Austin Hallman
Earlier this year, the Faith & Sports Institute hosted its annual spring chapel at Truett Seminary.
Focusing on the theme of faith and leadership within Baylor Athletics, Derek Smith moderated a conversation between Baylor women’s basketball legend and current assistant coach Sophia Young-Malcolm and Executive Senior Athletic Director for Mission Impact and Enrichment, Juliana Smith.
The conversation covered topics such as the integration of faith and sports, how to balance the demands of college sports with Christian convictions, the unique challenges of ministering to athletes in the current generation, and advice to those seeking to provide a faithful witness in a sports world that desperately needs it.
Young-Malcolm offered a unique perspective on what it means to be a follower of Jesus in sports without compromising one’s values. She was an All-American and national champion at Baylor, had an All-Star career in the WNBA, and has served as the Director of Player Development and Assistant Coach for Baylor’s women’s basketball team. In the new era of the transfer portal and NIL, she has learned how to minster and build up student-athletes who are increasingly being valued by their performance and monetary worth.
As a former collegiate athlete and All-American herself, Juliana Smith brings perspective and professionalism to her current role within Baylor Athletics, where she gives leadership to the spiritual formation of athletes, coaches, and staff. Throughout the conversation, her focus on remaining true to her values as a believer in the face of the demands of college sports stood out. She provided testimonies of how the Lord has come through time and again when she has been forced to decide between the kingdom of sports and the kingdom of heaven.
For any Christian athlete, coach, administrator, parent, or fan looking to integrate their faith with the sports they love, the full conversation between Smith and Young-Malcolm is worth checking out.
Watch it on the FSI YouTube channel, and let us know what you think!
