Coaches have the chance to impact the life of an athlete in many ways. Often serving in a variety of roles, a coach may become a friend, mentor, advocate or counselor to those whom they are leading. Their potential to impact an athlete’s life is significant.

This is why providing both athletic and spiritual training for coaches at all levels is a crucial part of our outreach at Athletes in Action. As with so many things, COVID-19 has put our in-person programs for coaches on hold.

However, the pandemic hasn’t eliminated the need for high-quality training. So we’ve moved online, launching a five-week Digital Coaches Training (DCT).

The response to this new format has been incredible, with 45 coaches from 15 countries participating. In each DCT, coaches come together from around the world to

• Receive training from successful coaches within their sport
• Experience leadership and personal growth coaching
• Benefit from discipleship sessions focused on spiritual development
• Be encouraged by the fellowship and community of like-minded coaches

The impact of the DCT has grown even beyond our initial vision. A group of coaches from the Philippines who participated in our first session have started their own online training program to reach more coaches in their part of the world. This group is currently meeting with 30-40 coaches per week!

Most importantly, some of the coaches attending the DCT come away with a new faith in Jesus. Samy, who is an International Basketball Federation coach from Egypt, shared, “Before, I was only looking for information about basketball. Now my heart is changing for the better. I have a heart for Jesus Christ and I have hope.”

Your support is needed to expand our digital coaches training, so that more coaches like Samy have the opportunity to say “yes” to Jesus and reach the next generation for Christ.