As a young girl, William and Mary lacrosse player Stephanie Steinweg looked up to female athletes. She loved watching them on the field and tried to learn what she could through observing their skills. Years later, the senior midfielder is returning the favor from the opposite end, inspiring young girls—specifically at FCA Camp—to give all they have on the field, not for their glory, but for God’s.

In the 1970s, Swiss biologist Hermann Brandt created a game called tchoukball (pronounced “chook-ball”)—a teamwork-heavy mashup of more well-known sports, including volleyball, jai alai and handball. The goal was to allow players of all ages and walks of life to experience the thrill of competition without the aggressiveness and violence that commonly permeates athletic events.

Four decades later, tchoukball has increased so much in popularity that it now boasts junior, women’s and men’s world championships at the international level. And today, it is helping a passionate group of FCA International missionaries and partners in the Philippines reach athletes and coaches for Christ and share a love that transcends creed, culture and competition.

My faith story begins like many others with my parents taking our family to church when we were kids. As I got involved at our church, youth group and FCA, my faith began to take root. I attended my first FCA Camp in eighth grade and went every summer through my senior year in high school. FCA perfectly blended my faith and my love for sports. I’d started playing golf when I was just 3 years old and had continued to play it, along with other sports, throughout high school.

As one of just three coaches in Division I history to guide three different schools to the College World Series—including one national championship—University of Arizona baseball coach Andy Lopez is considered among the game’s all-time elite. But past accomplishments aren’t what drive this veteran coach. Rather, it’s the God-given responsibility he feels to teach values and life lessons to his players.