This past weekend Uncommon Sports Group hosted an Impact Weekend in Phoenix, AZ, for twenty USG Academy participants. Each of the attendees spent eight weeks walking through USG’s unique Academy program that provides faith-based and professional development opportunities for the participants as they pursue careers in the sport industry. The Impact Weekend experience is a required in-person opportunity that each Academy participant attends to provide them with a more hands-on development experience and a chance to build Christ-centered relationships within the college and pro sport industry.
After traveling to Phoenix, the weekend officially began on Friday afternoon with a visit to Grand Canyon University’s campus. At GCU, our group had the opportunity to hear from a panel of speakers that featured six professionals within the Lopes athletic department including Jamie Boggs, Vice President of Athletics; Nick Ojea, Assistant Vice President/Deputy Athletic Director; Anthony Martinez, Senior Associate Athletic Director, Student Services; Micah Meyer, Associate Athletic Director of Finance; Katy Keenan, Director of Student-Athlete Development; Alexandra Blaser, Director of Compliance; and Cory Tubbs, Athletics Chaplain.
The panel touched on their career journeys, the challenges they face as Christians working in sports, how they are navigating the continuous changes that are happening within college athletics, and more! At the end of the session, our group was able to ask questions to the panel. Once the panel concluded, we were able to take a tour of GCU’s athletic facilities! Our tour included stops at Global Credit Union Arena, basketball practice facility, soccer stadium, and baseball field.
From GCU’s campus, we headed to Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) in Tempe where the group had the opportunity to serve at one of FMSC’s packing sessions. FMSC is a Christian non-profit that is committed to providing nutritious meals to hungry children worldwide. Our group was honored with the opportunity to meet the needs of people across the world through this service opportunity, all for God’s glory!
Day two of the Impact Weekend kicked off on Saturday morning with a large group Bible study through Acts 2:42-47. Attendees studied this section of Scripture by using the Discovery Bible Study (DBS) method, which allows participants to study God’s Word in a replicable format.
After the Bible study, we headed to Arizona State University’s football facility for a tour, which was given by USG member and ASU’s Assistant Director of Football Operations, Lexie Godfrey. Our tour included walking through the Sun Devils weight room, locker room, football stadium, and film room. At the end of the tour, Lexie shared about her journey through athletics and fielded questions from our group.
Our next stop was at the brand new Player 15 Group office building in downtown Phoenix. Player 15 Group includes several companies that own and operate the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, and Valley Suns. The office building is state of the art, and a brand new facility for front office staff to work. We received a tour of the facility from two USG members, Luke Unverferth and Kyle Gaspari. Luke and Kyle both work in the sales department as Account Executives.
The tour included a comprehensive walk-through of the entire facility, including explanations of how the space will be used by front office staff! We concluded our time with Luke and Kyle by hearing about their career journeys, how they have been able to share their faith in a secular work environment, and with a time of Q&A.
Our final stop of the day was right next door at Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Our group was able to hear from two Diamondbacks staff members, including the Coordinator of Community Relations & Partner Programs, Taylor Merwin; and the Vice President of Government Affairs, Amilyn Pierce. Both Taylor and Amilyn shared their personal testimonies, as well as diving into their career journeys. Our time at Chase Field concluded with a tour of the ballpark!
We concluded Saturday with dinner and a group social event at the Phoenix Suns' home opener against the Dallas Mavericks! It was a joy to spend quality time with one another and continue to fellowship as the body of Christ within the sport industry!
Another core value that we have at Uncommon Sports Group is living “connected” and the best way to do that is to be connected to a local church body! Attending a local church during the weekend emphasizes the importance of the community and discipleship that the church can provide.
Each participant is officially a member of Uncommon Sports Group because of their completion of the Impact Weekend, and we’re encouraged by the ways that God grew each individual throughout the weekend.
We’re incredibly appreciative of our Clean Out For A Cause donors for their generosity and for making events like these possible. As we send these new USG members out, we’re confident that they are prepared and equipped to be Christ-centered leaders within the college and pro sport industry.
Learn more about the USG Academy, Impact Weekends, or membership! If you have any questions, contact a USG staff member here!
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