Unlimited Faith: Tom Roy's Journey from Pro Athlete to Global Ministry Trailblazer

In this powerful episode of Hope Unlocked, host Kristin sits down with Tom Roy, a former professional athlete turned ministry leader, to explore his incredible journey of faith, redemption, and perseverance. From his roots as one of seven siblings in a small Wisconsin town to signing with the San Francisco Giants at just 17, Tom's life story is a testament to God’s transformative power.

Tom shares the heartbreak of losing his baseball career due to injury and the pivotal moments that led him to Christ. A chance meeting with Carin, who became his wife, and a life-changing discipleship relationship helped Tom rediscover his purpose. His path took him to Grace College, where he grew spiritually and professionally, ultimately preparing him for a life of ministry.

Kristin and Tom discuss the founding of Unlimited Potential Inc., a global ministry that shares the gospel through baseball clinics. With stories of bringing Major League players to countries like Russia, China, and Puerto Rico, Tom reflects on trusting God’s provision, as the ministry thrived for over 40 years without ever requesting funding.

Tom’s reflections on leadership, mentoring, and stepping into the unknown inspire listeners to trust God’s plans, even in uncertainty. His humility and faith-driven courage remind us that setbacks can become platforms for God’s greater purposes. Don’t miss this uplifting conversation about unlocking your purpose and following God’s call.

Tom's Contact info:
Website - www.shepherdcoachnetwork.com
Email - troy@upi.org

Tom's books: shepherdcoachnetwork.com/books/

Chapters

• 0:16 Unlocking Hope
• 8:16 Unexpected Journey to Faith
• 13:27 Journey to Hope and Purpose
• 21:41 Guided Path to Coaching Career
• 27:06 Field of Faith Outreach Stories
• 33:15 Unlimited Potential
• 45:23 Making an Impact Through Coaching
• 57:44 Journey of Faith and Purpose

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:16

Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast. I'm your host, kristen Kurtz, and I'm also the founder of New Wings Coaching. I help and empower wildhearted and adventurous women of faith feeling caged and stuck, unlock their true purpose and potential, break free from limitations and thrive with confidence, courage and hope. If you're curious to learn more about coaching with me, head to newwingscoachingnet and be sure to explore the show notes for ways to connect with me further. Get ready to dive in as we uncover empowering keys and insights in this episode. So tune in and let's unlock hope together.

Speaker 1: 0:48

Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast. I'm Kristen Kurtz, your host. I pray this episode is like a holy IV of hope for your soul. Please help me. Welcome Tom Roy to the show. I am so excited to have him here. He is actually one of my dearest friend's fathers and I know his story At least I know most of it and I know that there is somebody who needs to hear what he has to share. Today, the Lord really highlighted him to come on the show and I would love for you to just share a little bit about yourself before we get into it.

Speaker 2: 1:21

Hey, kristen, thank you for having me today and up here in blustery Wisconsin. Of course you're in more blustery Minnesota, right? But that time of year, my story man, I'm the oldest of eight kids Tom, tim, terry, tracy, todd, tammy, trudy and Tony. Yeah, we lived in a 1200 square foot house with one bathroom with three sisters. That's a little rough sometimes, but, yeah, just blue collar family and grew up going to a parochial school but really didn't want anything to do with Jesus at that time. And I, in eighth grade I think I was 5'3" and in ninth grade I was 6'3". So all of a sudden the basketball coach and coaches wanted to get in touch with me and that started my I don't know if it was a romance, but with sports and played five different sports in high school and kind of that was what defined me and not at all really follow. I knew about Jesus but I wasn't following. I do the Sunday thing occasionally. And then when I was 17, I got signed by the San Francisco Giants and that took me to another level of worshiping sport. Right, because I thought I was going to be this star and that didn't work out. But that's how God, I believe, brought me to my knees.

Speaker 2: 2:58

The same time, a young lady moved to our town from upstate New York and I was the first to meet her. Actually, she had just been in town and I, like an idiot, had gone out and bought a couple of used cars. I don't know why I needed two cars, but I needed insurance and I thought she was at this little fair kind of thing with the insurance company. Well, she wasn't. She was standing there talking to the guy selling insurance. She was there for her church, which was right next to the insurance booth. Long story short, I asked her out. She had asked her dad if we could go out. Of course I took her to a nightclub, which probably wasn't the most comfortable thing for her, and when we got back to her house I pulled way off to the end of the driveway for some night moves and she said I'll be right back. And she went in the house and brought a Bible out and I'm like what are you kidding me?

Speaker 1: 4:01

And she shared it.

Speaker 2: 4:03

Yeah, that's not why I'm here. And anyway, she shared the gospel with me. It's kind of tough to uh stay that mode when she's talking about all of sin and fall short and the wages of sin is death. You know romans, and uh, she shared the gospel with me and I basically all right thanks, and.

Speaker 2: 4:24

And uh, you know, I think it was. Spurgeon said it's like letting a tiger loose, and it was probably about a year later that I'd say he trusted me enough to call me to himself, and that was kind of cool. Okay, I'm going to stop there. Now I'm a believer. I'll let you enter.

Speaker 1: 4:43

I don't want to do all the talking here, but no, like the mic is yours, you have free, free reign here. But I did want to kind of go back a little bit to you know, you were, you were, um, you know, basically enlisted into the giants, right, I don't know if that's the best way to put it, but they, they wanted you and you said that there was something that pivoted, what happened at that moment, to keep you from walking on that path.

Speaker 2: 5:10

Well, I was called a bonus baby. I got a little bonus back then. I have to remember this was back in 67. There wasn't the money there is now, but there was money.

Speaker 2: 5:22

I'd always played high school sports just because I loved them. I'd done very well in basketball, but I wanted to play baseball, to be in Wisconsin. There were very few people that signed professional baseball contracts from Wisconsin, being right outside of Milwaukee I think I was the only one that I knew of, and so it kind of took me on an ego trip. I thought this is it, man. So when I say it took me to another level on this journey, I was pretty into myself, pretty thankful, but also, you know, yeah, just a mixture of insecurity. And you know I'm 17. I'm going to go to spring training with all these grown men. You know there was that mixed in there too. So you hide behind the insecurity by acting secure. You know all that stuff. So, yeah, it was. You know our town was a small town, 10,000 people maybe, and so it kind of was a big deal and I made it probably a bigger deal than it was so what, like what kept you from going down that road?

