Brit Haseltine
About me:
I was born and raised in Delaware County (“Delco”), PA, and attended The Christian Academy (TCA) K-12. I played soccer at Messiah College, received a degree in engineering, and returned to Philly to work for the Navy. I love all sports, fishing, Excel spreadsheets, reading, and gathering people. I am a product of the unconditional love of my parents, the accountability of my coaches, and the best friends. Above all, truly, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. He is my all in all.
How & why I became a MAI missionary:
Since I was young, God has placed me in formative sporting environments. Working to reflect God’s nature, alongside my Dad, coaches, team mates, and now the players I coach, is like Church on a field. It is one of the most fruitful, meaningful, and joyful aspects of my life. Through internal and external confirmations from the Lord, I began pursuing the start of a sporting club ministry in the Delaware Valley before I knew MAI existed. A friend connected me with MAI and I found the Eagles to be near exactly what I had envisioned, with years of experience. The Lord’s hand was so clear and good to me through the process, I would love to tell you all that He’s done and is doing, please ask me! Ultimately, I believe sports to be incredibly fertile ground for the heart of mankind and that I have been blessed with the ability to work that ground. The world is hurting without Jesus Christ. I feel a serious responsibility and joy to share with them eternal life, walking with God, both in this life and forevermore.
Chris Glover
About me:
I was blessed with wonderful Christian parents. I have a wonderful sister that is seven years older than me that also lives in the Triad. She is married and has an adult daughter. My wife April and I have been married for 29 years. We have been blessed with three children (Carter, Kyndal & Drew). In addition, we have an international exchange student that calls us his “American parents”. All of our kids are young adults. I played soccer all the way through college at High Point University and have been coaching (high school and club) for over thirty years.
How & why I became a MAI missionary:
Our family and friends have been involved with the Charlotte Eagles, Imago Dei and SoCal Seahorses (now Eagles). David Sanford has been a friend, coaching mentor and a spiritual mentor. Sanford introduced me to David Urban. I really enjoyed hearing about the vision, growth and direction of the ministry. My desire is to come alongside the team and put the shoulder to the plow. I have felt God leading me into a new season of life and that He will grow me through this experience.
Dan & Brenda Georgopulos
About me
Happily married to Brenda for 31 years now and both Colorado natives. We have 4 children – Connor, Dalton, Kobe and Karys. Intentional ministry has been been a part of our lives for 20+ years and soccer has been a part of my life since 6 years old. Our aim is to serve the Lord wherever He takes us and to grow in our faith, understanding and passion to share His love and salvation with others.
How & why I became a MAI Missionary
We were first introduced to MAI through our son, Connor. During his college years, he spent summers in Chicago as part of the Chicago Eagles Summer Academy program. We asked a lot of questions, looked into it and found that MAI aligns with our passions for Jesus and soccer. I spent 3 years talking with MAI and seeking and praying about how the Lord might use me/us through MAI to touch lives for His sake. Very glad to be part of a team of missionaries passionate about sharing God’s love and making disciples.
Dave & Carolyn Urban
About me
We are originally from the Philadelphia area and moved to Charlotte in 2013. I spent over 20 years in the field of higher education overseeing enrollment and building strategic partnerships with various different organizations. I also co-founded and am partner in Charter Oak Research, which has provided marketing, research, executive search, strategic planning, and consulting services to over 50 clients, including Christian and private schools, colleges, and seminaries in addition to several other business organizations. I hold both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Business Administration from Eastern University. My wife Carolyn graduated from Eastern University and spent 11 years coaching the women’s lacrosse team there, prior to stepping away to raise our three children.
How and why we became MAI missionaries
Dave started playing soccer at the age of 5 and had the privilege of being coached by his dad until going off to college. The foundation of teaching he received had a significant impact on his life. During his college years he came to know Christ as my Savior through the environment of his college soccer team. He went on to coach at both the HS and Collegiate level which further prepared him for a role that we did not know would be in his future. When the opportunity came up to be a part of the ministry of MAI, whose mission is to glorify God and see lives transformed by sharing the message of Jesus Christ through the global environment of soccer, it was a natural fit. The mission of MAI is what drew Carolyn in too, because she saw first hand through her lacrosse coaching years, the impact that sports can have on the lives of players through the environment of a team.
