Cougar Cross Country: Living the Mission of Grace Athletics

September 29, 2025 – With a pause in competition for the Cross Country team this week, it offered a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the mission of Grace Athletics—to use the athletic platform to influence the world for Christ. And what better place to begin living out that mission than within the Grace Community itself?

Ephesians 2:8–10 offers a powerful reminder:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

This past week, the Grace Cross Country team exemplified this calling in tangible and inspiring ways. One of the greatest blessings of coaching at Grace is hearing from faculty, staff, parents, and members of the Tyler community about the character of the school’s student-athletes. In just a few days, multiple stories emerged of compassion, humility, and servant-hearted leadership displayed by members of the team.

Among the many examples:

• Several athletes stopped to assist someone with a flat tire on the side of the road.
• A group brought breakfast for the school’s maintenance staff to show appreciation for their behind-the-scenes work.
• Team members attended and supported fellow students at various performances and events.
• After a challenging Saturday morning practice, several runners stayed to help clean up from the previous night’s football game.

While training, performance, and competition often take center stage, these moments serve as a reminder of a deeper purpose: Grace athletes are not defined by the stopwatch or race results. They are, as Scripture says, God’s workmanship, created to do good works for His glory.

The coaching staff is incredibly proud of the young men and women they have the privilege to lead. These athletes are not only striving for excellence on the course but also living out the mission of Grace Athletics by reflecting Christ through their actions and their service to others.

The team returns to competition next Thursday, October 2, at the Larry Wilson Invitational in Lindale. The Elite Boys 5K will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the Varsity Boys 5K at 9:30 a.m., and the Varsity Girls 2-Mile at 10:00 a.m. Grace Athletics invites the community to come out and support the team as they run—not only with endurance, but with purpose.