Growing up in a missionary family who centered their ministry around soccer, Junior Women's Soccer Midfielder Claire Pheneger is no stranger to intertwining Faith and Sports in her life. Pheneger has carved out an important role as a spiritual leader on her team, leading Bible Studies on her team and using her childhood experience of missionary work to make an impact in her current community of Jackson. Here is an in-depth look at how she does those things:
 
 
How do you connect your spiritual and athletic life here at SAU?
 
"I lead a discipleship Bible study on my team where we go through how to become more like Jesus and know Him more but also how to reach out to others and disciple them."
 
How do you see God working in your sport?
 
"Personally, I understand God and life through the metaphor of soccer. Just like God has a law, soccer has rules, and the game is chaos if the players don't abide by the rules. Another analogy that I've shared with my teammates is: A soccer cleat is made to do amazing things. It's made to score crazy goals and play a beautiful game. Just like a soccer cleat cannot kick a ball without a foot in it, we cannot function without the Holy Spirt. We were made for amazing things. God wants to work in us, but we must invite Him into our hearts and lives and choose to partner with Him. God works through anything; I just see Him very clearly in the sport of soccer."
 
Do you have a favorite Bible verse or spiritual practice that encourages you as an athlete?
 
"My life verse is John 15:5 where it says I am nothing without God. 
I'm not even a soccer player, I'm nothing without Him."
 
What advice would you give to younger athletes who want to keep faith at the center of their sport?
 
"Just love Jesus and people. Learn to hear His voice and to care more about the people around you than the sport. Soccer is how I can meet people and share the gospel. It's a tool. It's not an identity. It's how God has allowed me to meet the people He loves and wants to tell that He loves them. When we lose focus of how much God loves people, we miss their value and the opportunity to make an impact for eternity."
 
In what ways has being part of the team helped you grow in your faith?
 
"I've watched my teammates make decisions to follow Jesus or get baptized and it's proved that God is calling many to Himself."
 
How do you see God working through your team?
 
"We got the opportunity to serve the people of the Bahamas through soccer clinics, as well as serving locally here in Jackson,  where we partnered with Found Church to hand out school supplies to kids before the school year. He's allowing us to serve others which has been special. Even when we go to MIS, I see my team working hard and being respected by the workers there. He's allowed us to be a light even when we're raising money for our program. 
 
How do you wrestle with the struggle of putting your identity in Christ vs. putting it the success and status of being an athlete
 
"My stats I would say are not the most successful on the team, but my team is a very successful team. That really doesn't matter though. 
 
Something I am learning is when I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection, I am then in Christ. He is in me, and I am in Him. I am not putting my identity in Him; I am simply in Him. (Eph 1) I plead the blood. My sin has been crucified with Jesus on the cross. There's nothing I can do, it's only through what He has done. So, I don't put my identity anywhere, I just claim what has been freely given to me. 
 
When I mess up, I claim Jesus, when I fail, I claim Jesus, when I succeed, I claim Jesus."