From Spectators to Servants: How to Turn Sports Parents into Ministry Partners
Written by: Ed Uszynski and Brian Smith – Authors of “Away Game: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Navigating Youth Sports
“Will he play more this game?”
“She better not be passive today!”
“He’s only got a few more chances to get this right…today has to be the day.”
Walking from the parking lot to our seats on the sideline, it’s easy as parents to focus entirely on our own child and the anticipation of their in-game performance. After all, that’s why we’re giving another weekday evening or Saturday morning to this sports journey.
We want our kids to experience opportunities and success. Nothing wrong with that.
But too often, parents are settling for too little.
What if we could actually have a more purposeful and fulfilling experience when we show up at games that has little to do with a child’s performance?
Here are six perspectives to help us get there.
1. Encourage Parents to Meet with Jesus in the Parking Lot
The chaos of getting to the game is finally over. The young athlete is on the field for warmups.
Now it’s time for the parent’s warmup.
Use those few minutes before taking your seatbelt off to become intentionally God-conscious. Submit your anxieties to Him before entering the arena. Name your fears, anticipate your frustrations, and invite the Holy Spirit to give you self-control before you need it.
A simple prayer-practice can change everything:
“Lord, help me see more than the scoreboard today. Give me eyes for the people around me. Help me, Jesus, represent You well today. Amen.”
The parent who prepares their heart in the parking lot offers a completely different presence in the stands.
2. Remind Parents That Today’s Performance Won’t Cement Their Child’s Athletic Destiny
One of the most freeing things you can tell a sports parent is this: The next two hours won’t determine the next decade of your child’s athletic life, but how you respond to it might.
God made sport, and it’s a good thing. If your child gets to play a game, that’s a gift – but it won’t last forever.
Help parents release whatever imagined sports future exists in their minds and enjoy what’s happening right now. Enjoy watching warmups. Appreciate seeing your child with teammates doing something they genuinely love.
Don’t let an imaginary future rob you of the present.
Don’t focus entirely on what needs to be fixed.
Don’t worry about being your kid’s agent.
Just appreciate the gift of sports and the moment in front of you.
3. Challenge Parents to Learn Other Kids’ Names - and Use Them
This one is simple but profoundly powerful.
Encourage parents to learn the names of their child’s teammates and consistently use them.
There’s something about being called by name from a teammate’s parent that communicates, “I see you. You matter.” It means something to their parents, too.
For a child who may not hear much encouragement from the stands, your voice can be unexpectedly significant.
Jesus was a master at helping people feel seen and valued. Using someone’s name is an entry-level way to model Him in the athletic space.
4. Help Parents Diversify Their “Win” List
One reason sports parents feel anxiety during games is because their view of “winning” gets based entirely on performance metrics, results that are influenced by countless, unpredictable factors.
Instead, we need to help parents recognize and celebrate a broader list of process wins:
A courageous swing at a third strike.
A kind word to a struggling teammate.
A child choosing self-control.
A conversation where they asked another family a real question.
The most meaningful thing that happens at a game may not be the goal that gets scored, but a small step of progress called “growth.” That’s not a participation-trophy mentality, but a more mature and comprehensive understanding of what it takes to get better.
5. Train Parents to Think Like a Chaplain, Not a Critic
Every critic monitors the physical output. Chaplains pay attention to the stuff going on inside.
Help parents learn to watch their child with pastoral eyes.
What moments of courage did they see? Where did their child show resilience, fight through failure, or encourage a friend? What virtue was on display – or struggling to emerge?
Then ask these questions:
“What was the best part of today for you?”
“What was the hardest?”
“Who looked like they were struggling?”
“What might God be trying to teach you?”
Sports are life with the volume turned up. Kids can experience the highest highs and lowest lows within the same afternoon. Parents who come with chaplain instincts maximize these moments by coming away with rich material for discipleship conversations later.
6. Challenge Parents to Move Beyond Small Talk
Youth sports is one of the last places where the same group of people gathers week after week for a shared purpose.
Have you ever considered that it’s not an accident God caused your story to cross these other people’s stories at this point in your journey?
Maybe it’s time to think like a “sports missionary.”
Sports missionaries move beyond small talk into conversations about parenting, marriage, work, faith, and the challenges of everyday life. They don’t have all the answers, but they give people permission to talk about topics that matter. They ask thoughtful questions, listen carefully, and share honestly from their own imperfect journey.
People long for connection. They want to talk about their lives with others who share similar questions and struggles in the same season of life.
The next time you’re in the stands, ask God to give you an opportunity for a real conversation.
Then ask a good question and see what happens.
Making a Difference in Your Corner of the Bleachers
Christian sports parents have enormous ministry potential just by sitting in the stands – both to their kids and others. When we equip parents to see it, we don’t just change the sideline atmosphere; we expand the Kingdom reach of the entire sports experience.
The game lasts two hours.
The impact of how you show up for your kids and everyone else will last much longer.
About the authors:
Ed Uszynski is an author, speaker, and sports minister with over three decades’ experience discipling college and professional athletes. He’s written articles, essays, and training manuals on the intersection of faith and sport, and recently co-wrote Away Game: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Navigating Youth Sports (David C. Cook, July 2025) with Brian Smith. He has two theological degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a PhD in American Culture Studies. He and his wife Amy have four children and live in Xenia, OH.
Brian Smith is the author of several books including his latest Away Game: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Navigating Youth Sports and The Christian Athlete: Glorifying God in Sports. He has been on staff with Athletes in Action since 2008. A graduate of Wake Forest University where he ran track and cross country, Brian also has a master’s degree in Theology and Sports Studies through Baylor University. He lives in Lowell, Michigan, with his wife and three kids.
Is your church ready to create a first-class, organized, and detailed Upward Sports experience? Visit www.upward.org/church-leaders
Share
Other blogs that may be of interest to you:
