Get to Know Our Team: Alyssa Ryals

My name is Alyssa Ryals, and I have stepped into the role of Women’s Engagement Associate at Uncommon Sports Group. I am excited to get to know each of you who pursue membership with our organization. As someone who has greatly benefited from being a member myself, I am eager to now walk many others through the program.

To share a little of my story, my childhood was split between two states. I was born and raised for the first 12 years of my life in Birmingham, Alabama, where I grew up in a solid Christian home and attended a traditional Southern Baptist church. At 12, my family moved across the country to Gilbert, Arizona, where I spent my middle and high school years. There, we attended a non-denominational church, and it was in that season that I developed a love for studying Scripture line by line and paragraph by paragraph. When it came time for college, I returned to Birmingham to attend Samford University, where I eventually found my church home at The Church at Brook Hills. Each of these church communities have deeply encouraged and strengthened my faith.

Sports have always been part of my life, though in many different forms. As a kid, I tried soccer, basketball, cheer, and many others, but the two that stuck were gymnastics (ages 3–10) and tennis (ages 11–18). Though I no longer play competitively, I still enjoy being active, and you can often find me on the pickleball courts!

Sports as a career really began in college. While looking for a campus job, I was hired as the volleyball data analyst for Samford Athletics. It was a steep learning curve, but the coaches welcomed me into their program like family, and I ended up working with them for all four seasons of my college years. Beyond campus, I also worked with the Birmingham Squadron, the NBA G League affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans. I began part-time during my junior and senior years as the Game Day Experience and Community Outreach Coordinator. Once I graduated in December, I transitioned into full-time work for a third season with the team. Along the way, I also gained valuable experience through internships and volunteer roles with the SEC, SoCon, Van Wagner, Indy Grand Prix, United Football League, and the Birmingham Bowl.

I discovered USG in June of 2024 while attending the Daniel Summit, a gathering of Christians working in sports. Here I had the opportunity to connect and have meaningful conversations with members of this organization. I then joined the next academy in August of 2024 through the beginning of October. My impact weekend was incredible and I met many people that were in similar positions as me.

My decision to join the staff of Uncommon Sports Group stems from both my own hardships in the sports industry and my passion for Christ. While the cool parts of our sports jobs are often celebrated, the challenges aren’t talked about as much. These include the challenging work schedules, tough coworkers, and situations that test or go against your faith. That is why I am so thankful the Lord opened the door for me to serve here. USG has already impacted me in incredible ways through the Academy, Bible studies, conferences, and the community. Now, I feel called to pour back into others. In this role, I hope to provide every member with the support and resources they need to faithfully walk with Christ and reflect His light throughout the sports industry.

I am truly excited for the season ahead and am eager to connect with many of you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out as I would love to hear your story and walk alongside you in this journey!

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Thank you for reading and learning more about the USG team! If you'd like to know more about Uncommon Sports Group, Clean Out for a Cause, or our programs, please contact us. We'd love to hear from you!