Stories | Church Ball Magazine

BYU’s #1-ranked women’s soccer team features double-digit number of returned missionaries

Welcome to Church Ball Magazine!

Several years ago, I began writing sports stories written from a Latter-day Saint perspective. The positive response from readers confirmed my belief that there was room in sports journalism for engaging, timely stories anchored to faith and belief.

I hope you enjoy our growing collection of stories and profiles. We look forward to offering many more in the coming weeks and months.

Please bookmark our site, subscribe to the free Church Ball Magazine newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. We’re anxious to connect and read your comments and suggestions.

Thanks much,

Jason Swensen, founder and editor

Church Ball Magazine

So which Latter-day Saint gridders survived NFL's 'Termination Tuesday’?

Latter-day Saint convert/returned missionary Lynette Hernaez is eager to help BYU soccer realize Big 12 title dreams

Trailblazing Knight: A chat with Southern Virginia University athletic director Deidra Dryden

Returned missionary Jordy Collins reclaiming elite surfing form on the Pacific waves.

BYU's Amber Whiting imparts hoops/life skills at Harlem’s storied Rucker Park

BYU’s Lexy Halladay-Lowry adds her name to growing list of elite Latter-day Saint steeplechasers

‘Spotting’ Rebecca Tuft: Devoted temple ordinance worker & national powerlifting champ

Have volleyball, Will travel:

College destinations for high-flying Stowell sisters include Navy, BYU & Stanford

‘Two-time’ returned missionary/BYU golfer Zac Jones in top form going into NCAA national tourney

Meet Tilisa Matakaiongo: USA wrestling champ, Utah state drill team titlist — and newly baptized Latter-day Saint

Jackson Walker: Team USA decathlete, attorney, husband — and Olympic-class time manager

Heavy-hitting returned missionaries playing key roles in Salt Lake CC’s first-ever run to the JC College World Series

Husband-&-wife team Calen & Reagan Chan are vaulting, jumping & flipping to parkour heights

Why the ‘anchor’ of BYU’s history-making 4x100m relay team will soon be answering to ‘Sister Barber’

From Bogut to Kuz, Latter-day Saint trainer Trevor Jameson has spent decades keeping the Runnin’ Utes healthy & on the hardwood

All-American/Pac-12 high jump champ Elias Gerald elevated by gospel beliefs, institute

Lacrosse player/returned missionary Justus Peterson and his Utah Utes teammates making history with program’s first NCAA tournament berth

Seemingly ‘unbreakable’ steeplechase record shattered by BYU’s Kenneth Rooks

What an Area Seventy learned about doing ‘hard things’ after suffering several injuries during Ironman race

BYU grad claims national title in collegiate disc golf

Latter-day Saint teen/Olympics hopeful is a phenom on ice — and the U.S. luge youth national champ

Team USA’s Ashley Hatch shares a favorite ‘Come, Follow Me’ moment — then drills a decisive goal

General Conference Bonus:

'Ball Players-turned-Brethren'

Returned missionary grappler Brock Hardy claims All-American honors at Nebraska

Three-peat All-American runner Claire Seymour is fueled by her trust in the Lord — and in her BYU coaches and teammates

Oklahoma State’s Taylor Roe continues adding All-America honors to her collegiate resume

Returned missionaries dot Utah State’s ‘Big Dance’ hoops roster

Returned missionary Andrew Gentry living his gridiron dreams along the Michigan Wolverine O-Line

Latter-day Saint NFL rookie & ‘highlight machine’ Britain Covey hoping to notch a few Super Bowl memories

Meet college soccer’s Shepherd sisters: Elite Latter-day Saint athletes, devoted siblings — and crosstown BYU/UVU rivals

Talking hoops with Jon Judkins: returned missionary, proud granddad — and the winningest college basketball coach in Utah history

How a full-time missionary ‘reconnected’ a pair of storied college basketball coaches — Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and retired NCAA titlist Jim Harrick

Chiefs Coach Andy Reid’s title-winning Super Bowl Sunday began with a baby blessing

Meet Andrew Mikkelsen — a mission prep instructor & former BYU kicker now battling in the MMA cage

Elite surfer Avery McDonald loves tackling big waves, serving in the temple and sharing her ‘light’ with others

Tenacity, talent and gospel testimony vaulting Latter-day Saint gymnast Avery Neff to lofty heights

Super Bowl LVII victory highlights unforgettable NFL season for Latter-day Saint/Chiefs coach & his family

Latter-day Saint college soccer coach Chris Watkins talks Zags soccer — and why he hates playing BYU (his reasons are charitable)

Have Ball – Will Travel. Latter-day Saint pro basketball star Sara Hamson plying her trade far from home in Romania

How new SVU football coach Joe DuPaix is drawing upon the examples of three fellow Latter-day Saint head coaches — Ken Niumatalolo, Bronco Mendenhall and his father, Roger DuPaix

Time-traveling back to the weird & wacky 1957 Church ball game halted by a prison riot

Latter-day Saints living their pro hoop dreams across the globe

Crystal Ball: Predicting the 5 biggest Latter-day Saint sports stories for 2023

Before ‘Jimmer.’ Before ‘Taysom.' Even before ‘LaVell’ – there was ‘Arnie’

Church Ball's 'Top-30 Latter-day Saint Influencers' in sports

Latter-day Saint mom cheering for three sons on top-10 football teams (a Ute, a Buckeye & a Blue Dragon)

Meet the Clingers — BYU sports’ latest power couple

How a ‘Come, Follow Me’ lesson delivered hope following grizzly attack on college wrestlers

Latter-day Saints competing in the NFL range from All-Pros to hopeful rookies

Gospel love fueled a Latter-day Saint’s training stint with Colombia’s U20 National Soccer Team

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Peruvian Relief Society sister is one of the world's top wrestlers

First Person: Navy football coaches true priesthood 'shepherds'