Jenna Sampson, Author at Sports Spectrum

Man with a Mission: Royals' Ian Kennedy rediscovers commitment to Jesus

As the former ace of the San Diego Padres, Ian Kennedy was used to posting success with his deceptive four-seam fastball.

Filling the Void: Ian Desmond realizes that nothing else matters beyond Christ

Even stars like Desmond deal with the pressure of pursuing a Christ-filled life when it seems like no one else is. He’s the first to admit that taking the worldly road is easy, but assures athletes that taking the other road (the tougher one) is worth it...

From the Archives: To Stir A Movement

Nothing makes you more legit in Major League Baseball than winning a World Series. When the San Francisco Giants swept the Detroit Tigers to win the 2012 series, they capped the fourth game with a thrilling extra innings victory. Two seasons prior, the Giants clinched their first World Series title since 1954 by defeating the Texas Rangers. Reliever Jeremy Affeldt was part of the reason San Francisco’s bullpen had an outstanding performance...

Heart For Haiti

During the NFL off-season, most players spend time vacationing with their families, participating in charity golf tournaments, and renegotiating contracts. New York Jets wide receiver David Nelson does something a little different during his time away from the gridiron. In fact, a lot different! After a life changing missions trip to Haiti in the spring of 2012...

Beyond The Field

Chargers’ wide receiver Vincent Brown is anything but your typical NFL player. Off the field,...

Closeup — Eddie Johnson

In 2001, at age 16, U.S. professional soccer player Eddie Johnson became one of the youngest...

Closeup — Ricardo Salampessy

King David has always been an incredible example in the Bible of giving thanks to...

Closeup — Juan Carlos Valerón

Juan Valeron’s faith journey is a great example of how new believers often face trials...

A Brave Heart

New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow drew more than 20,000 people to Qualcomm Stadium in...

Through the Fire

It’s only fitting that San Francisco 49ers kicker David Akers considers the Old Testament account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego his favorite Bible story. These three guys not only survived being thrown into a fiery furnace, but Jesus was seen there in the fire with them through it all. The same can be said of Akers, a devout Christian who has faced some trying times over the past few years...

In the News - Clayton Kershaw

Thursday, the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced Clayton Kershaw as the winner of National League Cy Young award. Kershaw was voted the league's best pitcher, receiving 27 of the 32 first place votes with a total of 207 points. Roy Halladay finished second, followed by Cliff Lee, Ian Kennedy and Cole Hamels. Kershaw led the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts (21-5, 2.28 ERA, 248 Strikeouts) and also won a gold glove earlier this month. Kershaw told MLB.com: "The only thing I will say is I'm really humbled to be here," Kershaw said, after leading his comments by saying that he didn't have a lot to say. "I always dreamed about playing baseball as a kid, maybe one day making it to the big leagues, but I never dreamed about anything like this, so it's really special." In the spring 2011 issue of Sports Spectrum, we featured Kershaw and he and his wife, Ellen talked about their mission trip to Africa over the offseason...