10 min read ⭑

As a former Division One athlete and current fitness coach and in-game host for the Seattle Seahawks, Andy Dooley lives and breathes physical training. But even more so, he’s focused on training in the Spirit, using his pastoral platform and vast social media following to help young people follow Jesus with all their hearts. His new devotional, “Lead With Faith, Play With Purpose!,” offers wisdom for Christian athletes who want to grow in honoring God on and off the field. In this interview with Andy, we’re tackling topics ranging from sports to delicious food, procrastination, the power of Christian influences and how to let God have full control of every area of our lives. Join the conversation and be encouraged.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?

I was born in Oahu, Hawaii. It’s gorgeous there. However, I grew up mainly in Columbus and Lima, Ohio. That’s where my parents exposed me to Chinese food. Ever since my first taste of General Tso’s chicken, Chinese food has been my absolute favorite food.

My second favorite might be pizza. My wife and I, with our four beautiful kids, have moved to Seattle, Washington, and our family has found a new favorite pizza place called Sourdough Willy’s Pizzeria in Kingston, Washington. It’s incredible! We love the entire experience. We typically drive to Edmonds, Washington, and catch the ferryboat over to Kingston. It has become the thing we do for my birthday and Father’s Day. I love how cozy the trip is. It feels like a visual Lofi playlist. I love being around water. It’s soothing and relaxing. It’s a time when the family can be together, including my mother-in-law. We are creating fun, loving and special moments for life while eating some of the most delicious pizza I’ve ever had!

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activity (or activities) do you love engaging in, which also helps you find essential spiritual renewal?

I have a few things that I truly enjoy that give me a sense of calmness, peace and joy. The first one I’ll mention is gaming, which I enjoy doing when I get a chance. There’s something about sitting in your man cave by yourself among RGB lights that are lit to your liking with specific colors chosen to set the vibe of your room. I personally love throwing on sweatpants and a hoodie with my large, comfy Banned Goods slippers. They are some of the coolest and comfiest slippers you will ever put on. The slippers look like your favorite sneakers, just exaggerated and blown up, similar to the NBA players in the retro game NBA Jam. 

Playing video games gives me a moment to zone out and relax while embarking on different missions, competing in Madden or College Football 25, or just exploring the maps or the city streets of New York in Spiderman 2. Sometimes, we are so busy taking care of our families, paying bills, completing projects, creating content, leading leaders and more that we forget to stop and take time for self-care and a mental break the way we need.

The gym is another place for me to release endorphins and challenge my body and mental strength, which improves my overall health and keeps me relaxed. I truly believe we have to be more proactive about what brings us joy in our lives.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness. Every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite, and how do you hide it?

My kryptonite is that I can be a pro sometimes — and a procrastinator. My toxic trait is that I feel as if I can be clutch like Michael Jordan in all areas of my life. I really believe I can step up to the free throw line with the game on the line and hit the game-winning shot. The problem with that mentality is that I end up doing this at the last minute, and that takes away from it being the best product I could produce. The fact that I get it done doesn’t mean it’s the best of my abilities.

I have come a long way from how I used to be, but I still have my moments where I fall back into that trap. Thankfully, I can recognize it right away and try not to make it a habit. It’s a constant battle sometimes, but I notice the more time I spend with God, the more insight and wisdom he gives me to plan ahead and time block, which then helps me produce at a higher level and not procrastinate.

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?

I’m so excited about my new book, “Lead With Faith, Play With Purpose!” It feels like it’s been a long time coming. It took time to sit down, write what God put on my heart and share my heart and experiences within these pages. As an athlete, you train your body and mind to be ready for competition. But what about your soul and practical everyday life? “Lead With Faith, Play With Purpose!” is your guide to exercising your faith — with me as your trainer.

As a Division One athlete, mentor, pastor, follower of Christ and lover of people — not to mention a passionate leader, Seattle Seahawks in-game host, social media influencer and fitness trainer — I get to share a lot. I know all about sports and what it takes to be a Christian on and off the field, court or wherever you may play. I wrote a 100-day devotional to encourage and guide athletes of any age, level or sport. I had a vision of seeing “Lead With Faith, Play With Purpose!” become the extra book given to athletes all over the world as their playbook to life. I truly believe it’s just what you need to integrate your faith into what you love to do — play your sport.

This book is set up to help you become a better teammate in four simple steps: 1) Discover effective ways to handle stress before a competition. 2) Identify how God is working through your sport to make you more like him. 3) Understand and embrace your calling as a Christian who is also an athlete. 4) Physical training has value for our lives here on earth, yet it holds zero weight for the eternal. If you learn to be tenacious about living a godly life now and also strive to become a better athlete and teammate, you’ll change the trajectory of your life.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?