David & Lola Sanford
About me
I am married to Lola and we have two sons. Lola is a professional Christian Counselor. Mitch serves with MAI as the Director of International Tours. Luke and his wife, Margaret, and their sons, Cliff and Kai live in Marion, IN where he is head coach of the Indiana Wesleyan University Men’s Soccer Team.
I coached at Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, NC through the ’80s and ’90s and loved using the environment of the sport to mold and impact young men for Christ. My WCA teams won nine State Championships and were nationally ranked several times by the United Soccer Coaches. I was awarded NC High School Coach of the Year three times, United Soccer coaches Southeast COY twice and United Soccer Coaches National Private High School COY once. I am a member of the NC Field of Honor with the NC High School Soccer Coaches Association and a member of the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame. I also served as the Middle School Principal my last ten years at WCA.
When MAI opened the office in Charlotte in the early ’90s I connected immediately. While at WCA I would coach teams on Charlotte Eagle International Youth Tours to Europe and traveled with the Men’s pro team to Jordan, Israel and Gaza. In 2003 I joined the MAI Board of Directors and served five years before the board challenged me to come on staff full-time. The Lord confirmed that call and Lola and I moved to Charlotte in 2008 to take on the role of US Director.
In addition to my state-side responsibilities, David serves sports ministry initiatives Mitch and I started in Kenya in 2006. We travel annually to train new coaches and develop existing ones. There are now an estimated 800 teams using the game to express the Gospel of Jesus to their youth and surrounding communities. I also travels to Central and South America as well as Africa and Europe to help MAI train leaders and coaches.
How & why did you become a MAI Missionary
My joining MAI as full-time staff was a long process. By connecting with the Charlotte Eagles leadership, coaches and players to help impact my players at Wesleyan Academy I formed strong relational bonds. I then began helping take International Youth Tours. The next step was serving the ministry through the Board of Directors. Finally, the Lord called us to move to Charlotte and I have been in my ‘sweet spot’ in ministry here with MAI.
I love the community I serve with at MAI and enjoy a great partnership with an incredible financial and prayer support team made up of dozens of individuals and families that make it possible for me to serve with MAI.
Josh Morgan
About me
I was born and raised in Knoxville, TN in a Christian home with very supportive Christian parents. I went to Christian private schools all the way through high school, but I never really understood the Gospel. My junior year of high school, one of the former soccer coaches asked me to go on the Charlotte Eagles Youth Tour to Brazil that summer. I accepted his offer because I loved playing soccer and playing in Brazil sounded like a dream. Little did I know that this trip would completely change my life. In Brazil was the first time I ever witnessed the ability to play soccer for the Lord, and that is when the Gospel finally clicked for me. Because of that, on the third night in Brazil, I fully surrendered my life to the Lord and gave everything up to Him. Ever since then, I have been a firm believer in using soccer as a tool to spread the Gospel, and I have obtained a passion for sports ministry. After I graduated high school, I was able to attend Transylvania University in Lexington, KY where I had the opportunity to play soccer all four year, meet a beautiful woman of God that I am lucky enough to call my wife, Charlotte, and continue using my passion for sports ministry to reach others. With the opportunities God has given me in my past, I am stoked to see what He has awaiting Charlotte and me in the future.
How & why I became a MAI Missionary
The summer of my junior year in high school, 2013, I went to Brazil with Charlotte Eagles Youth Tour and that was my first ever missions/sports ministry trip. On that trip is where I gave my life to Christ and learned the joy that comes form playing for Jesus. Then the following summer, 2014, I went back on Youth Tour with the Charlotte Eagles to Brazil to learn more about sports ministry and how I could use the sport I have been playing all my life to reach the lost and spread the Gospel. After that trip, I was hooked on sports ministry. As I graduated high school and went to college, I felt like I was too old for Youth Tour, but I still wanted to spend my summers playing soccer and serving the Lord. So the summer of 2015 I decided to go to Germany for a couple weeks with a few guys from the Charlotte Eagles. After running soccer camps in Germany, I felt like God was calling me to sports ministry. So I dropped my plans for an engineering degree, changed my major to psychology, and told God, “Here I am, send me.” Then the next summer, 2016, I was pointed to the Chicago Eagles Summer Academy and I absolutely loved it. I fell in love with the kids in the neighborhood and being able to watch them experience Jesus and have their lives changed. Also, in the same summer, I went to the Olympics in Brazil with a small team from the Charlotte Eagles and used sports ministry to share the Gospel with Olympic athletes, coaches, and fans. It was incredible to see that no matter how old someone gets or how successful they become, their life can still be changed by Jesus. The summer of 2017 I found myself back with the Chicago Eagles to see if this was where God wanted me. I felt at home up in Chicago and knew that was God’s way of telling me that I am home. I am excited to see how God uses me in Chicago and I am ready to serve in any way I can.
