Sports Spectrum Podcast

Episode 487   Rachel Baribeau is a professional encourager. She is the founder of "Changing the Narrative," a movement promoting positive mental health and encouragement for for students, professionals and parents to create an individual legacy of purpose, passion and platform. On this episode of the podcast, we welcome Rachel back to the show to talk about finding purpose in her pain, how the loss of her mom brought her closer to Jesus, why she's passionate about helping student athletes and how the Lord helped her through a dark time in her life.    Rachel was also a guest on Episode 41 of the podcast that you can listen to here or anywhere podcasts are found.   For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website http://SportsSpectrum.com.

Episode 486   David Boudia is an Olympic Gold Medal winning diver for the United States. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to David about his faith in Christ, having the Olympics postponed to 2021, what his preparation now looks like with a delayed Olympic Games, and how the Lord has been working in his life since he decided to come back for another Olympic Games.    For more stories of sports and faith, log on to our website http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 485   Mike Clement is the hitting and third base coach for the Ole Miss baseball team. He joined Ole Miss prior to the 2015 season after spending two years at Kansas State in 2013 and 2014.    In 2020, Clement and Ole Miss had a 16-1 record through 17 games and held the longest winning streak in the country before the Coronavirus outbreak cancelled the remainder of the baseball season.   A former college catcher, Clement played two seasons at Kirkwood, helping the Eagles compile a 91-25 record. He finished his college career at Morningside, where he earned his bachelor's degree in physical education/secondary education in 2002. Following college, the Marshalltown, Iowa, native played professionally one season for the Canton Coyotes of the Frontier League. Clement comes from a baseball background as his father, Brad, was a legendary head coach at Marshalltown (Iowa) High School, helping the Bobcats win three state championships before being inducted into the Iowa High School Hall of Fame. Clement's y

BONUS EPISODE   Daniel Jones and Nate Solder are our guests today on the show. Daniel is the starting quarterback of the New York Giants and Nate is his left tackle, protecting his quarterback. They both joined Jason Romano and FOX Sports Football Analyst Brock Huard on a Sports Spectrum LIVE event that took place Wednesday night April 22. Daniel and Nate both share their NFL Draft stories, as well as why giving back is so important as athletes with large platforms.   You can watch the entire #TeamUp broadcast on our YouTube channel here and you can be a part of Compassion International and helping to donate and release children from poverty. Check out the website http://Compassion.com/TeamUp.  

Episode 484   Christina Hovestadt currently works for the NFL as a community relations manager. She is also a speaker, and host of “The Set Apart Women” podcast.   Prior to her role with the NFL, Hovestadt served as executive director of the Rashad Jennings Foundation, led by former NFL running back and “Dancing with the Stars: Season 24” champion, Rashad Jennings. A former collegiate volleyball player, she also took her passion of pouring into the next generation into the classroom and on to the court by working as a teacher and coach at a high school in Florida.   Whether she’s speaking in classrooms, locker rooms or boardrooms, Hovestadt’s message is a consistent one: to live intentionally and with purpose.   On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Hovestadt about her role with the NFL, her desire to love and serve others, what being a believer in the workplace looks like, and her powerful story of coming to faith in Christ.   * Interview recorded prior to coronavirus outbreak.

BONUS EPISODE   Trey Burton is a Super Bowl winning tight end who has played six NFL seasons with the Eagles and Bears. He won a Super Bowl a few years ago helping Philadelphia to their first ever Super Bowl title after defeating the Patriots. He'll always be connected to that game because of the play "Philly Special" where Trey threw a touchdown pass to quarterback Nick Foles that helped change the trajectory of the game.    On this episode of the podcast, we bring to you a conversation that was recorded LIVE on Facebook from April 9 as Jason Romano and Trey talk about the coronavirus outbreak, Trey's health in returning from injury in 2019, his faith during this quarantine time and of course, winning the Super Bowl and the coolest thing that happened to him after being crowned a champion.   For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website - http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 483 Michael Turk is a punter who is preparing to embark on a career in the NFL after punting for Arizona State in 2019. He was named First-Team All-Pac 12 after averaging 46 yards per punt and had 23 punts of 50+ yards.  Turk's football pedigree stems from his family, his uncle Matt Turk was a three-time NFL Pro Bowl punter and his uncle Dan was an NFL long snapper for many years.  Prior to arriving at Arizona State, Turk punted at Lafayette College in 2017. After transferring to Arizona State and redshirting in 2018, he would punt for just one season in 2019 with the Sun Devils before declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft. At the 2020 NFL Combine in February, Turk made headlines by recording 25 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press testing, the most reps by a punter since 2003 and more than 19 offensive lineman at the Combine. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Michael about his preparation for the NFL Draft during the Coronavirus outbreak, his bench press experience at the NFL Combine, why he cho

