An Athletes in Action outreach takes the gospel to Brooklyn.
Stress and pain. That’s how 16-year-old Daniel Perez described his life.
Living in Sunset Park on the west side of Brooklyn, Daniel (left, at right) found life in the city wasn’t forgiving. The family (Daniel, his mother and three siblings) lived in a one-bedroom apartment, and there was never enough to go around.
“I got into drugs, smoked weed, drank,” he says. “I wasn’t doing the stuff to have fun, I was doing it because I was in pain.” However, another escape ultimately led him to a life-changing spiritual journey—his love for basketball.
Invited by his cousin, Daniel arrived at a three-on-three tournament called Street2Street, an outreach event held by Athletes in Action, the sport ministry of Campus Crusade. “We run basketball tournaments in inner-city neighborhoods that explain the gospel. The tournaments draw the kids,” says Woody Woodfin, founder of the S2S events.
Each participant is given a free jersey, backpack, food, water and a coach, and is “treated like a champion for a day,” says Woody.
After S2S came to Brooklyn, local youth groups united to host a weekend titled Release. This was Daniel’s first church retreat. He had seen people crying in church before, but never those his own age.
On the second night of the retreat, the speaker challenged students to lay down their burdens and offer them to God. “I just collapsed. I let it go,” says Daniel.
Weeping, Daniel walked to the front of the chapel, and surrendered his life to Christ. He knew his life had changed forever.
Daniel plans to play in his last summer with S2S, but his newest passion has taken over most of his time. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Daniel “rocks out for God” while leading worship meetings. He even leads worship with his mother on Sunday afternoons.
Daniel still feels stress and pain in his life, but he knows he doesn’t have to face it alone. “I just think God is amazing,” he says. “It’s time to be a light in all this craziness.”
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