![\"A](\"https:\/\/www2.baylor.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/sb-baptized-jan25.jpg\")
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Many student-athletes spend four (or more) years at Baylor; others are here for a shorter time — just a year, or occasionally even less.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0Athletics’ goal and motto of \u201cpreparing champions for life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here are just a few of the ways Baylor Athletics works to ensure every student-athlete\u2019s time on campus is a time of spiritual growth:<\/p>\n
— Every athlete is introduced to the Gospel:<\/em> 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 \u201cFaith in Athletics,\u201d chapel courses that talk about faith in the context of the student-athlete experience.<\/p>\n — Staff are equipped, too:<\/em> Sport chaplains are in many ways the face of Baylor\u2019s integration of faith and sports. However, they\u2019re 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n — Offering programs:<\/em> The \u201cFaith in Athletics\u201d chapel is just one program offered to student-athletes and staff. Spiritual retreats, mission trips, and opportunities like iDisciple<\/a> (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.<\/p>\n — Utilizing partnerships:<\/em> 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<\/a> partners with Athletics on mission trips. Truett Seminary’s Faith & Sports Institute<\/a> trains Christian leaders in sports, and many of them work alongside Athletics, whether through a grant to strengthen character formation in student-athletes<\/a> or through two fellows from the program who work alongside Athletics staff in various chaplaincy and pastoral roles.<\/p>\n It’s not uncommon to hear stories of Baylor student-athletes getting baptized alongside their teammates<\/a> or glorifying God through the platforms they\u2019ve been provided<\/a>, and that won\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n Sic \u2019em, Sports Ministry at Baylor!<\/p>\n