bolt’s smile reminds us that peace doesn’t come from the absence of expectation, but from knowing you’ve prepared, you’ve worked, and now you can simply enjoy the moment.
I once read that athletes who play with peace are the most dangerous because they are not afraid to fail. They compete freely, unburdened by fear. That’s something worth carrying into life, too.
Philippians 4:7 says: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Peace isn’t about ignoring reality it’s about being grounded enough to face it with calm strength.
August 20, 2025
Redemption and Second Chances
Known as one of the most electrifying guards in NBA history, Allen Iverson also battled personal struggles, controversies, and missteps. Yet, his story has shifted over time from a misunderstood young star to a man of reflection and honesty about his past. Today, Iverson speaks often about gratitude and cherishing the people who supported him through tough times.
People are more than their mistakes. Iverson’s journey reminds us of grace that second chances can transform a legacy.
August 19, 2025
Resilience and Team Spirit
At the 1980 Winter Olympics, the U.S. men’s hockey team, made up of mostly college players, faced the seemingly invincible Soviet Union team. Against all odds, they won 4–3 in what became known as the “Miracle on Ice.” That victory wasn’t just about skill it was about unity, belief, and resilience in the face of impossible odds.
Sometimes the greatest strength of a team isn’t talent but faith in each other. The Miracle on Ice reminds us that courage and unity can make the impossible possible.
August 17, 2025
Resilience in the Face of Injustice
In 1936, Jesse Owens, an African-American track star, stepped onto the stage of the Berlin Olympics in front of Adolf Hitler, who planned to use the games as a showcase for Nazi racial ideology. Against all odds, Owens won four gold medals, proving not only his athletic brilliance but also shattering the myth of racial superiority.
But what’s often forgotten is his friendship with German long jumper Luz Long, who helped Owens adjust his run up during qualifying. Despite being from “opposing sides,” Long extended a hand of sportsmanship when it mattered most.
Owens’ victories weren’t just about speed, they were about dignity, courage, and resilience in the face of hate. His story reminds us that sport can carry messages bigger than medals. It can be a stage where truth and justice triumph over fear.
August 16, 2025
Peace in Competition
Competition can be chaotic screaming fans, pressure filled moments, and everything on the line. Yet some athletes carry a calmness that feels unshakable. One example is Roger Federer.
Teammates and rivals alike often spoke about his poise even in tense matches. He embodied peace under pressure, focusing not on fear of failure but on the joy of competing. Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
When we anchor ourselves in peace, we stop fearing outcomes. Win or lose, we’ve already won by staying grounded and true to who we are.
August 15, 2025
Growing from Defeat
The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team has dominated the sport for decades, but their journey to the 2019 World Cup win wasn’t without setbacks. In the 2016 Olympics, they were knocked out in the quarterfinals an unprecedented early exit. Critics questioned their age, style, and even their culture.
Instead of fracturing, the team used that loss as fuel. They retooled their roster, refined their style of play, and strengthened their collective mentality. By 2019, they were not just winning they were imposing their will on the world stage, defeating the Netherlands 2–0 in the final.
Their resilience echoes Galatians 6:9: “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Defeat didn’t define them it refined them.
August 12, 2025
A Lesson from the 2012 Olympics
During the 2012 Olympics, the U.S. women’s soccer team faced immense pressure after a controversial loss in the previous World Cup. Instead of letting that pain define them, they came together with a renewed sense of unity and purpose. In the gold medal match against Japan, every player left everything on the field, securing a 2-1 victory.
What stood out wasn’t just the skill it was the resilience born from disappointment. It reminded me that setbacks can either break us or bind us closer together, depending on how we respond.
August 10, 2025
When Everything Clicks
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the U.S. men’s basketball team dubbed the “Redeem Team” defeated Spain in the gold medal game. Players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade weren’t just superstars; they bought into a collective identity. Bryant, known for his scoring, made a crucial defensive stop late in the game instead of demanding the ball.
That’s the beauty of sports at its peak when personal greatness bows to collective purpose. Those moments are rare, but they’re what athletes remember for a lifetime.
August 7, 2025
A Story from the Court
Jeremy Lin, during his famous “Linsanity” run with the Knicks in 2012, said he felt anxious before every game. The pressure of carrying New York’s hopes was enormous. But he said one thing changed it: “I started to play for an audience of One.”
