Soccer has been such a huge part of my life, as both a player and a coach. It has allowed me to travel around the world to compete, coach, and minister to many people. From my humble beginnings at Delaware County Christian School in Pennsylvania back in 1985, to playing at Carson Newman College in Tennessee. Jodi and I both were also both able to tour overseas as players with the Charlotte Eagles (from North Carolina).
As a coach, God has truly blessed the teams that I have been a part of. Record setting seasons and championships have given us a platform to share the love of Christ all throughout the state of Tennessee, as well as the surrounding areas in the south.
Sharing the Good News to people around the country through the sport of soccer has reignited my passion for sports ministry. Four years ago, my wife and I helped organize a Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK) soccer mission trip to Brazil. We were hooked! We started the pursuit of sports ministry during the summers with the Week of Champions sports camps in South Carolina. There, we met some of the management that runs Missionary Athletes International (MAI) that partners with the Charlotte Eagles Soccer Club (the SAME club I traveled with as a player on my mission trips back in 1995!). After lengthy interviews and many hours of prayer and discussion, my wife and I decided that this was the direction that the Lord was leading us to follow. I stepped down as the soccer coach at CAK having coached there for 12 wonderful years. I am now the Director of International Youth tours with MAI and the Charlotte Eagles. Each year, I will be planning summer tours, using teens from across the nation. We will be traveling to soccer rich areas, and use soccer as the “draw” to give us the opportunity to share the love of Christ with their people.
I am the first “satellite” office of Missionary Athletes International and currently reside in Knoxville. Being able to stay in Knoxville will allow me to continue to teach 6th grade science at CAK, as well as be involved in the local soccer community. As tour director, I will be in charge of planning, directing, and recruiting for those summer trips. Jodi plans to join me on the tours with MAI, as well.
We hope to keep you all posted on updates on this journey! We are very excited about what God has in store for us.
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