Episode 482   Greg Stier is the co-founder of Dare 2 Share ministries that was birthed in 1991 out of a desire that Greg had to see teenagers come to faith in Jesus. The ministry is designed to equip teens to share the Gospel of Jesus and since its inception, Greg and his team have equipped more than a million young people to share their faith.   Greg has authored 20 books, written countless articles and preached on stages across the nation, sharing with audiences how they can go and share Jesus with others.    Dare 2 Share has a new app called "Life in 6 Words" that has been updated during the pandemic to help us all be able to share Jesus Christ with others in their sphere of influence.    On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Greg how he's rethinking Gospel witnessing during this social distancing time, why he has such a passion for seeing teenagers come to Christ, the amazing story of him and his family coming to faith, and how he used basketball as a way to share Christ with the opposing team.    Fo

BONUS EPISODE   Steven Souza is a member of the Chicago Cubs. On this episode of the podcast, he shares how he is coping with the pandemic, training with his wife, how his previous MLB Spring Training experiences have helped him deal with uncertainty, his amazing testimony of faith in Christ and his desire to share the hope found in Jesus with others.    For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website: http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 481 Carlos Whittaker is a speaker and author of three books including "Kill the Spider" and his latest, "ENTER WILD" which releases on June 16, 2020.    * Interview recorded prior to coronavirus outbreak.   He speaks at some of the largest churches in the country and at conferences including the Orange Conference, Catalyst, MomCon and many others.    A People's Choice Award winner and host of a popular podcast, he is also a huge sports fan and can be seen tweeting his thoughts during games throughout the NFL season.    On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Carlos about his new book, tornado recovery in Nashville, trusting God while his daughter was in the hospital for 21 days, playing music for the President of the United States and the awesome story of the dog and the chicken.    * Interview recorded prior to coronavirus outbreak.

BONUS EPISODE   NFL quarterback Chase Daniel joins us today to talk about the new contract he signed with the Detroit Lions, his new internet show "Chase Chats," the adjustments he's had to make to being home all the time during this pandemic, his journey to faith in Jesus and how his time in Philadelphia during the 2016 season was particularly encouraging to him and helped him become a better spiritual leader.    You can check out Chase's new show on his YouTube channel here.    For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website: http://SportsSpectrum.com 

EPISODE 480 * Interview recorded prior to coronavirus outbreak.   Tom Allen is the head football coach at the University of Indiana. He was named as the head man for the Hoosiers in December of 2016.   In 2019, his team went 8-5 on the season and lost in the Gator Bowl 23-22 to Tennessee but their eight wins gave Indiana its best football season in 26 years. In January, Allen signed a new seven year contract with the Hoosiers.    In his previous coaching life, Coach Allen had stops at Arkansas State, Ole Miss and South Florida.   On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Coach Allen about his 2019 season, building a culture of accountability, toughness and love, how his journey of faith began and why it is imperative for him to have Jesus guide his life.    For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website - http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 479 John Eldredge is a bestselling author, a counselor, and a teacher. He is also president of Ransomed Heart, a ministry devoted to helping people discover the heart of God, recover their own hearts in God's love, and learn to live in God's kingdom.   In his new book Get Your Life Back, released in February 2020, John provides a practical, simple, and refreshing guide to taking your life back. By practicing a few simple practices—or what John calls “graces”—you can begin to recover your soul, disentangle from the tragedies of this broken world, and discover the restorative power of beauty.   John's most notable piece of work is his book "Wild at Heart" released in 2000 and continues to minister to men across the world two decades later.   On this episode of the podcast, we talk to John about rest, why the noise of technology is so difficult for us to turn down, the power of the one minute pause, his love for soccer and his awesome testimony of coming to faith in Christ after a life of drugs and alcoh

BONUS EPISODE Don Christensen is the Executive Vice President of the Professional Athlete Division of Ronald Blue Trust   As part of the Pro Athlete Division, Don and his team assist professional athletes in building their wealth, giving generously, and managing their financial resources wisely. Through Don's 30+ years of personally working with pro athletes and their families, he has learned how to help them navigate the financial, marital, and personal pitfalls that professional athletes face today. Ronald Blue Trust serves over 100 active and retired players and coaches across the MLB, NFL, NBA, PGA, NASCAR and the NCAA.   Prior to joining Ron Blue, Don owned a public accounting and financial planning firm. Don earned his BS in Accounting from Arizona State University and received his master's degree in Christian Leadership from Western Seminary.   Don is a Pastor and also serves as a mentor to leaders at a local church in Tempe, AZ. He serves on various boards inclusion Baseball Chapel, Endurance and Pro

