CIU Today Winter 2016

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Playing for Dad
I’m often inspired by sports. Now before those
of you who don’t care for sports flip the page,
STOP. Because what I’m about to tell you goes
beyond stats and schedules. Sports often include
life lessons, heartwarming human interest and
motivational stories that can spur on all of us to
achievement.
All you have to do is hang around the Moore
Fitness Center a little bit and chat with the athletes
and coaches to gain some inspiration. You may
recall that in the last edition of CIU Today I wrote
about CIU’s young Women’s Soccer Coach Kara
Farnsworth and how she worked hard in a short
period of time to recruit and organize the first
women’s soccer team in CIU history. That team went
on to a regular season record of 7-7-1, and played in
the nationals.
This edition’s inspiration comes from the men’s
soccer team where the seniors, who were the
first athletes four years ago to represent CIU in
intercollegiate competition, are about to graduate.
Among their leaders is Daniel Mallard. The
Greensboro, North Carolina native was the first
athlete to ever commit to be a CIU Ram, and after
four seasons, is the Rams leading scorer (see
page 22).
I chatted with Daniel for about an hour after the
regular season had ended days earlier. The last
match was “senior night” when the parents of the
seniors were recognized. Daniel
wanted very much for his father
to be there.
“There was a chance he was not
going to come and I was not
happy,” Daniel told me.
That’s because his father, David
Mallard, has been his inspiration
to play soccer.
Friends of the Mallard family
introduced Daniel to soccer in
third grade as a distraction. His father had brain
cancer and a three percent chance of making it
through surgery. And even if he lived through the
surgery, he was told he didn’t have much chance of
surviving the heavy doses of chemo.
THE FIRST WORD
Bob Holmes, Editor-in-Chief
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Daniel Mallard with his father
David and mother Michelle, as
Daniel holds a team photo on
senior night.
“In a way I was playing for my dad in third
grade,” Daniel recalls.
The surgery would leave his dad with
short-term memory loss. He would also
have to give up his role as lead pastor at
a large church in Greensboro.
“He was great at his job as a shepherding
pastor,” Daniel said. “He could do
theological circles around anyone. And
then God said, ‘No I’m not going to let
you (pastor) anymore.’”
Daniel’s father became his spiritual role
model.
“That’s one of the biggest examples to
me of putting your faith in God,” Daniel
continued. “God took everything away
from him and my dad said, ‘I’m still going
to trust in you.’ It’s unbelievable. It’s
unbelievable. He loves God. He never
stopped loving God. That was amazing
to me.”
And that’s why Daniel wanted dad to be
at that last game of his collegiate career.
“I’m thankful that I have a dad. I’m
thankful that God still allowed him to be
in my life.”
Thank you, Mallard family for the
inspiration.
Bob Holmes
CIU Today
Editor-in-Chief
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THE FIRST WORD
CIU Today Winter 2016