Speaker 1: 6:34

then like, was there something that happened?

Speaker 2: 6:37

well, they asked me to go home. I was in a our wreck uh, actually a year earlier and went through the windshield and I was right-handed pitcher and my whole right side got pretty messed up. But I was young enough and seeing a doctor later he said you were young enough that your muscles worked for you to keep you in line. We'll call it spinal shoulder and all that. But right after I signed I knew something wasn't right and I just couldn't throw a heart anymore. So I took the money but I never made it. I got released and that was really hard.

Speaker 1: 7:22

Yeah, I wanted to have you share a little bit about that, because I know that there's been. You know I could I think I've even shared with you a little bit about my son who was injured last year and it really took him. It literally took him out of baseball himself too. And I was just kind of curious, because I know that there might be somebody listening today who thought they were going one way, one way right. They had their whole life planned on doing this, this thing, and something sideswiped them. How did you? How did you cope, like? What did that look like for you?

Speaker 2: 7:55

well, looking in the rear view mirror first, uh, as a uh, I'll be 75 tomorrow or the next day, so I've been on this planet a while, I see God did that just to get me to do what I ended up doing with my life, which we haven't gotten into yet, but at the time it was interesting. We trained in Casa Grande, arizona, and I had a room right next to the room where all the coaches met to decide what was going to happen. So every night I had four or five guys in my room with glass you know the water glasses against their ear next to the wall, wanting to listen into the coaches meeting. I had the you know the filet mignon of rooms, right, because guys wanted all the information and I, yeah, come on. In.

Speaker 2: 8:46

Well, all of a sudden they all left and I just was, you know, with my roomie and went to bed. And I got up the next day and I said I'm not going to breakfast, I'll be fine, they go. No, I think you should go to breakfast. I don't want to go to breakfast.

Speaker 2: 9:00

Well, the way the Giants announced who's been released was on a chalkboard at breakfast, and so I walked down there and, sure enough, my name was on the board and I just I didn't break down then because I was too proud. But I went back to the room and cried my eyes out. With some of my bonus I bought a table, a kitchen table for my parents and some furniture and I wanted to be the Messiah, you know, and really help them out, because we didn't have great wealth at all and now I was going home, so it's kind of that idea.

Speaker 2: 9:38

I left a hero got on a plane at Billy Mitchell Field and I was the man. And now I had to turn around and come home, very humbling, and got a job in a factory and it was kind of surreal, you know, like how in the heck was I with Willie Mays one day and now in this dungeon, if you will, working this job, just trying to figure out life. And fortunately, when I got back that girl was still going to date me and I, you know, I basically said, you know, we ended up continuing to date a little bit, but I did go to church with her or to Bible studies, and it turns out she didn't really care about sports and I'm like, why would you want to date me? I'm no longer, you know something. And she goes oh, we can still date and I know it was now for the sake of listening to the gospel and I would take her out, get her home.

Speaker 2: 10:39

Whenever her dad said, let's say, 10 o'clock, I don't know. Then I'd go out to the bars In Wisconsin, it was 18, know. Then I'd go out to the bars in Wisconsin it was 18, drinking. So I'd get hammered or at least have a few adult beverages on the weekend you know, like the old movie Saturday Night Fever.

Speaker 2: 11:01

So that was kind of my journey and little by little, with all that time in my job thinking about all kinds of stuff, but one of maybe 10 or 15 different things that go through your head every day when you're working a job like that was the gospel. And it was about a year later that, in her family room with her, that I finally just gave my life over to Christ. I had nothing to live for. You know, when I signed Kristen, I knew and the rules have changed, but I knew that when I signed that I could never play college sports again, because that was the big issue. You know, are you going to go to college to play basketball, baseball or are you going to go pro? I decided to go pro and once I got that money I could not play college sports again. So I was basically trying to find out what I was going to do for a living and so dating this girl and making some money and then going out on the weekends was kind of the life I had?

Speaker 1: 12:06

Did she? Did she know, like at that point, like after you would drop her off, that you were heading to the bars after?

Speaker 2: 12:15

I think so yeah.

Speaker 1: 12:15

I think she did Wow Like you're at the job. Right, You're at the job. You're like what's's what's like? Going through your head at that time, do you remember? Is there a lot of lies from the enemy?

Speaker 2: 12:33

that you know, like you're, you're on this planet and it's like, well, I was living for the enemy, I was on his team at that point. So, uh, all the things that go through your head about what does a win look like and what does life look like and you have a little idea. I know your testimony a little bit. Uh, you know it's just uh, eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die, and it's all about, uh, you know what's going to make me happy.

Speaker 2: 12:57

I'm going to suck it up for eight hours a day so that I can have some fun, whatever that meant when I was done and I know that's how a lot of people live their lives and I so empathize with people that are in jobs like that and I try to reach out to them and care about them, because I was there and by the grace of God. I mean, how did I get to do what I did for my whole life? It was the grace of God. Did I get to do what I did for my whole life? It was the grace of God. And but the reality is, those are, I don't want to say, dark, but depressed. Yeah, I was depressed and just had to put on the. You know the idea that, okay, I'm going to act like I'm happy, but I had no idea, chris, and what I was going to do the rest of my life I was going to make $6 an hour and $1.40.

Speaker 2: 13:47

maybe if I was happy or lucky, I'd get overtime on the weekend, right Time and a half, and that was it. I had no idea, Even though I'd been an athlete. I didn't have a goal for my life. I had a goal for my athletics. You know where I wanted to play? Basketball and all that. I was just existing.

Speaker 1: 14:09

Yeah, and you know you look at and I can relate with what you're sharing as well in some respects, because you know this podcast is Hope Unlocked right and much of my life pre-Christ was very hopeless. Yeah, yep, yeah, you know what it's hard to see like, quote, unquote.

