Episodes
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The Gratitude Minute
Coach Jessika Caldwell is the Assistant Athletic Director for Spiritual Formation and Girls Basketball Coach at Valor Christian High School in Colorado. Jessika was standout player at Baylor, played professionally in the Czech Republic, and was a collegiate head coach. At Valor, she’s helped lead...
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Helmut of Salvation
Helmut Hensel serves as the Director of Staff and Partner Development with Athletes in Action Canada. On first impression what really stands out about Helmut is the way he cares for people. He brings warmth, energy, humility, and a genuine desire to see others flourish. He has a gift for coming...
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Athletes in Action Canada
Roxanne Koop has served with Athletes in Action Canada for more than 20 years. Throughout her ministry, she’s invested in helping others discover what it means to follow Jesus in faith, life, and sport, serving in roles that have included university sports chaplaincy and ministry at international...
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The Hope of Filipino Basketball
Hansson Labisig is a professor of theology at University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines. Hannson is the rare theologian, maybe the only Filipino theologian, that is interested in studying the intersection of sport and Christian faith. His Doctoral work focused on Hope as a Theological Virtue…
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Under Down Under
Jake McDermott is head of health and physical education at Geneva Christian College in Tasmania and has a passion for sport and faith. An athlete himself, Jake has transitioned into teaching and research with a keen eye for how Christian faith is formed in in young people in and through sport.…
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Upward Sports and the Long Run
Travis Vaughn is one of the key leaders behind the resurgence of Upward Sports, the largest youth recreation sports ministry in the United States. Each year, more than 225,000 young athletes participate in Upward programs run locally by churches across the country. Travis is also an accomplished...
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Sport at the Service of Humanity
Philip Leopold is a strategist, connector, and longtime advocate for the power of sport to serve humanity. Philip had a very successful career sports marketing – then was drawn in by the Vatican-inspired global movement Sport at the Service of Humanity, where he now serves in a leadership position.
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Reverend John Ashley Null
John Ashley Null is a theologian and Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of North Africa. Ashley has also been longtime chaplain to elite athletes at the highest levels of sport. For over four decades—including six Olympic Games—he’s walked alongside world-class competitors, helping them navigate the...
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Impactful Coaching
Dr. Rob Ramseyer is an intentional leader of athletics. He’s the Vice President of Athletics and Strategic Expansion at Friends University in Witchita, Kansas. Alongside his athletic leadership work, Rob and Friends University golf coach Dustin Galyon recently co-founded the Impactful Coaching...
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Rise Up
Symone Abbott first turned to Jesus hoping He would make her a better volleyball player—something she now describes as selfish. That initial request eventually blossomed into a humbling and joyful, life-changing faith. A multi-sport athlete growing up, Symone played at Northwestern University...
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Rabbi on the Sidelines
Rabbi Erez Sherman is the co-senior rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles and the host of the podcast Rabbi on the Sidelines. Rabbi Sherman grew up with a deep love for sports and has spent years bringing a faith perspective to the world of athletics. He interviews athletes, coaches, managers,...
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The World Cup is Coming to North America!
The World Cup is coming to North America The Men’s FIFA World Cup arrives in North America starting in June 2026, and it’s set to be massive—with an estimated 5 billion people watching the world’s most popular sporting event. Heather Reddy and her team at Athletes in Action had a tremendous…
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Industrial Complex of Youth Sport
Authors Brian Smith and Ed Uszynski join us to discuss the world of youth sports in the United States—a cultural phenomenon that catches nearly all parents off guard as they navigate what the authors call the “Industrial Youth Sports Complex.”Drawing from their own experiences as parents of young...
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Slap Shot Faith
Dave Jones took a slap shot to the face, and it changed his life. Dave tells us how his faith and future changed after that moment, leading to a career in professional hockey, Christian marketing, sport performance psychology, and most recently, as an author.
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It’s Here!
The 4th Global Congress on Sport and Christianity is only days away! The Director of the Faith & Sports Institute and this year’s congress director Paul Putz joins us to preview the upcoming event set for July 31-August 2 at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary in Waco, TX, US.
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Global Congress FLEX!
The Female Leadership Excellence Pre-conference (FLEX) is a one-day event preceding the 4th Global Congress on Sport and Christianity on July 31, 2025. The purpose of FLEX is to provide a community for female leaders in sports to give and receive resources and encouragement. Leaders of the event...
