(August 5, 2015)

Centenary coach shares faith, basketball knowledge

SHREVEPORT, LA — Once in awhile, a person experiences a great opportunity to share not only knowledge about a sport they love, but also share and profess one's faith. That is exactly the type of opportunity Centenary College head men's basketball coach Adam Walsh had in June.

Coach Walsh, along with his wife Nicole, worked with Athletes in Action (AIA) in East Asia. According to the AIA, the organization "uses sports as a platform to help people answer questions of faith and point them to Jesus."

"This was my second time traveling to East Asia with Athletes in Action," explained Walsh. "From a professional standpoint, trips like this give you a chance to learn from so many other college programs as we are able to spend quality time with all of the members of our traveling party. You get to hear from players what they like and don't like, learn from fellow and opposing coaches, and share your own knowledge when others inquire about what we do in our programs."

While in Asia, Walsh served as an assistant coach who helped mentor a team that consisted of an NCAA Division II All-American, players from multiple conferences including the Big Ten, and even a former Italian professional basketball player. Matt Figger, the associate head coach from South Carolina, served as head coach.

After four days of training camp, the team flew out to Asia to compete against top-level professional teams. The team went undefeated in seven games, and it was a great opportunity to see the higher level of Asian basketball.

"This trip provided us with an opportunity to grow in our faith while having a direct role in leading young men," said Walsh. "Being out of your comfort zone and out of your own culture provides an incredible occasion for personal growth. With so many distractions in our lives here in America, it is amazing to see how much deeper people can grow in their faith when placed in situations with fewer distractions."

According to Coach Walsh, he and his wife Nicole deepened their faith thanks to this experience with AIA.

"We are still learning as we reflect on the time we had there," added Walsh. "We also enjoyed the time immersing ourselves in the culture of the region. This experience blessed us with relationships and memories in our first two months of marriage that we will cherish forever."