Judy Fox is a woman very comfortable with the hard work required to produce excellence. Having grown up in East Stroudsburg, PA, Judy did not have the opportunity to play organized volleyball until she walked on to her college team and barely made the first cut. Four years later she walked away an All-American. Her entire career has followed suit, and if asked the secret to success, she would say it’s very simple – “Walk through doors He opens, don’t walk through doors He doesn’t.” In June 1989, while on a short-term mission trip to Mexico, Judy felt something stirring. A seed was being planted that someday she might have an organization that would take athletes, teams and coaches on similar experiences to reach the world through sport of all kinds.
Over the next 14 years, Judy enjoyed coaching at the collegiate level, including an assistant position at the University of North Texas during the four year period in which UNT competed in the Big West Conference with three of the nations perennial Top 10 teams. From there, Judy took on the task of building a program for a small, private high school in Dallas (American Heritage Academy), and over a five year period built her program to win the first championship for any girls’ athletic team in school history. She and her squad won the District and Bi-District Championships and finished her final season in the Top 8 in Texas.
May 19, 2003, Ignite International was born. And since that time, Judy invests her time in exactly the same mode she has spent much of her life. That is, committing 100% to a cause bigger than herself; reaching out to others with her gift of coaching, inspiring, motivating and being a friend; and producing something of excellence, often against all odds.
In her words: “The greatest compliment I’ve ever been given was in 2008 by a young lady who went to Nicaragua with us. Rachel was asked to describe me – and I’ll never forget her words. She said, ‘The thing I respect most about you is that whether we’re with the National Team, the kids at the dump, the missionaries, your friends, or even us…..it doesn’t matter….whoever you are with, you make them feel like they are the center of your world.” Judy’s prayer is – may that always be so. It's all about relationship!
Her experience includes:
- 23 years experience coaching volleyball at the international, collegiate, club and high school levels
- Chaplain of National Christian College Athletic Association National Volleyball Championships since 2009
- Assistant Coach, Consultant, Trainer for the Nicaragua Women’s National Volleyball Team since 2006
- Assisted in leading Nicaragua to a 3rd place finish in the FIVB’s World Championship Qualifying Tournament in 2009, Silver Medal in the 2008 Central America Championship and a Bronze Medal in the 2006 Central America Championship
- Assisted the first female athlete in Nicaragua’s national history to receive a scholarship in the USA
- Has led short-term sports mission teams in Mexico, Ukraine, Lithuania, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, South Africa, Jamaica, Russia, Cuba, Israel, Palestine, Germany, Liberia and the United States of America
- Has invitation requests pending from more than 20 nations.
- Interviewed on television and radio in Mexico, South Africa, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua and USA
- Has spoken at coaches conferences, team events, youth meetings, athletic banquets, churches, prisons, high schools and universities in more than a dozen nations
- All-American collegiate volleyball player
- Standout multi-sport athlete in high school
- Master of Sport Science in Sport Coaching from the United States Sports Academy (AL)
- Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and minor in Psychology from Houghton College (NY)
- Ordained Minister since 2009
- Licensed Minister since 2005
- Native of East Stroudsburg, PA
"Preach the Word: Be prepared in season and out of season. Correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction."
II Timothy 4:2