CHRISTIAN COACHES CORNER   Hinds Community College men's soccer coach Doug Williams has won seven state titles and runs the FCA at the Raymond, Miss., school. He attends First Baptist Church in Jackson.    As a child I grew up in a Christian home. I joined the church and was baptized very young. As I grew older and became more independent I became less involved in church, and I paid less attention to my relationship with God. It became one of those things where I only called on God when I really felt like I needed His help. My relationship with God was one where I tried to use Him instead of allowing Him to use me.     As I entered college and became more successful as a student and eventually as a coach I saw less of a need for God in my life. I eventually became totally independent of God and started making decisions that led me down some paths that I never intended on going. I had a lot of anger toward people around me; I got involved in relationships that were not healthy for me; I struggled with lust and pride; and I used inappropriate language.    One summer my brother invited me to a Promise Keepers conference. During the conference I recognized my need for a real relationship with God. I was tired of trying to do things my way and never getting anywhere. I knew I needed God's forgiveness, and direction in my life. That day I surrendered my life to Christ.     Since then I have seen so many things change in my life. I got involved in church again and became serious about Bible study. God has placed some great Christian friends in my life, and I was able to get involved with a men's prayer group that meets weekly. I can confidently say that God has changed my life and healed my soul. My life is so different today, and I am so thankful for the relationship that I now have with my Heavenly Father.    "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." ---Proverbs 3:5-6.       MSU's Tyler Moore signs pro contract                     Mississippi State junior first baseman Tyler Moore (photo above taken by Bob Smith, bspnms.com), a Northwest Rankin graduate and Victories in Metro Jackson magazine alumnus, signed a pro baseball contract in June with the Washington Nationals and is playing in the New York-Penn League with the Vermont Lake Monsters in Winooski, Vt.             To keep up with Moore in Vermont, go to www.vermontlakemonsters.com.            Moore led State with 14 home runs and 56 runs batted in this past spring after transferring from Meridian Community College last year. He was drafted in the 16th round by the Nationals. Moore is rooming with former Ole Miss outfielder Michael Guerrero, who Moore played with at Meridian CC.        Moore set five school records, led Northwest Rankin to the Class 5A state championship, was named The Clarion-Ledger Metro Player of the Year and to the All-State team as a senior. But before all that, Moore battled back from being hit in the face while batting during a summer league game.        "I was passionate about baseball and nothing was going to stop me from playing, but when you get hit in the face you are almost scared to get back in there," Tyler said in the story in Victories. "God gave me the strength and courage to do that."        To read the rest of Moore's story in Victories, click on the featured stories section on the left side of this page or do a search for Tyler Moore. Victories is proud of Tyler's accomplishment and how God has blessed him in reaching his goal to play pro baseball. We know that Tyler's family (father Mike and stepmother Dena, mother Becky and stepfather Joe Humphreys, younger brother Reid and younger sister Mary Haley) and all of his Northwest Rankin, Meridian CC and MSU coaches are proud of him.   Please pray for Sharon Cannon          Victories in Metro Jackson magazine is asking its readers and subscribers to pray for Sharon Cannon, mother of Jackson Academy graduate Rob Cannon. Cannon, who was featured in the first Victories in Metro Jackson magazine in 2003, said his mother has been in a coma since early March. She was having back surgery, went into cardiac arrest and has been in a coma since then. Rob said that her organs are normal and they are praying for her brain to recover. He also said there have been improvements over the past several days. Rob said that they don't know what's going to happen, but knows that God is with us.          We thank Rob for his witness for Christ and his strong faith with his mom's condition. We know that God is a very powerful God and He can do amazing things.          Rob was a three-sport athlete at JA and one of the top athletes in the Mississippi Private School Association when he was in high school. Rob graduated from Mississippi College and has worked in the Mississippi Baptist Medical Center's emergency room. He is a member of First Baptist Church of Brandon.          Read more about Rob by clicking on the featured stories section on this page and scroll down to Rob's story or do a search for him. You can read the story about Rob that was in the first Victories magazine. WEDDING BELLS FOR VICTORIES ALUMNI        Victories in Metro Jackson magazine has a new first. Two of its alumni, former Jackson Prep softball and basketball player Morgan Brister and former Madison Central football and baseball player Drew Hegi, are engaged and have set the date of July 26, 2008, to be married. Both members of Broadmoor Baptist Church, Morgan and Drew are going to school at Mississippi State and are expected to graduate next May. Morgan is majoring in accounting and Drew in real estate and mortgage finance.         Brister became the first Mississippian in history to be named a high school All-American by the National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association in 2002. John 3:30 is her favorite Bible verse.          "John 3:30 says He must become greater; I must become less," Morgan said in the Victories feature in the winter 2004-2005 issue. "I was able to serve Him several times on trips with my church and learned about people different than I am. Those are things I will carry for the rest of my life. God is so much bigger than I ever imagined. He has no boundaries. I learned that people from different cultures and races know the same God I do. God's not in a box."         Drew knows its so important to have Christian friends.          "It's so easy to just fit in, and you have to work to be different or to not give in," Drew said in the Victories feature in the spring of 2005. "It's important to watch who you hang with, and surround yourself with good influences." IN THE NEXT ISSUE         Victories in Metro Jackson magazine's next issue is in the works and is due out soon. The features in the next issue are major league soccer player Justin Mapp of Northwest Rankin, major league pitcher Chad Bradford of Byram, Hinds Community College and Southern Miss, Mississippi State basketball player Brandon Bolen of Madison-Ridgeland Academy, Jackson Academy girls basketball coach Jan Sojourner, Hinds CC baseball player Mark Buchanan of Pearl, Mississippi State decathlon athlete Joseph Queen of Jackson Prep, Brandon athletic director and football coach Dan Davis, Samford cross country and track athlete Dan Hall of Madison Central, Millsaps' Zach Davis of Ridgeland, Mississippi State's Chris McGuffey of Canton Academy, Madison Central football player Adam Welch and Meridian CC tennis player Ashton Hartley of Clinton.         CURRENT COVER           The front cover for the current issue of Victories in Metro Jackson magazine features five outstanding Christian sports figures: From top left going clockwise, Mt. Salus Christian School's Mary Kathryn Govero, Madison Central's Amy Rigney, Mississippi College coach Mike Jones and Madison-Ridgeland Academy's Allie Wall. New Orleans Saints' Deuce McAllister is pictured in the center. All five photos were taken by Victories photo editor Bob Smith. The front cover was designed by Chad Tyler. The logo was designed by Mike Wharton of Jackson.         Other features include Clinton trainer Bonnie Tullos, the Boykin family of Ridgeland, Mississippi State basketball manager Lan Ingram of Madison, Carmen Rae Musgrove and Meg Joyner of Brandon, former Belhaven College volleyball player Priscilla Rogers, former Jackson Academy track athlete Ryan Dominick, former Jackson Prep baseball coach Trey Bayliss and the late Michael Crouther of Northwest Rankin.

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