Speaker 2: 14:30

That light at the end of the tunnel, it was just very dark yeah, and it was interesting because when, uh, I actually prayed out loud, I probably swore while I prayed I'm guessing, because I was language, you know, I was that kind of guy, but I was really broken about trusting christ for my salvation. And and when I said the prayer, when I was done, this girl got all excited and I'm like, okay, what do you mean? You have no idea what God's going to do.

Speaker 1: 14:58

And I said I have no idea.

Speaker 2: 15:00

You're right, I don't have any idea what I'm going to do much less what God is going to do. And she started talking about you know, the idea that he has plans for you. She wasn't saying you're going to be successful and all of that, but when you say hope, she was basically excited because now there was hope for me. She wasn't at that point thinking of marrying me, but you know we we'd been dating a year or something. So you know, some of that talk happened, but she was more excited about you know, my life and what's going to happen now. And little did I know what God was going to do.

Speaker 1: 15:38

Yeah, well, tell us that's next week.

Speaker 2: 15:41

No, I'm just kidding.

Speaker 1: 15:43

I'm sure the others are like what's next? Well, with this girl. First of all, you got to share more about the girl.

Speaker 2: 15:53

Let's leave that for later. She may be listening. But I'll say this. I married her Okay, we've been married 54 years so but what happened right after I prayed to receive Christ?

Speaker 2: 16:11

I had always wanted to go into radio and back in the day you had to pass three exams to be an announcer. Today, if you have talent, you just show up and they put you on the air. But back then there was an engineering piece, there was an FCC piece and there was an English language piece. You had to take these three tests. So I went to school a school called Career Academy of Broadcasting in Milwaukee and did that and I won an award for sports casting. So this is a little known fact, the idea of winning that award. I didn't get a trophy or anything, but I was. I did check this out. I had just thought about this the other day I don't have it documented anywhere I did the play-by-play for the Milwaukee Bucks' first win ever, because that was the prize.

Speaker 2: 17:04

The owner of the Bucks owned this school and so I think it was. Eddie Doucette did the AM game. He was the voice of the Bucs and I did the FM station and you talk about. That was so exciting for me sitting on courtside and doing the play by play and interviewing players, and there are a lot of stories around that. But it gave me some hope and so when I graduated from that school, I put out a bunch of resumes and I had some really nice offers. But, being the dork that I was, this is really crazy, right? I had a letter from a station, WBZ in Boston, about you know, possibly you send out tapes and you know some of the studios get back to you and they said well, we want you to go to our school for six months. Well, it's a 50,000 watt station which back then was one of the biggest ever and it was out east and they want to have all their announcers have a certain style, you know, certain sound.

Speaker 2: 18:04

And I was like I don't want to go back to school again and so I took a job in a little town in West Virginia, grafton, west Virginia. And the reason I went there is I grew up in Grafton, wisconsin, and to tell you what kind of a pea brain I had, I wanted to make sure when I was on the air, I named the town. I went from Grafton to Grafton and flew to Pittsburgh for $17 from Milwaukee and then we hitchhiked. My buddy went with me and we got into this town and the first morning I was the rookie. So they gave me Sunday morning which is all preachers because it's the cheapest time Right which is all preachers because it's the cheapest time, right. So I sat behind the desk there running the control panel and like seven preachers in a row came in and gave their deal.

Speaker 2: 18:59

Well, this one dude, he comes up on a Harley and he's got an Adolf Hitler mustache and I'm like who is this? And he came in and you know me a little bit, kristen, I was kind of drawn to the freaks, you know, if you will. And when he was done I said I don't know. I said I think I believe what you believe because he shared the gospel. Well, that guy ended up discipling me five days a week.

Speaker 2: 19:24

So I thought I was in West Virginia just to do the radio program on WVBW and I loved it. And I was there West Virginia, just to do the radio program on WVBW and I loved it, and I was there a year and a half. But I know that I was there because of the pastor that God put there to disciple me. We were in the work Now his wife would make me dinner. So I have to tell you that's one of the reasons I went initially right, a single guy in a town by himself with all the stuff that goes along with that and being a you know, doing disc jockey stuff and doing sock hops and back then battles of the band and all that kind of stuff, wearing a white suit, you know, that kind of pat boone kind of I don't know not, maybe not, I definitely wasn't pat boone.

Speaker 2: 20:09

Most people don't know who he is, but anyway I would end up at their house a lot and he taught me and anyway, all of that to say I was playing basketball and doing fairly well. And he said why don't you go to college to play basketball? And I told him why I didn't and he said well, I think our school it's a Bible college. You could play there. Well, it was Grace College in Winona Lake, india. I had never heard of Grace College.

Speaker 1: 20:42

You know I got to hold on a moment, so this pastor is discipling you in West Virginia. Told you about Grace College.

Speaker 2: 20:49

He had attended Grace College and Seminary and he said I think you should be a preacher. After he had discipled me for a while and I said I need to be a moving target. There is no way I could stand behind the pulpit, right? Because I was that guy. I'll give you an idea. My poster was Tom Roy, west Virginia's answer to air pollution. And no shirt on with a necktie or a neck yeah tie, not a necktie, but a tie around my neck and long hair and all that stuff. So I was saved, but I was just barely in, right, I mean, I was a piece of work, but anyway, I really enjoyed his teaching and his wife's meals and so anyway, I end up on the campus of Grace College. I'd never heard of Grace College. My buddy went to Marquette you know the guy the year before me. Now, I was not as good as him, he was really good, but because of that we had a lot of exposure and but I'd never heard of Grace. So I went there and worked out and the basketball coach who ended up being a coach with the Lakers and he just retired from the Miami Heat in their front office, but at that time he was at Grace College. He said, yeah, I think you can help us out. Do you play any other sport? And I said, well, I'm not that good.

Speaker 2: 22:14

I got released by the Giants. He goes, I think you could play here. Well, I knew that I couldn't play there, but he didn't. And so he wrote to the NAIA and they rejected me every year. But what he did Chet Kammer and I owe him so much is he made me a manager because that would be a work-study job at $1.60 an hour.

