Executive Director

cgomez@phoenixeagles.com

Cristian Gomez    

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Watch video to hear Cristian’s Story

  • I was born and raised in Medellin, Colombia and like many or my closest friends and family members, God used sports ministry to save my life. I grew up playing for COSDECOL, a soccer club in Colombia affiliated with MAI. God used this ministry to rescue me from a troublesome environment that could have led me down some dangerous paths.

    I played in COSDECOL's city-wide recreational league for a handful of years and joined COSDECOL'S All-Star Team when I turned 11. Through playing at a higher level I was able to move abroad through COSDECOL'S exchange student partnership with Mount Airy Christian Academy in Maryland, USA.

    I had two different host families who treated me as their own and changed the direction of my life by doing so. Thanks to their help, not only I graduated high school and learned English, but also got to attend Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona where I graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

  • As a student at Grand Canyon University, I was met with the opportunity to become a soccer coach and invest in high schoolers in the community. Since sports ministry introduced me to the Gospel at a young age, I knew this was a chance to use my passion to share the Gospel. Within a 1-mile radius of GCU there are hundreds of youths from refugee and immigrant backgrounds with a passion to play, but they lack the resources and opportunities to be a part of a team. In 2018, my roommates and I started a soccer ministry called COSDECOL USA in honor of the soccer ministry that I grew up in! After running this ministry unofficially for more than 4 years, the program grew beyond our resources. In 2023, thanks to answered prayers and connections made between COSDECOL and Missionary Atheletes International (MAI), we officially rebranded to Phoenix Eagles coming under their umbrella. This positioned us for success and gave me the opportunity go from a volunteer coach to a full-time missionary.

  • Phoenix Eagles is a brand-new office under Missionary Athletes International (MAI), and my job as the Phoenix Executive Director will be harvesting all the seeds already planted to develop our geography into a fully operational & established organization. I will be overseeing all current programs, in-coming staff, leaders and volunteers.