Episode 478 Nick Hill is the head football coach for Southern Illinois University. He became the school's quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator in January 2014, and was named the Salukis' interim head coach in December 2015. He's been the permanent coach since. Under Hill's guidance, the team improved from two wins in 2018 to seven in 2019.   Hill played his college football at Southern Illinois as well, from 2004-2007. A quarterback, he had a few stints in the NFL with the Bears in 2008 and the Packers in 2012, and he also played in the Arena Football League.   On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Hill about his role as a coach, how he's adjusting to this new normal during the pandemic, leading his team during a quarantine, the improvement the team made in 2019, why relationship must come before discipline, his recent desire to learn the scriptures, and how he leads his football team as a follower of Christ.   For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website http://SportsSpectrum.c

BONUS EPISODE Natalie Chou plays college basketball for UCLA. She just finished her redshirt junior season after transferring to the Bruins from Baylor University.    Natalie played her high school basketball in Plano, Texas where she helped her team to a Texas 6a State Regional Championship in 2015 and was a Mcdonald's High School All-American in 2016.    She was a member of the USA Basketball U17 squad that won a Gold Medal in the FIBA U17 World Championships.   Chou's mom Quanli Li played basketball for the Chinese National Team.   On March 26, Chou wrote a first-person piece for ESPN on the anti-Asian racism that has taken place amidst the Coronavirus outbreak.    Today on the podcast, we talk to Natalie about why she wrote that piece for ESPN, the emotions she felt in seeing her season come to an abrupt end, how we can all be better in the words that we choose to call this pandemic, the impact her mother has had on her life and why her faith in Jesus has helped sustain her during this time of uncertaint

Episode 477 Jimmy Dykes covers college basketball as an analyst for ESPN. A 1985 graduate of the University of Arkansas, Dykes played college basketball under head coach Eddie Sutton before joining the coaching ranks as an assistant at places like Kentucky and Oklahoma State.   After scouting in the NBA for a few years, Dykes joined the broadcasting ranks and began his 19-year career with ESPN in 1995. Then from 2014 to 2017, he served as the women’s head basketball coach at his alma mater of Arkansas. Upon his departure from coaching, he returned to broadcasting at ESPN.   In March of 2020, he released his new book "The Film Doesn't Lie: Evaluating Your Life One Play at a Time"   On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Jimmy about the cancellation of March Madness, how the pandemic has helped him reflect on his relationship with God, why he wrote his new book and the "non-negotiables" in his life.    For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website: http://SportsSpectrum.com 

BONUS Michael Schlact had dreams of making it to the big leagues as a pitcher. He was selected in the third round of the 2004 MLB Amateur Draft by the Texas Rangers after a stellar high school pitching career in Marietta, Georgia.    His professional pitching journey would last 9 seasons and he would reach as high as the double-A level but injuries and other circumstances caused him to retire after the 2014 season.    A few years later, he found himself in coaching and soon would be managing professional baseball with the Fargo-Moorhead Red Hawks in the Independent League. He would remain there for the 2017 and 2018 season before getting a call that would change his life.    In 2019, he was named as a minor league pitching coach with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2020, he'll continue in the same role and look to develop young players hoping to make their way to Milwaukee someday.    On this episode of the podcast, we go deep with Michael Schlact on that minor league life and the decision to follow God's call from

Episode 476 Brian Tome is the pastor of Crossroads Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, 2017's fastest-growing church in America. Brian has authored four books including his best-seller, "The Five Marks of a Man. He also hosts The Aggressive Life podcast and is part of AMAZON PRIME's new show Phantom Lake, a seven episode series where Tome becomes a father-figure to nine other motorcycle riders as he leads them on a physically and mentally grueling ride to the rim of the elusive Phantom Lake in rural Wyoming. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Brian Tome about his passion for manhood, his new AMAZON PRIME show, how the death of Kobe Bryant has opened up more conversations on faith, and how he's stewarded overseeing one of the largest churches in America. * Interview recorded prior to coronavirus outbreak.

BONUS EPISODE Selected in the 29th round of the 2002 MLB Amateur Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, Erik Kratz has lived the pro baseball life for the past 18 years. He waited eight years until finally making his MLB debut in July 2010 at the age of 30 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His MLB journey has taken him from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, Toronto, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Houston, Pittsburgh and the Yankees in 2017. In 2018, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers and was part of a team that came within one game of the World Series. In the 2018 NLDS against Colorado, Kratz went 5-for-7 with two RBI, including a three-hit game in the clinching Game 3. He was the oldest player to make his postseason debut since Lave Cross of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1905. In 2019, Erik played for four different teams including Milwaukee, San Francisco, Tampa and back to the Yankees. On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Erik about how his life and his baseball journey is currently being affected by the Coronavirus o