Women's soccer program uses sport as platform for faith
Lacey Klotz |
There are not many NCAA Division 1 women’s soccer programs that, after going-head-to-head for 90 minutes and just barely falling short of victory, approach the winning team to see if they can pray for their girl who was hurt mid-game. This is true, however, in the case of the Lipscomb women’s soccer team, which played Ole Miss earlier this season.
For the past four years, Head Coach Kevin O’Brien and his staff have transformed the Lipscomb women’s soccer team into not only a more competitive team that is beating SEC schools and holding their own against top 20 programs in the nation, but also one that puts a priority on faith, community and service.
“Our vision has been to create a team environment that marries high-level Division 1 soccer with a God-glorifying environment,” said O’Brien. “And we are on a good trajectory – we are playing at a much higher level competitively than we have in the past, there is incredible unity on the team and most importantly, girls are growing in godly character.”
O’Brien, who has helped coach several top men’s soccer programs including Oregon State University and Creighton University, says that his experience playing for the Charlotte Eagles, a North Carolina-based soccer team owned by a missions organization called Missionary Athletes International, gave him his first glimpse of using a soccer ball as a platform for his faith.
“Just before coming to Lipscomb I had this sobering reality: what am I chasing after,” said O’Brien. “As I reflected back, some of the best times of my life were when I was a part of sports ministry that married my passion for soccer with faith.”
O’Brien says when restructuring the program, he knew his staff would need to be like-minded in their faith and willing to help create a God-honoring environment for the team to grow in their abilities, as well as their character and faith.
The current coaching staff includes O’Brien; Kelsey Fenix, associate head coach; Shannon O’Brien, goal keeper coach; Brittanie Barbero, volunteer assistant coach; Alexander McMeen, director of soccer operations; and Graham Keiser, student manager.
One important aspect of the program has been serving in El Salvador each year. Partnering with Sports Outreach Institute, the team’s trips to El Salvador have been full of deep and rich conversation, community and opportunities to change lives for the Kingdom of God.
Since spring 2013, seven girls in the program have been baptized in El Salvador.
“El Salvador is probably the greatest component of our soccer program,” said O’Brien. “Coaching and playing and winning soccer games is great, but seeing lives changed through what the teams are doing there and seeing lives changed by what God is doing in the hearts of the players – as a coach that is way more significant.
These mission opportunities have created a cohesion and level of trust that has prepared the team to also have great success together on the field, O’Brien said.
With the most difficult season in program history, playing schools such as Arkansas, Cincinnati, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Mississippi State, the Lipscomb women’s soccer team has risen to the challenge to prepare for this year’s conference tournament.
“As a coach, I knew we had a talented team because we finished in the top 30 percent of all D1 schools last season and were returning nine starters. I scheduled those tough games to prepare us to win a conference tournament, which would be the first time in program history,” said O’Brien.
“We don’t hold onto the game of soccer so tightly, its very easy for both coaches and players to let the game of soccer become their idol and let it replace who should rightfully be in that position, so we want to keep being used however God would use us.”
That mindset has led to milestone moments, such as the girls actively seeking an opportunity to pray for another team, even after a tough loss, said O’Brien.
“That night blew me away as a head coach,” said O’Brien. “Several professors, parents and players went out of their way to tell me that they were impressed and had never seen anything like that before,” said O’Brien. “We try to recruit the right character kids that see opportunities that God is presenting: After their first loss of the year, in a really heated contest, it was amazing to see the team respond in that way.”
O’Brien said the team has great upperclassman leadership who have bought into the faith and competitive combination and are helping hold the team accountable in that vision.
“As coaches, we are vision casters and the players are vision carriers,” said O’Brien. “The upperclassman have great internal leadership, and even more than that, this team is each other’s family.”
O’Brien says he is grateful for Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson, and the priority Lipscomb Athletics puts on making the program such a family-friendly environment, for both the team and for his immediate family.
“My leadership is out of an extension of Philip’s leadership, and he encourages us to make family a priority,” said O’Brien. “Getting to coach with my wife Shannon and have our kids known and loved by every player on the team, is an incredible blessing.
“We also want our players parents to know that we are a family, and want families to be as integrated as they want to be – because I believe the more connected we are as a family, the stronger we are as a program.”
The Lipscomb women’s soccer team, whose record is currently 7-3-1, beat Kennesaw State in the first game of the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season this past Saturday. They gear up to play Jacksonville University on Friday, Sept. 30, in Jacksonville, Florida.
For more information on the program, visit: www.lipscombsports.com/wsoccer/.