The Testimony of a Christian Athlete

      My name is Marcie Spencer, and I am a sophomore goalie on the women’s lacrosse team.  I have played sports since I was five years old; never in my life have I felt such a connection to a group of girls than with the Eastern Women’s Lacrosse Team. I have five siblings, all of whom had extracurriculars, so my parents didn’t have a whole lot of time to drive us to our friends’ houses whenever we wanted. So the only community I had was my family. I love my family, but as soon as I was able to drive, I was at friends’ houses almost every weekend. Coming into college, I wasn’t counting on playing a sport. My last two years of high school I played goalie for the women’s lacrosse team at my high school. Because I wasn’t as experienced as most college athletes, I didn’t think I would be able to play, but I found out they needed an extra goalie and I jumped at the opportunity. The opportunity to play not only made me a better player, it also made me a better Christian. Growing up, I didn’t feel like I had a very deep connection to Christ. In high school, most of my friends were falling away from Christianity, and I didn’t feel connected to my church. Being a part of the women’s lacrosse team, I found a group of people that could openly pray together. This is one of the things that has so greatly increased my faith and made me a better Christian. I am inspired by each one of my teammate’s faith in God and am reminded how much God has done for me. Having a team verse was another thing that deepened my relationship with my team and God. Our team verse last year was “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” Galatians 6:9. Through the friendship and the community of the women’s lacrosse team, I have become a better Christian, and I thank God everyday for allowing me to have such a wonderful opportunity to connect with a great bunch of girls, both on and off the field.