Christians In Sport

Over 9 million people play sport each week and millions more watch and talk about sport regularly. At the start of one of the biggest sporting summers in history, we sit down with missiologist and evangelist Phil Knox, to discuss six ways people come to faith today, and how we can make the most of this summer of sport to share the good news of Jesus. Thanks to the Evangelical Alliance for partnering with us to make this podcast, find out more about the Evangelical Alliance

This year's Mental Health Awareness Week is themed around movement, including sport and this week we have a special episode with Heather Lewis, project manager at the Mental Health Foundation. Alongside her work, Heather has a specific academic interest in elite sport, having completed a Master's at St. Mary's Twickenham on mental health within a Rugby World Cup context. The Mental Health Foundation is there for people of all faiths and none, this conversation includes Heather's reflections on her personal faith and how that plays out in her work, sport and research. Find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week

Jason Romano is the Director of Media with Sports Spectrum and the host of the popular Sports Spectrum Podcast – probably the most popular sports and faith podcast and blog globally. For 17 years, he was an Emmy-Award winning Producer and Senior Manager at ESPN. He has created and produced content for shows such as SportsCenter, NFL LIVE, Mike and Mike in the Morning, Sunday NFL Countdown, College Gameday, Outside the Lines, MLB’s All Star Game and many more. Listen for how Jason's reflections on thousands of conversations with top-level Christian athletes across many different sports. (0:00) Intro and Jason's bio (2:55) How did you get into sports broadcasting (6:23) How did faith fit with a career in broadcasting at ESPN? (10:53) How did you see sport and faith fitting together specifically? (15:06) How hard was it to leave ESPN to work for Sports Spectrum? (21:35) What do pro-athletes say when they speak of their faith? (26:33) Is it becoming more acceptable to speak about faith for elite athletes now?

Gill's story as a Christian, mother and marathon runner is inspiring. Taking up marathon running in 2011, Gill progressed to a personal best of 2:53:22 in 2016, all while working and more recently becoming a mum. Listen for how Gill's identity in Christ is game-changing for her sport, church, to family life. (0:00) Intro and Jan's bio (1:30) What does it mean to have your sport and faith connected? (3:16) How Gill got into running marathons (5:52) Running highlights, and challenges so far (9:35) How does Gill balance running, work, church and family life? (13:53) What's it like to share faith with other runners? (17:21) Is it hard for people in church to understand your commitment to running? (20:21) Positive changes and possible pitfalls for women's running as the sport evolves. (26:33) Coming back to running after pregnancy (30:51) Has running shaped your faith? (33:57) Outro

On nights out the best opportunity to chat may well be outside in the smoking area, away from the noise and where it’s natural to have a deeper conversation. So, should you smoke on a night out to have gospel conversations with your teammates? (0:00) Intro (0:22) Today's question (0:53) We're called to share our faith (1:40) Permittable vs beneficial (2:42) Temple bodies (3:19) Damaged bodies (4:59) What can you do when the smoking conundrum arises? (7:17) Conclusion

Jan is a former long track and marathon speed skater, now working for Next Move Sports Ministries in the Netherlands. Jan decided to retire from skating at 22 because he struggled to connect his Christian faith with his passion for sport, yet now he helps top-level athletes to think through how they can combine faith in Christ with competing at the top level of sport.  Listen to find out how Jan's perspective shifted as he worked through what it means to be a Christian and a sportsperson. Find out more about Next Move Sports Ministries

John Bostock debuted for Crystal Palace at just 15 years old, still their youngest-ever first-team player. He signed for Spurs a year later but his career wasn't straightforward, spending years on loan and playing abroad.  He came to faith as a teenager and, in 2015, founded Ballers in God, an organisation that aims to disciple professional football players and to make Jesus known in the world of football.  Danno caught up with John at Notts County's ground, Meadow Lane to talk to him about his career as a professional player, and his mission to share the good news of Jesus in the world of football through Ballers in God. Find out more about Ballers in God

