Religion on the wrestling mat? Faith on the football field? Might sound strange to some, but for Scottsdale, Arizona, native , now of St. Louis, Missouri, spirituality and sports go hand in hand. In fact, for this track runner, football player, and wrestler, who also manages to keep up with the demands of being a high school junior, Christian Science is more than just a Sunday thing, or something to turn to when the going gets tough. As he told the Journal's recently, it's a way of life.
For me, prayer's kind of about being. It's so much a part of who I am that it's more of a being than a doing. I think sometimes people don't believe they're praying when they actually are. But that desire to be a good person, or to perform your best, or just to love the people you see every day—that's prayer. And that's why I think prayer ties in to who I am and how I live. Because even when it's not conscious, I know I've got this desire to express God. I'm feeling this push to love more. That's prayer.
Of course, there are times when I'm very consciously praying, when I'm asking God to help me understand Him better, just knowing that He is caring for me. That's helped a lot in sports—to calm me down before games if I'm feeling nervous or in the middle of a game if things aren't going well. I've found that when I'm clear on my relationship with God—that I'm His child, loved no matter what—I'm calmer, less worried about making myself look good. I also perform better.
