Article January 1, 2002 Issue

Teaming up with God on the court

with contributions from Craig Mattison

Craig Mattison began playing volleyball and competing in tournaments in high school, in his hometown of Naperville, Illinois. During his senior year, Craig was recruited to play volleyball at Ball State University, in Indiana. As an outside attacker on the university's varsity team, Craig played in more than seventy matches in his two and a half years on the team, while keeping up with his studies in the field of finance. The Herald caught up with Craig, now a senior at Ball State, to talk about a sport he loves, and how prayer got him through some challenging times on the court.

What do you enjoy most about volleyball?

For one thing, volleyball is a really graceful sport. There's a lot of fluidity in the way the players move. It also requires a lot of focus and concentration. You need to be on edge, prepared for every point. It's a team sport, so one person can't dominate the game. The rules require that three people on your team touch the ball before it goes over the net. I think there's a spiritual lesson in that. Just as those of us on volleyball teams rely on our teammates to help score points in a game, each of us has a partner in every aspect of our life. We have a teammate in God. We can rely on Him to get us through anything.

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