Sports Spectrum Podcast

Leah Church is a former college basketball player with the University of North Carolina. As a Tar Heel, she was played three seasons on full scholarship and majored in exercise and sport science with a concentration in sport administration.  During her three year career with UNC, she was a prolific three-point shooter making 95 from the behind the arc at a 39% clip and excelled from the free throw line making 89% of her shots. After her junior season, Church decided to walk away from the basketball team and her college career to focus on her faith and stance for Christ.  Today on the podcast, we talk to Leah about her basketball journey, achieving the dream of playing for UNC, taking a stance for Jesus and why she felt compelled to walk away from college basketball.  Receive our Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.

Bobby Jones played thirteen professional basketball seasons with the Denver Nuggets in the ABA from 1974-1978 and the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA from 1978-1986. He was selected fifth overall in the 1974 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets after a stellar college career playing for Hall of Famer Dean Smith at North Carolina.  After arriving to Philadelphia in a trade with Denver, Jones thrived as a member of the 76ers being named the NBA"s All-Star Game four times and winning an NBA championship in 1983. His biggest contribution on the court was on the defensive end, where he was named to the NBA's All Defensive First Team eight times between 1977-1984.  In 1986, Jones retired from the NBA and a few months later, his number 24 was retired by Philadelphia. 33 years later, he was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts in 2019. Today on the podcast, we talk to Bobby Jones about his professional basketball career, his favorite memories of playing with Dr. J Julius Erving and against Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. We also hear from Jones about his faith in Jesus and why he felt compelled to start one of the NBA's first ever chapel services.  Looking for a great gift idea? Order our new devotional book: "The Increase 52 Week Devotional: Inspiring Stories of Faith from the World of Pro Sports."  

Welcome to the Sports Spectrum Minute. A new segment featuring a short clip of inspiration from a previous Sports Spectrum Podcast interview. Today we hear from Ernie Johnson, the host of the NBA on TNT and author of the book "Unscripted." He appeared on Sports Spectrum's Podcast in April 2017. You can listen to the entire interview here.  Receive our Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.

Mike Swider served as the head coach of the Wheaton College football team for 24 seasons and spent 35 seasons as a member of the Wheaton College football coaching staff. He took the helm of the Wheaton football program in 1996 and announced his retirement at the conclusion of Wheaton’s record setting 2019 season.   In his 24 seasons as head coach, Wheaton posted a 209-52 record with an 80.1% winning percentage, which ranks him first all-time in both categories among Wheaton's 22 head football coaches. Upon his retirement, he held the eighth-highest winning percentage of any active Division III coach and is among the top-15 highest winning percentages of any coach in Division III history with 10 or more years of experience.  Today on the podcast, we talk to Mike Swider about his legacy as a college football coach, his desire to disciple his players, why he keeps perspective, the importance of relationships and why he chose Jesus.  Looking for a great gift idea? Order our new devotional book: "The Increase 52 Week Devotional: Inspiring Stories of Faith from the World of Pro Sports."  

Today, we announce the launch of Sports Spectrum's newest podcast, "Transformed with Jade McCarthy."  Her first guest on the podcast is former NFL QB and sports analyst Danny Kanell.  Jade is an Emmy-Award winning journalist and a former ESPN host/anchor who brings her years of expertise in telling stories to us at Sports Spectrum.  Subscribe and Follow the show wherever podcasts are found. APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-spectrums-transformed-with-jade-mccarthy/id1484216711 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sSnTVEhKU88DtJ5SmeuaD?si=8f7872e8b0904f58 

Kurt Hines is a high school football coach at Coronado High School in San Diego, California. He's been a football coach for 25 years and has helped guide teams on both the east coast and the west coast to successful seasons.  In September 2021, Hines posted an inspiring video on Twitter about a player of his that would go viral with over 1.9 million views. That video led to Hines' platform increasing and with over 60k followers on Twitter, Hines shares his positive message to audiences all over the country.  Today on Sports Spectrum, we talk to Kurt Hines about that viral video, what led him to post that message, the desire to live for Christ, praying with his players and why he believes coaching is just an opportunity for him to share the Gospel. Looking for a great gift idea? Order our new devotional book: "The Increase 52 Week Devotional: Inspiring Stories of Faith from the World of Pro Sports."  

Dan O'Dowd is longtime MLB executive, who is currently an analyst with MLB Network. Dan began his front office baseball career with the Baltimore Orioles in 1983 before joining Cleveland in 1988 as their Vice President of Baseball Operations and Assistant General Manager. In 1999, he joined the Colorado Rockies as their GM and Executive VP where he led them to two postseason appearances and a National League championship in 2007.  O'Dowd joined MLB Network in February 2015 after serving as a guest analyst during MLB Network's 2014 Winter Meetings coverage in San Diego and is currently featured on the EmmyAward-winning flagship studio show MLB Tonight. Today on the podcast, we talk to Dan O'Dowd about his broadcasting role with MLB Network, his introduction to Christianity, growing from failures and why it took him until his 50's to surrender his life to Christ.  Looking for a great gift idea? Order our new devotional book: "The Increase 52 Week Devotional: Inspiring Stories of Faith from the World of Pro Sports."  

Today on the podcast, our Sports Spectrum Managing Editor Jon Ackerman joins host Jason Romano to preview the 2022 Summer edition of the Sports Spectrum Magazine with Mallory Pugh, Sydney McLaughlin and Tori Dilfer on the cover. SIGN UP HERE for Sports Spectrum Magazine. Use the code SS15OFF to save 15% on a one-year subscription. 

Don Davis played 11 years in the NFL with the Buccaneers, Patriots, Saints and Rams. During his time in New England, Davis won two Super Bowls in 2001 and 2003. He is currently the Senior Director of Player Affairs for the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and is responsible for advancing and overseeing the management of varying aspects of player labor issues. Today on the podcast, Don Davis shares his powerful testimony of faith in Christ and what it was like to play for Hall of Fame coaches Bill Belichick and Tony Dungy. He is currently the Senior Director of Player Affairs for the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and is responsible for advancing and overseeing the management of varying aspects of player labor issues. Today on the podcast, Don Davis shares his powerful testimony of faith in Christ and what it was like to play for Hall of Fame coaches Bill Belichick and Tony Dungy.  Looking for a great gift idea? Order our new devotional book: "The Increase 52 Week Devotional: Inspiring Stories of Faith from the World of Pro Sports."  

Bay Forrest is a former professional basketball player who played in the NBA from 1977-1979. He was selected in the second round of the 1976 NBA Draft by the Seattle Supersonics but never played with the franchise, choosing instead to play the 1976-77 season with Athletes in Action before making his NBA debut in 1977 with the Phoenix Suns. Forrest was actually selected two other times by the NBA's Phoenix Suns in 1975 and the ABA's San Antonio Spurs in 1975 but turned them both down to play his senior season in college at Grand Canyon University where he was a three-time NAIA All-American. After his playing career, Bay founded Focus Ministries and for over thirty years, has been in ministry and spoken all across the US and around the world sharing his story and pointing people to the Gospel of Jesus. Today on the podcast, we talk to Bay Forrest about his basketball journey, getting dunked on by Julius Erving, the desire to go into ministry and what it means to step our in faith. Looking for a great gift idea? Order our new devotional book: "The Increase 52 Week Devotional: Inspiring Stories of Faith from the World of Pro Sports."