As the women on Azusa Pacific University’s soccer team race across the field, dirt gathering around their knee high socks while they envision scoring goals in their next match, Brooke Lincoln, their head coach, keeps a watchful eye on their moves. But she doesn’t just observe how well they run with the ball or work as a team. Rather, Lincoln’s commitment to honing the players’ skills is rooted in her devotion to glorify God in all of her actions. As an excellent role model, many of the women she leads follow suit, cultivating a team that is united in uplifting one another, and above all, Christ.
Originally from Byram, a small town near Jackson, Miss., Lincoln never thought she would someday live in the hustle and bustle of Southern California. She started playing soccer at 10-years-old. After playing on her high school’s team, and one year in college, Lincoln realized she might see a future in coaching the sport. As soon as she started coaching youth recreational teams, Lincoln fell in love with it, however, she didn’t see coaching becoming her profession. Lincoln studied elementary education at Mississippi College, hoping to pursue foreign missions.
Looking back on her journey from the South to the West Coast, Lincoln is amazed at how God orchestrated her vocation. “I stopped by a snow cone stand toward the end of my last semester of college, and the girl serving had a soccer club shirt on, which sparked a conversation. I found out her high school, my alma mater, needed a soccer coach,” she said. At 22-years-old, Lincoln’s first day coaching the high school team was a lightbulb moment. She knew exactly what she was meant to do.
For a few years, Lincoln taught at the high school while coaching, but she always enjoyed the soccer season more than teaching. “Life is too short to be waiting for three o’clock to roll around,” she said, expressing her realization to pursue full-time coaching. She still wanted to fulfill the desire to go overseas, however, so after resigning from her teaching job, Lincoln participated in Youth With A Mission, an organization that allowed her to live abroad for a year. She spent a few months in Belize and Honduras working in discipleship programs. Then she lived in Vancouver, Canada, working for the organization Athletes in Action and Trinity Western University. She was a volunteer coach for the university’s highly competitive team.
“That’s where I saw my passions come together. I witnessed what it looked like to follow Jesus and compete at a high level with Christ at the center of it all.”
Although Lincoln enjoyed her time in Canada, she returned home to Mississippi and found a job as the graduate assistant coach at Belhaven University, where she earned her Masters in Sports Administration. “When you’re walking with Jesus, there’s a peace that surpasses all understanding,” she said. Lincoln found this peace at Asbury University in Kentucky when she landed her first college head coaching job.
Even though Lincoln found immense joy in coaching at Asbury, she felt like she couldn’t take their program much further with the resources available. She flew to SoCal and interviewed for a job at Point Loma. She was briefly disappointed when they didn’t offer her the job, but she held onto the peace she knew God would offer wherever He led. Two weeks later she got a call from APU.
In 2018, Lincoln made the biggest move of her life. Inspired by Moses’ story in Exodus, Lincoln believes God gave her the tools to follow Him even when she felt unprepared. “God ended up moving a small town girl to Los Angeles, where all my neighbors are from different countries, I get to lead a diverse team, and coaching soccer is my full-time ministry,” she said. For the past six years, Lincoln has embraced her calling at APU as the head coach of the women’s soccer team. “My job is to make the field a safe place for players to come as they are and explore their faith.”
Reflecting on the team’s memories that have stuck with her, Lincoln shared what she calls “Go God” moments, which are times that can only be explained as the Lord’s powerful intervention. Lincoln especially loves watching seasoned players mentor newer ones. One of her favorite moments was witnessing senior and junior teammates baptize a freshman last spring. Lincoln hopes to continue developing a space where the team encourages each other on and off the field.
“Sports are where life skills happen. I get to see players at their highest and lowest moments, so my hope is that I can continue to share Jesus’ joy by walking alongside them through their journey on the team.”
While the women’s soccer team bonds through exercising their passion, Lincoln acknowledges the hard decisions she has to make at times. “As a competitive Division II team, I coach the girls really hard during training because I hold them to a high standard,” Lincoln said. She strives to build the team’s confidence, not just as players, but as people. “Saying yes to this team is saying yes to me and you having a relationship as human beings, first and foremost.” Lincoln inspires the women to pursue excellence in everything they do. “When they graduate, my hope is that the players are confident leaders who can step into their community and create a positive impact for Jesus.”
Lincoln’s life has taken many unexpected turns, much like the zig-zag movement of a soccer ball across the field. While leading the women to championships and earning a pacwest title is at the top of Lincoln’s goals as a coach, the purpose of her vocation is to maintain a space that increases community, builds excellent life skills, and keeps God’s glorification at the heart of her actions. APU’s women’s soccer team is blessed to have her as the head coach. “You never know what God will do with your ‘yes,’” she said. “He’s not looking for you to already have what it takes to make a difference; He’s looking for your obedience to bring the kingdom glory.”