Tim Howard

Without being pushy about his religion, Goalkeeper Tim Howard has maintained his stance as a Christian athlete without falter or fail. Tim credits his grandmother’s peaceful life and faith in God for giving him the encouragement to find that same peace for himself. It was a needful thing as Tim was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome at age ten. Part of what helped pull Tim through was his belief that God granted him the athleticism he was so good at as a means to further his ministry.

Rather than try to hide his problem, Tim has traded in on his fame as a means to increase the awareness of the affliction. He has leveraged his popularity so that he can be a platform by which children with Tourette’s can be encouraged to continue seeking to be all they can be. His work with the Tourette Syndrome Association among others brought Tim the Major League Soccer Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2001.

He doesn’t see himself as handicapped by Tourette’s. He does feel that God has granted him the ability to promote understanding of the condition through his sporting popularity. Unlike many top-level goalkeepers who opt for flamboyant lifestyles, Tim and his wife strive to live a calm, peaceful life. He sums up his success this way, “Today, I am blessed to be living a dream. And yet, if it all went away tomorrow, I know I would still have peace. That probably sounds crazy to most people, but that’s the kind of peace Christ gives.”

It has given much to Tim Howard and he in turn gives it back day by day as he works to encourage others to let God into their lives and hearts.

Great accomplishments are possible even under adversity. The football (soccer) star, Tim Howard has, in his short life, overcome such adversity to excel in much more than just the sports arena. Tim was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome as a child. While Tourette’s can be the cause of spontaneous profanity that is a rare manifestation of a neurological disorder that causes motor and vocal tics to develop. Its most usual exhibition is facial twitches or involuntary sounds created by air moving through the mouth, nose or throat.

Despite this early handicap, it was observed that Tim had great potential for sports. By high school, he was excelling not only on the football pitch but in baseball and basketball. With the help and coaching of numerous people beginning with Tim Mulqueen, the Assistant Coach of the USA’s U-17 National Soccer Team, he has earned his place in the sports world. Adding to the physical prowess he has demonstrated Tim has also made an indelible mark in the world as a humanitarian.

Rather than suppress the fact he has Tourette’s, Tim has dedicated his life to helping children who suffer the affliction along with him. His success with this work earned him the Major League Soccer Humanitarian of the Year award in 2001. Through his continued efforts with Athletes in Action, Tim continues to score real life points as he leverages his sports popularity to show disadvantaged children that it is possible to overcome adversity and find their way to success in whatever field of endeavor they dream of pursuing.