Brent High’s focus in the athletics department has shifted from sports information to spiritual formation.
This was a welcomed change for the associate athletic director for spiritual formation because of his previous experience in youth ministry and working in non-profit organizations.
After assuming the new responsibilities in October, High began taking steps to make sure team captains go through leadership training. The athletes also learn about a new chaplain program, mission trips, service opportunities, coach retreats and the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter.
This past Christmas break High teamed up with Lipscomb’s mission director TJ McCloud to collaborate on a mission trip to Honduras for nine days. It was the first effort to mix multiple Lipscomb teams together to go on a mission trip.
Ten men went on the trip, including McCloud and High as well as eight athletes who represented four different sports. The group worked together with Mission Lazarus to help in construction of a school and went to a village in Honduras and helped start building adobe brick houses.
“The trip really had a huge impact on me,” said soccer player Kyle Erickson, one of two athletes who decided to be baptized while on the trip.
“It made me realize how much God has really blessed me. Going from Honduras, seeing what those people have … how they were living with the small houses we built, to coming back to school and seeing everything that I have made me realize how much God has really blessed me.”
“We knew going in we were going to help a lot of people, but at the same time it was going to help us just as much,” said Alexander McMeen, a track and cross country runner, referring to the bonding among the men.
“It was really unique to see everyone open up. First night, we were sitting around the campfire talking about our lives, what was going on in our lives, a brief description on what we knew about God and our faith, and if we had been baptized. At the very beginning, it [spirituality] was on the forefront of this trip.”
“I’m excited for our student athletes to have a life-changing experience in missions to come home and become missionaries to their own teammates and students in their own classes,” said High. “It’s not just about our students, but it’s about our community. We, as the Lipscomb community, have an opportunity to be involved in some amazing work. I think that it’s pretty cool that our athletes are going to be the ones to lead the way, even leading our coaches and alumni, in serving others.”