The 29 Project gave birth to the realization of the “I AM THIRD” basketball arena, a new facility where the men’s and women’s basketball teams will practice and play. For several years, the teams dreamed of a new arena and now their dreams are becoming a reality. The name of the facility derived much discussion and after many iterations, the final name seemed the best fit–I AM THIRD Arena.

The phrase “I AM THIRD” came from Greg Tonagel’s connection to Kanakuk Sports camps, high energy Christian sports camps with the theme “I AM THIRD.” After he took a team to Kanakuk to serve, it inspired an entire culture of glorifying God and serving others. Tonagel calls it a movement that is “counter-cultural which intrigues people and draws them into the program.”

When players put God 1st and others 2nd, they imitate the life of Christ. Thus, discipleship becomes the way in which they live out every aspect of their lives as Christ would. It really does impact every aspect of the program. Its powerful and impactful for each of the student athletes to encounter.

Early on, this ideology was used as a recruitment tool– a slogan, but over time, they became more intentional and asked, “How do we…play offense, lift weights, or travel on a bus in an I AM THIRD culture?” Overall, Tonagel says, “It has led to better outcomes and is a fun way to play.”

As a result of the I AM THIRD culture, it’s not surprising for opposing teams to feel the “vibe” from which IWU teams play and interact and some even transfer into the program to see what it’s all about. The coaches call this “transfer transformation” and several past players fall into this category, including Ethan Whaley, the IWU women’s basketball coach.

Whaley developed his own brand of life-giving culture and calls it JUICE. which stands for joy, unity, inspire, celebrate, and edify based on 1 Peter 4:10. Whaley receives encouragement for the culture he is building, but says he received the “best compliment” when a player transferred to IWU to play on his team. The player said, “When we played you guys, the way the players interacted…I wanted to be part of that.”

IWU basketball is redefining sports culture and the I AM THIRD Arena will enable both programs to scale their opportunities for ministry. They’ll be equipped to create a ministry for coaches and begin a ministry for youth in Marion among other opportunities.

Although the programs’ arena will be new, rest assured, the teams will be winning games just like before. Watch the players interact and you’ll see the difference it makes when college athletes spend so much time cultivating an attitude of worship and service. The future transformations of basketball players who have never heard of “I AM THIRD” or JUICE will impact the world and demonstrate the value of a programs like IWU men’s and women’s basketball.