SportsLife Wrestling

Love isn’t a feeling you talk about. It’s a life you lay down. Jesus didn’t just say He loved us. He proved it on the cross. And He calls us to love the same way, not in words but in action. In the room, that looks like drilling with the guy nobody picks. Staying late for the kid who’s struggling. Putting your teammate’s growth ahead of your own record. Who are you laying your life down for this week? #ScriptureSunday #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife @sportslifeteam

Gold medals aren’t the point. Jesus is. For him, wrestling matters because it draws him closer to God, not because of the titles. He prays for his opponents, and he points every bit of respect he’s earned back to Jesus. Kyle went straight to Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It’s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Is your wrestling bringing you and others closer to Christ? #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife @sportslifeteam @snyder_man45

Fresh off the semis, Trent Hidlay shared what he asked God for before stepping on the mat. It wasn’t a win. It was the courage and strength to wrestle through whatever came his way. Then it came. First period, he’s caught in a choke, a legal move, but it got dicey. He blacked out for a moment. Trent responded and he finished. That’s what answered prayer looks like. It doesn’t promise an easy match. It gives you strength to stand in the hard one. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 What are you asking God for before your next battle: the outcome, or the courage to face it? #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife #Pray @sportslifeteam @hoagieboyhidlay

Kennedy Blades had studied radical gratitude. But real understanding came at the World Championships, when God gave her the chance to live it. Listen in as she shares how gratitude changed her heart and her circumstances this week. 🙏 #Sportslife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife #Gratitude @sportslifeteam @kennedyblades

USA & Iran 🇺🇸🇮🇷 TWO NATIONS. ONE BROTHERHOOD. Our nations may be divided by conflict, but our hearts don’t have to be divided by hate. On the mat, we battle as competitors. Off the mat, we embrace as brothers. Wrestling builds bridges and JESUS breaks down walls. Wrestling brings us together for a moment. Jesus can unite us for eternity. “For He Himself is our peace.” — Ephesians 2:14 ✝️ Different flags. One humanity. One Savior. #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLIFE @sportslifeteam

Some of the hardest hours are spent in the wrestling room. Drenched. Exhausted. Back against the wall after practice. That’s where we learn that there’s value in suffering. It doesn’t take a little to be a Christian. It takes everything: heart, mind, body, and soul. The same way it took everything to chase an Olympic dream, Christ calls us to pick up our cross daily and follow Him. The mat is preparation. The cross is the calling. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 #SportsLife #Wrestling #InfuseLife #Surrender #KingdomImpact @sportslifeteam @coachslay

We want to welcome Scotty Curtis to the SportsLife Wrestling family! 🙌 Back in the '90s, Scotty wrestled at Johnson Central and spent most of his time on the side of the mat. But the lessons he learned in that practice room still shape his life 30 years later. Today he serves as Pastor at First Free Will Baptist Church of Lexington and as Service Manager for the Hobart Service Kentucky team, and he knows firsthand that this sport builds far more than wrestlers. We're excited to have Scotty join a growing community of leaders who are committed to using wrestling as a platform to love deeply, live abundantly, and lead courageously in Jesus Christ. SportsLife Leaders are volunteers who have answered God's call to lead courageously in their sports communities. Scotty, we're excited to walk alongside you and see the harvest God brings through your leadership! Welcome to the family! #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife #Leader @sportslifeteam

At the World Championships, our team has been in the Word every night, digging into radical gratitude. Wyatt said it plainly: “I make it more about me.” We all do. The pressure to perform creeps in. The anxiety builds. Wrestling becomes the main thing. But here’s what Wyatt walked away with: ✅ God’s already taken care of it. ✅ Wrestling isn’t the main thing. It’s a blessing. ✅ The God who gave His only Son is worth more than any medal. That’s what changes everything. Not a better game plan. A bigger view of God. Gratitude kills anxiety. Perspective brings peace. Who are you wrestling for? 👇 #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife #Gratitude @sportslifeteam @wyatt_hendrick

Jesus has all authority. Then He says: Go. Make disciples. Teach them to obey. He’s with you to the end. That’s why SportsLife exists: infusing life into wrestling leaders around the world so they can make disciples in every room they lead. Who are you pouring into this season? Want to lead in your room? Become a SportsLife Leader. l1nq.com/sportslifeleader #SportsLife #Wrestling #InfuseLife #KingdomImpact #Discipleship @sportslifeteam

Coaches, we can teach all day long, but our athletes are watching. Just as much is caught as it is taught. When Christ shines through how we lead, it gets seen. That’s where a godly culture starts. 🎥 Watch the full video and the Building a Godly Culture series on the SportsLife Leadership YouTube channel. Link in bio. shorturl.at/yFIaB #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife #Culture @sportslifeteam @CoachErisman

🎥 From the Senior World Championships in Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 We caught up with Olympic medalist, Coach Jamill Kelly, who is now in the corner coaching world champion Trent Hidlay. What stood out wasn’t the medals or the titles. It was Jamill’s heart. 🙌 “There’s something bigger than the sport of wrestling.” On the world’s biggest stage, it’s encouraging to see coaches who understand that wrestling is a platform, not the purpose. Every practice, every match, and every moment in the corner is a chance to point athletes to Someone greater. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Colossians 3:23 Jamill, thank you for leading with faith and for the way you invest in the next generation. The wrestling community is better because of coaches like you. 🖤💛 #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife #WorldChampionships @sportslifeteam @jamill_kelly @hoagieboyhidlay

