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.
Sean McNabb
Treasurer
Sean McNabb has a passion for the freedom of life in relationship with Jesus. He is an Arizona native, born and raised as an avid outdoorsman from the Page/Lake Powell area. Sean met his wife Kailie here in the Phoenix area and married way up. They have a son (Luke), Daughter (Elle) and live in Queen Creek with their horses, donkey and great danes. He brings 20+ years of business consulting and leadership to the Paladin team. Sean is the founder of Broken Arrow Wranglers, a Christian based adventure co-op focused on healing horses, people and experiencing the journey of the inner life together. As a volunteer baseball coach for Paladin Sports Outreach he has seen the impact in the life of young athletes as they grow and develop with Jesus. He is grateful for the opportunity to serve the Paladin organization vision as the treasurer.
Matt Rhoton
Member
Austin Walker
Member
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.
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.
Blake Wilsford
Member | Director, Programs & Operations | blake@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.
Ty Schraufnagel
Member | Director, Relationships & Revenue | ty@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.
Jason Best
Member | Director, Brand & Communications | jason@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. He also holds Level 1 and 2 Coaching certifications from FC Barcelona.
Jason received his MBA, Marketing in 2009 and has worked in professional sports since 2004. He and his wife, Cindy, have four children, Aaron, Hannah, Sarah and Carson.
Nathan Bentley
Member | Director, Faith & Outreach | nathan@paladinsports.org
Nathan Bentley is the senior pastor of LifePoint Church in San Tan Valley, AZ. He is a second-generation native Phoenician and loves the desert in the winter and spring and being up in the Arizona mountains in the summer and fall. His relationship with the Lord began at a young age when his grandmother led him in the sinner’s prayer at the age of 6 years old. With parents who modeled the Christian lifestyle and the leading of God’s Spirit, he always felt close to the Lord.
Nathan graduated from ASU’s international business management program and entered the world of franchising and business growth. In the Spring of 2010 God opened a door for him to step into ministry in Phoenix, AZ, & for the last 10 years, Nathan and his lovely wife Christy along with their 4 children have lived in San Tan Valley and loved being a part of the Paladin family and playing in both the rec & club sports.
Nathan joined the Paladin board of directors in 2014 and has loved the outreach ministry of combining sports and Jesus. He has seen the benefits in both his children’s games and the adult leagues of prayer being a central part of the games.
Emily Ruiz
Recreational Programs Director, Interim Club Softball Director | emily@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.
Elijah Todd
Club Basketball Director | elijah@paladinsports.org
Coach Elijah played locally in Arizona at Gilbert High and Leading Edge Academy. He returned to Arizona in 2019 after finishing up his collegiate basketball career at Life Pacific University. He was part of the first recruiting class to kick off the reinstatement of LPU athletics (2015) and assisted the team in reaching Top 10 National Rankings back to back years (2016-2018). Coach Elijah comes to Paladin after prior stops at San Tan Charter and LFPA both of which are in Gilbert, AZ. He has found his niche in helping develop programs and is excited to help take Paladin to the next level. He currently lives in San Tan Valley with his wife Melanie and two dogs Gizmo and Bulli.
Kevin Bell
Club Baseball Director | kevin@paladinsports.org
Kevin and his wife Sarah are natives to Arizona and have been living in Queen Creek for the past two years. They have three kids named Deacon, Kinsley, and Daxton. They have been foster parents for two years now, helping out babies and toddlers. Kevin grew up playing basketball, baseball, and golf and went on playing basketball at Corona del Sol High School. Kevin and Sarah have been a part of Paladin since 2017 when they put their first kid in T-Ball, and now all three kids are currently involved in Paladin sports. Kevin currently works for Sun Valley Community Church at the Queen Creek campus. In his spare time, he loves going to sporting events, checking out new restaurants, playing sports with his kids, and traveling to new places around the world.
Jenn Oney
Club Soccer Director | jenn@paladinsports.org
Jenn is a mother to four beautiful children and wife to a retired Wild Land Firefighter, she has a love for watching children grow into who God has called them to be! From day-to-day chores, modeling and teaching work ethic, offering guidance, and being her children’s biggest fan, her passion is her family.
