SportsLife Wrestling is excited to announce the release of a new devotional titled “Faith On The Mat.” Developed using foundational writings from SportsLife Leadership’s CrossFit resource, Executive Director of Wrestling Brandon Slay and Wrestling Field Director Wynn Michalak collaborated to create this sport-specific ministry tool.

“We’ve heard from many coaches who want to start LifeGroups and hold Bible studies but don’t feel equipped to do so,” Slay said. “We decided to address this by creating a weekly study focused on wrestling. This resource will meet those needs across the country.”

“Faith On The Mat” consists of 12 sessions that cover foundational biblical teachings, guiding coaches and athletes into a life of true discipleship using relevant wrestling terminology.

“Each devotional begins with a warm-up, followed by a drill, then a live session, and concludes with a cool down. We want coaches and wrestlers to feel like we considered their sport and who they are.” – Brandon Slay

Slay and Michalak invited 12 influential figures in the wrestling community to read one of the devotionals and share personal insights. Notable names include Jordan Burroughs, David Carr, Mark Ellis, Kennedy Blades, and SportsLife Leadership’s own Michalak and Carl Perry.

“We aimed to create something relatable for coaches and their teams,” Michalak said. “That’s the essence of SportsLife—connecting people with their faith and sport. This resource enables coaches to use wrestling as a gift that invigorates their teams and communities.”

After reviewing the devotional, Olympic gold medalist Burroughs and his wife Lauren, who holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, requested 500 copies to distribute to athletes and coaches connected with the Burroughs’ All I See Is Gold Academy.

Completed in January, “Faith On The Mat” will soon be available for order in print from SportsLifeLeadership.com, and also as a downloadable PDF.

According to Slay, hundreds of copies will be distributed at the SportsLife Wrestling Champions Breakfast during the NCAA Tournament (March 19-21) in Cleveland, Ohio.
“There are two main purposes for this devotional,” Slay noted. “First, we want people to hear the Gospel, potentially for the first time. Second, we aim to help Christian wrestlers and coaches mature in their faith. It’s designed to lead people to Christ and strengthen their relationship with Him.”

Long-term plans include translations into Spanish and Portuguese, among other languages. For this first edition, the SportsLife Wrestling team hopes to distribute 20,000 printed or digital copies by the end of the year.

“’Faith On The Mat’ is a valuable tool for empowering coaches and wrestlers who feel called to lead others to the Lord. That’s what SportsLife is about—raising leaders and supporting them in fulfilling their true calling within their communities.” – Wynn Michalak