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  • True Grit

    May 05, 2009

    True Grit

    Seven years later, Arnold Thornton still feels the tingle of amazement. He remembers that late August day in 2001, gawking with his brother at the flickering images on ESPN: "Is that really David — our David — putting a lickin' on the defending national champs?"

     

    It was. The name on the back of his jersey was the giveaway. Otherwise, Arnold would have had his doubts. Sure, his son had been a gifted three-sport athlete at Goldsboro (N.C.) High, but Arnold had never seen David fly around the football field like this before.

  • Common Ground

    May 05, 2009

    Common Ground

    Alliesha Easley's story reads similarly to those that often appear in the pages of STV: An athlete grows up in a Christian home, excels at a specific sport, faces hardship, and then must rely on a relationship with Christ that began long ago — a relationship that has been fostered and cared for by FCA. In the end, the athlete comes out of the struggle a stronger person, Christian, teammate, friend and witness. Those, after all, are the stories from which we want our readers to draw inspiration and, ultimately, use to witness to others.

     

  • Fit 4 Ever: From Intention to Action

    May 05, 2009

    Fit 4 Ever: From Intention to Action

    One thing I've realized in my life is that I have great intentions. And I would imagine that the same is true for most of us. We make resolutions, we make commitments, and we set goals that we intend to keep. If we're really good, we even give someone else permission to hold us accountable and make sure that we do the things we say we are going to do.

     

    Most of us truly want to experience God's best. We want to get healthy. We want to honor God with our bodies. We want to take care of His temple. But somehow we just don't get it done. And in our country, we have access to more opportunities than in any other country on the planet. Whether it's information, entertainment, technology or even food, we have convenient access.

  • Eyes on the Prize

    May 05, 2009

    Eyes on the Prize

    Luke Ridnour credits his father for providing the earliest lessons about teamwork. Rob Ridnour coached high school basketball (including his son's team) before taking over as the head coach of the International Basketball League's Bellingham Slam. It was the elder Ridnour who instilled in his son some of those fundamental concepts about teamwork, such as sharing the ball and looking out for one another.

     

  • Lacrosse Legacy

    May 05, 2009

    Lacrosse Legacy

    It was a cold, dreary day in February 1984, and Big Red sophomore midfielder Frank Kelly III was scuffling through what seemed like a neverending string of lacrosse drills at Cornell University.

     

    A multi-sport star at Baltimore's Calvert Hall College High School two seasons earlier, Kelly was used to getting showered with accolades and praise for his on-field achievements. But at Cornell, stress fractures in his shins, coupled with an uncanny ability to draw the ire of legendary Big Red coach Richie Moran, had placed him squarely on the team's bench, searching for both playing time and purpose.

  • Belle of the Ball

    May 05, 2009

    Belle of the Ball

    Watch any highlight reel of Shalee Lehning — Kansas State's sparkplug point guard who currently leads the nation in assists and triple-doubles — and it's easy to see why she's been called "one of the best point guards in America" and "a stat-sheet stuffer" by college basketball analysts. She flies around the court, diving for loose balls, setting her teammates up for layups and snatching rebounds from opponents almost a foot taller than she is.

  • STV Hot Seat: Chris Kaman

    May 05, 2009

    STV Hot Seat: Chris Kaman

    What can you find out in seven minutes on the phone with Chris Kaman?

     

    Quite a bit, actually.

  • Center of Attention

    May 05, 2009

    Center of Attention

    Her name is often stretched across the headlines of sports pages around the nation: Courtney Paris, University of Oklahoma All-American. Of course, it’s hard not to talk about an athlete who frequently adds to her growing list of NCAA records, which already stood at an astonishing 16 at the beginning of her senior year.

     

    But unlike many egocentric players who drool at the mention of having their name in print, Paris remains unfazed. Yes, it comes with the territory, but to her it is “irrelevant.” She is too focused to get caught up in the hype surrounding achievements. She knows her most significant accomplishments won’t ever be listed in press clippings. Rather, they are humbly imprinted on the lives of those she influences.

  • Fit 4 Ever: Crash and Burn

    May 05, 2009

    Fit 4 Ever: Crash and Burn

    In sports today, everything a pro athlete does is under a microscope. Every single day newspaper headlines scream about another athlete who has crashed and burned. Sometimes it's part of their personal life, while other times it's directly related to his or her sport. Either way, we have access to information about virtually everything these athletes do. Their lives are in full view.

     

    If we're honest, I don't think any one of us would want that kind of scrutiny and spotlight on our lives. We all sin. And since our mistakes don't usually make the headlines, it's easy for us to think that we're getting away with them and just sweeping them under the rug. But, like I tell my kids, the truth always comes out.

  • Going the Distance: Excerpt from Excellence

    May 05, 2009

    Going the Distance: Excerpt from Excellence

    As Ryan Hall's relationship with Jesus has grown, so has his understanding of excellence. Part of his early struggles as a runner were based on the identity crisis that often takes place for those sports competitors who have highly measurable templates for success.

     

    "The world's definition of excellence is just based on performance," Hall says. "As soon as you're not performing, no one wants to talk to you anymore in the media, and it's easy to get down on yourself. It's all wrapped up in performance. It's like building your house on the sand. It's very changing and fleeting, and eventually it's going to be gone, because no one is always on top of their game.

     

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