She has played soccer since she was a little girl and had an opportunity to play for Simpson University in Redding, CA until an ankle injury. Since then Jenn has coached soccer for ages 6-12. She is motived by organization, building teams and most importantly interactive communication. As a life-time entrepreneur, she is forward-thinking, budget conscious, and extremely hard-working. Jenn is so honored to be part of the Paladin family.
Koty Schwarz
Club Football Director | koty@paladinsports.org
Koty has a passion for all things sports, children, and Jesus. He and his wife, Lindsay, have recently moved from the Midwest to San Tan Valley where they raise their two boys, Brayden and Karsyn. They were led to Paladin shortly after they arrived and have grown more involved ever since. Growing up, Koty was an excellent athlete all around but excelled greatly in football and wrestling. He attended Concordia University where he wrestled and played football before joining the Army National Guard.
He has coached football, wrestling, and soccer over the past 10 years and has brought his coaching skills to Paladin. He has a heart for helping children learn and grow in athletics, while focusing on sportsmanship, character, faith, and fun. Being child-hearted himself, he has influenced children of all ages, making lasting impacts and relationships with so many. Koty enjoys being active and outdoors, traveling, and spending time with his family.
Laura Elliott
Manager, HR & Finance | laura@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!
Amber DeCicco
Coordinator, Social Media | amber@paladinsports.org
Amber Decicco is a passionate follower of Jesus, homeschool mom, and accomplished photographer. She has been a resident of San Tan Valley since 2013, where she, alongside her husband Mike have built a fulfilling life with their seven children ( Elijah, Jacob, Micah, Gabriel, Jonah, Abram, and Ellie). With 18 years of experience in photography and digital art, Amber has honed her skills in capturing life’s precious moments through her lens and creating stunning digital artwork.
Amber’s career in photography, her inspiration, her family, and any successes are a reflection of God’s will for her life. God’s wisdom and guidance has blessed her with a gift that allows Him to be glorified in all she does. Amber is deeply committed to her faith and finds joy in serving the Lord. She is known for her kind and compassionate nature, and her unwavering faith is an integral part of her life and values. Amber enjoys spending time in nature. She is an avid gardener and takes great pleasure in tending to her farm animals. Her nurturing spirit extends beyond her family and clients, as she finds fulfillment in caring for those around her.
Amber’s warmth, creativity, and dedication to her family, faith, and passions make her an inspiring Christ follower who leaves a positive impact on those around her. She continues to thrive in her roles as a homeschool mom, photographer, and steward of the land, inspiring others with her unwavering spirit and dedication to living a purposeful life and leading others to follow Jesus and make a lasting impact on the kingdom.
Angie Wilsford
Coordinator, Merchandise | angie@paladinsports.org
Angie and her husband Brent of 22 years moved to San Tan Valley in 2019 where they started a local small family business. She is mom to Josh, Joey, Jenny, Zach, and Jacob, and is also a Nonny to her granddaughter Kenzie. Angie is a former teacher and cheer coach, with a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s in Administration, and a Doctor of Education, Educational Leadership. She was involved in gymnastics, cheerleading, softball, and track in high school. As a mom, she loved watching her kids play football and tennis, and compete in swim meets. In early 2020, she and Brent fell in love with Paladin Sports Outreach and began helping at the field and the Galas. She deeply appreciates her God given talents to be creative and serve in any capacity He calls her to.
Lindsay Schwarz
Coordinator, Faith & Outreach | lindsay@paladinsports.org
Lindsay has a heart for Jesus and sharing her faith through her enormous love for people, especially children. Her motivation behind all she does is to bring more people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and to make a lasting impact for all she comes in contact with. She has a true passion for making people feel loved and appreciated, while always pointing people to Jesus. She is a devoted wife to her husband, Koty, who shares her passion for outreach to children, and a loving Mom to her two boys, Brayden and Karsyn. As a family, they love adventure through outside activities, travel, and sporting events. Growing up, Lindsay’s main focus was competitive Cheerleading and Gymnastics.
Immediately following high school, she was given the opportunity to work for the Universal Cheerleading Association, where she traveled throughout the Midwest leading and teaching athletes of all ages. Her experience with UCA, along with her years of coaching and teaching in children’s ministry, has helped mold her into the Christian woman she is today while continuing to grow her faith and passion for children.
Jordan Engel
Administrative Assistant | jordan@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.
