Tracey Tarkington's grade-school friend chided her after the pastor's invitation: "I dare you to walk down the aisle."

Tracey hesitated once, but not twice: "Tracey, I double-dare you." The youngster went forward and gave her life to Christ—a decision that would ultimately lead her into full-time ministry.

Tracey, now 37, is a 6-foot 1-inch native of St. Louis. She played basketball at Southwest Missouri State and later helped coach the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1991. Soon after, Tracey accepted a position as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

Marquette's women's basketball program had been ailing for many years. But Tracey embraced this situation as a personal challenge, envisioning Marquette's academic reputation to be a strong selling point for future recruiting. After a week of praying, she accepted the job offer.

Over the next 10 years, she helped lead the Golden Eagles to four consecutive NCAA Tournament bids (1997-2000) and two consecutive Conference USA championships (1999 and 2000).

But the demanding schedule began to take its toll. Coaching during the basketball season and recruiting trips during the off-season left Tracey with little time to engage the players' spiritual lives, the part she most desired to influence.

"I had a harder and harder time balancing between coaching and my desire to share my faith," says Tracey. "I would have much rather had six [players] over for dinner and get into spiritual conversations than drive to Chicago to watch a kid play basketball."

On her 35th birthday, Tracey embarked on a wintry flight to Cincinnati for a recruiting trip. Her thoughts spun around in her mind: I like what I do. But I don't think it's what I'm supposed to be doing anymore. "That's a pretty scary conclusion to come to halfway through your season!" Tracey laughs as she remembers the moment.

In her characteristic "straight-to-the-point" personality, Tracey prayed on the plane, "OK, look, God. I know there's something You're doing here because I feel antsy and scared and dissatisfied. So what's the deal?"

She sensed God's answer was to quit her job, but she didn't know what to do next. Upon arriving in Cincinnati, Tracey called on Stephanie Zonars, general manager of women's basketball for Athletes in Action, the sports ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. They had met briefly in 1997 when Marquette hosted an exhibition game with AIA. On this night they would attend a game together and grab a bite to eat afterwards.

Tracey confided that she was going to quit her coaching job—but didn't know what her next step would be. About a month following their Cincinnati meeting, the Marquette team traveled to Cincinnati, where Tracey and Stephanie met again.

"Tracey told me, 'I want to do what I'm doing now, but I want to do it for God,'" remembers Stephanie. "I told her that she could do what she's doing now for AIA. She was surprised that you could marry sports and ministry together like that."

Stephanie explained AIA's basketball ministry to Tracey: Coaches are AIA staff members who work with former college players who desire to reach out to athletes, coaches and fans with the gospel.

Tracey grew more and more excited about it—until Stephanie explained to her that she would need to raise financial support to join AIA as a full-time staff member. Tracey laughs now when she recalls her initial reaction: "No way. I'm not doing that." At the time, Marquette was providing her a healthy salary and a new company car every couple of years.

Ironically, Tracey was slated to coach a two-week AIA basketball tour in Perth, Australia—an agreement she had made with Stephanie many months prior to their Cincinnati conversations. This April 2001 tour dismantled the stereotype of "dirt-floor" missionaries carved in Tracey's mind. "One of the AIA [staff women on the tour]," says Tracey, "was a married woman with two kids and they lived perfectly fine—they didn't eat peanut butter every day. They had a regular house with regular things. They just lived regularly. I realized that people could actually do this!"

One of the stark differences in Tracey's new coaching job is its primary focus on Christ. Whether she's coaching or recruiting, Tracey now directs her energies on the spiritual needs of coaches and players—while still doing what she loves—coaching. "Every day I think, What a privilege. I get to do this."

To contact Athletes in Action, call (937) 352-1000 or visit www.aia.com.