That shift from performance anxiety to internal peace freed him. He still played to win, but without fear of failure.
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
— Isaiah 26:3
When you let go of needing to prove something and start playing from a place of trust, the court becomes sacred. You compete not just to win but to express who you truly are.
August 5, 2025
Quiet Faith in the Spotlight
Kawhi Leonard isn’t vocal about his personal life, but in rare interviews he’s mentioned that faith and family are his foundation. What stands out isn’t what he says it’s how he carries himself. Even in the highest pressure moments like leading the Raptors to the 2019 NBA Championship he’s composed, calm, and centered.
While he rarely speaks about his beliefs, his demeanor shows something deeper. Not every faithful person needs to shout from the rooftops. Sometimes, peace is the testimony.
In a world of noise, it’s okay to be a quiet example. Faith isn’t always loud sometimes it’s simply being grounded when everything shakes.
August 4, 2025
The Unseen Whistle
A coach once told me, “Just because you hear no whistle doesn’t mean a foul didn’t happen.” That stuck with me. Not everything unfair gets called out. Not every wrong gets noticed.
In my journey across coaching, career, and life, I’ve been fouled hard by people I once trusted. But I’ve also learned this: even when the whistle is silent, God sees it all. And when you trust that truth, you can keep playing the game without needing revenge.
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” – Exodus 14:14
That verse isn’t a call to be passive, it’s a call to trust deeply. Let your focus stay on what you’re building, not who’s trying to tear you down.
August 3, 2025
Why They Stayed
In the early 2000s, a coach in rural Alberta was known for building powerhouse girls’ volleyball teams not just with talent, but with character and trust. Players from struggling homes, new immigrants, and rural farms joined together each year and stayed loyal not for trophies, but for belonging.
One former athlete said:
“We didn’t just win, we felt like we mattered.”
That story reminds us of Isaiah 58:
“You will be called the Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”
A good coach teaches skills. A great one heals the soul. And whether we’re coaching, leading, or serving our impact isn’t always seen on the scoreboard.
August 2, 2025
Living Mission, Not Just Medals
Rod Alm, chaplain with Athletes in Action Canada and UBC varsity teams, has spent four decades mentoring athletes through sport and life.
Rod’s story is one of theological integration: he encourages athletes not only to compete but to serve. His oldest mentees include national champions and world class athletes but the focus is always calling above career.
As Dave Klassen (AIA National Director) shared:
“The world of sport has no answer for our need to find love, purpose and meaning… the hope we have in Christ does not remove pain but provides peace in it.”
True game time ministry isn’t about performance it’s about purpose. It’s faith lived out through humility, presence, and lasting influence.
August 1, 2025
Choosing Compassion Over Contract
In July 2020, Duvernay Tardif became the first NFL player to skip a full season for personal convictions. He chose unpaid medical work over a multimillion dollar contract.
His choice wasn’t spectacle it was sacrifice. He returned to a long‑term care home, changed bedpans, comforted residents, all while being a symbol of humility and service.
“Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” – Philippians 2:4
He competed at the highest level off the field and won lives, not trophies.
July 30, 2025
The Other Side of Winning
Christine Sinclair, Canada’s all time leading soccer scorer, has always been known not just for her skill, but for her humility.
After winning gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she didn’t center herself in the media spotlight. Instead, she highlighted her teammates and talked about the joy of seeing younger players step up.
She leads by example. She prays quietly. She listens more than she talks. She thanks trainers, stadium staff, ball kids.
“Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.” – Luke 22:26
She shows that greatness isn’t just about goals scored but about character lived out.
July 28, 2025
Mindset of Gold
Rosie MacLennan is Canada’s only double Olympic gold medalist in trampoline. Leading up to the 2016 Rio Olympics, she suffered a serious concussion. For months, she couldn’t train. She couldn’t even walk in a straight line.
But Rosie didn’t give up. She journaled, leaned on family, and even reflected on Scripture. One verse she shared later was:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid… for the Lord your God goes with you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6
She came back not just to compete but to win gold again. Her story isn’t just about physical strength, it’s about faith, healing, and humility.
July 27, 2025
Man in Motion
Rick Hansen, a Paralympian from Port Alberni, BC, transformed personal tragedy into global mission in a way few have ever done.
