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.

Dear Derek,

Today is the day you leave for college. As I pen this letter, I am confident that you are still asleep. I’m up early again, as usual, but my thoughts are on you, and I felt led to write them down.

As you take this next step on your journey I wanted to share some insights that might assist you along the way. I’ve heard it said that life is to be learned backwards and lived forward. My goal is to be transparent and share what I’ve learned through both my successes and failures. It is the desire of my heart, son, that you realize all your dreams as you live life forward.

I grew up in a very loving, Christian family that showed me from the beginning what true love was. Still, it took me a few years to realize that my faith didn’t revolve around my family, but around God—around who He is, and what He’s done.

On the day he became an international sensation, Jeremy Lin feared for his NBA livelihood. Has irony ever been so thick?

But then, who could blame him? The previous night hadn’t gone well. In the New York Knicks’ 91-89 loss to Boston on Feb. 3, 2012, the point guard’s statistical line was wholly non-descript: two points, two rebounds, one assist, one turnover and two personal fouls in 6 minutes, 36 seconds of floor time.

When I look back over my journey of faith, I can see how God worked through the powerful influence of my parents. When I was 8 years old, my dad got his first ministry position and became a youth pastor at Peaceful Believers Church in Fort Meade, Fla. Both he and my mother still live and work there today.

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.

I grew up in Slidell, La., about 30 miles away from New Orleans and the area's famed Bayou Country. My paternal grandfather was a minister who preached faith in God and a strong work ethic. He instilled those values in my father, Gene, who faithfully passed them on to my older brother, Bryan, and me.

As kids, Bryan and I really benefited from our dad's wisdom. Our family attended church every week at Hartzell Mount Zion Church in Slidell, and that was where I placed my faith in Christ when I was 15 years old.

Chosen Attribute: Passion

Dictionary definition: “Any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling.”

My definition: “A strong desire or emotion that extends far beyond normal feelings and expectations.”

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.

Husband and wife Kyle and Misti Cussen may lead teams at rival universities, but they share the same coaching mission: to reflect Christ's light through the avenue of sports.

Ever since Leslie Frazier was born on April 3, 1959, in the midst of many personal and social complexities in the segregated South, life has been a trade-off of big trials and big successes. But in each instance, the truth of Romans 8:28—Frazier’s favorite verse—has been validated. He knows that God truly does work for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose.

He knows because he is living proof.

If God’s will is a highway, Russ Ortiz doesn’t want to spend anymore time on the side roads.

After tearing through his first seven seasons in the majors with outstanding numbers, Ortiz found himself in unfamiliar territory in 2005. Not only did he make his first trip to the disabled list with a stress fracture in his ribs, he also experienced his first losing season at the major-league level. As a result, Ortiz, who came to Christ at an FCA Huddle meeting at the University of Oklahoma, found himself struggling with new challenges and frustrations. And what he learned was that God’s way is always better than man’s way.