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Play Like a Champion Today
Since her days as a gymnast and Notre Dame football cheerleader, Kristin Sheehan has been a powerful bundle of energy. For the last 20 years Kristin has been the Program Director and Co-Visionary for Play Like a Champion Today, a program designed to bring the inspirational and character building...
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Pitching Faith
Josh Lindblom grew up in Indiana and found he could throw a baseball really hard. Josh eventually played college baseball at Tennessee and Purdue, then was drafted by the Dodgers in 2008, and made his Major league debut in 2011. Josh spent 15 years in professional baseball, playing for multiple...
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Sport, Faith, and Artificial Intelligence
Are you wondering about AI and sport? We are too. Tracy Trothen is an interdisciplinary professor of ethics at Queen’s University, and she’s a long time expert on sport, technology, and ethics. Tracy is also a certified spiritual care supervisor and ordained minister, Tracy loves sports and is…
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Inspired by Excellence
Juliana Smith is the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for Mission Impact and Enrichment at Baylor University – and that’s just the start of her title. Juliana already has a long history of successful stops in sport administration roles at places like Texas Tech, and Oklahoma, and...
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Champions for Life
Kevin Washington is the Associate Athletic Director for Mission Impact and Enrichment and Athletics Chaplain at Baylor University. After a stellar college football career at Notre Dame, Kevin entered sports ministry through FCA and has served in ministry roles at a number of universities. Kevin...
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Telling the Stories of Christians in Sport
Dr Graham Daniels, a repeat guest on SFL, is a former professional footballer in the UK, and is now the General Director of Christians in Sport, an organization with the mission to reach the world of sport for Christ. Graham will be a keynote speaker at the 4th Global Congress on Sport and...
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Sport and Religion: A Good Pair
Eric Bain-Selbo is dean and religious studies scholar with a keen eye for sports. He is the co-editor of the International Journal of Sport and Religion, and for a career he has podered and written about the about the intersection of religion and sport.
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The Examined Run
Sabrina Little is a philosopher specializing in virtue ethics, moral psychology, and classical philosophy. She’s also an elite level runner and has been selected to represent the United States on five national teams. Her first book, The Examined Run, combines those two interests. Sabrina will…
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Play, Sport, and Spirit
Father Patrick Kelly is a Jesuit priest, a professor, and an absolute gem in world of Christianity and sport. He’s authored multiple books, articles and book chapters on sport and faith, and he works collaboration with Vatican offices about the topic of spirituality and sport.
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Be Third
B3rd athletics is an organization that helps coaches and athletes put God first, others second, and themselves third. Founder, Director, and Coach Tanner Field lives this out through very intentional choices and practices with his team. His highly successful teams aim for excellence, knowing that...
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The God Squad
After degrees in journalism from Cornell and Syracuse, Matt Sieger became a sports reporter for several publications on both the east and west coasts of the US. As Jewish believer in Jesus who converted later in life, Matt has been drawn to researching and writing columns about Christian…
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Baylor, Badminton, and Becoming
Isaac Lee is a badminton champion of the Arctic Winter Games, and so much more! Isaac serves as the Continuing Education Program Manager for Truett Seminary’s Sport and Faith Institute. Before coming to Truett, Isaac employed his passion for Jesus Christ, and sports as a sports ministry leader…
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The Big Three
Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic are nicknamed the Big Three of men’s tennis. Luke Helm thinks they have something to teach us. Luke has coached two nationally ranked collegiate tennis programs, is an author with graduate degrees in both theology and writing, has won a pickleball national…
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Wisdom for Life in Sports
Cindy White has been exploring and advancing the integration of sport and faith for over 40 years. Cindy is a former Division 1 athlete and coach, a camp director, chaplain, adjunct professor, and leader with Athletes in Action. Cindy specializes in identity and character formation athletes and...
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Sportsmanship and Catholic Teaching
The Catholic Church has much to teach on play and practice in sport. Dr. John Acquaviva explores Catholic theology for healthy living, body image, play, and sport on his radio show and in his writing. Today on SFL, our conversation ranges from rugby, to the sacrament of reconciliation, to the...
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The Game Changer
Dr. Brandon Crooms. Brandon is a visiting professor of Sports Management at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and has written a new devotional book titled the game changer – a Playbook of Prayer, Scripture, and Affirmations for athletes. Brandon’s research focuses on the influence of...