There’s a saying I share with my wife, kids and everyone I speak with regarding every area of my life. It doesn’t matter if I’m trying to find a parking spot, win a card break (which is a fun way to win sports cards online), create content, write books, play sports, host a game, speak, preach or gain wisdom for a decision in my life. That saying is: “Leave him out of nothing.” Whatever I do or face, I try to keep God in every area of my life.

The saying reminds me that I’m not in control; God is. God gave me these gifts. God gave me these talents. God gave me these opportunities. God gave me a chance at eternal life. God gave me a mind to reason. And God will be with me through tough, trying and terrific times. The more time I spend learning about who God is, the more I get to know him and hear the Holy Spirit daily. We may find ourselves in situations where we can sense if it is a healthy situation, relationship or friendship or if it’s time to remove ourselves or disconnect from organizations, people or even topography. If you let him, God will guide you in all areas. Leave him out of nothing!

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you right now?

Every morning, before I touch my phone, I pray. I thank God for another day of breath, my awe of him and whatever I feel led to pray about that morning. I typically end my prayer time by asking God to order my steps because I want to be in his perfect will — not his acceptable but his perfect will — for my life. If I don’t have to take any missteps, I pray I don’t.

I’m also currently reading the Book of Proverbs daily. I try to match up the day with the chapter. For example, if it’s July 7, I will more than likely be reading chapter 7. I meditate on the chapter, share what verse or verses God is speaking to me on my social media and connect with my community to have some open dialogue and a mini Bible study in the comment section. It has been refreshing and invigorating for me. Learning from Solomon, who was the wisest man to ever live, is powerful and a game-changer in my life!

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top resources stand out to you? What changed the game and changed your heart? What radically altered your life? What changed your reality?

I’ll start off with my mom and dad. The way they lived their lives and loved each other was inspiring to me. My dad didn’t grow up with his dad, so he didn’t have a great example of what a family life looked like. He wanted to break that generational curse, be the best dad he could be and create a fun-loving, loud, competitive, authentically real, disciplined and God-fearing household. And that is exactly what he and my mom did. Unfortunately, he recently passed away from COVID, but he left a mark on my life that has inspired me to live like he did.

I also will never forget the book I read by Deion Sanders called “Power, Money and Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life.” The fact that he had everything he wanted in life and still felt empty, ultimately not appreciating his worth here on earth, radically impacted my life and made me truly realize that, without Jesus, having everything you desire will still leave you unfulfilled. That is not a life I want to live. I want to build my foundation on Jesus, and the rest will follow. It’s not worth gaining the world without Jesus. It will leave me hopeless, empty and with a ton of material things that will not have any eternal implications.

We all have things we cling to to survive (or even thrive) in tough times — times like these! Name one resource you’re savoring and/or finding indispensable in this current season, and tell us what it’s doing for you.

Currently, I’m binging the Bible Project. Their resources are incredible — from beautifully animated illustrations of Bible stories to word studies, topical studies, sermons and so much more. I can’t get enough of what the Bible Project is doing for the kingdom of God and people all over the world. It’s so creative, beautifully done, theological and harmonious in conjunction with the Word of God.

QUESTION #8: dream

God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

I really do feel the stirring of teaching God’s Word more in my future from multiple mediums. God created all of us to be creative, and I know how much I appreciate creativity and love using multiple ways to communicate. I plan on using multiple pathways to share the gospel, such as books, content creation, drawn illustrations, music, podcasting, preaching and teaching.

I went through a few tough times in my life, dealing with church hurt and feelings of not fitting in, which made me doubt myself and my abilities. It took time for me to remember that man is not in control. God is. Revelation 3:7 says, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens” (ESV). Jesus is saying that whatever doors he opens or closes for you can’t be revoked.

I needed that reminder to let God be in complete control. When I surrendered to that, everything changed, and I’m looking forward to what God has cooked up for me to partake in. I’m also leaving room for God to use me in ways I can’t even fathom — because he is limitless and I don’t want to limit myself to myself.

“For while bodily training is of some value,” wrote Paul, “godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:8, ESV).

In our day, few would contradict the first part of Paul’s sentence. Researchers have conducted scores of studies to uncover the numerous physical, mental and emotional benefits of physical exercise and training. But even though exercise can help us live longer, combat diseases, maintain a healthy weight, and improve our energy and mood, those benefits only last as long as we’re alive on this earth.

That’s why Paul calls our attention to something far more important: “train yourself for godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7b, ESV). Godliness — that is, an inner response of reverence toward God — offers benefits now and for all eternity.

Ask yourself: Do I set aside regular time to train physically and for godliness? What changes might I need to make to create space for both?

In-game host for the Seattle Seahawks, author, fitness coach and social media influencer Andy Dooley is committed to empowering today’s athletes as a passionate leader, pastor, fitness professional, husband and father of four. He has been working with young people and athletes for over 18 years through sports, fitness and ministry. He has a large, established social media fan base with over 1.9 million followers on TikTok and 150,000 Instagram followers consisting of parents, teens and kids who trust his message on faith, family and fitness.

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