We want to welcome BJ Futrell to the SportsLife Wrestling family! 🙌 BJ knows that the greatest victories in this sport aren’t measured on the scoreboard. They’re measured in the lives of the athletes we pour into. We’re excited to have BJ join a growing community of leaders who are committed to using wrestling as a platform to love deeply, live abundantly, and lead courageously in Jesus Christ. SportsLife Leaders are volunteers who have answered God’s call to lead courageously in their sports communities. BJ, we’re excited to walk alongside you and see the impact God makes through your leadership, wherever He takes you! Welcome to the family! #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife #Leader @sportslifeteam @Back2TheFutrell

Every wrestler who’s ever stood on top of a podium had a corner. Coaches who saw what he couldn’t. Training partners who broke him down so he could be built back up. Men who told him the truth when he didn’t want to hear it. Faith works the same way. Proverbs 11:14 is clear. Where there’s no counsel, people fall. Where there’s a multitude of wise voices, there’s safety. That’s discipleship. It isn’t a program. It’s a leader walking with another, pointing him to Jesus, and then sending them out to do the same. Leaders, here’s the challenge: Who’s in your corner? And whose corner are you in? If you’re not being poured into, you’ll run dry. If you’re not pouring out, you’re missing the point. Find your counselors and become one! #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife #Leadership @sportslifeteam

We want to welcome Raleigh Abbott to the SportsLife Wrestling family! 🙌 From the corner of the mat in Louisville, KY, Raleigh brings passion, fire, and conviction to everything he does. He knows that the intensity it takes to compete is meant to be matched by a heart that builds young men up for life. We’re excited to have Raleigh join a growing community of leaders who are committed to using wrestling as a platform to love deeply, live abundantly, and lead courageously in Jesus Christ. SportsLife Leaders are volunteers who have answered God’s call to lead courageously in their sports communities. Raleigh, we’re excited to walk alongside you and see the impact God makes as you stand firm and lead with love! Welcome to the family! #SportsLife #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife #Wrestling #Leader @sportslifeteam @raleigh_abbott

The headlines say enemies. The mat says brothers. Our countries are at war, but Jose took a moment to share gifts with an Iranian coach. A small exchange, with a big message. The Gospel has always crossed lines that nations draw. Love your enemies isn’t a slogan. It’s a command, and sometimes it looks like a handshake and a gift between two coaches. Seems like there’s a good lesson in there for all of us. We’re WRESTLING for Peace. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” - Romans 12:18 #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfusingLife #WrestlingForPeace @sportslifeteam @wrestling4peace

Correction is never about protecting your reputation. It’s about making the other person better. The right thing. The right way. The right person. The right time. And above all, for the right reason. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4 This is one piece of the series Not All Roads Lead to Gold. Watch the full series now on the SportsLife Leadership YouTube channel. 🎥 shorturl.at/b7zDm #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife #NotAllRoadsLeadToGold @sportslifeteam @coachgruenwald

On the mat, every instinct says protect yourself. Guard your position. Watch your back. Win your match. Jesus calls us to something greater. Leadership that looks past my record, my reputation, and my comfort, and sees the man next to me. Coach, who are you looking out for today? Teammate, who needs you in his corner? Wrestle for something bigger than yourself. 🤼✝️ #ScriptureSunday #SportsLife #Wrestling #InfuseLife #KingdomImpact @sportslifeteam

We want to welcome Travis Patrick to the SportsLife Wrestling family! 🙌 Coaching at Southeastern University in Lakeland, FL, Travis knows that the young men in his room need more than great technique. They need guidance, wisdom, and men who will speak truth and life into their lives. We’re excited to have Travis join a growing community of leaders who are committed to using wrestling as a platform to love deeply, live abundantly, and lead courageously in Jesus Christ. SportsLife Leaders are volunteers who have answered God’s call to lead courageously in their sports communities. Travis, we’re excited to walk alongside you and see the impact God makes through your leadership on the mat and beyond! Welcome to the family!

SportsLife Wrestling chaplains Jose Campo and Tim Hess were blessed to participate in an incredible Wrestling for Peace Global Campaign event during the U23 World Championships in Las Vegas! Together with Team USA, college and high school wrestlers, Wrestling for Peace, and Rise Against Hunger, we joined forces in an effort to pack 15,000 meals for people facing hunger around the world! We have tremendous respect and admiration for Wrestling for Peace and the amazing work they do using the sport we love to bring people together, build relationships, promote peace, and change lives. Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” — Mark 10:45 We are grateful to stand alongside an organization that puts these values into action! #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife #Wrestling4Peace @sportslifeteam @wrestling4peace

Mikey Altomer walked off the mat without the result he wanted. But listen to what he talked about. Not the scoreboard. Not the bracket. Not the loss. He talked about the hope Jesus. “He has the plan for me.” That’s a man who knows his identity was settled long before he stepped on the mat. Settled at the cross, not on the podium. Wins don’t define you. Losses don’t either. Christ already did. You are chosen. You are loved. You are His. So he gives Him everything: his time, his training, his thanks. Not to earn anything, but because Jesus already gave everything for him. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Who do you wrestle for? #SportsLife #Wrestling #KingdomImpact #InfuseLife #WhoseAreYou @sportslifeteam