Blake Wilsford
Director, Programs & Operations | Board Member | blake.wilsford@paladinsports.org
Blake Wilsford is a loving husband to his beautiful wife Lindsay and a dedicated father to his three boys, Ryan, Kenny and Easton. He and his family enjoy playing sports, swimming, going to the movies and reading together. He is currently the Family Pastor at LifePoint Church in San Tan Valley where he and his family have lived for 13 years. Blake’s love for sports began early on in his life at the age of 5 and by the age of 14 learned his true passion was baseball. He started all 4 years on his high school varsity baseball team earning the honors of All-District, All-State and USA Today All American his senior season in 1997 as well as being drafted by the New York Yankees that same year. Blake decided to head to college where his first two years he was the starting shortstop for Volunteer State. Earning All-Conference honors he helped lead his team to a #1 national ranking and an appearance in the 1999 Junior College World Series. He then finished his career at Union University, earning All-Conference honors his junior and senior seasons. As a believer in Jesus Christ, Blake is excited to serve his community through Paladin Sports Outreach.
Emily Ruiz
Programs Manager – Arizona East Valley | emily.ruiz@paladinsports.org
Emily and her husband Frank have lived in San Tan Valley since 2007. They are raising their two daughters Davyn and Ashlyn. They have been Foster parents since 2012 and continue to foster young girls in the Arizona Foster Care System. Emily was raised in Arizona and played sports from age 4 all the way through High School. Emily played a sport all three seasons during High School with Softball being her top sport. Emily started a Fellowship Of Christian Athletes huddle at her High School and was involved at many of the FCA camps. Emily was a hair stylist and owned her own business for 15 years. Emily’s love for sports and youth led her to Paladin Sports Outreach where she is able to serve her community.
E.J. Lee
Programs Manager – Minnesota NW Metro | ej.lee@paladinsports.org
E.J. has carried her passion for the Lord and sports throughout her entire life. During her formative years, she actively participated in softball, basketball, and tennis – not only as a player but also as a coach in all three sports. Her commitment extended to helping run FCA camps each summer, giving private lessons and being a fastpitch umpire for eight years. In 2023, E.J. was honored as a Mankato East Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. E.J. met the love of her life, Matthew, when they both served on the leadership team with Navigators collegiate ministry. Following almost a decade in youth ministry, E.J. and Matthew were called by the Lord to bring youth and families to the kingdom through sports. E.J. and Matthew are raising five children in the NW Metro area, embodying a life deeply rooted in faith and sports. They both feel extremely blessed to be bringing Paladin Sports Outreach to Minnesota and cannot wait to see what the Lord does in their own family and the families in their community.
Laura Elliott
Manager, HR & Finance | laura.elliott@paladinsports.org
Laura is the wife of Eric and mother of two kids Caden & Chloe. Her family made the move from IL to the AZ sunshine back in 2018 and were blessed to have gotten her kids quickly plugged into Paladin. Her husband who most know as “Hoovey” has loved being able to be a part of coaching. Laura has a degree in Finance from Illinois State University. She enjoys anything outdoors, hiking , and fitness but her biggest passion is her family. You can usually find her at a softball field, wrestling match, or football game on the weekends. She loves the mission behind Paladin and how it’s already impacted her own kids. She is excited for the future of the organization and to watch how it grows and impacts so many more families across the Valley!
Jason Best
Founder | Director, Brand & Communications | Board Member | jason.best@paladinsports.org
Jason founded Paladin Sports Outreach in 2008. He has over 20 years of coaching experience at all levels of play, from recreation to college. He is currently the Head Coach for Girls Soccer at Eastmark High School in Mesa, AZ. Jason was a collegiate two-sport athlete at Moorpark College and Chapman University and is a certified personal trainer with certifications in Performance Enhancement as well as sport-specific Strength & Conditioning for Soccer Players. Jason holds Level 1 and 2 Coaching certifications from FC Barcelona and is currently working on his USSF ‘D’ License.
Jason received his MBA, Marketing in 2009 and has worked in professional sports since 2004. He and his wife of 26 years, Cindy, have four children, Aaron, Hannah, Sarah and Carson.
Taytum Best
Manager, Marketing | taytum.best@paladinsports.org
Taytum loves the Lord and sports, which led her to take the role of Manager, Marketing for Paladin Sports Outreach. She and her husband Aaron reside in East Mesa with their lively dog Georgia and have a baby boy on the way. Her passion for sports started at a young age playing soccer from age 4-16 years old in a variety of levels ranging from recreational, club, and school.
Taytum graduated with a health degree from ASU and has experience with coaching soccer both club and recreational. She loves the mission behind Paladin and seeks to be apart of changing the culture of sports.
Ty Schraufnagel
Director, Relationships & Revenue | Board Member | ty.schraufnagel@paladinsports.org
Ty Schraufnagel is a local small business owner and loves to serve the local communities in whatever way he can. As a former college athlete with a passion for sports, youth, and service, Ty has been very excited about Paladin Sports Outreach and what it brings to families in the area. With an amazing wife and two growing boys, Paladin Sports Outreach has been a perfect place to lay roots for his family and get very involved in the community. Ty feels very blessed to have the opportunity to serve through Paladin Sports Outreach and is very excited to see where God takes the organization.