Jenny Tait is an Australian volleyball player, earning 66 caps for the Volleyroos indoor team as well as playing for Campbell University in the NCAA and at the top level in Europe. Jenny retired in 2020 and is now studying theology at Moore College in Sydney.  Danno caught up with Jenny to talk about her career in elite sport and her passion to continue working alongside Christian elite athletes now she's retired. (0:00) Intro (2:20) How do you connect your sport and faith? (2:55) What were your career highlights? (4:05) How did you get into volleyball? (5:19) How long did it take to start performing at an elite level? (9:20) How did you become a Christian? (13:11) What was church like as a new Christian and when you went home? (14:50) How did faith in Christ change your sport? (16:54) Identity, imposter syndrome, and the pressure of elite sport. (23:48) Retiring and working to support athletes' mental health (25:37) How has it been sharing faith in your sport? (27:40) Moving on to theological college, and

Alison Nicholas is a British golfer who reached the pinnacle of the sport in a highly successful career as both a player and then later on as the captain of a victorious Solheim Cup winning team in 2011. In a fascinating interview with Graham Daniels, she talks about what it looks like to be a successful leader and coach in elite sport and how her faith has helped her throughout her golfing career. (0:00) Intro (1:09) How Alison got into golf  (3:00) Progressing and joining the ladies European tour  (4:32) The key influencers in Alison's life and golf at the top level (5:55) Coming to Christ through golfers on the European tour (18:36) Stepping up to join the LPGA tour and playing in the states  (11:01) Winning the US open  (13:30) Being ruthless in competition with dignity  (15:03) Captaining The Solheim Cup and tough decisions  (17:20) Captaining for the second time (20:45) Rigorous leadership (24:42) The contrast between leading and playing  (27:59) Winning the Solheim Cup (29:25) Outro

Starting university is a really significant transition in life. It can be daunting, unpredictable and challenging as you move from home and look to join a new sports club. Here's six top tips to help you settle in well. 0:00 Intro 0:22 Today's question 0:48 Answer 1:14 Join a church 2:10 Follow Jesus from day one 2:50 Be committed to your sports club 3:32 Be ready for initiations and socials 4:35 Make disciples 5:10 Pray

As the 2023 Rugby World Cup kicks off we revisit a conversation with Garin Jenkins recorded in 2016. Garin is a former Welsh rugby union player capped 58 times by his country. He played in three World Cups and multiple Five and Six Nations tournaments. In conversation with Graham Daniels, he tells us about his battle with misdirected passion and aggression on the rugby field and how his growing faith remained steady as he endured massive ups and downs both on the pitch and off it. (00:00) Introduction (01:54) How Garin found out he'd won his first international cap (03:30) Making it to the international stage but feeling lost (04:50) Misdirected passion on the field and the battle for discipline (07:36) Garin's challenging upbringing and first steps of faith in God (09:24) A family disaster at a huge match against Cardiff (13:07) What it's like to realise you're playing at the top-level of sport (16:27) Reflections from Graham Daniels on the interview.

As a Christian sportsperson, what should you prioritise as you leave university behind and join the world of work? 0:00 Intro 0:22 Today's question 0:38 A significant transition 1:02 Find a church 1:58 Find a club 2:49 Be bold 3:09 Team Up 3:34 Be patient 3:56 Pray

Bertie Kennedy is a top-level cricket analyst who has worked with numerous clubs and franchises across professional cricket, including conducting the inaugural Hundred draft for the Northern Superchargers. He consults for numerous sporting teams to help them make better data-driven decisions alongside lecturing on the MSc in Performance Analysis at the University of Gloucestershire. We caught up with Bertie at his home in the southwest of England to talk about how his faith shapes the way he works in top-level sport. (0:58) How do your sport and faith connect (5:56) Getting in to the world of performance analysis (9:56) What does performance analysis look like now? (11:44) How do your faith and work go together? (14:11) Why is integrity important as a Christian in the workplace? (18:24) The influence of data in coaching elite players (23:26) What does the relationship between analyst and coach look like? (26:40) What soft skills do you need to be an analyst? (28:13) Treating elite players with empathy when

