I recently spoke with Evan Alexius, the Assistant Coach for the Men’s Ice Hockey team at Bethel University. Evan grew up playing at the highest, most competitive youth levels. He began playing hockey on wheels in Northern California before moving on to junior ice hockey in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). His playing career also took him to North Dakota before he returned to California to begin coaching. This included a stint with the San Jose Jr. Sharks, a highly elite Tier 1 youth program. Reaching this level of the sport is a rare feat for any player, and today, Evan uses that experience to develop a new generation of equally talented athletes.
As you can see in the video, embedded above, our chat centered on Bethel University, a private Christian school located in Minnesota’s capital, which offers a unique environment for student-athletes. From what I learned, the ice hockey team’s approach to competition is to pursue excellence and to honor God by focusing on building each other up. The hockey program has a tight-knit feel, and the players enjoy direct access to several high-caliber leaders like Evan. In our conversation, Evan emphasized that being an authentic Christian mentor requires always being real with the players. On this topic of being real, Assistant Coach Evan said, “…I’m not going to be scared if people think I’m a Jesus freak. I’m not going to be scared that players might not like that I want to pray for them or talk about a Bible verse or share a testimony. Like, at the end of the day, when I meet our Savior, my win-loss record will not be a part of that conversation. You know? And quite frankly, life is too short.” By being open with the players about his own walk with Christ, Assistant Coach Evan avoids coming across as “pious.” In the interview, he stressed that being “pious” would ultimately turn people away from Christ and limit Evan’s impact on the lives of these young athletes.
…I’m not going to be scared if people think I’m a Jesus freak. I’m not going to be scared that players might not like that I want to pray for them or talk about a Bible verse or share a testimony. Like, at the end of the day, when I meet our Savior, my win-loss record will not be a part of that conversation. You know? And quite frankly, life is too short.
As he noted in our conversation, a Christian coach at a Christian school must strike a balance. A coach cannot pretend to live a flawless life, but they also cannot be entirely worldly or set a bad example. Instead, they must be honest about their own shortcomings, use accountability groups to avoid temptations, and set a good example for the student-athletes. This balancing act is demanding, but Evan navigates it well, fostering deep relatability with his student-athletes while developing lifelong leadership capability in the players. Assistant Coach Evan believes that coach-leaders should not treat younger generations like second-class citizens, but rather recognize their value, intelligence, and resilience, and build them up to do great things. An example he gave me was about how he deals with a player going through a personal crisis. On this topic, I learned that Evan starts with vulnerability, acknowledges that he doesn’t have all the answers, and believes in the power of prayer and of sitting with the youth in silence.
At Bethel, Assistant Coach Evan’s impact extends far beyond the classroom. For student-athletes, the professors aren’t the only ones impacting the youth on the campus. For the lucky few players who get to work with Evan, he provides a real experience in character development. Given that ice hockey is uniquely aggressive as a sport, Assistant Coach Evan drew parallels between Old Testament Scripture and Christ’s commentary on battles and hardships in life. Evan views the inherent aggression of hockey through a biblical lens. He noted that we are not immune to life’s battles. On the topic of the battle of hockey, Assistant Coach Evan said, “It’s intense, and it’s a battle, and you know, we look at the Old Testament; there’s a lot of war that takes place. You know, there’s a lot of battles and intensity that take place, and there’s a lot of intense moments. And then, even in the New Testament, and we look at Jesus’s ministry, I mean, that he was pretty much operating behind enemy lines quite a bit, you know, and so what I mean by that is I think Chris McKelvie at Bethel has really helped me to understand this and other men through hockey and other Christian coaches. But it is okay to be intense as a man, as a Christian man.” To me, when talking with Evan, I thought of Jesus’s words: “In this world you will have trouble.“ From Evan’s perspective, hockey serves as a springboard for character development and spiritual resilience.
It’s intense, and it’s a battle, and you know, we look at the Old Testament; there’s a lot of war that takes place. You know, there’s a lot of battles and intensity that take place, and there’s a lot of intense moments. And then, even in the New Testament, and we look at Jesus’s ministry, I mean, that he was pretty much operating behind enemy lines quite a bit, you know, and so what I mean by that is I think Chris McKelvie at Bethel has really helped me to understand this and other men through hockey and other Christian coaches. But it is okay to be intense as a man, as a Christian man.
The perspective I gained about the team is that it has a unique spiritual depth. The team engages in unique discipleship activities, including hosting team Bible studies, offering daily prayers, and providing regular access to a campus chaplain, which are interesting amenities that set Bethel apart from traditional public university hockey programs. Evan stressed that these spiritual offerings are never forced; they are open to players at any time, and they can also decline these resources. Evan stressed that identity at Bethel is found in Jesus Christ alone, not in external factors such as grades or internships.
Beyond the nuances of coaching, I was deeply struck by Evan’s personal humility. He shared that he was a relative latecomer to the sport, transitioning from roller hockey to ice hockey in his late teens. This transition is notoriously difficult, yet his leadership abilities and athleticism have allowed him to make a profound impact, developing high-performing players both on and off the ice.
Based on everything I learned from Assistant Coach Evan about Bethel and its ice hockey program, these player-athletes are incredibly lucky to attend this school and be part of this unique team. Assistant Coach Evan also mentioned that he is very fortunate to receive leadership training through his work with the Head Coach, Chris McKelvie. Honestly, I was awestruck by my conversation with Assistant Coach Evan. I saw Evan’s leadership, and he noted how it was not made in a vacuum. His leadership is top-down, and I basically saw that and responded, in a roundabout kind of way, that I was a little jealous that I didn’t play on a hockey team like his as a youth. The setting and the personal leadership development offered to these hockey players provide lifelong opportunities to grow closer to Christ and gain skills unique to college sports! Clearly, the Bethel University Men’s Ice Hockey program and the coaches are doing something special in St. Paul, Minnesota! Wishing you all the best this season, Assistant Coach Evan! Thank you for the great conversation – I learned so much!
Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by Thad Dachille belong solely to the author, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or beliefs of Bethel University or any of its employees.
