Reese Braband views sports as more than a contest.
As the Associate Athletic Director in Holistic Discipleship Development in Club Sports at Liberty University, Braband helps lead discipleship efforts within the department, working alongside student leaders across 42 Club Sports teams.
His journey toward sports ministry was not one that he anticipated. Braband arrived at Liberty in 2011 as a graduate student with a degree in sports management. Seeking experience, he managed the Men’s Lacrosse team before managing athletics equipment, only to return to Club Sports in 2018 when the organization decided to create its discipleship program.
The support role Braband was in soon became a leadership role.
“I was like, wait a second, I’m not ready,” Braband said. “So, God pushed me into this role and I’m super thankful and blessed.”
Braband and his team currently work with student leaders with an emphasis on personal connections, Bible study, prayer and service opportunities.
For Braband, relationships are an important part of using sports to minister to others. He believes athletes have opportunities to build connections with teammates and opponents, creating a natural setting to share their faith.
The ministry has grown since its inception.
This has included Club Sports’ DI Hockey team travelling to Helsinki for 10 days. After seeing how the team impacted others, Braband began looking for a way to bring athletes from multiple Club Sports teams together for the same purpose.
The dream came true when Liberty organized its first multi-sport mission trip to Vietnam.
Nine student-athletes and four staff members traveled out of the country on June 11, 2025, and spent 11 days collaborating with local ministries to spread the good news through a sports camp in Da Nang, Vietnam.
The camp became the focal point of the trip as the athletes rotated between playing sports with kids and sharing devotionals with them.
In one instance, the team came together at a local church to have a bonfire and share the gospel. That day, 20 kids decided to declare their faith in Christ.
For Braband, the trip had more to offer than those 11 days alone.
“It was really cool to see how much God grew me personally through that trip,” Braband said.
The trip challenged Braband. Unlike previous mission trips where he served alongside a supervisor, this time he was fully responsible for leading the group.
“I was kind of like, ‘Oh, I’m in charge here,’” Braband said. “God just knew it was a cool way of just continuing to give me more confidence that I can lead a mission trip like that.”
Braband hopes Vietnam will be the beginning rather than the end of Liberty Club Sports’ multi-sport mission efforts. He is already looking toward another trip in 2028 while exploring opportunities for athletes to serve domestically.
“We don’t want this to be a one-time mission trip,” Braband said.
This includes serving the communities surrounding Liberty. International missions can provide unique experiences, but he believes athletes can go on missions wherever they are.
“It doesn’t all have to be international,” Braband said. “They’re still on a mission.”
Shepard is a sports editor for The Liberty Champion.