Jose Perez has a great passion for two things in life: reaching others for the sake of Jesus Christ and using sports ministry as a platform to build relationships with others. “As soon as I was introduced to the Lord, I knew that God was telling me that there was more to life than just sports,”says Perez. “I just needed to find out how to serve him in the best way possible.”

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Perez grew up playing baseball as a way to stay off the streets and keep himself busy. He continued to play throughout high school and further into college at Galveston College in Texas, and then at Kishwaukee College in Chicago, where Perez received a full-ride scholarship. Perez was then drafted as a sophomore in school and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2010. He went onto play professionally as Center Fielder for a few seasons.

Along with playing professional baseball during his sophomore year, Perez also accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. After that powerful transition, his world began to change. “I was on fire for God,”says Perez. “I felt the Lord telling me that baseball wasn’t the endgame for me. So, I left spring training to fully devote my life to Christ. I never looked back.”

Perez left his professional baseball career with the Cardinals to work for Gateway City Church in Brooklyn, New York, where he started working in ministry. He also joined Urban Youth Work Institute, a small seminary school, and learned how to build successful youth programs in a city environment. In the summer of 2017, Perez met an FCA staff member who introduced him to the organization. “

After Pastor Frank told me about FCA, I started looking up everything that the organization was doing in the realm of sports,”says Perez. “I have such a passion for young athletes because there is a huge need for kids to have an outlet in the city, and at the same time, a larger need for them to have a Savior. I want to introduce God to students in the same way that I needed God introduced tome when I was younger.”