Austin Sidwell calls himself a Christian athlete. He doesn’t want to just be known as an athlete who is also a Christian.
A decorated football player and accomplished student, Sidwell will close a successful chapter in his life when he graduates from Foley High School this spring. But for him, the real success has been more in his ability to share Christ with fellow students than in his athletic or academic achievements.
“Sports is an outlet for sharing my faith,” Sidwell said. “I want people to see me as a Christian athlete or a Christian student. I want people to see the Christian in me before anything else.”
An Academic All-State Athlete, he is a member of the National Honor Society and the Scholars Bowl team at Foley High. A leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at school, Sidwell is also a student leader for the youth ministry team at his church, First Baptist, Foley, in Baldwin Baptist Association.
He also received the 2007 U.S. Marine Corps Honor Courage and Commitment Award.
“He really has a grasp on what it means to love the Lord,” said Kelly Tibbs, minister of youth at First, Foley. “He knows who he is, and he works within those boundaries. He’s tried to be the athlete who truly exemplifies Christ.”
On the football field, Sidwell recognized his desire to honor Christ would be challenged.
“A lot can happen during the heat of a game. … I realize that people are watching you — especially if you are a professed Christian — to see how you will react,” he said.
“I always felt that my first duty was to Jesus, so I always tried to respond the way I believe He would want me to.”
Sidwell’s teammates recognized the difference in him as well. In December, he won the Challenger Award, an annual award the Foley High team gives to the player who most exemplifies Christlike qualities on the field and in the classroom.
“He is a leader and it’s not just talk,” Tibbs said. “He sees what needs to be done and he does it.”
Upon graduation, Sidwell is planning to enroll in the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., to study aeronautical engineering while playing football for the Air Force Falcons.
Wherever he goes, however, Sidwell said his goal is to continue to live as an example to others.
“I know I’ve been blessed, but I feel that, in turn, I can bless others,” he said.
“To me, being an encouragement to those I come in contact with can be a ministry.”
Share with others: