Newly retired LPGA Tour professional and now mom, Emma Talley, joins the Identity Sports Podcast for a powerful conversation on identity, fulfillment, and faith beyond the scorecard.Emma reflects on the role relationships and mentorship played throughout every stage of her journey—from junior golf and college to life on the LPGA Tour. She opens up about winning the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur, and the realization that the joy she expected from such a massive achievement lasted only a couple minutes. That moment began to reveal a deeper truth: the fulfillment we long for can’t be found in accomplishments.In this episode, Emma shares where she ultimately found true contentment—in God’s Word, biblical community, and walking closely with Christ, including participating in Bible studies while on Tour. She explains her love for being a friend to her competitors and reflecting Christ through her actions. By focusing on controlling what you can control, Emma learned how to find joy even in hardship.Emma also opens up about her transition from professional golf to motherhood, and how she now prioritizes time with the Lord amid the beautiful chaos of being a mom. This conversation is a reminder that our identity is not in what we do—but in who we belong to.

The Identity Sports Podcast celebrates episode 50 with an exciting and impactful episode with Jordan Brown, a former Fresno State football walk-on whose journey is defined by faith, perseverance, and a deep re-centering of identity. Jordan didn’t arrive at Fresno State as a recruited athlete—he came as a student, quietly training on his own during his first year with the hope of one day earning a spot on the football team.Growing up in the church, Jordan had a foundation of faith, but when he entered college, he found himself drifting from the Lord. For much of his life, church had been the primary place where spiritual growth happened, and without it, his faith stalled. Everything began to change when he got involved with the football program and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Through community and reading scripture on his own and with others, Jordan began to experience real spiritual growth and saw God opening his eyes to a greater purpose—one rooted in glorifying Him.Jordan shares how he came to understand that God and football are not separate parts of life, but deeply connected. As the Lord worked in his heart, Jordan learned that his identity is not defined by performance, playing time, or outcomes on the field, but by who he is in Christ. He dives into the importance of being in the Word, how Scripture feeds and sustains the soul, and why contentment in Christ is possible in every circumstance—whether chasing a dream, waiting patiently, or walking through a season of refinement.This episode is an honest and encouraging reminder that your value doesn’t rise and fall with success—and that when your identity is rooted in Christ, every season has purpose.

In this episode, Zach Vogel is joined by guest cohost and Lipscomb University Woman’s golf coach, Shannon O’Brien. The two sit down with Brooke Riley, assistant women’s golf coach at Stanford University, to talk about faith, identity, and competing with freedom.

While faith was present early on, God often sat on the back burner, and Brooke’s identity became rooted in being a “Christian athlete” rather than fully walking with Christ.

Everything began to shift during her freshman year of college. After not making the starting lineup her first semester, her identity was stripped away, exposing how much she depended on performance and affirmation. Through discipleship and getting into the Word, Brooke realized what was missing in her relationship with the Lord. By the end of January of her freshman year, she fully surrendered her life to Christ.

Now as a coach, Brooke shares how she lives out her faith through the way she loves and leads her players, and how to compete from a place of being loved rather than defined by performance. We also talk about navigating constant evaluation, freedom in Christ, and how rest itself is an act of worship.

This episode is a powerful reminder that we can pursue excellence, compete to win, and remain fully Christ-centered.

Gary Bender — legendary sportscaster, former voice of the Phoenix Suns and voice behind countless iconic NFL, NBA, MLB and NCAA games — joins us on th Identity Sports Podcast to reflect on his storied career, faith, and what it truly means to call the game.

In this episode, Gary shares:

• 📺 His early days broadcasting games from a tractor on his family’s farm in Ulysses, Kansas

• 🏀 His time at CBS Sports calling March Madness—including the legendary 1982-84 Final Fours and a front-row seat to Michael Jordan’s first championship shot

• 🏟️ Transition to ABC Sports, TNT, and eventually 18 years as the voice of the Phoenix Suns — along with behind-the-scenes stories from decades in professional sports broadcasting

• 🎙️ His philosophy on broadcasting: preparation, respect for the athlete, the power of storytelling — and being “blessed” to do what he loved every day

Plus, check out his new book "Beyond the Call" available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Call-Gary-Bender/dp/B0FLWTF2TD

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Have you ever been challenged to stand up and speak the truth? In this episode of the Identity Sports Podcast, former SMU and now professional golfer Lauren Miller joins the show to share about such a time as this in her own life.

She opens up about a pivotal moment in her faith and career when she competed and lost against a transgender golfer, confronting her with the challenge of standing up for what is right. Tune in to hear the support she experienced and what she saw the Lord doing all along.

In this episode of the Identity Sports Podcast, Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Aaron Huglen and his wife Madelynn share their story of getting married during their freshman year of college, growing together through the ups and downs of college and pro sports, and learning to stay rooted in faith and community through it all.

🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to the channel for more athlete stories of faith, resilience, and identity in Christ.

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Raised in a Christian home, Kiara Locklear once lived in two separate worlds: her faith and her soccer career. But through her journey with the Charlotte Eagles, a bold transfer to Lipscomb University, and the leap into professional soccer, she’s learned what it truly means to live out your faith in sport.In this episode, Kiara shares how she keeps her identity grounded amid success, hears God’s voice in moments of transition, and lives out the words of Isaiah 6:8—“Here I am. Send me.”

🎙️ Tune in for practical wisdom on integrating faith and competition, spiritual habits for athletes, and encouragement for anyone learning to trust God’s plan beyond their own.

What happens when both teams pray to win?

In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Paul Putz — Director of the Faith & Sports Institute at Baylor’s Truett Seminary and author of The Spirit of the Game: American Christianity and Big-Time Sports — joins us to explore some of the most complex questions in sports and faith.

We dig into the tension between competition and Christianity:

• How should athletes actually pray before a game?

• Is competition biblical — or have we confused it with pride and performance?

• Should Christians even care about winning?

Dr. Putz brings incredible perspective as a historian, former athlete, and theologian who’s spent years studying how faith has been woven into the fabric of American sports. His insights challenge us to rethink what it means to play and to worship in a way that truly honors God.

📘 Grab Paul’s new book, The Spirit of the Game: American Christianity and Big-Time Sports, available now.

🎧 Listen now to learn how athletes can compete with purpose, pray with perspective, and glorify God through the game.