Seven-footers stand out in a crowd. Wichita State junior Garrett Stutz has understood that for several years now, and it’s something his basketball opponents have to deal with every time they take the floor against the Shockers. Last season, the Kansas City, Mo., native hit his stride on the court, closing the season by earning All-Tournament honors in the MVC Tournament. This season, Stutz is working on cultivating a spiritual stature that rivals his physical frame as part of the FCA leadership team at WSU.

My faith story begins like many others with my parents taking our family to church when we were kids. As I got involved at our church, youth group and FCA, my faith began to take root. I attended my first FCA Camp in eighth grade and went every summer through my senior year in high school. FCA perfectly blended my faith and my love for sports. I’d started playing golf when I was just 3 years old and had continued to play it, along with other sports, throughout high school.

“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)

The Olympic Games are so inspiring to me. There’s something incredible about the Olympic Spirit—the athletes’ internal quest for greatness and their desire to push themselves—body, mind and soul—to the limit.

Terraceena Green limped to the stage. It was "open mic" time during the final night of the 2008 FCA Black Mountain Girls Camp, and she had a story to tell.

The room — filled with hundreds of other campers, Huddle Leaders and adults — fell silent. Some had gotten to know 17-year-old Terraceena, or "TT," earlier that week. Many had not. But almost all of them had noticed something different about her.

It’s common for college athletes to build long-lasting relationships with their teammates and coaches—connections that last years after graduation. But for three members of the Purdue University women’s basketball program, a shared passion for FCA and international missions has drawn them even closer, helping them form spiritual bonds that will last into eternity.

It was the first FCA meeting of my freshman year. A couple of weeks had gone by since the beginning of school, and I had yet to find a group—not a good way to start off high school. I felt left out. I felt like an outcast. For years, people targeted me as the brunt of all the jokes, whether because of my size or my lack of athleticism. But that night... That night changed me for the better.
 

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you…” – James 4:8

Last season, TCU Head Baseball Coach Jim Schlossnagle was honored by the NCBWA as college baseball’s coach of the year after leading the Horned Frogs to their first College World Series. With plenty of postseason experience under his belt, Schlossnagle is hoping to lead his team to Omaha again this season, and, even more importantly, impact lives for Christ in the process.

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” — Proverbs 6:6-8 (NIV)

“Inconsistency is the only thing in which men are consistent.” — Horace Smith

Consistency leads to continuous forward progress. It’s defined by being steady, reliable and persistent. Inconsistency, on the other hand, is the enemy of excellence. It takes shortcuts and makes excuses. It results in a lack of progress and improvement. One step forward, two steps back. For many, this defines their health journey.

Prior to the 1999 Major League Draft, Josh Hamilton was considered a prospect with all the tools. A 6’4” southpaw who could both stun hitters from the mound with his 96-mph fastball and shame pitchers from the plate with his bat speed of 110 mph, Hamilton had incalculable potential in the game. He held the world of baseball at his fingertips.
 
 

Last year I wrote an article about how portion sizes have grown significantly during the past 30 years. I mentioned that common foods like bagels, hamburgers, french fries, pizzas and steaks have doubled and sometimes tripled in size and number of calories. It seems that, like Elisha, we always want more. Yet, while Elisha sought more spiritual power so he could speak courageously to God’s people and lead them in God’s ways, we often seek bigger portions of food to satisfy our physical and even emotional hunger.

In the 1970s, Swiss biologist Hermann Brandt created a game called tchoukball (pronounced “chook-ball”)—a teamwork-heavy mashup of more well-known sports, including volleyball, jai alai and handball. The goal was to allow players of all ages and walks of life to experience the thrill of competition without the aggressiveness and violence that commonly permeates athletic events.

Four decades later, tchoukball has increased so much in popularity that it now boasts junior, women’s and men’s world championships at the international level. And today, it is helping a passionate group of FCA International missionaries and partners in the Philippines reach athletes and coaches for Christ and share a love that transcends creed, culture and competition.