Since becoming a sports writer in 1998 with the Manila Times, God began placing a burden in my heart to reach athletes in the collegiate ranks.
Photo taken on May 2008 where I served as one of the camp chaplains at the Nike-sponsored Elite Camp held in Brent International School in Mamplasan, Laguna. From left, me, Jay-Arr, Dave (tall white guy), Lennon (short man), behind him is Luis, then Wayne Simiens (former Miami Heat forward) and Erwin from Athlete’s in Action.
It was no accident that I had a passion to write sports stories since my college days at the University of Santo Tomas.
There, I felt the Lord began opening my eyes to the world of athletes. Though they were admired, praised, fanatically followed by sports fans, I realized that to most of these athletes, there remains a gaping hole in their heart that remains to be filled.
Since I’m a Christian, and the Lord began to put that burden in my heart, I started using my profession to do something and help some of them get out of their celebrity status, yet empty life.
An athlete’s ministry, called Champions for Christ was established here in Manila, Philippines way back in the mid 1980s led by its founder Greg Ball and with the help of then NBA players like AC Green (then playing for the Los Angeles Lakers), Dave Jamerson (Houston Rockets), among others.
I volunteered part of my time after work to help this ministry.
And the very first fruits came from the University of the East where then collegiate players Jay-Arr Estrada, Luis Palaganas and Eric Suguitan got reached out during 2001-2006.
For several years, with the help of these players (whose careers in the UAAP overlapped), we were able to establish our small group among the varsity basketball players.
Our small group weekly at Dunkin Donuts Espana. From left to right–Me, Mark, Pipo and Christian
Estrada, Palaganas and Suguitan are now experiencing changed lives through Christ and are helping other athletes walk in a new path—and establish relationship with Jesus.
Currently, we’ve established small groups among the Far Eastern University Tamaraws and the men’s taekwondo team.
Mark Barroca, Cameroon recruit Pipo Noundou and his cousin Christian Senchou, as well as seven-foot team B player Jericho De Guzman are part of this group, while a separate small group meeting happens during the week with the men’s taekwondo led by 2007 UAAP gold medalist King Borlongan.
It’s a joy for me to see more and more athletes not just come to know God, but really experience a turnaround as well in the way they see themselves. They are not just winners inside the arena.
God sees each athlete as a winner in the arena of life.
A time will come when athletes whose lives are Christ-centered, will extend their influence not just in Philippine sports, but the global sports as well.