It is difficult to find anyone on this campus who doesn’t know Bailey and Anna Bell, the new head and assistant coaches of the Union Cross Country team. They are one of the many couples who fell in love at Union and are both fully invested in all things Union University.
Bailey is a Senior Enrollment Counselor in Undergraduate Admissions and has always dreamt of being the cross-country coach. As a student, he ran on the cross-country team, and Coach Johnson, the previous head coach, was very formative. When Coach Johnson came to him in January asking him to take on the role of head coach, it was a dream come true for Bailey.
Athletes and coaches have a unique relationship that lasts all four years. Bailey’s job of Enrollment Counselor is simply about recruiting students to come to Union, but lacks a lasting relational aspect. Recruiting is just a “hi” and a “bye.” He wants to help transform student’s lives.
“Cross country always seemed like taking that next step,” said Bailey. “Helping transform student’s lives and not just getting them here, but walking with them for four years.”
Anna, on the other hand, didn’t run on the cross-country team, but she has worked with Young Life for years. Her new role as Assistant Coach means being a friend to the runners, just as she mentors the leaders in Young Life. She specifically wants to invest and connect with the young women on the team, whether that be running related or otherwise.
“Union was so transformative for my faith,” said Anna. “I’m drawn to people who are in that stage of life because there were people who poured into me while I was in college, and I wouldn’t be who I am without those people.”
Bailey and Anna’s marriage helps them to be complimentary in their positions on the cross-country team. Bailey said, “Anna is metaphorically and quite literally my right arm to the team.”
Bailey can cast the vision and help the team meet those goals functionally, while Anna can build those one-on-one relationships. Anna’s position takes the pressure off Bailey to be relationally involved with every single runner. Bailey and Anna complement each other, not just in their jobs, but in what God has called them to do in ministry.
As exciting as this new job is, Bailey and Anna both admitted that this is the hardest thing they have ever done. Neither has any coaching experience. Compared to Bailey’s job in Undergraduate Admissions, where there is a structured way to work, this position is a swift change of pace. Many dynamics that make this job challenging, like beginning in a worldwide pandemic and expecting their first baby.
“You feel like you are working for something that really matters,” said Bailey. “You’re not just working a job; you’re working to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Bailey and Anna Bell are equally as passionate about their roles on the cross-country team. Both view it as their ministry to invest in the students at Union.
