Failure threatened to expose Coach Scott Glabb. He slumped against the door frame of the Santa Ana High School wrestling room and watched the last of his wrestlers exit the school after practice. But could he even call it a practice? He’d wasted the first 15 minutes searching for the keys to his office after his athletes had locked him out … again. And when he’d finally gotten to the wrestling room, he’d found that half of his team was missing. Of the few who had shown up, two were set to exchange blows over allegedly stolen wrestling shoes, and one appeared to be intoxicated.

The circle on the Morehouse College football field spanned from the 10 yard-line to midfield. Locked arm-in-arm were football players, cheerleaders, coaches, administrators and volunteers from both sides of the rivalry.

Morehouse and Clark Atlanta. They’re two of Georgia’s 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities and, even more specifically, two of the four undergraduate colleges seated on a single 200-acre lot on the west end of downtown Atlanta.

Wildfires aren’t typically associated with Hawaii, but that may be about to change—just don’t expect to see actual flames consuming the palm trees and pineapples. This fire is spiritual, and it’s one that is being used by God to spread His Word across the islands, specifically through FCA and the student-athletes at the University of Hawaii.

One of LaDainian Tomlinson’s favorite verses is Luke 12:48: “...Much will be required of everyone who has been given much...” The passage, which is a direct quote from Jesus to His disciples, is one LT’s mother instilled in him when he was young and that now serves as one of his core life principles. It sits there, in the back of his mind, waiting to be recalled at any moment that he might need to explain just why he is so generous with his time and resources.

As the second-year head football coach at Clemson University, Dabo Swinney is hoping to lead the Tigers to their first ACC Championship in 19 years. After accepting Christ through FCA in high school, the Alabama native (with one of the most memorable names in college football) is focused not only on making a positive impact on the school’s record books, but also on the lives of his players and staff.
 

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding…” – Proverbs 3:5

In the Big Sky Conference, Sacramento State’s Ronald Brookins has a common, household name. Since bursting onto the track scene as a freshman, the senior hurdler and long-jumper has spent his college career rewriting the Sac State record books and garnering All-American accolades, all while leading the campus FCA Huddle and guiding his teammates and competitors closer to the Lord.

Into the first 10 years of my pro golf career, my spiritual life could be described as “just going through the motions.” I went to church growing up and knew all the right things to say, but I didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. That all changed in 1985.

Florida State University sophomore Caroline Smith made an immediate splash with the Seminole swimming team when, as a freshman, she set the school record in the 500-yard freestyle. Even more impressive was the fact that she did so while turning in a stellar classroom performance, earning ACC Honor Roll honors and a 4.0 GPA. Still, as member of FSU’s FCA leadership team, Smith knows the records and honors are blessings from the Lord, whom she joyfully worships both in and out of the pool.

"Age is nothing but a number."

This year’s NFL postseason has proven just that. The league’s oldest (Brett Favre, 40) and youngest (Mark Sanchez, 23) quarterbacks competed for the chance to stand toe-to-toe in Miami at Super Bowl XLIV. But even though both the Jets and Vikings lost their respective conference championships, we will still be watching history unfold on February 7, 2010.

As a hardened 19-year-old, FCA’s Chette Williams found hitting rock bottom a shattering experience. After previously committing himself to three goals — get a college degree, play football and make Mama proud — being told by the Auburn football coach, “You’re a problem ... It’s time for you to move on,” left Williams seemingly with nothing left to live for. With nowhere else to turn, Williams opened his Bible.

Now, 23 years after he last suited up for the Tigers, Williams is serving as chaplain of the Auburn football team while working as both the school’s FCA campus director and the state of Alabama’s director for urban ministries.

Identity. We all search for it. We all find it — whether we know it or not. And how we choose to define ourselves can and will determine the quality of our lives. If the foundation of our identity is unstable, we will live unstable lives. If, however, our identity is rooted in something constant and unshakable, we will find ourselves the same.

The empty beer cans and litter strewn across the field were the least of Patty Gasso’s concerns. When Gasso took over as the University of Oklahoma’s softball coach in October 1994, the program was in disarray. Her predecessor had been acting on an interim basis because the previous coach had resigned for health concerns. Some players rebelled, skipping the fall training period because they had wanted an assistant coach to get the head job.