Like every little leaguer, I had dreams of playing in the big leagues one day. And, just like every other kid, I also dreamed of going pro in every sport and competition imaginable. Whether it was baseball, football, basketball, soccer, skiing, hunting or fishing, my older brother and I were doing it and competing to be the best while growing up in Fountain, Colo.

The story of how God is using Alex Hagler and the Memphis FCA staff to reach a new generation of female athletes.

Needing just one win to secure a national championship, Oklahoma softball player Brianna Turang and her Sooner teammates devastatingly lost the final two games of the 2012 Women’s College World Series. Rather than dwelling on the past, the two-sport standout senior (also a member of OU’s soccer team) has committed to helping her team complete the mission this season while modeling her faith in her final year on OU’s campus.

A passionate pursuit of the Lord ultimately led Sue Semrau to Florida State and forever changed the course of the Seminole program and players.

Colorado Christian coach Tim Hays' unlikely journey from FCA staff to Australia to national champion

My dad may have been playing in the NBA at the time, but the best basketball games I remember from my childhood were the ones between my little brother, Seth, and me on our backyard basketball court in Charlotte, N.C. We’d play for hours and hours, oftentimes well into the night with the use of a bright stage light shining on the court, until our mom would yell out the window for us to come in. Those games would get pretty heated, but that was the norm for brothers as close as we were.

Back in 1973, God had a plan for Steve Robinson, who’s become one of the most influential FCA staff members in the Tennessee area.

When he joined FCA, the former Tennessee Volunteer football player was promised a year’s salary, a company car and the opportunity to travel through a mission field ripe for spiritual growth within Nashville and Middle Tennessee. The young ministry had a foothold in just 15 area schools at the time.

Now, by God’s favor and grace, FCA’s influence can be felt in 234 schools across the region and in a growing number of FCA events, summer camps and retreats. Robinson will quickly deflect any praise to those working around him, but he is directly responsible for much of the growth in the area.

Coming off her third consecutive season of All-Pac-10 honors, Washington’s Kristi Kingma was set to have a stellar senior season in 2011 when a knee injury in exhibition action ended her year before it began. Now, with a new appreciation for the game, Kingma sees her redshirt season as a blessing from her Lord—one she plans to enjoy from start to finish, embracing every struggle and triumph along the way.

I absolutely love the New Year! If the previous year was long and difficult, the New Year provides a fresh start and a clean slate. If it was exciting and fulfilling, it brings an expectation of great opportunities to come. Either way, the possibilities and potential are energizing.