Faith on and off the Court

Alex Caruso is the starting point guard for Texas A&M men’s basketball team. He was named team MVP for the 2013-14 season. Caruso is no stranger to College Station, playing high school basketball at A&M Consolidated. Peace Magazine had the privilege to sit down with Caruso to learn more about his faith on and off the court.

Peace: What kind of relationship did you have with the Lord growing up?
Caruso: My parents did a good job of making sure we were educated as kids. We went to church every weekend, got into youth programs at church and around the community, so I had a very good faith and upbringing through God and through Christ.

Peace: As you grew to be more in the spotlight at Texas A&M, how were you able to keep a level head?
Caruso: Being brought up the right way — teach me right from wrong, and obviously that comes from the kind-hearted nature of your religion.

Peace: What did you experience as you came into Texas A&M basketball being the believer that you are?
Caruso: It was a different atmosphere coming to college, but there are different guys on the team who are really connected with God and their faith, so I just try to stay around them. Jordan Green is a really good role model for me to follow, so I try to pay attention to what he does and how he’s living.

Peace: Do you feel like you are a role model to those who see you in the spotlight?
Caruso: I don’t know if I’m a Christian role model. I think I should try to become a better version of that. I know people look up to me, but I’m not sure if they see my faith as much as they should.

Peace: I know recently you traveled overseas, can you tell us about your experience and time over there and what you did?
Caruso: It was with Athletes in Action out of Zeeman, Ohio. We traveled to the Philippines for a two-week mission trip. We gave humanitarian aid and then fellowship. We honestly just tried to bring hope and peace to them. Within that, we played basketball games, so we got to have a little fun with the trip too.

Peace: What prompted you to go overseas?
Caruso: My coaches brought it to my attention, then I talked to some people with Athletes in Action and people who have gone, and they really encouraged me to go. The kids’ camps early in the morning were my favorite. We would have 8-minute stations in our basketball clinics, then we would have one guy from our team tell them their testimony about Christ in their life, give them a snack, and just hang out with them. The kids thought we were in the NBA already, and they loved it; they looked at us like we were LeBron [James].

Peace: Are you involved in any Christian organizations, on or off campus?
Caruso: Other than Breakaway and going to church every Sunday, there’s not a whole lot of time with basketball.

Peace: Do you feel like you are able to minister to others on the basketball team who may not have the same relationship with the Lord as you do?
Caruso: I think we are doing a good job of kind of trickling down through the team. It started with Jordan [Green] and it’s moving through, so I think we are doing a good job of sharing that through the whole team.

Peace: How has your faith contributed to your attitude after a loss in basketball? After a win?
Caruso: The wins are obvious — glory to God on that. But the losses is where it’s hard to focus and take a step back and realize that it must have happened for a certain reason, because I get kind of heated after we lose.

Peace: Is there anything you do with your teammates to encourage their relationship with God?
Caruso: Bible study on road trips as a team. We started that last year on road trips where we have an optional team Bible study, where we just hang out and read some of the Word.

Peace: Do you like being able to have your family close by and stay in the town you grew up in?
Caruso: One thing that has really helped is having my parents close by and being able to go talk to them. It’s helped a lot having them close by. They’re awesome they help me so much.

by Ashlea Gutierrez