The University of Connecticut’s basketball team won the men’s NCAA title last year. A year later, the Huskies are again hungry for a championship. The team reached the Final Four with three practicing Muslims who have had to deal with more than just scoring points over the last few weeks. The trio join a growing group of practicing Muslims who are balancing basketball and fasting this spring.
Read MoreWhen you grow to 6-foot-4 and 297 pounds by the time you’re 16, “Joshua Alan” just doesn’t fit the script the way “Bear” does. With two years of ball left for Cass High in White, Georgia, Bear continues to collect offers even after the recruit made a verbal commitment to Arkansas. When the state of Georgia approved Name, Image and Likeness deals for high school athletes, it opened up opportunities for players like Bear to reap a big windfall.
Read MoreThis isn’t “Hoosiers” — a feel-good story about a small-town basketball team overcoming steep odds to win the state title. In fact, the Lady Eagles of Oklahoma Christian Academy went 0-14 this season, losing by scores of 67-21, 43-11 and 85-10. But their story is every bit as inspiring as that of the fictional Indiana team coached by Gene Hackman.
Read MoreMuslim athletes face a unique challenge when Ramadan coincides with their training and competition schedules. Throughout the month-long period, practicing Muslims fast from dawn until sunset, abstaining from both food and drink. For athletes, this can be particularly demanding as they need to maintain their energy and performance levels.
Read MoreAnother March Madness is once again upon us. The NCAA’s men’s Division I basketball tournament will enthrall millions with its bracket-busting upsets. It is, for many sports fans, the best time of the year. This year’s 68-team field features seven Catholic schools. In addition, five are Protestant and one Mormon. Here’s a look at how they stack up.
Read MoreOn a hazy morning with an aura of high spirit and enthusiasm, Mohammad Abdullah Dar, 84, wearing a tracksuit and a skull cap, starts jogging in the playground of the Amar Singh College in Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir. He’s been on a mission to teach soccer to women and help them excel at it in a part of the world not always enthusiastic about female sports.
Read MoreFor 14 seasons, Pastor Rod Hairston served as a chaplain for the Baltimore Ravens, where he helped the NFL franchise build a winning culture among the front office executives, coaches and players. After two Super Bowl rings and serving as a sports chaplain from Howard University to UCLA, Hairston, 57, is a “life coach” working with couples.
Read MoreEven before last week’s shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally, Branden Mims was focused on reducing violence in this city that amassed a record 182 homicides in 2023. Mims, the 35-year-old minister for the Greater Metropolitan Church of Christ, leads a nonprofit called Greater Impact that served more than 400 shooting victims last year.
Read MoreSuper Bowl ads are not all secular. Religious organizations have often used the annual big game as a platform to spread their message. On other occasions, religious themes have been used in a funny way to sell products. Here’s a closer look at five that stood out.
Read MoreThis year’s Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers may be contested at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas — known as Sin City — but it will feature two very pious quarterbacks when Patrick Mahomes faces off against Brock Purdy. Both are practicing Christians unafraid to talk about their faith.
Read MoreDave Canales is ready to start his journey as head coach of the Carolina Panthers nearly two years after co-authoring a book with his wife Lizzy about working through problems with infidelity, addiction to pornography and binge drinking. Canales credits his wife’s support and Christianity for helping him improve his life.
Read MorePalestinians celebrated the country’s national team after qualifying for the knockout stage at the AFC Asian Cup. The historic win, a 3-0 victory against Hong Kong to close out the group stage, allowed Palestine to reach the round of 16 for the first time in the tournament’s 68-year history. It also brought some comfort amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Read MoreOver the next few weeks, a team of pastors will organize events in Ivory Coast — with plans to involve players, coaches and fans — throughout the Africa Cup of Nations, which ends on Feb. 11 with the final. The host nation — along with Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt — are among the favorites to win Africa’s premier soccer tournament for national teams.
Read MoreThe decision by Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo to become a Christian was one of the biggest stories involving athletes and their faith in 2023. He’s one of five athletes who have been vocal about their Christian faith who now serve as a role model to millions around the world.
Read MoreHouston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud — one of this season’s rising stars in the NFL — isn’t just known for throwing touchdown passes and getting his team into the playoffs. Stroud also made headlines for his faith after thanking Jesus following his team’s 23-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts this past Saturday, earning the team a spot in the playoffs that start this weekend.
Read MoreThe 14-0 Colorado School of Mines, favored to win the game, jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. But the Orediggers wouldn’t score again. With its run-intensive “flexbone” offense, the Harding University Bisons dominated time of possession and scored 38 unanswered points, winning Harding’s first-ever Division II national title in front of more than 12,000 fans.
Read MoreInitially, a symbolic gesture against racism, taking the knee evolved into a collective action. Orlando Magic’s power forward Jonathan Isaac chose a different path. Throughout 2020, he made a choice not to take a knee or wear a BLM shirt. This placed him among the few athletes who opted to stand during the national anthem.
Read MoreAs these young athletes continue to make strides, they not only bring honor to themselves but also shine a light on the indomitable spirit of Kashmir. In a region grappling with adversity, their rise signifies a hopeful chapter, illustrating how sports can be a catalyst for change.
Read MoreSports can often be an escape from the daily struggles and realities for so many people. In Israel, sports have become anything but an escape in the escalating war against Hamas in Gaza.
Read More(REVIEW) The movie tells the true story (previously told by the documentary by the same name) of the American Samoan national soccer team’s inglorious and historic losing streak that was finally turned around when disgraced coach Thomas Rongen came on board to help turn the team around.
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