During the course of a typical sporting event, many different emotions come across an athlete's face, ranging from anticipation to anxiety and ending with the excitement of a win or weariness of a loss. However, the face of a Harding Bison had one constant characteristic: he or she had the face of a Christian-a face that exposed the heart and focus of the individual athlete. David wrote in Psalm 34:5, "Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered in shame." In the big picture it does not matter if the teams or the individuals won or lost; it was all about how they displayed Christ and whether or not they were looking to him for strength and guidance. That is the true face of a Christian student-athlete. Coach Keith Giboney said it best during his introduction of the volleyball team during chapel. He said that he coaches his players to be Christians first, students second and athletes third. First and foremost, the athletes at Harding were to reflect the attitude of Christ and be shining examples of him on and off the field. Their second responsibility was that of living as a student; many athletes relied on their educations to take them far in this world after their college years ended. Although athletics were important to both the students and the school, they took a back seat to the previous two responsibilities. Harding athletes were called to play for a team greater than the Bisons. They have all been called to play on God's team, guaranteed to be on the winning end after time runs out, and promised a constant face of hope. Having your priorities straight is what it takes to have the face of a Christian student-athlete. --;- Athletics Editor
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