Aaron Best
Manager, Grants & Strategic Partnerships | aaron.best@paladinsports.org
Aaron serves as the Grant Coordinator for Paladin Sports Outreach. An athlete from youth through college, he has played everything from baseball, basketball, soccer, and rugby. He holds a degree in Communications from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. Aaron and his wife Taytum live in Mesa, AZ. When Aaron isn’t supporting financial advisors at a local wealth management firm, he can be found hiking, reading, and catching the latest Dodger game or UFC fight.
Jordan Engel
Administrative Assistant | jordan.engel@paladinsports.org
Jordan is a rare type that loves all things that involve admin work and lists. She currently works as an executive assistant and marketing lead for a business owner. She has a passion for story-telling and a heart that longs to make that her ministry. Jordan survives on Jesus, cold brew, and TikToks of dogs. You can usually find her sitting in a coffee shop perfecting her Spotify playlists, doodling on her iPad or dreaming up her next adventure to her favorite place: London.
Stevie Stewart
Event Coordinator | stevie.stewart@paladinsports.org
Sports and faith are two monumental things in Stevie’s life, so when she had the opportunity to jump on board with Paladin, she new it was meant to be. Stevie was exposed to Paladin in 2018 when she was invited by family to attend the yearly Paladin Gala — she has been back every year since! Stevie is a graduate of Northern Arizona University and has been a Phoenix Valley resident since 2018. When she’s not working, you can catch her hanging out with her 3 dogs, following Arizona Diamondback baseball or playing a round of golf. Stevie is so excited to be able to help serve her community through Paladin!
Paul Ingram
Board Chair
Paul has been involved with youth sports for over 30 years, serving on the board in Texas at McAllister Park Little League and participating in Little League World Series twice. Paul is also heavily involved in YoungLife, Reaching Teen Hearts and has a passion for youth camps. He is a devoted father to four kids, Courtney, Colby, Caleb and Payton. He is involved in men’s ministries at Sun Valley Christian Church and has led Men’s Ministries in some capacity for over 25 years. Paul found the Lord at a Christian Youth Camp in Ruidoso, NM at the age of seven years old.
Austin Walker
Vice Chair
Austin was born and raised in a small town in Minnesota, where he and his wife and kids currently live. He is the founder of Apex Gathering, which exists to help kingdom leaders pursue their God-given calling. He is also the pastor of a church called Embrace, where he helps people reach their full potential in Jesus Christ. Austin joined the Paladin Board in 2018 and felt passionate about their mission of changing the culture of sports on and off the field, encouraging everyone to become active participants in defending noble causes around them. Austin is a father of 3 and loves being a dad. He loves taking his kids on adventures whenever possible and teaching them how to live out their faith. As part of his work with the Paladin Board, he loves to look for new ways to expand the reach of Paladin to new locations and expressions.
In his free time, Austin loves being outdoors, whether it be in a canoe in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area or a deer stand behind his house. He also enjoys woodworking in his workshop, specifically building tables for people because he loves thinking about the conversations and community that happens around them.
Kyndra Gillory
Secretary
I grew up in Oregon and was very blessed to be raised in a Jesus loving home. My relationship with Christ started at an early age and He has been my foundation throughout my entire life. In college I found my way to Nashville, due to my love of country music, to pursue my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. While in Nashville I met my husband, Coleman. After we got married we lived in Texas for 5 years and found ourselves moving to Arizona in 2011. We have 2 boys (currently 15 and 12) who have a huge love of sports. What started out as t-ball, flag football, and soccer through Paladin‘a recreational league turned into joining their club baseball program. We thought our kids were just playing sports, but we quickly realized Paladin was something different and had a much bigger meaning. We immediately began getting involved and sponsoring the gala because we believed so deeply in Paladin’s mission. Our boys and our family have been changed because of Paladin.
I have been a nurse for 17 years and currently work as a Quality Review Nurse. In my spare time you can usually find me at the baseball field or the race track. In my “spare time” you may find me on my couch watching Hallmark Christmas movies, drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte or at a country music concert.
Tim Ferrara
Member
Tim has grown up in the church and has held various leadership positions both in business and in the church. Tim is currently the Executive Pastor at LifePoint Church in Arizona. He has a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Arizona State University along with a MBA from University of Phoenix. He has had a career in business management for over 20 years and has worked as faculty for two different colleges.
Tim started the ministry of Discerning Dad (www.discerning-dad.com) in 2018 as a way to write and encourage Christians to grow in discernment and make better decisions that honor God. He has written two books: Everyday Discernment: The Importance of Spirit-Led Decision Making and Eyes on Jesus: A 90-Day Discernment Devotional. Tim also has a podcast called Eyes on Jesus which is a top ranked Christian podcast on the Edifi podcast network. Tim lives with his wife Jamie and their two children in Arizona.
Katie Darby
Member
Katie is a devoted mother of four, her journey through parenthood has spanned over two decades, navigating the diverse challenges and joys that come with raising children ranging from 17 to 24 years old. Her enduring marriage of 27 years to her high school sweetheart is a testament to the strength of love and commitment. At the age of 21, she embraced Christianity, a transformative decision that profoundly influenced both her personal and family life trajectories.
With a background as a senior financial analyst, she ventured into entrepreneurship by founding a successful drapery business. In 2015, she expanded her horizons by obtaining a real estate license, diving into sales at the end of 2017. Remarkably, her dedication and talent catapulted her into the top 5% of real estate professionals, a testament to her business acumen and passion for excellence. Katie is not just a woman of diverse talents but also an embodiment of resilience, faith, and the unwavering pursuit of success.
Tanya Baker
Member