Speaker 2: 22:36

But I suited up in practice and I was really a coach player. I couldn't play in the games, but I got a real dose of what it looked like to not only be a coach but to be a Christian coach. And so my time there I got paid to be. He tells people I was the best shooting manager he ever had. Right, I really was a coach slash play, the guy that shoots a lot for the other team and practice guy. And I was a bouncer, which you don't need a bouncer but I got paid for that at the student union. It's basically breaking up people, kissing. You know, let's go, let's get out of here. I worked at a place called Penguin Point Flippin' Burgers, but in that four years.

Speaker 2: 23:25

I learned so much of what a Christian coach looked like. And so, again, it was the formative years Before I graduated a new high school. A merger invited me down for a meeting. I had no idea, I didn't know why they called me and they offered me a contract.

Speaker 2: 23:46

And that's a whole story. Because the superintendent said what do you teach? And I said well, I'm a PE major. He goes. Oh, we got enough of those. And he said what's your secondary? I said speech and drama. He goes, I don't believe in that. You're going to fifth grade. I said I don't have a degree for fifth grade. He goes, you do. Now he said I was told we needed a good baseball coach, and you were him. The superintendent of school is a good friend. You're a fifth-grade teacher for one year until we get that school built.

Speaker 2: 24:15

And so I ended up being a high school basketball, baseball and football coach for three years. Then I go to and I'll be quick here on these things, you can stop me anytime but I went to Huntington College. They asked me to come down and I was assistant director of admissions and baseball pitching coach there for three years. And then the president of Grace College came and visited me, because Huntington's in the same conference, and he basically said what are you doing at this school? Why aren't you at Grace? I said, well, I wasn't asked. He goes, you are now. So I turned back to Grace and I coached there for three years and that's when really things changed. But I had what? Six, 10 years of being marinated and coaching and I really thought that was going to be my direction. I was a head college coach at age 29 or 30, something like that and I had a lot of contacts and I really think that. You know, I thought at that time that that's my life. Now I have a purpose, I have a direction.

Speaker 1: 25:26

Yeah, well, it's so. It's so beautiful too that you know, in all of these trails, like it was, like you were being ushered in, you weren't necessarily like knocking on the doors, right.

Speaker 2: 25:38

Exactly. I mean, it's crazy. You know what that girl had told me. Who's now my wife, karen really was happening that? I didn't. I didn't have a clue what I was doing. That's pretty much all of my life, but I didn't have a clue.

Speaker 1: 25:53

I think you need to say that again, cause somebody needs to hear that.

Speaker 2: 25:57

I didn't have a clue. I'm so proud of that.

Speaker 1: 26:01

I know Me too, like somebody needs to hear that.

Speaker 2: 26:05

Yeah, I was just living my life day by day and, uh, you know, between coach camera believing in me and the professors, I'd never seen anything like this. You know, these men in particular leading like Jesus and it was Grace was such a great experience for me. Then thrown into a public school and seeing that side of it. Then a Christian college, another one, huntington. That back, you know, he was just, um, I it's crazy Kristen. Uh, just look back. I was reflecting the other day before as I was thinking about this podcast. I don't know if I ever applied for anything. I applied myself, but I'm trying to think. Maybe, huntington, I heard Well, you had to apply, right. So even with Grace, when he said you'd be our coach, I had to apply, but I didn't proactively go after him. Great.

Speaker 1: 27:03

The doors were literally opened for you.

Speaker 2: 27:06

Yes, and then it even gets more exciting. And that's next. I can't wait Now, can I?

Speaker 1: 27:14

ask you this time, as you were, you know, in preparation for what's next were you guys married at this time then?

Speaker 2: 27:22

Yes, we were married. Spent our honeymoon at a Christian camp in Wisconsin in an old log room. The bed was 5'8" and I'm 6'5". You know one of those deals it was rustic, and the next week I'm in college. And so we were married. One week loaded everything Beverly Hillbilly style in a truck and drove to Indiana Indiana and found an apartment. A missionary there rented us an apartment for $100 a month and that included utilities.

Speaker 1: 27:58

Wow.

Speaker 2: 28:00

Spent the next four years on Grace Campus made it somehow ate a lot of rice-a-roni and hamburger helper and stuff like that. By the way, my wife is an awesome cook, so I think back to her having me have to eat that stuff.

Speaker 1: 28:18

It was great Perseverance. Well, share more about that next door that opened that next unexpected door.

Speaker 2: 28:29

Yes, so we're back at Grace now and I'm loving it and I love the kids and I would do devotions. I maybe overdid it. I practice every night. I had a short devotional for the guys, so I maybe overdid it.

Speaker 2: 28:46

But I was really living the dream and I was associate director of admissions and I was associate director of admissions and I was in charge of international recruiting. So I'm flying all over and it was kind of a cool time. And a friend calls me from Milwaukee and says, hey, billy Graham is doing a crusade here in Milwaukee and they're doing a baseball clinic because the Milwaukee Brewers were a brand new team. And he said I thought I'd let you know that Now what I was doing in the summer is I had a little business with a friend, steve Petty, and we did baseball clinics.

Speaker 2: 29:22

We called it Diamond Enterprises and you know, some teachers in the summer paint. We just decided to do the baseball clinic and so I had an idea of how to do clinics. Well, I called the Graham Association and talked to a guy named Ron Adema who was in charge of the Milwaukee outreach, and he said, tom, we don't have a clue how to do a baseball clinic, but with the Brewers being new, we just thought, you know, it'd be kind of cool, but we don't know how to do it. And I said, well, you want me to do it? He says sure, so I'm, I go to the game the night before I'm in the upper deck at Milwaukee County stadium on a napkin writing out how we can do this thing he had already gotten the Yankee players and the Brewer players to come out.

Speaker 2: 30:05

I didn't know these guys. And we got to Martin Luther King field 700 people showed up. I'm there in a running suit with Tommy John and Bob these baseball guys you know, and I'd never met him before and showed him on this napkin basically how we were going to do it. Well, when we got finished, I stood at home plate. So imagine me at home plate facing the crowd behind the fence 700 people, adults and kids and I interviewed a couple of the players about their faith and then I gave the gospel and we had over 70 people come forward. So just imagine I'm standing at home plate and, just like a Billy Graham crusade, I said if you want to ask Christ to take over your life, just come through those gates. And there were adults and kids. And so I looked behind me and all in the outfield are people one-on-one with everybody. So the Graham said you know, local churches had trained people on how to lead people to Christ and all that. It was pretty amazing and you know, I just got chicken skin telling you that.

