Student+Athlete Highlight: Lauren Mirande

Like a dash, The Plus has a horizontal bar that represents the school-sport balance, but there is also a vertical line that represents the relationship between the athlete and God. Because Christ laid down his life for them, the athlete lives their life for Him. In this blog series, I feature student+athletes who thrive in school and sport while pursuing the true prize.

I am back with another student+athlete feature today! I just finished my third week back at school, and I am starting to settle in to a groove. The school year is definitely off to a good start, and I am excited to share about it here soon. In the meantime, here is a piece by Lauren Mirande, a freshman soccer player at the Air Force Academy.

I ran track with Lauren in high school, and she took over Valor's Athletes for Christ chapter when me & another leader graduated. She has faced a lot of adversity throughout her athletic career, not to mention daily at the Academy. She offers a very interesting perspective on being a student+athlete, and I am excited for you all to read it. Lauren, thank you for serving our country, and thank you for sharing your testimony!

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi everyone! My name is Lauren Mirande and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to write to whoever may be reading this! Although I enjoyed running track in high school (and met cool people like Camille doing it), my passion since age 3 has always been soccer, and I am now enjoying my first semester of my collegiate career on the Women’s Soccer team at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA).

Sports aside, the transition from attending a four-year Christian high school to a military academy was none short of drastic. Where love, inclusivity and daily education centered around God was normal at Valor Christian High School, my daily life at USAFA consists of yelling, discipline, and ostracism from the upper three classes.

During my six weeks of basic training prior to entering the Academy this fall, I found myself relying on God more than ever. Each day, as I would round the corner to the dining hall while being yelled at to “hurry up”, I couldn’t help but look up at the incredible mountains of Colorado Springs and recall Psalm 121:1-2: “I lift my eyes up to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” This was always my time during the day-for just a moment-to breathe, relax, ask God for strength, and thank Him for the opportunity to be here, despite however much I disliked what I was going through. We were also afforded the opportunity to go to church on Sundays, and each week for six weeks I attended a protestant service. Although it was only two hours long, it was the best two hours of my week. To be in an environment where I thirsted for God and church each Sunday as an escape was the first time I realized that in this new life here, I would need God to help me through the tough days.

With the start of the school year just a few months ago, my daily life has been nothing short of hectic and busy. Admittedly, it has been very hard to make time for God. To spend time with God is always a choice. Even when it is offered, we don’t always take it. God sits somewhere in our list of priorities, and it isn’t always easy-or feasible-to drop everything for Him when He calls. At USAFA, there are opportunities on Sundays and Mondays to attend services/bible studies with multiple Christian groups, but this requires giving up hours that could be spent on homework, studying, or fulfilling the other required military duties. Making the choice for me isn’t always easy, but I have found that including time for God in my weekly routine has helped me to keep Him as a priority, rather than hoping I can find time for Him each week.

To connect with God through soccer is another transition I have had to make from the high school to collegiate level. Here, there are no more pre-practice devotions, pre/post game prayers, and no conversation around using soccer for the purpose of worshiping God; a regular topic during my high school soccer career at Valor. My connection to God through sport remains much more personal now, but it has not discouraged me from continuing to involve Him in soccer. Especially now as I am going through my second ACL repair in 4 years, I have had to lean on God to get through this rehab. Although it’s easy to be frustrated that God has taken me off the field for this year, I can look to Him for strength, and for a little bit of rest from a game that I love but sometimes tires me out.

The purpose of this narrative is not to speak negatively about my current environment. I love USAFA and the soccer team has been an incredible source of friendship and life for me through this first semester. It is simply to highlight the transition I have experienced to the real world, where Christ is not the focus of daily life for most. I hope that for anyone reading this, they take away that a personal relationship with God requires work put in each day to receive the things God is willing to offer. Valor gave me the support I needed each day to keep God relevant in my life, but it is now up to me to keep pursuing what foundation I have laid, as I continue into college.

____________________________________________________________________________________________