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2025 Global Congress on Sport and Christianity
The countdown is on! The 4th Global Congress on Sport and Christianity is about a year away, set for July 31-August 2, 2025 at Baylor University in Waco, TX. Dr. Paul Putz, Director of the Faith & Sports Institute run by Truett Seminary is leading the effort and give us a sneak peak at how […]
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Play With Purpose
Andy Dooley does it all for the Lord. He’s a fitness professional, was the face of Reebok, served a youth pastor and family mentor, and is an in game entertainment stadium host for the Seattle Seahawks. He’s also the author of a devotional for athletes entitled Lead with Faith: Play with Purpose.
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Sport Culture in Scotland
Kyle is a performance coach instructor Dordt University in Iowa, US.Kyle recently took a group of students to Scotland to explore sport and sport culture while paying close attention to the intersection of religion and sport.
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The Shot Heard Round the World
Charlotte Smith is the head women’s basketball coach at Elon University. Charlotte became instantly famous in 1994 when she made the game winning 3-pointer at the buzzer for the North Carolina Tarheels to win the NCAA National Championship. After college, Charlotte played professional basketball…
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Sport – Joy
In Galatians 5 the followers of Jesus Christ are told about 9 “fruits” that are cultivated as one walks with the Spirit. Are the Fruits of the Spirit found, nurtured, or inhibited in the cultures of sport? Brian and Chad ask these questions and more as they continue their series about the Fruits…
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Faith at the Masters
Champions of the Masters golf tournament played at August National Golf Club earn the famed green jacket and a place in history. Scottie Scheffler won the 2024 Masters in April, earning his second green jacket, and validated his number one ranking. Scottie is known to openly share his Christian...
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The Hockey Priest
Dr. Matt Hoven is one of our favorite guests on Sport Faith Life. He’s a professor at St. Joseph’s College, University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. His latest book is Hockey Priest: Father David Bauer and the Spirit of the Canadian Game.
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Sport for Development
Jon Welty Peachey is the Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Sport Management and Leadership at Gordon College. His research and practical projects focus on using sport for personal development, justice, and social change.
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Only Here For You
Andy Young grew up playing soccer, but didn’t plan on it having a big impact on his life. God had other plans. After a few years in ministry, Andy starting working as a sports chaplain, and now he is a full time chaplain working with the United States men’s national soccer team.
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Theology Finds the Good and Bad in Sport
Jay Carney is Professor of Theology and African Studies and directs the Christian Spirituality Program at Creighton, a Jesuit University. Dr. Carney writes about Catholic theology and sport and teaches specialized courses in Sport and Spirituality, where he uses theology to explore the good and…
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Sport – Pride
The seven deadly sins are a well known group of vices found within the teachings of the Christian church. These sins are often described as distortions or excessive versions of something otherwise natural to human life. Brian and Chad ask whether the practice and culture of sport foster or…
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What Sport Teaches Us
Dr. Perry Glanzer is a professor at Baylor University and the Editor-in-Chief of Christian Scholar’s Review and the widely popular Christ Animating Learning Blog. He has authored or edited more than a dozen books about religion, moral education, and faith based learning. He also likes to play...
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SFL – Self-Control
In Galatians 5 the followers of Jesus Christ are told about 9 “fruits” that are cultivated as one walks with the Spirit. Are the Fruits of the Spirit found, nurtured, or inhibited in the cultures of sport? Brian and Chad ask these questions and more as they continue their series about the Fruits…
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Sport – Greed
The seven deadly sins are a well known group of vices found within the teachings of the Christian church. These sins are often described as distortions or excessive versions of something otherwise natural to human life. Brian and Chad ask whether the practice and culture of sport foster or…
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Golden Arm
Jim Abbott was a standout Major League Baseball pitcher for 10 years. Because he was born without a right hand, Jim pitched, fielded, threw, and occasionally hit with only his left arm, one good enough to earn a gold medal, be a MLB first round draft pick, and throw a no-hitter in 1993 for the […]
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Sport – Faithfulness
In Galatians 5 the followers of Jesus Christ are told about 9 “fruits” that are cultivated as one walks with the Spirit. Are the Fruits of the Spirit found, nurtured, or inhibited in the cultures of sport? Brian and Chad ask these questions and more as they continue their series about the Fruits…
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Campus Sports Ministry
Dave Johns has served in campus and sports ministry for an incredible 45 years! Dave and his wife Barb continue in campus ministry, and with that much experience, Dave now helps AIA staff develop in their vision and ministry skills. To this day, Dave’s fire to touch the lives of athletes with...
About this show
At the intersection of sport & faith.
Hosted by
Dr. Brian R. Bolt and Dr. Chad Carlson
Categories