Tia Sanford - Soccer

I was…

Lost in my own ways of selfishness, running away from problems I did not want to face. My parents had divorced when I was sixteen and I fell into a state of despair. My father had been the one that led me to Christ but at this time, neither Jesus or my father were the one I ran to. Instead, I drowned out my problems with partying and bad decisions until I hit rock bottom. The only place I could turn was to God and thank goodness I did.

But Christ

After hitting the lowest point in my life, I returned to church because I had no other place to turn. I finally found my purpose, in Him. I ended up getting baptized when I was seventeen and I found out how and why I should fully pursue the Lord. During this time, I was heading into my senior year of high school and also trying to achieve a soccer scholarship. God had closed many doors on me, and I had no idea where I would attend college. But, God. I was playing at a soccer tournament where I met Tim Strader, the previous women’s soccer coach at IWU. After seeing me play a couple times, Coach Strader offered me. I tried to turn away from this opportunity, but God knew what he was doing. I came to IWU on an official visit and was blown away by how much I felt God’s presence in this place. I knew this was where I was supposed to be.

And now…

I am in my senior year here at IWU and I have never felt more blessed. In the past three years, God has been so present. He has shaped and molded me into the person He designed me to be. He has taught me to serve, to love, and to trust. I am seven months away from achieving a life goal of receiving my BSN. I have been blessed to worship God through soccer, gain a family of sisters, and be surrounded by others with the same mission of furthering the Kingdom. Without God, none of this would have been possible.

Life Verse

“I have told you these things, so that you can have peace because of me. In this world you will have trouble. But be encouraged! I have won the battle over the world.” – John 16:33 NIRV

Challenge to Other Athletes/Coaches

On the field/in our sports, we must remember that it is a platform for the Kingdom. We must play with joy and freedom, remembering that we play for Him and for our sisters/brothers with us on the field. Praying before and after matches is a way of opening the platform for others. The result at the end of the game is not what matters; what matters is putting your best foot forward and giving everything you possibly have for God. The pursuit of furthering the Kingdom does not end when practice ends or a match ends, it continues off the field reaching people in a different aspect. Your team has the ability to outreach to so many people through your sport. We are blessed to be able to come out day in and day out and work hard at something we are passionate about, never forget that it is a blessing and never forget who you play for.