Speaker 2: 31:10

And um when we were done, uh, ron pulls me aside and he said, hey, this is not what we do, but this is anointed man, you need to think about doing this. And I'm like what are you talking about? I didn't say this out. I said, oh, thanks, man, it was really cool. I'm like no, I'm a Christian college coach. I love what I'm doing. I'm not going to do this.

Speaker 2: 31:42

Well, the next year I felt like, hey, let's go back and do it again. And Pastor Terry Angles in Milwaukee had a church and I talked to him. But that year I didn't go through his church and God taught me something. I just did it on our own and we had people show up, but it just wasn't the same. And that's when I really understood that I needed to do things locally with local believers, instead of coming from Indiana right, and doing it that way.

Speaker 2: 32:06

One other thing I got a call from the chaplain for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, that's a football team, but he was the one that got the baseball players to come out for the Grahams and he was a chaplain for Tampa Bay and they were playing the Chicago Bears in Chicago. He said I'd like to meet you, let's have dinner. So, karen and I and Steve and his wife, we went to the Hyatt Regency in Chicago where the players stayed and we had a lunch together. And this guy started talking about, because my question was how do I know there are really guys that love Jesus or they just say that, right, they're not living it? And he told me about an organization, pro Athletes Outreach, that their whole thing was to disciple these athletes and baseball chapel. And at the end of the dinner he turned at me and these are one of those defining moments. He says why don't you get a quick nickel and diamond and step out on faith and do something? You know God's all over this. Wow. Well, thank you, sir.

Speaker 2: 33:15

I used to like you. You know, like I'm a college coach, I'm a Christian, I'm doing devotion. You know I didn't say it like that, but that's what I was thinking. Well, we get home and Karen, my wife, goes. What's the difference if God provides through Grace College or provides through another organization that you start? It's all God's provision. So Karen's the one that led me to Christ. Now she's the one. By the way, our early marriage was interesting because, you know, if we do devotions, I'd tell her what I thought it meant and she'd go. I don't think that's what it means, because I was, you know, not a Bible scholar at that time, and so, uh, I had to follow her lead a lot of times to eat crow, and all that Cause I didn't know what I was talking about.

Speaker 2: 34:01

Now, as we started this ministry, I had a little better idea, but she is the one that basically said that, hey, what's the difference? I went down to a local lawyer and I said I want to incorporate a thing I don't know how I'm going to use it or anything else and the name I had was unlimited potential, which sounds new age. But I'm telling you, kristen, it's gotten us into countries all over the world. I said this is what I want to do with it. And so he said, well, let's see what we can do. And I said, oh, by the way, I have no money. And he said can you make monthly payments? And I said, yeah, I can do that.

Speaker 1: 34:42

Now you needed money to get the incorporation and all the yeah.

Speaker 2: 34:47

I don't know if you've ever been to a lawyer, but they charge just a little bit.

Speaker 1: 34:52

Yeah, that's why I avoid them so.

Speaker 2: 34:57

But here's the cool part he was a christian and when we finally got the uh okay, that we were a 501c3 non-for-profit called unlimited potential incorporated, he said you need to come down here and sign some papers. So I went down and as I was ready to sign, he said to me now you know, if you sign that, they know you're a Christian. I said who's they? Everybody, the government, everybody. So it was kind of one of those aha moments like whoa. I was all excited. But there's a sobering part of this right, and so I signed it and he goes oh, by the way. And he reached in his drawer and he gave me an envelope of all the money I'd paid him. He said here's your first gift and for 42 years we've never been in the red. So the anointing was on that. I don't want to cry, but I'm just trying to hold it back right now.

Speaker 1: 35:50

You need to pretend because it's so God to do this and take a story that would look so dark and bring you into a world that would bring light to other people. I think it was like the ragamuffins like I'm a ragamuffin, right, he would take us and give us a mission. That is so powerful, and I know you have more to share. Yeah, a little bit, because I love. I love this so far and I know that the listeners are waiting to hear what's next.

Speaker 2: 36:37

Well then I died, no, no. So I come back to Grace. And obviously I'm an associate director of admissions, I'm head of the ACSI National Basketball Tournament, I'm the head baseball coach, I'm helping out basketball. I had all these things and I went to my boss and I said, hey, I know I'm on a 12-month contract, but during the summer I want to do this UPI thing, and can you give me the three months and still hire me? And he goes yeah, we can do that. He said, basically his name was Ron Henry. He said, basically his name was Ron Henry. He said, basically, I believe in what you're trying to do, so this is good. Yeah, we'll give you a nine month contract.

Speaker 2: 37:30

So that's when this church in Milwaukee Faith Church in Milwaukee, with Pastor Terry Angles, said they wanted to do a clinic. And then all of a sudden there was a church in Akron, ohio, that was near Cleveland, that they wanted to do one. And little by little, that summer we had two or three clinics and the next summer we had five or six, which would be on a Saturday morning. The players play at night, getting two or three players from the visiting team and the home team to come out, the believers and do a clinic, just like we did with the Grams, and then I would give the gospel. And you know, we did that for two or three years that way.

Speaker 2: 38:08

And then the International opened in Puerto Rico. A guy named Jose Cora, who, by the way, his two sons ended up playing in the big leagues. They were in high school and eight years old when I met him. One of them is still a manager for a big league team, alex, and his brother, joey, has been a coach for a number of years in the big leagues, but their dad really brought us into Puerto Rico to do clinics over there at the Christmas break, so I didn't have to take time off. But all of that to say. It eventually worked into a full-time position and Grace was so great. It went from a nine-month contract to a six-month contract to a three-month contract while I was trying to raise support, and that's another thing. I got to tell you this one okay, do we have time?

Speaker 1: 39:02

Absolutely.

