THE JOURNEY

My name is Levi Rutledge, founder of Ball & Bible.

Sports have always been a big part of my life. Faith was not.

Growing up, I knew of Jesus and went to church, but I never really understood why. I was just going through the motions. Like going half speed in a basketball drill, I showed up but I was not fully in.

That changed my senior year at Brentwood Christian School in Austin, Texas. That is when everything started to click. For the first time, my faith became real. I began to grow spiritually and recognize that God had been present in my life the entire time, even when I did not realize it. Especially through basketball.

Through the lows of fighting for playing time, dealing with injuries, and questioning myself. And through the highs of earning All-State recognition and playing in my first college basketball game. Looking back, I see it clearly now. Every challenge, every opportunity, every moment was placed in my path for a reason. It was all shaping me into the person and player I am becoming.

As a person growing in both faith and life, I understand that I will always be a work in progress. But I now approach my journey, obstacles and opportunities with confidence, knowing Christ is with me.

Along the way, I have learned something simple but powerful. If you want to be great at something, you have to truly love it and commit to getting better every day. That mindset has changed everything for me, not just as a player, but as a student-athlete and as someone growing in my faith.

I often looked back and wondered how my journey could have been different if I had known Jesus earlier, and that question is what led to the creation of Ball & Bible.

We created Ball & Bible to give young athletes something I did not fully have early on. A strong foundation. A place where they can grow in their sport while also building their faith. No matter where they are in their journey, we want every athlete to feel encouraged, supported, and excited about the process of getting better.

Because building a strong, Christ-centered foundation early matters. Today’s athletes face more pressure than ever. On the court, in school, and in life. They need more than just training. They need guidance, support, and a belief system that keeps them grounded.

As the Bible says, “We all have different gifts. Each gift came because of the grace God gave us” (Romans 12:6). 

Every athlete has a God-given gift.

Our goal is to help them understand that, so they can become the best version of themselves, both on and off the court. It is not about being the best. It is about becoming your best.

At Ball & Bible, we use sports as a platform to develop athletic skills, leadership, confidence, discipline, resilience, and character, while grounding those lessons in Christian values and biblical principles.

We want every athlete to leave our camps and mentoring programs more confident and better prepared for what comes next. Better in their game. Stronger as a leader. More confident in who they are and what they can accomplish. And encouraged to continue growing in their faith.

Because those are lessons that last far beyond the game.

After all, all you really need as a Christian athlete is your faith, your ball, and your Bible.

– Levi Rutledge, #14