Faith has always been an integral part of Goshen College athletics, shaping how athletes train, compete and support one another. It is part of the “LIVE FULL” athletic core values, inspiring athletes to live out faith, unity, learning and leadership in every aspect of their lives.

Earlier this semester, the Crossroads League emphasized its commitment to faith by introducing the “Jesus Won” initiative.

Justin DeWeese, the assistant athletic director of communications and operations, said the initiative was a “league-wide effort in which all 10 conference institutions united in their shared faith backgrounds.” The initiative was designed by the Crossroads League’s Association of Student-Athletes to remind athletes and fans that athletics are about more than just competition.

On Feb. 14, each of the 10 institutions came together during their men’s and women’s basketball games to share displays of unity, faith and fellowship. These displays highlighted how faith shapes athletes’ experiences both on and off the court.

Goshen’s basketball teams participated in the event during their doubleheader at Spring Arbor University. Both teams wore “Jesus Won” T-shirts during warmups and joined together for a group photo before the game, mirroring similar displays across the conference.

While initiatives like “Jesus Won” highlight a shared faith across the conference, many GC athletes share that prayer has become a regular part of their team traditions.

Tatem Adams, a sophomore pitcher on the softball team, says that prayer is something that’s integrated throughout the team’s culture. The team prays together at the end of practices and games.

“We have a smaller group that likes to pray before the starting lineups on the baseline,” Adams explained. “It’s become a big part to remind us of what’s important and to ground us before a game.”

Adams and Sydney Lockhart, a senior catcher, serve as prayer leaders for the team this season. After games, the team invites their opponents to join them in prayer, something Adams believes can help shift the focus away from a competitive game and creates a sense of unity among the athletes.

“No matter who we’re playing, we always offer them to pray with us,” Adams said. “Whether we won or lost, whether we had a good performance or a bad performance, it doesn’t define us. Our love of God does.”

Similar traditions exist within the GC women’s volleyball program. Kassidy Faler, senior defensive specialist and libero, said that prayer has been a part of her gameday routine since before coming to college.

“I used prayer as a way to remind myself that I wasn’t playing for myself, but that I was playing for something more,” she said. “My hope was that God would use me to spark someone’s interest in him by seeing me have fun and playing with energy and love.”

Before games, a small group of players can be seen gathering at the back of the court during the opposing team’s warmups. Faler says the team uses the moment as a way to center themselves and give up any anxiety.

After matches, the team gathers again, this time at the center of the court and invites the opposing team to join them in prayer. For many players, this moment shifts the atmosphere from competition to community and gratitude. “For me, this was a unifying moment where we went from opponents to sisters under Christ,” Faler shared. “It reminded everyone that the reason we were playing for was for God.”

The tradition has existed within the program for several years. During Faler’s first-year and sophomore seasons, she can recall former teammate Christina Towne ’24 leading the postgame prayers.

While the “Jesus Won” initiative was a new addition to the conference calendar, prayer and faith-centered traditions have been a longstanding part of GC athletics. This year, the athletic department began incorporating prayer more intentionally into home athletic events through offering pregame prayers via the P.A. system before matches.

DeWeese explained that the goal is to create a moment to help athletes and spectators step back from the intensity of the upcoming competition. “Sometimes in athletics, you get into the heat of the moment,” he said. “Student-athletes can often become focused solely on who they are in their sport. But it’s a good reminder that everyone at our competitions — the student-athletes, the coaches, the officials and the fans — are all made in the image of God.”

That sense of unity is one of the core goals behind the “Jesus Won” initiative.

“Years from now, [student-athletes] will remember the small moments in college that played an instrumental role in shaping who they are,” said DeWeese.