At age 15, a severe accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. But Rick didn’t retreat. Instead, he became a national athletic champion in wheelchair racing, winning multiple Paralympic medals and world championships. Then from 1985–1987, he launched the groundbreaking “Man in Motion World Tour,” rolling over 40,000 km across 34 countries to promote accessibility and raise funds for spinal cord injury research.
Rick’s story is not about overcoming limitations it’s redefining them.
He said once:
“It’s not the wheels you use, it’s the heart you choose.”
He made sport a platform not for individual glory, but for public service and spiritual witness. His efforts helped spark national shifts in disability inclusion laws in Canada and around the world.
Rick’s “race” wasn’t against other athletes it was for social impact, justice, and dignity. And he framed it all as a calling beyond himself.
July 24, 2025
Identity Over Medal
Ness Murby transitioned from representing Australia to Canada in paraathletics. Losing sight during teen years, competing in discus and javelin Murby pushed past internal doubts and external expectations.
He speaks openly about wrestling with identity, depression, and purpose but ultimately choosing to see himself not through ability, but through belonging and worth. His victories reflect resilience grounded in faith, identity, and authenticity.
“I am enough, not because of what I do, but who I am.”
Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things…” not because we are flawless, but because we are grounded in deeper strength.
July 23, 2025
Pride Before the Fall
Cordano Russell, a 19 year old Canadian Olympic skateboarder, captured hearts at Paris 2024 by finishing first, but by how he carried himself after failure.
Just before his Olympic heats, live on TV, Russell shouted, “Jesus is King!” He faced two hard falls during competition and finished seventh. Rather than retreating in shame, he said:
“When you fall, you build perseverance… I know where my true identity is, and that is in the Lord.”
Instead of hiding his faith after defeat, he stood firm. His posture wasn’t just about spiritual conviction, it echoed a deeper lesson: your identity isn’t defined by success or failure, but by something unchanging.
July 21, 2025
The Game They Almost Gave Up
There’s a team from a small Canadian university that almost dropped their entire women’s basketball program due to lack of funding and leadership. But one assistant coach stayed behind. She worked unpaid, gathered players, held optional practices, and just kept going. That team didn’t win a championship but five years later, four of those players are now coaches and mentors themselves.
They didn’t win a trophy. But they built something deeper legacy.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23
Sometimes the real wins don’t come with rings. They come with ripple effects.
July 20, 2025
Miracles in the Quiet
Legendary figure skater Scott Hamilton has overcome more than just athletic challenges surviving testicular cancer and three benign brain tumors. He’s been through surgeries, setbacks, and moments when surrender felt safer than striving.
When a tumor shrank by 45% without treatment, his surgeon credited it to something outside medicine. Hamilton responded, “God.” That moment became a turning point his faith ignited not because he felt stronger, but because he felt held.
He later said, “Scars are stronger than the tissue that replaced them.” Hamilton didn’t lose strength in adversity he found new depth, and an enduring peace.
July 19, 2025
When Truth Costs You More Than Silence
There’s a fine line between support and silence and sometimes that line breaks right where honesty begins.
I’ve been in situations where I supported someone fully gave them opportunities, encouragement, and time and then spoke the truth they didn’t want to hear. Not out of frustration. Out of care. Out of responsibility.
And the response? Distance. Accusation. Words turned upside down.
It stung. Not because I needed to be right. But because I thought the relationship could carry honesty.
What I learned was this, some people aren’t ready for truth, especially when it asks them to confront their own reflection.
But that doesn’t mean we stop speaking.
Ephesians 4:15 says to “speak the truth in love.” It doesn’t say everyone will receive it. It says to speak it anyway, and to do so with love not ego, not control.
As a coach, as a chaplain, as a human you won’t always be understood. But be steady. Say what matters with grace. And then step back and let people grow on their own terms.
Sometimes, letting go is the greatest form of love.
July 18, 2025
When the Team Moves as One
It’s hard to describe what true peace feels like on the court. It’s not just about winning. It’s about those rare moments when everything clicks when every player is locked in, moving together, sacrificing for each other, breathing in rhythm.
I’ve lived those moments. And it wasn’t the scoreboard I remember it was the unity. The eye contact. The trust. The quiet understanding that we were in this together.
Isaiah 11 talks about a time when “the wolf will live with the lamb… and a little child will lead them.” That kind of harmony isn’t just for the future it’s possible here, even for a moment, even in sport.
