Spurgeon College is excited to announce that they have hired a new head coach to begin the Knights' cross-country team, Abel Spalding!

Coach Spalding grew up in Columbus, Indiana, about an hour from Indianapolis. He was blessed to grow up in a Christian home with a wonderful family he remains close to. He first joined a cross-country team in 8th grade to get fit for basketball but fell in love with the sport. He continued on the team through high school. He went to Indiana University for his Bachelor's in exercise science with a minor in coaching. In college, he was a team manager for the school's track and cross-country team and coached the run club. At this same time, he learned the importance of taking initiative in his walk with the Lord and became more active in his church. The summer before his senior year, he went to Colorado with a close friend, where he met his wife. They have very recently moved to Kansas City and joined the Midwestern Seminary community.

Of all the places Coach Spalding might have chosen to continue his career, Midwestern offers a unique opportunity. The Christ-centered community allows him to do what he loves and pour into young Christian athletes.

Coach Spalding's faith allows him to connect with athletes better. He is at his best in one-on-one interactions where he can have deeper and more personal conversations. Faith is also about where he draws his strength from and gives the framework for leading others. He wants to embody Christ's servant-hearted leadership in his coaching. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

When asked about running accomplishments, Coach Spalding laughed, admitting that he had never been a stand-out runner. However, he sees this as an advantage in leading a team. Most cross-country teams only have a few extraordinary runners, so he will be able to come alongside and relate to athletes with varied levels of skill. At the end of the day, he just loves running.

In coaching accomplishments, at a cross-country club in the NIRCA, Coach Spalding saw athletes on his team win a few races at the national level. Additionally, one girl from the cross-country club he coached became a walk-on at the Indiana University team.

Being the first coach of a new athletics program comes with a lot of unknowns, but Coach Spalding is excited. His first goal is to focus on recruiting Christ-focused, hardworking servant leaders committed to making the team culture about those same things. Looking at the results from the NCCAA DII teams, there is definitely potential to be competitive.

Please feel free to reach out to Coach Spalding with any questions about potentially joining the cross-country team (email: aspalding@mbts.edu). He also works as a training coach for Run Free Training that athletes can check out as a potential resource.