Can a Christian really bring glory to God in combat sports like boxing or martial arts? In this episode of AskCIS we look at what the Bible has to say about the use of violence in sport, and ask if it's possible to glorify God if violence is part of your sport. 0:00 Intro 0:22 Today's question 1:06 What is God's glory? 2:21 Is violence inherently wrong in sport? 4:31 What do combat sports promote? 5:31 Creativity 6:52 Character 7:26 Conscience

Fanie Van De Merwe is a multiple Paralympic Champion in track sprinting, with three Gold medals to his name across a career that saw him make three Paralympic Games. Fanie grew up with cerebral palsy but competed alongside able-bodied athletes until a coach suggested he focus on disability sport when he was 17. Fanie and his brother Chris now run a Christian non-profit called Inspired 2 Become, focusing on alternative action sports and athletes with disabilities and Fanie coaches visually and intellectually impaired children. Danno caught up with Fanie at his home in South Africa to talk about his journey to faith alongside his long career at the top of Paralympic sprinting. (01:07) How do your sport and faith connect? (02:57) Competing with able-bodied children at school and discovering disability sport (05:13) Athens 2004 and the start of Paralympic ambitions (09:11) How did faith play out as you trained to win at Beijing 2008 (12:33) How did you come to faith? (16:11) Seeing God as a father (19:46) Win

Issues around what women should wear for sport have been hotly debated in recent times, with plenty of opinions voiced about how much athletes should or shouldn't wear. Some sports even regulate the type of kit female athletes can wear whilst leaving male athletes to choose for themselves. In this episode of AskCIS Rosie Woodbridge takes us through biblical principles on clothing and how we can use these to think about how we dress to train and compete. 0:00 Intro 0:22 Today's question 0:30 Response 0:57 The context 3:42 Where is this an issue for you? 4:27 What does the Bible say? 7:22 What does this look like in sport? 9:20 Summary

Eating disorders are disproportionately common in sport, and can be hugely damaging to athletes' physical and mental health. Jonny caught up with Rosie to talk about her experience of battling her eating disorder alongside playing Ultimate Frisbee for Great Britain, and how her faith shaped this struggle. Read more about rosie's eating disorder 

How can you respond if someone says you shouldn't let your child compete on a Sunday? It's a big question that could come easily from another parent, a church leader, or a Christan friend.  In this episode of AskCIS we dig into this question by opening up the Bible to see how God's word might shape a response. Read more about Sunday sport: https://christiansinsport.org.uk/academy/topic/church/ (0:00) Intro (0:23) Today's question (1:19) Decisions need to be made (2:25) Be fully convinced (4:24) Be open in your approach (5:30) Principles for responding

For many the season is over, and Wednesdays are no longer taken up with BUCS fixtures. Then once exams are over everything can become a bit of a blur. But what about reaching the world of sport for Christ? How does that fit into the last month of university life? (0:00) Intro (0:22) Today's question (0:48) Answer (1:10) Circumstances change but the need for Jesus doesn't (2:21) There's nothing to lose (3:46) Four things you can do (4:00) Pray (4:08) Continue to share life (4:37) Boldy proclaim before you go (5:03) Revision break or post-exam event

Matthew Joseph is the man 'coaching the coaches' at Arsenal Football Club's Academy. Matthew played as an Arsenal and England youth team player, gaining an Arsenal pro contract at eighteen. However, at nineteen he was released by Arsenal, a decision that he says broke his heart. He went on to play over 400 games in English League Football for Cambridge United and Leyton Orient before retiring and becoming a coach at the FA. In 2022 Matthew completed a career circle, rejoining Arsenal to oversee the Academy Coaching staff.   Danno caught up with Matthew to talk about his playing career, his role now as Academy Coach Developer at Arsenal F.C. and what it looks like to live as a Christian in the high-pressure world that is professional football. (1:15) How do your sport and faith connect? (2:08) What's it like to be released from a Football Academy? (8:27) Coping with being released. (11:22) Identity in retirement and becoming a Christian (15:33) Why do you want to be a coach? (19:46) Arsenal's values and carin