How Baylor Athletics works to promote spiritual growth among student-athletes

Many student-athletes spend four (or more) years at Baylor; others are here for a shorter time — just a year, or occasionally even less.

Baylor Athletics wants to make sure that, while each student-athlete is at BU, they hear the Gospel and have the opportunity to grow in their faith. It’s a central part of Athletics’ goal and motto of “preparing champions for life.”

Here are just a few of the ways Baylor Athletics works to ensure every student-athlete’s time on campus is a time of spiritual growth:

— Every athlete is introduced to the Gospel: Each student-athlete is at a different point in his or her spiritual journey. No matter where they are, Baylor Athletics ensures that each is presented with the Gospel while on campus. It starts with a personalized Bible, hand-delivered to each new Bear. From there, each student-athlete can register for one of two sections of “Faith in Athletics,” chapel courses that talk about faith in the context of the student-athlete experience.

— Staff are equipped, too: Sport chaplains are in many ways the face of Baylor’s integration of faith and sports. However, they’re far from the only person who can play a chaplaincy role. Coaches, trainers, strength coaches — any one of them might find themselves on the receiving end of a question or conversation at a key point in a student-athlete’s life. Baylor Athletics provides resources through staff meetings, devotionals and individual interactions with staff to help them build confidence in their ability to discuss faith issues with student-athletes.

— Offering programs: The “Faith in Athletics” chapel is just one program offered to student-athletes and staff. Spiritual retreats, mission trips, and opportunities like iDisciple (an eight-week discipleship course that has equipped numerous student-athletes with practical training to share the Gospel) provide opportunities for spiritual growth alongside their peers.

— Utilizing partnerships: As a leading Christian university, Baylor offers numerous ministry-based divisions or programs across campus, and Athletics utilizes that expertise alongside their own. Baylor Missions partners with Athletics on mission trips. Truett Seminary’s Faith & Sports Institute trains Christian leaders in sports, and many of them work alongside Athletics, whether through a grant to strengthen character formation in student-athletes or through two fellows from the program who work alongside Athletics staff in various chaplaincy and pastoral roles.

It’s not uncommon to hear stories of Baylor student-athletes getting baptized alongside their teammates or glorifying God through the platforms they’ve been provided, and that won’t change. Even as shifts in college athletics impact student-athletes in a variety of ways, Baylor is working to ensure that what is lasting stays at the forefront.

Sic ’em, Sports Ministry at Baylor!

[LEARN MORE in this Spring 2024 Baylor Connections interview with Juliana Smith, Baylor Athletics’ Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for Mission Impact & Enrichment who leads Baylor’s Sports Ministry team.]