Speaker 2: 39:03

Most missionaries, you know, you start your thing, then you go to churches and you raise money and you send out letters and I probably the first thing we did is we did a banquet, okay, which everybody was doing, a banquet. I think we made $6 on the banquet. So I'm like this is not worth all the work. I was doing chapels for a number of the major league teams, because baseball chapel was awesome to me. They wanted to bless what I was doing so they would have me speak at their chapel. So one Sunday I'd speak to the Brewers. So one Sunday I'd speak to the Brewers. The next Sunday I'd speak to the Cubs, the next Sunday to the White Sox, then Detroit, then Cincinnati, then Pittsburgh, then Cleveland. I was kind of an itinerant. Well, what that did is gave me contacts with all these players, so I would go in and do the 15 minute chapel for the teams. But I was developing relationships and that was so very cool. So now we're going full time and I thought you know what?

Speaker 2: 40:04

There's this one team that I kind of knew, the guys, and they were pretty famous at that time and they were believers and I thought I'm going to ask one of them if he'd support me so I get down with the chapel. I don't want to give his name out. I asked this guy take him to the side before the game said here's what's going on. Would you please pray? He goes, love to pray. So I come back in two weeks and he goes. Hey, we prayed and God said no, I'm like what this is brutal. Again, prayed and God said no, I'm like what this is brutal. You know again the pride issue and I had a long ride home from that particular park, it was four or five hours from Indiana and as I'm driving home, I did not hear an audible voice.

Speaker 2: 40:51

But in my spirit I heard Tom, you just do what you do, I'll get you the money.

Speaker 1: 40:59

I don't want you asking for money and I'm like, are you kidding me?

Speaker 2: 41:02

And I didn't hear an audible voice. But I went home and shared that with Karen and that was the profile I took. We're not going to ask and, like I told you earlier, we've never been in debt in 42 years Now. As we added staff and we added some great guys, they didn't have that same conviction and so they would ask it. In God's economy, this was about me, about my pride and about I'm going to do this and I'm going to go out and raise this money and I'm going to, you know, all that kind of stuff. So that was specifically for me. And then, you know, we did get on when we'd add staff and have churches support us and individuals and all that kind of stuff. But I was interested. I was on the road one year for sure, 300 days because I was it. I was the only one. I had an administrator, phil Menzi, that helped me out. And then Karen's dad pulled me aside and basically was Jethro, you know, saying hey, moses, you can't do this all by yourself, you got to have some help.

Speaker 2: 42:12

A guy named Tim Cash, who had been released by the Astros, was a godsend. He lived in Atlanta, georgia. I met him at a conference and about a year later challenged him. He moved to Winona Lake Indiana, finished his college degree he had signed after his junior year of college. Then Donnie Gordon, who pitched in the big leagues for the Indians when his career was over he came on, and then Mickey Weston and the staff just kept growing. So it went from me doing everything to Tim being the North American director, meeting with the players, and he did an awesome job of ministering to major league and minor league players. Donnie came on as a discipleship guy and both of those guys stayed with UPI for I think over 20 years each. You know. So they were really committed. You know how it is in churches and parachurch ministries right Two to three years they move on these guys were really committed and then it just kept going and today, uh, they're still doing it.

Speaker 2: 43:17

I retired in uh 2019, I think it was and started another thing. But even as I'm telling you this christian, it's just. This is not something I did. I just was trust and obey, right. I don't know what I was doing, I was just showing up.

Speaker 1: 43:40

I didn't know what I was doing. You showed up. You're willing. You're willing, Like he's. This is what I'm doing with you.

Speaker 2: 43:51

I knew how to teach some baseball, you know, but a small Christian college and high school. And next thing I know I've been to 68 countries and spoken to Major League Baseball players hundreds and hundreds of times chapels and just crazy.

Speaker 1: 44:10

Well, if you think of, if you could think of like one story you don't have to name names, but in that time that was like that comes to first of mind, like that was so impactful maybe to a player or you know, somebody you met on your on your adventure with UPI. Would you be able to share that testimony?

Speaker 2: 44:35

You know, quite honestly, there are quite a few, and so I don't want to single any out, but I'll give you some 30,000 foot stuff. I just remember I would take these guys on missions trips.

Speaker 2: 44:47

Thailand and Germany and Russia and China. Russia and China invited us in because in 1984, I think the Olympics took on baseball and every country in the world Talk about timing right Every country in the world needed to know how to play it, and so we had. You know, if I say I'm going to bring a major league player with me and we're not going to charge you, you just have to put us up right, what country is not going to take us? And so we were the first ones to go to Russia USSR back then, and that's a whole story right there and China and all these places.

Speaker 2: 45:23

But my point being the change in these athletes when they came home, a number of them, especially there in the beginning, started their own ministries, whether it was giving financially, that you know. God put something on their heart. These were men that were, you know, very, very talented athletes. When they're overseas they're not in control of anything.

Speaker 2: 45:47

When they're in the States, you know, everybody knows them, right, but over there they didn't know the culture, the languages, and the Holy Spirit got a hold of them and so thankful for so many that their lives were changed, not by me, I mean, we do devotions, but just that same process that they obeyed, and God dunked them in and said OK, we're going to show you a different angle of what life looks like. And maybe the least was that they supported ministries like they never did before, but a number of them also started their own works of helping people. That, to me, was so cool. And then me, passing it on, you know, I got out of the limelight not the limelight, but I wasn't speaking as much because I had a staff now. That was a whole transition. I was a young leader, right, and I didn't know what I was doing.

Speaker 1: 46:41

There, it is again there it is again right.

Speaker 2: 46:43

I just tried to do the best I could and care for them and I have a book called Flock that I wrote. That's kind of my lessons. You know that I learned along the way.

Speaker 1: 46:54

But it wasn't like I had those when I started.

Speaker 2: 46:58

I just hopefully pray a lot and make a decision and in God's economy, here it is, 40, some years later, and it's still going. And the leadership there Mickey's taken over, mickey Weston. He's the executive director now.

Speaker 1: 47:14

And.

Speaker 2: 47:15

God be the glory. But he was the one that did it, and I know people say that. But you've heard my story. I didn't know what I was doing.

Speaker 1: 47:25

No, have you ever considered writing a book called I Don't Know what I'm Doing?

