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.
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. 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, 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 | 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.
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.
Aaron Best
Grant Coordinator | 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 Chandler, 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@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.
