christian union universities
Coaching Student Athletes
CU Ministry Mentors Basketball, Football Players
by catherine elvy , staff writer
As a former basketball coach, Christian
Union’s interim ministry director at
Princeton University knows the extraor-
dinary influence and reach of athletes upon their
teammates and classmates.
As such, James Fields was pleased to see 10 play-
ers from the men’s basketball team at the ministry’s
26
teammates to the open house, which was held Sep-
tember 13 to welcome freshmen. Overall, 150 Princ-
eton students attended the event.
At the beginning of the semester, Fields was game
planning for a weekly Bible course for the basketball
team that focused on Philippians and Romans. In
the last couple of years, students’ academic commit-
ments and intense training and
practice schedules were challenges
to establishing a course that met
on a consistent basis.
A regular Bible course for the
team has been “a prayer of mine
since coming to Princeton,” said
Fields, who joined Christian
Union as a ministry fellow in
2013.
Two of the top returning play-
ers on this year’s men’s basketball
team are Devin Cannady ’19 and
Myles Stephens ’19. Both are par-
ticipants in Christian Union’s
ministry at Princeton.
More importantly, the men
have a vision for team cohesion
James Fields (center), Christian Union’s interim ministry director at Princeton, led a
and trust, both on and off the
Bible course last year that included football players (left to right) Rohan Hylton ’17,
court. “They have a desire to lead
Brannon Jones ’17, and Alex Ford ’17.
their teammates in this way,” said
Fields, who wants the newest crop
open house at the Campus Club early in the fall
of players to experience long-lasting bonds of broth-
semester. The appearance was especially welcome as
erhood that are centered on the Bible.
Princeton dominated the Ivy League during 2016-
“Any meaningful discipleship starts with rela-
17 by going undefeated in conference play and
tionships,” he said.
captured the inaugural conference tournament. In
As a former collegiate football player and scho-
the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers
lastic basketball coach, Fields knows the power of
lost a heartbreaker to Notre Dame, 60-58.
athletic camaraderie.
“These guys have a lot of social capital. They just
Before joining Christian Union, Fields served
came off a phenomenal year. They are the ones who
as dean of students at Montrose Christian School,
are on the front lines and leading our athletic com-
where he also was assistant junior varsity coach for
munity,” said Fields. “In the midst of their success,
the high school team and coach for the middle
they are still looking for Jesus. That’s really exciting.”
school team. The Maryland private school shaped
Better yet, some of the returning players invited
several NBA players, including Kevin Durant of