Ryan Younger was searching for the precise alternative.
A former NFL participant, Younger had spent the final a number of years working in a number of completely different positions associated to ministry. He labored for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the place he served as a sports activities chaplain for various universities and as a personality coach on weekends. He additionally served because the minister of restoration for The Hills Church in Texas and started iCoach Character.
He had been searching for a possibility to return to soccer, and some completely different coaches supplied him positions associated to participant growth together with Kansas State, his alma mater, in 2019.
“My spouse and I simply felt prefer it wasn’t the precise job for me,” Younger remembers.
However one thing modified when he met with new OU soccer coach Brent Venables earlier this 12 months, who pitched Younger on the brand new SOUL Mission he was implementing in Norman. The SOUL Mission (Serving Our Unusual Legacy) is targeted on the “holistic growth” of the Sooners’ gamers, serving to to develop them as folks off the sector with packages together with profession growth, psychological wellness, life expertise, neighborhood service.
For Younger, it was the proper match, and he agreed to develop into the mission’s new senior director.
“Once I sat down with Coach Venables again in February, and he shared the imaginative and prescient of SOUL mission, it was what I had imagined and dreamt that participant growth ought to and will appear like on the collegiate stage,” Younger stated.
There’s a few the reason why this chance stood out to him.
In school, Younger was an offensive lineman below coach Invoice Snyder at Kansas State, serving as a two-year captain. Younger credit Snyder for opening his eyes to the thought of character growth.
“Coach Snyder did a fantastic job giving us instruments as males [in] profession growth and simply among the instruments that any younger individual man or lady wants in life. Coach Snyder offered us with these issues… He challenged us from a personality standpoint and an integrity standpoint.”
Nonetheless, Younger struggled with some private points throughout his time in school. And although he was ultimately drafted into the NFL in 1999, enjoying 5 seasons earlier than retiring in 2004, issues have been powerful for him after his enjoying carer ended.
“For me personally, I realized find out how to act proper in my public life, however in my non-public life, I simply handled loads of addictive behaviors and issues like that,” Younger stated. “… When my profession ended abruptly as a consequence of damage, I [left] the NFL and now hastily, all of these character points I used to be capable of disguise or might have been ignored man simply got here to the floor in my life. And inside three years of retiring from the NFL, I hit all-time low.”
However Younger was capable of get better, and it helped give him a ardour for holistic growth.
“My religion performed an enormous function in my restoration [along with] psychological well being {and professional} psychological well being care,” Younger stated. “The holistic growth of my character led me to ministry.”
Coming to Oklahoma additionally gave him a possibility to reunite with Venables.
Venables was a graduate assistant on Snyder’s workers when Younger arrived at Kansas State, and he was promoted to linebackers coach earlier than Younger graduated. It was there that Younger grew to become an admirer of Venables’ management expertise.
The SOUL Mission was a possibility to work once more with Venables, and Younger was excited for it.
“Coach Venables has such a humble disposition and he holds the head-coaching place with nice stewardship and intentionality,” Younger stated. “He is a coach that focuses on the little issues however on the similar time, he holds it with open arms and he says, ‘I am the steward of this ship proper now, however I am not the primary and I will not be the final.’ I am impressed by him as a result of I see a coach that desires to depart a legacy and add to the legacy, however on the similar time, he does it with nice humility.”
Younger has already made an influence since assuming the brand new function. Wanya Morris, OU offensive lineman, is among the gamers that has develop into shut with Younger.
“Me and Ryan discuss on a regular basis,” Morris stated. “He simply connects to folks in a sure means.”
That’s been Younger’s major aim since his enjoying days — making connections and serving to folks uncover their objective. He started the iCoach Profession mission in 2017, which helps folks to search out their objective utilizing their items and skills.
And he’s hoping to do the identical at Oklahoma.
“Once we discuss concerning the spirit, we’re speaking about this concept basically that each individual on this world is created for a objective,” Younger stated. “Individuals which can be most profitable and thrive in life determine and discover that objective. And it is our job to assist these younger males discover objective, discover that means for his or her lives, uncover items and skills past their athletic capabilities, and draw that out.”
