MARION, Ind. – Constantly Living Inside My Best, or CLIMB in other words, is a motto Indiana Wesleyan Football believes and lives out. When sophomore tight end Noah King heard of a need, he sprang into action to fill it.
“Our church has been lifting the Dodson family up in prayer for some time,” said King. “When my mom approached me with the idea of going to his house I knew this was something we had to do. This life is about more than football. It’s about being a representative of Christ and spreading joy.”
During the middle of their season, IWU football headed to the small town of Sweetser, Indiana to bring joy to Ryder Dodson. Ryder is a nine-year-old boy with uncontrollable seizures and autism, and is scheduled for brain surgery on Friday.
“Constantly Live Inside My Best is one of our program’s three core beliefs that we use to build a purposeful and productive team culture that encourages our players to pursue their best in every phase of life,” said Head Coach Jordan Langs. “Along the way, we also challenge them to follow the example of Jesus Christ and cultivate meaningful relationships and elevate the needs of others above their own.”
When the Wildcats entered the party, instantly Ryder had a full football team to run plays with. Asking each Wildcat their number and position, Ryder sprang into action drawing up plays to be executed in a backyard game of football. Ryder spends every Sunday watching football nonstop and is an NFL junkie, rooting for the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Odel Beckman Junior, Dak Prescott and now the Wildcats.
“When they guys entered the party, I was blown away by how many came,” said Laura, Ryder's mother. “I was honestly expecting three or four, but the 20 plus blew me away. These young men took time to make sure Ryder was filled with joy and to show him he has a team thinking and praying about him on Friday. These young men showed so much care and concern for Ryder, it just shows me these young men are being influenced in a positive way by the coaches at IWU.”
Friday is another step for the Dodson family, who continue to put their faith in Jesus and trust the plan God has for their family. The bigger story here is IWU Athletics believes in miracles. We ask that Friday, you join us in lifting up Ryder and the Dodson family in prayer.
