GREENVILLE, S.C. – Campbellsville University men's soccer head coach Adam Preston was honored May 30 with one of the highest annual awards presented by the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).

Preston, a 2003 CU alumnus and native of Paducah, Ky., completed his 11th season as head coach of the Tiger soccer program in the fall. He was one of four individuals presented with the Game Plan 4 LIFE Character Award, which is given annually to one male and female staff member and one male and female student-athlete from among the NCCAA's 111 member institutions.

(Read the NCCAA Press Release)

The award is selected based on how recipients embody the character qualities of the Game Plan 4 LIFE – Love, Integrity, Faith and Excellence. Preston was nominated by CU athletic director Rusty Hollingsworth and assistant athletic director Jim Hardy, along with supporting letters from former players Alex Adams and Luke Lawless.

"It's humbling to be considered for anything like this award. I look up to Alex and Luke in different parts of their life, and for them to think I was worthy of this award means a lot," said Preston.  "There are a million other coaches out there that deserve this more than me."

For Preston faith is the key ingredient in everything he does.

"I wouldn't be in this job if it wasn't for my faith," said Preston. "I'm in this position because it's where the Lord wanted me to be. There have been years where my ego gets in the way, and I try to do it by myself. In those years, in my mind, we have failures where the kids aren't growing and the team isn't succeeding. The years that I just let go and recruit on faith and let the Lord guide our paths, the more success on and off the field we've had."

Success on the field has been evident in recent years, as Preston now has 113 career wins and has led the Tigers to three NCCAA Tournament appearances in the last six years. This past fall, the team accomplished a goal of being ranked in the NAIA Top 25 for the first time.

But the program's number one goal is off the field.

"It's been very rewarding to watch him develop into the positive role model he is today for his players and our campus," said Hollingsworth. "Each year, I ask my coaches to submit to me their top five goals and objectives for the next season. Without fail, each year, Adam's number one goal is to expose his team members to the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Preston's desire to share Christ with his players is rooted in his own acceptance of Christ during his junior season as a Tiger soccer player. After becoming a Christian, Preston thought he was supposed to go into missions, but learned he could have the same impact as a coach.

"It has shaped who I am, and it opens doors to relate to the guys. It also makes me unafraid to have a team of unbelievers. This is my ministry field," said Preston. "I was the guy who was least likely to know the Lord. I was a really terrible guy. A lot of guys don't want to change who they are, and because of my experience, I can tell them, 'you're not going to change, but the desires of your heart will change because of the Holy Spirit.'"

This faith extends to love for his players.

"When I signed to play soccer in 2003, Adam was a first-year coach and a new Christian," said Lawless, a member of Preston's first team at CU. "What Adam initially lacked in experience, he more than compensated with passion. His love for his players and for Jesus was evident … He asks God to allow his team to become the 'best version' of themselves on and off the field."

A Tiger soccer player's exposure to Christ begins on the recruiting trail. Preston and Adams, who is now an assistant coach at CU, make it known that players will encounter Christ if they play at CU. When August rolls around, Preston begins the season by sharing his personal testimony and always keeps his office door open to players to come by and talk about any issue they may have. He has taken teams on mission trips and encourages them to participate in Engage 24, a campus-wide attempt to share the gospel with all students on campus. He opens and closes practices in prayer, invites players to church and invites his church into the team.

For the last three seasons, Preston's 12^th man on the pitch has been his church family at Robinson Creek Baptist Church in Campbellsville, where he also teaches Sunday school. Kent Skaggs, minister of music at RCBC, began the relationship by running the Miller Park hills with the team at 6 a.m. during Hell Week. From there, Skaggs continues to come to practices and games to share with the team. The Robinson Creek family has shown the team love by making welcome baskets, Christmas baskets and Easter baskets each year, organizing team events and showing movies for the team, which all help serve as times to share the gospel.

"Adam works to ensure that at the end of their journey, each player will leave the program as a better man than they came in," said Alex Adams.

In the past few years, Preston has watched at least one player per year accept Christ as Savior. And he knows that's just the beginning.

"It's been really cool watching the guys grow. To ever have one player accept Christ is enough. We're talking about eternity, and that's so cool," said Preston. " So many guys have changed their dialogue and are asking the right questions … There are guys now that have a seed planted in them that is going to grow in their country, whether that be Scotland, South Africa or here. That's the cool thing."

And that is why Preston is worthy of recognition.

"I think his impact on athletics at Campbellsville University will be felt for years to come," said Hardy. "More importantly, however, will be the impact Adam has had on the Kingdom of God."

In addition to Preston, the NCCAA presented the Game Plan 4 LIFE award to McMurry University volleyball coach Cammie Petree, men's soccer player Taylor Pill of Maranatha Baptist University and women's tennis player Leah Rutt of Dallas Baptist University.