In this powerful episode of Play in Faith, host Chris Scheeren sits down with Roger Younce — Director at Kinwell Academy and a longtime mentor within the Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball program — to talk about faith, leadership, and rebuilding youth sports culture from the ground up.
Roger shares his work at Kinwell Academy, a Christ‑centered school providing hope and structure for students on the edge of dropping out or being expelled — helping them rediscover purpose, discipline, and faith through education.
He also opens up about the heart behind I Am Third Elite, a faith‑based AAU program founded around one simple truth: God first, others second, self third. The program challenges the transactional, toxic patterns too common in travel basketball and replaces them with discipleship, teamwork, and mentorship — all while competing at an elite level.
Together, Roger and Chris unpack everything from the pressure parents feel in youth sports to the balance between excellence and joy, and what it means to “be demanding without being demeaning.” They discuss how Indiana Wesleyan’s success on the court and in life is proving that a winning culture built on faith doesn’t just inspire — it works.
Topics include:
- The mission of Kinwell Academy (“a safety net with a higher purpose”)
- Merging competition + discipleship at Indiana Wesleyan
- Building I Am Third Elite: flipping the script on AAU culture
- Coaching without ego — lessons from Freedom of Self‑Forgetfulness by Tim Keller
- Why “winning” and “developing character” should never be opposites
Whether you’re a parent, coach, or athlete, this conversation will remind you that sports are still the greatest classroom for life — if we do them the right way.
🎧 Listen now and see what “playing in faith” really looks like.