As the FCA Upstate NY Director and Area Director of Albany, New York, Amber Johns is dedicated to connecting coaches and athletes from around the state for the purpose of serving the Lord as a united whole.

“I think it’s very important to bring people together in Upstate New York,” says Johns. “Many of us can feel isolated or alone in sports ministry, and I’m excited to bring pockets of ministry that have already started into the fold with other coaches and teams that need encouragement and sup-port. I’m hoping that by getting people together on a small scale, we can build a good network on a large scale.”

Johns grew up playing soccer, basketball, and softball in high school before she was recruited to play soccer at Liberty University. She played on the university team for three years before she was injured and transitioned into a co-coaching role with a girl’s competitive club team. Johns graduated from Liberty in 2000 with a degree in communications and graphic design and went on to obtain her state coaching license.

Johns was offered the position of Head Coach at Middleburgh High School in New York and has worked as the high school soccer coach for the past fifteen years. She has also volunteered as a soccer coach at Capital Region Miracle League, which serves disabled athletes, since 2013. Along with her passion for coaching, Johns also started her own photography business in 2009 and has worked within the wedding industry for almost a decade.

As a soccer coach and parent of three athletes, Johns spends most of her free time either on a field or driving to a field. She and her husband, Gregg, lead small groups at their home and try to pro-vide a fun and safe space for young athletes to fellowship together.