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Most athletes live in a cycle of train, class, eat, sleep and repeat, locked into a packed-full and intense schedule with little time for extracurriculars or other organizations.

However, some athletes break away from that intense schedule to participate in clubs. Penn State Christian Athletics, which is home to around 70 athletes, is one such organization.

“Essentially, Penn State Christian Athletics is just a group that meets every Tuesday night, athletes and non athletes,” Maddie Ullom, the PSCA treasurer and former track and field athlete, said. “We meet and talk about Jesus and have a speaker come in, and we’ll talk about different things.”

For these student athletes, PSCA isn’t any old organization. It gives them a meaning beyond ] their identity as an athlete.

“I think the coolest part is that, yeah, you’re a bunch of athletes, but when we go to Bible study, it’s not really about any of us being an athlete,” Maddie Gordon, a PSCA executive board member and former softball athlete, said. “Nobody cares if you’re on the softball team or the track and field team or the football team. We’re really just there, and it’s cool to be in a community of Christ-centered people.”

Outside of the Tuesday night meetings, some members also attend a weekly Bible study hosted by men’s gymnastics coach Randy Jepson, who is the faculty advisor of the group alongside his wife, Sue Jepson.

Last year, current president and track and field athlete Collin Burkhart started his own Bible study alongside Jepson as the size of PSCA continued to grow.

“It’s almost bittersweet, right?” Burkhart said. “Coming into this, being invited into it, and then becoming president, it’s definitely a good role to have. I’m very lucky to be able to lead this organization and lead it with faith.”

For Burkhart, some of his greatest memories of the organization haven’t been the large group studies or even his own small-group studies. It’s been the opportunities that have arisen as a result of the relationships he’s made in PSCA.

“I recently had the honor to baptize one of my teammates, Ryan Henry, who transferred last year and I really got to know him,” Burkhart said. “He got involved in Penn State Christian Athletics very early and had a strong passion for his faith. Baptizing him was amazing, and it’s something I don’t take lightly.”

Events like these have been made possible through the organization’s connection with Calvary Church, which is where many of the members and the Jepsons go. Some of the others attend Nittany Bible Church, which is led by Pastor Joe Rose, a former football player at Penn State who frequently speaks at PSCA.

In addition to Burkhart and Ullom on the track and field team and Gordon on the softball squad, athletes from all backgrounds and sports come together to join in discussion.

“It’s just a really cool space to meet athletes from other teams and just have a place where you’re valued for more than just your athletic contributions and just for being you and being a child of God,” Ullom said.

This semester, the group has studied the book of Romans during their large-group studies. Oftentimes, these conversations have gone far beyond their hour-long sessions on Tuesdays and carry into their practices during the week.

“We’re running (at practice) and we just have so much time to talk about what we talked about at PSCA and how that applies to our lives,” Ullom said. “God works in cool ways, so it’s usually something very applicable to what you’re going through in life right now, so it does spark a lot of conversation.”

Gordon has seen a direct impact from her Christian faith and PSCA on her softball performance as it’s given her something to turn to during times of struggle during practices and games.

“Softball is definitely a game where it’s easy to get in your head,” Gordon said. “So we would memorize Bible verses, or we’d be like, ‘Oh, remember what we talked about in Bible study about standing strong,’ and things like that.”

Likewise, Ullom sees the benefits of her track performance. Instead of being defined by her times, she looks to her faith for approval.

“Being rooted in my faith and understanding that I’m first and foremost a child of God and that my worth is defined in Jesus and not my hardships on the track,” Ullom said. “It honestly gives me so much freedom to compete and know that even if I have a bad day, it’s OK.”

While being at Penn State, Burkhart initially struggled to find a strong Christian community. Growing up in a Christian household, he wanted to build a strong foundation and support staff in Happy Valley, but struggled until he was introduced to PSCA.

“I really felt that community coming into it as a person who came to college with a lot of faith,” Burkhart said. “It really helped me find my faith home and really helped me further my faith here in college.”

Since Ullom joined the group in 2021, she has seen significant growth in the organization. The power of inviting people, Ullom said, has increased membership from roughly a dozen members her first year to over 70 members this year.

“I’m just happy that I’m able to lead this organization in such a way that we’re furthering the faith of these athletes at Penn State,” Burkhart said. “Penn State is obviously a college campus where it’s harder to be a Christian at.”

For Gordon, Burkhart and Ullom, joining PSCA was a monumental decision in their Penn State journeys. Not only did it help build their faith, but gave them a community of like-minded individuals who could rely on each other and support each other through their collegiate careers.

“Honestly, I think (PSCA) is one of the best things that happened to me at Penn State,” Gordon said. “It made me realize that while I’m here to be a student athlete, the best thing I can be is a Christ follower, and understanding that at the end of the day, that is the most important thing I’m doing.”

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