When that happens on the court, you feel it. And that feeling… it stays with you long after the final buzzer.
July 17, 2025
When the Lights Go Out
It was a high school playoff game in Texas, a packed gym, loud crowd, state semifinals. One of the team’s captains, a senior guard, had worked for four years for this moment. And just minutes into the second quarter, she went down with a torn ACL.
You could hear the silence hit the building.
Her teammates huddled around her. Some cried. She gritted her teeth to hold it in. The coach crouched next to her not barking plays or promising she’d be okay but just said softly, “We’ve got you. We’re here.” No big prayer circle. No false comfort. Just presence.
That moment stuck with me. Because sometimes the greatest act of faith isn’t in the comeback, it’s in the breakdown. It’s in how a team holds space for one another when someone falls.
We all want the win. But sometimes, the most spiritual thing we witness in sport is what happens when the scoreboard doesn’t matter when someone is broken, and nobody turns away.
That’s where God shows up. In the pain. In the quiet. In the arms that carry someone off the court.
July 16, 2025
The Hug After the Win
There are wins, and then there are moments inside those wins. Not about the scoreboard. Not about the medal. But about what that victory meant when everything else in life felt uncertain.
There were two moments, two championship games where joy overwhelmed me. The final whistle, the confetti, the team yelling in celebration and me, scanning the crowd, finding the one person I wanted to share that with.
I ran, and I hugged. It was instinct. Raw. That moment was pure. It was what success felt like when it had someone to land on. That kind of emotional release one that says, “We made it. Together”, that’s sacred.
Years later, life has changed. People change. Some who were there are no longer part of my journey. But the memory still holds weight, not because of who was in it, but because of how deeply present I was in that moment. That was faith, too, unspoken, but felt.
July 15, 2025
The Moments That Break You
There’s a different kind of silence that falls over a gym when an athlete goes down. It’s not like a turnover or a missed shot. It’s heavier. Colder. And as a coach, I’ve lived those moments too many times kneeling beside a player who just suffered an injury that could change everything for them.
I remember their eyes most. Not the pain but the shock. The fear of the unknown. And I remember my own helplessness too. Coaches are supposed to have answers. Plans. But in those moments, all I could do was hold their hand, try to steady my voice, and let them know I was there.
And honestly, that still didn’t feel like enough.
But looking back, I realize something: presence matters. Even when you can’t fix it. Even when it hurts you too. That’s what faith looks like sometimes not the power to heal, but the courage to sit in the pain and not leave.
July 14, 2025
The Huddle That Changed Everything
We had just lost a close game. A tough one. You know the kind, tight all the way, but we came up short. The girls were gutted. I could feel it in the air that players were feeling defeat, disappointment, and frustration.
I gathered them in a circle. No plan. No speech. Just silence at first.
Then I said something like, “You’re more than this scoreboard. You showed fight. You stayed together. That matters.”
I don’t even know where the words came from. But I meant them. It wasn’t just about the game. I’ve coached enough to know that these athletes face pressures far beyond the court grades, family, anxiety, identity. That day, they needed to hear they were enough.
After the huddle, one player came over to me with tears in her eyes and said, “Thanks, coach. I needed that more than you know.”
That moment stayed with me. It reminded me that the game isn’t always the main thing. Sometimes it’s the doorway to something deeper. And sometimes our words when spoken with care can be a lifeline.
That’s faith. Showing up. Speaking truth. Being present.
Even if you don’t feel holy or perfect. God moves in those in-between spaces.
July 13, 2025
The Day I Knew It Wasn’t Just About Basketball
There was a game where everything went wrong. Turnovers. Arguments. Watched everything throughout the game with frustration. And when the final buzzer sounded, I sat in silence, holding back tears.
A player I had mentored quietly came over and said: “Coach, thank you for believing us throughout the year and all the positive feedback you gave to us this week to prepare for this game. I remembered it today when I wanted to snap.”
It hit me like a wave. It was never just about basketball.
That moment taught me: what you say, how you live in practice, what you model in failure that’s what shapes lives.
This section will be filled with stories like that. Some mine. Some from other athletes, coaches, and leaders who realized the court is a mission field.
Because when you play with Jesus in your heart, every game becomes sacred ground.
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