The Watching World

Faith in Sports

Episode Summary

Does faith belong in sports? Yes, says special guest Jason Romano, “If you’re a Christian, your faith belongs everywhere.” Jason Romano is a former ESPN producer, author, and podcast host of Sports Spectrum. In this episode, Jason shares his story of success to significance. Jason grew up in the Catholic Church but didn’t have a relationship with God until later in life when his brother got saved and shared the gospel with him. He was drawn to his brother’s attitude toward life and the way he treated people in his life, and this drew him into wanting to know more about Christianity. As his faith grew, he found himself feeling unsettled with where he was. He had his dream job working as a producer at ESPN, but he didn’t know how to implement his faith on the job. But even the little changes in his life, people noticed. He stopped using foul language around his peers at work, and though this lead to some teasing, it mostly bought him respect. He started to realize his identity was first a follower of Christ, and secondly a sports producer. After speaking at a conference gathering for a group of people who all worked in social media for various ministries, Jason got the tug to strive for something more meaningful in his own work. He began to pray “God, do you want me to stay at ESPN or leave for something else?” Looking back, he sees how God’s hand was in all of his decisions! He began working for Sports Spectrum, a podcast where special guests share their intersections of sports and faith and has felt immense purpose in this job, which is truly a ministry.