Washington Union High School (WUHS) Cheer Coach Salina Diaz sighed deeply as she headed toward the gym to talk with her squad. She knew it wouldn’t be a happy meeting — not with the news she had to share.

Go to any random Facebook profile, and in less than a minute you can draw multiple conclusions about a person. Without even scrolling down, you can get their political views, relationship status and their feelings at that exact moment. If you do choose to look over the entire page, there’s almost no end to the information you will find: their favorite drink, the places they’ve been, their favorite quotes ... Really anything they’ve chosen to make public, which, for some, leaves little to the imagination.

Brian Roberts knows how hard it is to move on from a mistake. He’s reminded of it every time he sits down for an interview.

If you’re one of the few who missed it all, here’s a quick recap: On December 13, 2007, former Senator George Mitchell held a press conference to unveil his now-infamous Mitchell Report: a 409-page document, based on a 20-month investigation, which accused nearly 100 ballplayers of using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.

Among the names appearing on the list was that of Roberts.

He can still feel it when it storms. The occasional tingling in the right side of his face whenever the thunder rolls through Atlanta. That’s where the 95 mph fastball smashed into his cheekbone as he was squaring around to bunt in what should have been his final at-bat for the Class-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Jeff Francoeur won’t forget that day.

Texas Tech Head Women’s Basketball Coach Kristy Curry didn’t have to wait long for coaching success. Before taking over the program in Lubbock in 2006, Curry led the Purdue Boilermakers all the way to the 2001 NCAA National Championship game in her second season as a head coach and, in doing so, became only the second head coach in NCAA history to reach the title game so early in her career. Now 10 years later and five states to the south, Curry is pursuing more championships on the court while also investing in the spiritual lives of athletes via the school’s FCA Huddle.

When Scott Drew took over as the head men’s basketball coach at Baylor in 2003, the program was mired in controversy. But Drew didn’t shy away from the rebuilding process. Instead, he put into action the basketball and spiritual lessons he’d learned from his father, respected Valparaiso University Head Coach, Homer Drew. Now eight seasons into the job and the turmoil a distant memory, the oldest of the Drew children is looking to lead the Bears to another NCAA Tournament run and develop excellent men of faith in the process.

“When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been there a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to get well?’” – John 5:6

I have to be honest. As Americans, most of us are like stagnant ponds: We don’t move very much, and our health stinks.

It’s sad, but true, and it’s a lifestyle that goes against the one God intended for us. Instead of putrid ponds, I believe He created us to resemble lively, running rivers.

Seven to 8 million Americans hold multiple jobs. That’s nothing special. But how many of those millions can say that they suit up in NFL pads to clock in for their first job and in scrubs for their second? Probably only one: Samkon Gado.

Chosen Attribute: Courage

Dictionary definition: “The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger or pain without fear.”

My definition: “Confidence in the sovereignty of God in seemingly impossible or unachievable circumstances, coupled with the awareness that He is engaged in the process and ultimately responsible for the outcome.”
 

Last summer I was blessed with the experience of going to FCA Captain’s Camp at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Ga. I had been involved in FCA since middle school, but I had never been to any sort of camp, so I had no idea what the experience would hold.

It's an ordinary Wednesday afternoon at Miami's Ghoulds Park where, under the watchful eye of FCA's Noah Wilbanks, a group of street-savvy football prospects race through a series of drills hoping to catch the eyes of college football coaches from across the nation.

These aren't your typical blue-chippers. Some are teenagers, others are in their mid-20's, but all are pushing themselves through the oppressive South Florida heat alongside campmates of different ethnicities and from others parts of town.

Nate Lewis, FCA area representative for Western Nebraska, was riding in a school bus full of high school students headed to an FCA event last year when he glanced back to see what the kids were up to.
 
 

As his eyes scanned the seats filled with laughing, talking teenagers, one stood out. “He was sitting there on the bus, reading his Bible with his FCA Bible reading plan in his lap,” Lewis said. “I didn’t say a word. I just shook my head and praised the Lord for the work He does in lives.”