Speaker 2: 47:31

I wrote one. I've written a few, but the first one was the history of this whole thing. Like I shared, it's called released. So you know I was released from baseball and I was released into the gospel and I was released into the world that kind of an idea and it has a lot of different stories and all that in it, but yeah, maybe no, I don't want to write another one I don't want to write. I've written a few. I don't want to write anymore.

Speaker 1: 47:58

I think we can take that just all of us as a remembrance that we don't have to know what we're doing, kind of like. When I started this podcast, I was like Lord, I don't know what I'm doing. He's like well, I'll give you some simple keys to get this going. Doesn't have to be complicated.

Speaker 2: 48:13

Yeah, just take the first step, baby, that's it right.

Speaker 1: 48:17

Right, so your first book was released and then Flock.

Speaker 2: 48:23

And then you have another book, right. I've been involved with 11 of them, but some of them were fiction, but most recently okay, so I retired no-transcript. I'm just going to coach this guy and he and I in fact I just did his wedding two weeks ago we became good friends, right, and so now I'm back in the dugout again wearing the stretch pants.

Speaker 1: 49:13

And.

Speaker 2: 49:14

I started a thing called Shepherd Coach and so I've written a book called well, god's Guides I don't want to use the I word, but my name's on it. It's called Shepherd Coach and it's saying how do you take your faith onto the field, into the locker room, as a leader, as a coach? And then the second book was Flock, because the name of the group that I have is called Shepherd Coach Network. So the first book for that series was Shepherd Coach, then Flock and then the last one, shepherd Culture, and the two of the three are workbooks. The Flock is a literal paperback but the other two are workbooks for coaches and athletic directors to say how can I better tweak and or even start bringing Christ into my coaching? And it's been kind of cool.

Speaker 2: 50:04

There's a guy named Matt Binkert who's an athletic director at Warsaw High School, a school about 2,500. He and I wrote that last book together and he's an athletic director. He has 80 coaches under him. It's a public school and they've taken on the Shepherd Coach idea. They can't use the scripture, but they definitely use the ideas. And so he's become a close partner now with Shepherd Coach Network. So it changed me and I felt like I needed to be in the dugout, right. So with Grace, I was in the dugout with him that year. We actually did pretty well. And now I just kind of wait to say, okay, god, what's next? But Shepherd Coach Network is doing its thing.

Speaker 1: 50:49

Yeah Well, tell me a little bit more, like are you doing something specifically with Shepherd Coach Network? Are you discipling people one-on-one as well?

Speaker 2: 51:00

Yeah, what happened was we had a certification program so I would go out and speak at various events, make myself available to coaches, and then it's not a non-for-profit, so there's a fee to have me come in and speak and all that kind of stuff.

Speaker 2: 51:17

And then we went to the certification program and certified a number of coaches high school and college and then it kind of went quiet. And I know now why We've been in negotiations and it hasn't been negotiating like you'd think. Negotiating it's just how can we do this best with Grace Seminary to put this digital. And so we've been quiet for the last six months but we're preparing to put this whole program on their platform, which is kind of cool to have the background, you know, the backing of a seminary, if you will, but putting our materials for certification in a digital form so that at my advanced age I don't have to teach everyone but people can just buy it and click on a link and follow it and be certified as a shepherd.

Speaker 2: 52:12

So I'd like to go out and speak. I haven't had that many. You know we have this place in Wisconsin and Karen and I finally last summer got away for the whole summer and came up here. We're enjoying it, but I still every day say I try to say Lord, if you want to use me, I'm available.

Speaker 2: 52:31

But right now that's been investing in the format and we're going to start filming here pretty soon for these Hopefully have it out by spring.

Speaker 1: 52:41

So it'll be kind of like a digital course where you do videos. There's curriculum in essence.

Speaker 2: 52:50

And teachers, for example. They can take it. They have to have continuing education and they can't get credit, but they can get continuing ed credit if you will. To say no, I'm continuing to learn, so we'll see what happens. But I'm just thankful it's 75 to. I'm not 75 yet, I'm 74.98. I've got to be able to have opportunity to do this kind of stuff yes, well, I would love to just hear a little bit more of um.

Speaker 1: 53:23

You know, obviously you're a family man and what. What was this like as a family? Like I can imagine it was quite an adventure for the girls, and I know the girls, so I you know, um, amy is such a dear friend of mine and like I just love your family dearly Amazing. But what was that like for you guys?

Speaker 2: 53:44

Um, you know, together like walking this out this doesn't sound very good and I'm just going to say it like it is my. My biggest disappointment were people in the church saying your kids are going to be a wreck because you're traveling so much. And you know, we as a family said this is our ministry and Karen was awesome having the girls pray and dad's here. Today he's in Africa. We need to pray and you know. But often I would hear you've got to be home and I understand that. I totally understand that.

Speaker 2: 54:20

Yeah, the bonding my daughters and I have is like none other I've seen. I mean, I just love them to death. Yeah, and you know they both love Jesus with all their hearts and I think, coming out of it, I think they just saw instead of just heard. Yeah, and the board was so smart in this regard, in many regards brilliant spirit led. But they said when they're in high school, you take them each with you to a country. So for four years Amy went with me to a country and for four years Lindsay went with me to a country, and for four years Lindsay went with me to a country where it was us for a week, two weeks in Africa, thailand.

Speaker 2: 55:03

I took Amy to China, changed her life, as she saw people living under communism and we'd walk out of our hotel every day and there was a little kid in a lean-to, you know, with a parent sleeping on the ground and it really touched her heart. And we were in a fire together. Our room started on fire and I mean just crazy stuff. But my point being they knew why we, mom and I, were doing what we did, you know, and Karen was the hero. She was at home and I had two daughters, so she knew how to, you know, speak to them and handle them. And I'm sure I came home I know I came home times tired, so I'd given it all on the field and then come home and just be a grouchy old I'm going to just not do anything, you know, but we had so many awesome family times.

Speaker 2: 55:54

Another thing was we started doing summer camps and I went to Maranatha and to Camp of the Woods and we'd take the family and those would be our vacations every summer, two weeks. The kids would have great time, you know, and I would do a baseball camp and do some teaching, meaning Bible teaching, and we'd have just trips. We could never afford it on our own right. So I think that in retrospect, the story was they could tell. I hope that I loved them.

