Jordan Langs Leads IWU Football

By: Emily Lehner

Langs and his family, photo obtained from Facebook
Langs and his family, photo obtained from Facebook

Jordan Langs is originally from Michigan. His dad was his small town’s high school football coach, so a love for the sport of football was cultivated in his family from a young age. Following in his older brother footsteps, Langs decided to play football for Wheaton College where he met his wife. Upon his graduation, he accepted a job as defensive coordinator for Wheaton’s football program. Recently, though, Langs and his family have moved to Marion, Indiana, as Langs takes on the rewarding challenge of being IWU’s first head football coach.

When asked what his goals were for IWU Football’s first season and the busy moments leading up to season, he stated, “Our first goal is to accurately reflect the mission of this school. Of course, we want to win football games. That will be a goal when we get on the field. However, we never want to sacrifice the identity that this campus’ mission gives us.”

Langs is hopeful that winning will be a byproduct of the team’s commitment to pursuing excellence. He and his fellow coaching staff desire to make the university and surrounding community proud by precisely representing who the people of IWU aim to be as followers of Christ. “We want to make everyone in Marion and Grant County proud,” he said.

As far as challenges are concerned, Langs mentioned the fact that the IWU Football athletes of 2017 will have to sit out the first season. With fall of 2018 being the first football season, the recruited athletes that arrive as freshmen in the fall of 2017 will have to spend a season simply practicing, refining their skills and aiding in the development of the IWU Football program. “Our attitudes during this time will be a key factor in the success of it. We have to focus on the positives of it to make it a great time for us,” said Langs.

Everything has to start from scratch. Langs stated, “The product of this program being at its beginning is going to be something great. The athletic department and facilities that IWU gives us makes this process obtainable.” Langs does not deny that time and work are essential factors in the development of the IWU Football program.

Langs included, “I enjoy the quality of people here, but also I enjoy the quality of how things are done. The Student Center is beautiful. The Chapel is beautiful. Things are done well here, and most of the credit goes to the alums. But, we aren’t behind the times here.” All of these characteristics of IWU will allow the football program to be nothing but successful.

Langs said, “I look forward to being a part of a place that has great people. We have great facilities and backing. Mark DeMichael is a phenomenal leader and Athletic Director. These things make me excited for what is to come with the program.”

The Athletic Department and Langs are ecstatic to bring the new territory of college football to Grant County and the IWU community. Langs believes that, with IWU already being a great brand, the football program can elevate it to a new level.

 

Written by Emily Lehner, writer for the Alumni Center and a sophomore Writing major at IWU. She is active on the cross country and track teams. She is passionate about using her writing skills to share the good news of Christ with others and writes often on her personal blog at www.emilylehner.wordpress.com.

Matt Shade- Influencing the Wellness World

By: Emily Lehner

 

Matt Shade is dedicated to pursuing health and fitness, and creating individual and corporate atmospheres that encourage others to reach their health goals.

team-profile-mattStaying in top shape has always been an important goal for Matt Shade. He began his basketball career at Carmel High School, in Carmel, Indiana. After college, Shade had the desire to continue his basketball career collegiately. He visited Indiana Wesleyan and loved the mission mindset the coach and team possessed. “I immediately fell in love with the school and campus. IWU presented me with the opportunity to play ball while getting a good education,” stated Shade. He believes that if he had attended a larger university, he would’ve gotten lost in the shuffle. IWU provided him with the accountability necessary to thrive.

“Many of my college memories revolve around basketball. The program was intense, but some of the best memories of college I have are from basketball,” said Shade adding that his classes were phenomenal and smaller, which allowed him to stay on track and learn more. He was a member of the 1995 NCCAA championship team and received the NCCAA All Tournament award.

Shade graduated with a degree in Recreational Management. With basketball still as a major goal for Shade, he moved to California after graduation to play in an NBA summer pro-league. He ended up returning home, realizing that his path was more than basketball. Shade received a position at a doctor’s office.

After a few years of working in the doctor’s office, he decided to pave his own path in the health world. Shade started a personal training company, which eventually transformed into a corporate wellness company, and currently, he runs a company called Fit Livin’. Fit Livin’ gives employers and their employees the opportunity to take control of their health goals.

Fit LivinShade and his coworkers have created an app that allows users to set personal health goals and be encouraged by others using the app. “The app focuses on five things:  Community, Goal Setting, Nutrition, Movement, and Health,” explained Shade. The app brings about recipes, workout plans, and positive peer pressure. It resembles social media, but with resources. Participants can post updates, meals, and exercises they are doing throughout the day, and their followers can encourage them throughout the process. Goals are chosen based on what the user is passionate about, and then a community is selected to provide accountability.

 

Shade said, “Indiana Wesleyan provided me with a lifestyle that I teach my kids on a daily basis- to have priorities. They start with faith, family, friends, and fun. We talk about that a lot. Those are the experiences I took home with me from IWU.” He places these priorities into his work, using his health platform to influence his friends and family and likewise, allowing his friends and family to shape the way he does his job.  

http://fitlivinteam.com/athlete-spotlight-matt-shade-2/

Visit Fit Livin’ on Facebook or Twitter @FitLivin. Download the APP FitLivin.

 

Written by Emily Lehner, a writer for the Alumni Center and a sophomore Writing major at IWU. She is active on the cross country and track teams. She is passionate about using her writing skills to share the good news of Christ with others and writes often on her personal blog at www.emilylehner.wordpress.com.

