Chris Avila is a professional sports chaplain who currently serves NFL players and college teams In Texas and throughout AmericaHaving served as a sports chaplain for twenty-five years, Chris Avila has trained and mentored athletes of all ages. Whether speaking to a middle school basketball team or a NFL veteran, he has realized that everyone has the same questions. What is our purpose in life? He looks to provide those answers in his new book, Two Minute Warning: Time to Fight for What Matters Most.
Sports have been a huge part of Avila’s life since he was a kid – a passion that his mother instilled in him. “My mother always had me in sports growing up. She wanted to keep me out of trouble.” As much as he loved sports, he realized that there is more to life – a fact that he thinks isn’t stressed enough in the sports world. “I realized that I don’t want to be great at something that won’t matter at the end of my life, and I raise the same challenge with my players.” Avila continued to play sports all the way through high school and that is when he was presented with a unique opportunity. At seventeen, he had the chance to combine his passion for sports and his calling to help others as a sports chaplain for the Oakland Raiders. Over the last two and a half decades, he has dedicated his life to encouraging and mentoring athletes of all ages. When Covid-19 slowed down the world, he realized it was time to share his lessons and experiences with the world. “With a slower schedule and a lot of encouragement from my friends and family, I was able to write down everything in about six months.”
The book, which serves as a challenge to live a life of faith and purpose, is full of sports analogies and experiences from Avila’s own career and life. “I wanted to write something that was engaging, but challenging. Everyday of our life, we are closer to the end. It’s time to start living how God wants us to live.” With themes of forgiveness and faith; relationships and responsibilities, this book is a must read with practical lessons to help live a life with purpose and impact.
Whether you are young or old, a sports enthusiast or a casual fan, everyone can learn from the encouraging life lessons in this book.
If you are interested in connecting with Chris Avila, follow his on Instagram @mrchrisavila or visit his website at www.officialchrisavila.com
If you are an athlete interested in getting mentored or 1-on-1 coaching: Email mrchrisavila@yahoo.com
Get Chris’s Book on Amazon here: Two Minute Warning: Time to Fight for What Matters Most