Speaker 2: 56:27

I remember we had a tape-to-tape I'm getting long here, but we had a tape-to-tape, you know reel-to-reel kind of player, and I would record every night something for them, like when I was in China, and Karen would, before bed, push a button and they'd listen they were just little kids at the time and I'd tell them a joke or something and then tell them a little story about Jesus, and then they would pray for me, right Something to have them hear my voice, or I would leave them cards and letters. So it was definitely different, but God honored it and both of our daughters, because of Jesus and because of Karen, turned out to just not be bitter at all but just love, love, jesus with all their heart.

Speaker 1: 57:12

Yeah, and I can see it. No family is perfect. So I and I can see it like you. You know, no, no family is perfect. So I'm not saying that your family is perfect. But if you look at the fruit of what the Lord has done with you and with Karen and with Amy and with Lindsay, it's just, you guys are all such beacons of hope and love and joy and you know, the fruits of the spirit just seep through all of you and I. I have to say that you got a fruit of the spirit of funny too well, here's the deal about being a parent.

Speaker 1: 57:44

I had no idea what I was doing I think we could just leave it at that, like how do you, what do you think? Yeah, I think thank you seriously for opening up about your journey and I know that there's so much more for you. It's beautiful that you know the buck doesn't stop with. You know just the adventures that you've been on. You're in a place right now of you know multiplying, so that you can leave this as a legacy as well.

Speaker 2: 58:16

Right, Well, yeah, I'd appreciate prayer from anybody that's listening. That's a believer. If you're not a believer, be in touch. I'm glad to give you my email. You are a believer? Yeah, this filming be interesting. Kristen, you know, I've grown my hair out to be like a hippie again and I don't know and I have to make a decision Should I cut it so I look like a nice preacher it's like a baseball coach or should I continue to be Arlo Guthrie? I don't know. I have to figure this out.

Speaker 1: 58:50

You know, I think you just be you. I always tell people be fully you, whatever that looks like in this season. So so one question that I do like to to ask at the end is if you're imagining one person that's listening in today and it's not necessarily even a question, but it's it's more of a just imagine somebody who's listening into you today. Is there anything that you would want to speak over them, as they've been listening to you in your story and maybe they resonate with it. Is there anything that you have on your heart, something else that you would want to say to them today?

Speaker 2: 59:28

I think that God has given me an evangelistic heart and I would say to anybody that is not following Jesus, that doesn't know who he is, or whatever, remove the clutter of church and everything and just come to the grip. Who is Jesus? You know, cs Lewis said he was either a liar, a lunatic, or who he said he was, because he said he was the son of God. Start there. You know, I didn't know what I was doing and I prayed that prayer and he now I'm not saying that people, if they say prayer, are going to travel the world. Please don't hear that. I'm not saying that at all.

Speaker 2: 1:00:06

But it's the idea of this. It gave me hope. It gave me hope and then he gave direction, but it was kind of like a blind man. He was leading, but I would say who is Jesus? And then, if you are a believer and I don't know what your journey looks like, but I want you to think of the wisdom of my wife, karen. Hey, why not? I mean, that was huge, because I had this pressure to provide for the family I had the pride of saying I'm going to be a division one college coach and you know that was my dream, but bigger was the idea I had to provide for the family. And now she's saying hey, god is God and if he puts something on your heart, go for it. It's not a blind faith, it's a tested faith. For me it was more blind because I was just okay, I'll see what happens. But he's shown himself to be faithful over and over and over again.

Speaker 2: 1:01:05

And Kristen, your podcast, a hundred of them. Wow, that's another. You were the same, right? You're like I don't know what I'm doing here, but let's get it done.

Speaker 1: 1:01:13

I still don't know what I'm doing.

Speaker 2: 1:01:14

You're like I don't know what I'm doing here, but let's get it done. I still don't know what I'm doing. I don't know about that, but I just think that those would be the two things that I would like to share, thank you.

Speaker 1: 1:01:25

Would you be open to praying over this particular person that you have in mind?

Speaker 2: 1:01:29

I'd love to.

Speaker 1: 1:01:30

Thank you.

Speaker 2: 1:01:32

Father, first of all, thank you for Jesus.

Speaker 2: 1:01:40

I humbly come to you again only because of him and Lord.

Speaker 2: 1:01:44

I want to be real as I talk to you and I want to pray about who might be listening today. It's not about numbers, Father.

Speaker 2: 1:01:53

I know I've done clinics for three or four and you've touched the hearts and I pray for that person out there that has some interest in Jesus but has never personally asked for him to forgive them and take over their lives. That somehow you would use this and for that believer that's living in fear of stepping out, that they would step out in faith, trusting you, seeing that you are good and that you care, and that you would surround them, like you have, Kristen and myself, with people that will help them in this journey. That will help them in this journey when we're blind. Being led sometimes is the best way to go because know where you're taking us. So I pray for those two, either individuals or groups, that might be listening today, and I thank you for Kristen and the blessing and anointing that's on her life, her story and the way that you are using her now. Would you continue to give her these opportunities to be your rep? In the name of Jesus, I pray this Amen, amen.

Speaker 1: 1:03:11

Thank you, tom. You are such a blessing. Sometimes I want to call you my second dad because you're so awesome.

Speaker 2: 1:03:20

I'm honored to be your father at a distance. I'm not giving you money. I know You're not getting anything for Christmas, sorry.

Speaker 1: 1:03:31

How about a card? I'm just kidding. How about a card? Just kidding? Well, I will be sure to link Tom's contact info in the show notes. If you have anything else that you know, if you want to reach out to him, if you have anything like you want to connect with him, hear more about his story, I will be sure to add that in the show notes. So check those out and I will be back with another episode next week. Thank you so much, tom. I appreciate your voice and keep going.

Speaker 2: 1:03:59

You too, Kristen. This has been a great opportunity. I hope God can use it.

Speaker 1: 1:04:04

Yes, absolutely you know why?

Speaker 2: 1:04:06

Because I don't know what I'm doing. Amen.

Speaker 1: 1:04:08

I'm with you. We're in it together. All right, see ya.