The weekend of November 19th-21st the USG Team headed to Tampa, FL with the most recent training cohort The focus of the weekend was learning to live out the core values of USG: Called, Committed, and Connected We kicked off the weekend with a "Play to Your Strengths" training session, supporting our students as Being able to worship together as a team was a great way to wrap up a truly powerful weekend! If you'd like to experience our USG Academy and a USG Impact Weekend, please contact us.

USG had the pleasure of traveling to New York City, New York to host an Impact Weekend with ten of our The Impact Weekends allow our Academy participants the opportunity to put everything they've been learning What Are Impact Weekends? The USG Academy is both an eight-week virtual study and a fully-funded Impact Weekend. Our Impact Weekends serve the purpose of allowing our participants to put everything they have been learning

Over the weekend of May 21st to 23rd, 2021, USG was in Atlanta with Team 25 of the USG Academy! This Impact Weekend was fruitful in building connections between our members and networking with some Our staff and students had an impactful outreach event Sunday morning as we distributed impact box content Learn more about the USG Academy, Impact Weekends, or membership!

Our first Impact Weekend took place in April 2021 in Miami, Florida! Member Testimonial "I really grew this weekend spiritually and professionally through everyone on the team and we met throughout the weekend. Everything we did, saw, and experienced helped me grow more than I ever thought I could in one weekend Weekends, or membership!

International Speedway, was a valuable part of our Team 27 cohort that attended our Tampa, Florida USG Impact Weekend. Here is what she had to say about her experience: "The USG Weekend trip was an amazing time of community It was a weekend filled with encouraging testimony, spiritual and professional growth, and fun! In an industry that can be spiritually absent, the USG weekend trip turned my focus from myself to glorifying

There were many parts of our weekend in Tampa that could be deemed a highlight, sharing a meal with new Another aspect of the weekend worth highlighting was our guest speaker, Doug Gilcrease.

Anthony is a part of the USG community and has completed our Academy program, has attended an Impact Weekend, is involved in our Community Bible Studies, and recently was a winner of our scholarship. Below is a testimony from Anthony about his experience in Kenya and the impact the experience had on My trip to Kenya may have lasted only two weeks, but the impact has shaped every day since. . "- Anthony Wedel, Ticket Office Associate with Liberty Athletics Seeing the impact that the Lord brought

Sports Group provided eleven of its members with the opportunity to travel to Israel for a two-week-long Impact Mallory Odell shared a testimony of her experience in the Holy Land with Uncommon Sports Group and the impact This week also served as a reminder that sports can and should be very personal and have the power to impact It was encouraging to see the impact that the two-week trip had on this group of Christ-centered leaders Learn more about USG's Impact Trip to Israel with the link here.

Sports Group provided eleven of its members with the opportunity to travel to Israel for a two-week-long Impact Paul Conner shared a testimony of his experience in the Holy Land with Uncommon Sports Group and the impact Blessed to be able to impact the kids of Israel and to have them impact me. This was the trip of a lifetime, which I won’t see the fruits of and won’t really feel the full impact Learn more about USG's Impact Trip to Israel with the link here.

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” John 12:32'' The Word says that every knee should bow at the name of Jesus. Sports are no exception. From athletic administrators to stadium custodial staff members, EVERY knee will bow. Regardless of the nation, tribe, sports team, or tongue, Jesus Christ is Lord. The gospel was preached, and Jesus' name was exalted at the 2025 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Convention in Orlando, Florida. The Lord moved as believers gathered to worship, fellowship, and be encouraged. On Monday evening of the conference, 50-plus people came together in one room after a day packed with meetings to enjoy the Lord's presence. We started the evening by introducing, praying, and delivering the gospel message. Then, thanks to the leadership of Jesus Films' Seth Irby, we sang songs unto the Lord. This time was filled with sweet refreshment (we even had desserts on deck). Following worship, Orlando Magic's head athletic trainer, Ernest Eugene, gave an inspiring message on work-life balance, with his wife Jackie and three children in attendance. That opened the conversation for Q&A and round-table discussions about prioritizing spending time with God first daily. After the discussions, Angela Marin, Director of Athletics at UT Dallas, and Paul Conner, Associate Director of Development at Florida State, shared testimony of how the Lord is moving in their lives and through Uncommon Sports Group. This was powerful. Revelation 12:11 says, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." This holds true! To wrap up the evening, we closed in prayer, commissioning, and plenty of socialization. We're so grateful to the World Center Marriott Resort staff for extending our stay and giving us space for added fellowship. It was a quick turnaround, as alarms went off early Tuesday morning for the ADs4Christ devotional. Once again, over fifty believers gathered before conference meetings to hear an encouraging message from Curtis Janz, Director of Athletics at Arkansas-Fort Smith. He spoke on the necessity of boldness in our Christian walk and freeing our minds from the noise. "What are we doing to make ourselves available to hear the whisper of God..." - Curtis Janz Following the devotional, many gathered in the hallways and conference rooms to carry a heart awakened to Jesus to the sports realm, one handshake at a time. I'm leaving Orlando believing that princess castles and Mickey ears cannot compete with a small gathering of believers who live surrendered to the Holy Spirit, advancing His Kingdom on the earth. Thank you for reading and learning more about USG, the NBA Chaplaincy, and our outreach. 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.

The first week of April, Uncommon Sports Group sponsored a group of industry professionals to attend the 2025 WBCA Convention in Tampa, Florida. WBCA is the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's annual event. It's an excellent opportunity to connect with peers, grow as a coach or mentor, and learn from those who have paved the way in women's basketball. While the convention opens doors for plenty of career growth, the primary intent is for attendees to shine the light of Christ and encounter Him in a deeper way at the convention. While in Tampa, USG Member and Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at Chattanooga, Mallory Odell, led an open Bible study for conference attendees. Enjoy Mallory's testimony from the event! "I was honored to have the opportunity to attend this year’s WBCA Convention in Tampa, Florida, with the assistance of both my institution and USG. It is never lost on me what amazing experiences I am being presented with, so I want to start with pouring out gratitude and continuing with an ever-thankful heart. This year’s convention was heavy on community, which I believe we all need more than ever. I know I do! It was great to be able to connect with colleagues and other coaches in similar situations and listen, share, and learn on all different levels and topics. Similarly, the USG community was welcoming and warm as we reconnected and shared about this past year’s experiences and explored what is to come. I also had the most special experience leading the USG Bible Study. We had an intimate group and dug into John 1. We studied the word, shared about how Jesus moves both in our lives and workplaces, and reflected on how we can all be as faithful and obedient as John and share of Jesus boldly within our professions. This group provided time for honest conversation and discussion as well as genuine fellowship. Also, I had so many special opportunities to share about USG with other believers both while in Tampa and since returning home. I am already looking forward to more fellowship time next year & to continue growing spiritually and professionally with the support and guidance of USG and my fellow coaches and sports professionals in Christ. Let us all follow John’s example and share about Jesus as we draw nearer to him each day!" It was amazing to see how God moved at the WBCA Convention. We are grateful to Mallory for her testimony and bold "yes" to loving and serving Jesus. If you're interested in learning more about Uncommon Sports Group and how we can come alongside you as a Christian in the sport industry, click here  to see how you can get involved.

are often an integral part of the marketing of university and professional sports teams, the positive impact Digital Content Strategy and handler of Butler University's live mascot, Evan Krauss, discusses the impact