Texas soccer player Sharis Lachappelle is mature beyond her junior class status. A broken leg and school transfer strengthened the San Antonio native’s reliance on her Creator and helped her understand the true purpose of playing—to bring God the glory and share His light with those around her.

When someone starts a program aiming to get healthy or lose weight, there is always energy, excitement and enthusiasm right out of the blocks. They encounter success early, saying things like, “I feel so great!” or, “I have so much more energy,” or, “I’m stronger, my moods are better, and I’m even sleeping better.” Everything is better. They have made enough changes with food and exercise that they really do feel better, and people are starting to notice.

Last season, Penn State women’s soccer coach Erica Walsh led the Nittany Lions to the national championship game. Despite coming up just short of winning the title, the longtime coach—who also served as a coach for U.S. Women’s Soccer—is helping her team build upon the experience with increased on-field expectations and a continued focus on developing young women of character beyond the soccer pitch.

Edwin Etienne has a favorite phrase: God Over Everything. That “everything” includes fear and nerves, which—for a kid of Etienne’s stature—you wouldn’t think would be much of a problem.
But sure enough, when the football star and state champion wrestler was asked to speak at Riverdale (Fla.) High School’s Fields of Faith event last year, the butterflies were in his stomach.