Mark Steffens
About me
We raised our three daughters on Long Island before moving to Charlotte to join MAI. We now have three son-in-laws and we’re extremely grateful that all three families love and serve our great God. They have 10 children making us grandparents….10 times!
While ministering with MAI, I coached the men’s pro team for 18 seasons. Our emphasis was and is on building men and women to love God and serve others.
Currently, I’m responsible to help identify opportunities for MAI to train and equip coaches on how to be a godly, transformational coach. This role will provide training and mentoring of coaches across the US and be a resource to the Director of International Training.
Diane is currently an assistant kindergarten teacher at Covenant Day School in Charlotte.
How & why I became a MAI Missionary
In 1990, Diane and I went on tour to Italy, Germany, and Poland with MAI. We both caught a vision of “soccer ministry” and how effective it could be. We decided to go on tour the following year to Russia and once again saw the platform a simple soccer ball created. We started praying about God’s call in our lives and in 1997 we joined MAI full-time. Since that time, we have witnessed many people come to saving faith in Jesus through MAI ministry endeavors.
Paul & Robin Shedd
About me
My parents were missionaries in Bolivia and Chile. At the age of 15, I moved back to the States to continue my education. Robin grew up in the Peruvian Amazon Basin as an MK. We both accepted the LORD as our personal Savior as children. We met at Ben Lippen School in Asheville, NC. I attended Wheaton College and Robin received her RN degree at West Suburban School of Nursing. We tied the knot in 1976.
We have lived and worked (Paul as a Spanish teacher and Coach-Robin as a Nurse) in Chicago, Tanzania and St. Petersburg, FL and have been blessed with three children: Erin, Dawn and Matt; 3 wonderful in-laws; and 7 grandchildren.
How & why I became a MAI Missionary
Growing up as missionary children, we were very familiar with mission life.”Although both of our experiences were positive as MKs, we did not feel GOD’s calling us into full time missions until we were in our 40s. Paul took his high school soccer teams on missions trips 4 different summers. In 1997 we traveled with the team where Robin grew up the Peruvian Jungle. After that we answered GOD’s call and joined Missionary Athletes International in 2000. Over the years with MAI we have learned that GOD is always faithful in the good times and not so good times. He has faithfully provided His love, encouragement, grace, mercy and financial support through our awesome support team. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!!
Tom & Jodi Gerlach
About me
Tom’s resume includes a combined total of 31 seasons from a multitude of organizations, both boys and girls. At the high levels, he has head coached in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and assistant coached at Tusculum University (NCAA Division II). Tom has also head coached high school boys at Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK) and Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA), girls high school soccer at CPA, and both boys and girls Division I club soccer. Tom has been named “Coach of the Year” 15 times, he’s had 14 state final appearances, 9 state championships, and he holds the record for the most consecutive high school state championships (5). When it comes to community and committee involvement, Tom has an extensive list. He is the Director of Eagles Academy Nashville and International Youth Tours with the Charlotte Eagles (both part of Missionary Athletes International). He sits on boards including the United Soccer Coaches Association Faith Based Coaching Board, the Tennessee High School Soccer Coaches Association Executive board, the United Soccer Coaches Association Award of Excellence committee, and chairs the Pinnacle Award for the United Soccer Coaches Association. He also chairs the Division II-A All State rankings as well as the All State team. He will also be a presenter at the United Soccer Coaching National Convention in 2019 and 2020. Tom resides in Nashville, TN with his wife, Jodi, and two children.
How & why I became a MAI Missionary
My life was drastically changed when I went on tour as a player, and I saw that some of my own players could have the same experience if I was able to provide that opportunity for them. Through connections with the Week of Champions and my college soccer coach Stephen Jones, I was able to contact David Sanford and pursue my passion for sports ministry.