 

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Sam TorresWhile many of Sam Torres’ friends attended State Colleges after graduation, Torres chose a different route. His youth pastor, an IWU graduate, encouraged Torres to attend IWU. With dreams of becoming a teacher, he believed IWU would be the perfect fit. Torres also recognized that he was yearning for spiritual nourishment. IWU provided him with the challenge he needed to grow in his faith.

During his time at IWU, Torres would say that it was the relationships that impacted him the most. He said, “Some of the fondest memories for me in my life are the four years of college. I still stay in touch with those people. They are relationships that will never end.” Torres believes that IWU has an endless network of graduates, and has by chance met some of them in places he would have never expected.

Torres’ father was in the Marine Corp. and always told Torres that the Marine Corp. was a close-knit community. They always have each other’s backs. “I am the same way, just on a non-military level, with my fellow classmates at IWU. I know their experience,” said Torres.

Not only was his spiritual life challenged, but his athletic life as well. Torres participated in Track and Field under coaches John Foss and Eric Jackson. “When I went back to visit last year, it was cool. I went out on the track. There was dew on the ground, fresh cut grass, and the smell of the track,” stated Torres. These are memories that live on in his mind when he remembers his years at IWU.

Coach John Foss said when remembering his time coaching Torres, “He grew a lot as an athlete during his time here. He was very talented and scored often for us. He has a heart for IWU, which makes him a great alum.” During Torres’ time at IWU, he switched from education to business administration, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in 2001.

Rough Riders ProfileCurrently, Torres works as the Chief Sales Officer for the Frisco Roughriders in Texas. IWU’s emphasis on relationship allows him to do his job well. Coach Eric Jackson said, “He was always a very enthusiastic and dynamic athlete. I knew his business mindset and love for sports would eventually combine. He’s worked his way up the sports world, and he was the same way in track. People gravitated to him, so I knew he would succeed in whatever he chose to do.”

His career path before the Roughriders holds pretty impressive achievements. Torres has experience with launching teams to experience with opening a new Major League Stadium. He has worked for the Corpus Christi Sharks, Houston Dynamo, Rice University, and the University of Texas El Paso. “All the things I learned in my marketing classes, happened in real life for me. That is when I really felt like I was using my education,” said Torres.

In Torres’ job field, he uses a direct faith to life application. While the majority of the time, it is unknown to him whether or not fans will like his advertising ideas, he has faith that things will work out. He said, “As long as I know I have everyone’s best interests in mind, I know my fan base, and I know my products and business, I can take that step of faith in that direction.” Torres also believes that attending IWU was a leap of faith in itself. He does not believe he would have had the same college experience if he had not attended IWU.

Torres’ focus and intentionality with relationships helped him succeed during his time at IWU, making his four years some of the best of his life. This rare characteristic also allowed him to excel in the career path of his dreams.
For more details on Torres’ current job path, read: MILB News.

 

Written by Emily Lehner, a writer for the Alumni Center and a sophomore Writing major at IWU. She is active on the cross country and track teams. She is passionate about using her writing skills to share the good news of Christ with others and writes often on her personal blog at www.emilylehner.wordpress.com.

Andrew Hendricks ’13 – Head Coach of the Year

FRANKLIN COLLEGE’S HENDRICKS NAMED 2013 LIBERAL ARTS SWIMMING COACH OF THE YEAR

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FRANKLIN, Ind.- Though the Franklin College men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs have a short history, each resembled a veteran program as both made a big splash at the 2013 Liberal Arts Swimming and Diving Championships this past week. Over the three-day competition, Franklin swimmers and divers brought home 29 medals and had 45 record swims in route to its fourth place overall finish out of 12 teams. Two years ago, Franklin finished 12th out of a 13 team field in its first year and followed that up in 2012 with a sixth place finish.
In a nearly unanimous vote, head coach Andrew Hendricks was named 2013 Swimming Coach of the Year. Hendricks has coached the Grizzlies since 2009. Within three years Hendricks has been able to build the program and finish the season with a winning record.
After the announcement Hendricks commented, “There are a lot of good teams represented by some great coaches here. We admire many of these programs. These athletes do all the hard work and simply make us (coaches) look good. I am so proud of our efforts. I revel in this moment simply because I care so much about this team. They have worked so hard this year. They are part of my family.”
Hendricks’ excitement was evident as the meet concluded with Franklin’s first gold medal in school history with the Franklin men winning the most contested and most prestigious event in college swimming, the 400 freestyle relay; a fitting ending to a great season.
Hendricks holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Indiana University, graduating as an Academic All-American Scholar. He recently completed his MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University, earning a 4.0 GPA. In addition to coaching at Franklin, Hendricks serves as an adjunct instructor of mathematics and as the coordinator of student employment. He resides in Franklin with his wife and three daughters, who are all involved in swimming.
Founded in 1834, Franklin College is a residential four-year undergraduate liberal arts institution with a scenic, wooded campus located 20 minutes south of downtown Indianapolis. The college prepares men and women for challenging careers and fulfilling lives through the liberal arts, offering its approximately 1,000 students 28 majors, 36 minors and eight pre-professional programs. In 1842, the college began admitting women, becoming the first coeducational institution in Indiana and the seventh in the nation. Franklin College maintains a voluntary association with the American Baptist Churches USA. For more information, visit www.franklincollege.edu.