GLENDALE, Ariz. — Arizona Christian University Athletics has entered into a new partnership with 7Pillar, the holistic athlete-development platform co-founded by longtime Major League Baseball shortstop and two-time Gold Glove Award winner Nick Ahmed, to provide additional development resources for Firestorm student-athletes.

The partnership will initially focus on two areas within ACU Athletics: the Firestorm softball program and ACU's broader student-athlete leadership development initiative. Through 7Pillar (https://7pillar.co/), student-athletes will have access to a development model designed to address the full scope of performance and personal growth, including identity, mindset, habits, relationships, physical preparation, and recovery.

For ACU, the collaboration represents another investment in an education-based model of college athletics that views sport as an environment for developing people, not simply producing competitive results.

"We want to be very intentional about the resources and experiences we put around our student-athletes," said Dr. Peter Dryer, Athletic Director at Arizona Christian University. "Our responsibility is certainly to help them pursue excellence in their sport, but it goes well beyond that. We want to develop strong leaders and people who understand who they are, how they lead, how they respond to adversity, and how they prepare themselves for life beyond college athletics. There is a real alignment between Nick, the work of 7Pillar, and how we believe education-based athletics should impact a student-athlete."

The Firestorm softball program will be the first ACU team to integrate 7Pillar directly into its student-athlete and team-development efforts. The platform provides resources to incorporate into individual development and team culture, including formation plans, daily challenges, mindset training, habit-building tools, reflection and journaling, and team communication.

7Pillar's development framework is organized around seven interconnected areas - Identity, Mindset, Lifestyle, Relationships, Nutrition, Fitness, and Recovery - with an emphasis on helping athletes build foundations that contribute to both competitive performance and life beyond sport.

"What stands out about 7Pillar is that it gives us a practical way to invest in areas that are essential to building a strong program," said Mike Mayben, head softball coach at Arizona Christian. "We want to develop better softball players, but we also want our student-athletes to become better teammates, stronger leaders, and people who are prepared to handle challenges well. When you strengthen those areas individually, you also strengthen the culture of the entire team."

Beyond softball, ACU Athletics plans to incorporate 7Pillar into its student-athlete leadership team development. Selected Firestorm student-athlete leaders will utilize 7Pillar resources as part of ACU's continued emphasis on equipping athletes to lead within their teams, across campus and beyond their college experience.

The broader application reflects ACU Athletics' philosophy that the college athletics experience provides a unique setting for leadership formation. Competition, preparation, adversity, accountability, and relationships create daily opportunities for student-athletes to develop disciplines and convictions that carry well beyond their playing careers.

7Pillar helps athletes, coaches, and teams reach their potential by building a firm foundation for success in sport and life. Created by professional athletes Nick and Mike Ahmed, 7Pillar equips people to focus not only on what they accomplish, but who they are becoming. Through mindset training, daily challenges, habit-building tools, and educational content, 7Pillar develops the character, confidence, and consistency needed to pursue and sustain excellence. 

Nick Ahmed brings extensive professional baseball experience to that mission. A longtime Major League shortstop best known for his years with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Ahmed earned consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Awards in 2018 and 2019 and built a reputation around defensive excellence, preparation and leadership. His experience navigating the demands, successes, setbacks, and transitions of professional sports helped shape 7Pillar's emphasis on developing sustainable foundations that extend beyond performance.

"Arizona Christian has a clear vision for what the student-athlete experience can be, and that makes this partnership especially meaningful," Ahmed said. "There is strong alignment in the way we think about developing athletes — pursuing excellence while building identity, character, leadership, and habits that will serve them for the rest of their lives. ACU's commitment to faith and to developing the whole person fits naturally with what we are building through 7Pillar, and we look forward to investing in these student-athletes and coaches."

That alignment is particularly important within ACU's Christian mission. Firestorm Athletics seeks to develop student-athletes who pursue competitive excellence while understanding that their identity and purpose extend beyond the scoreboard. ACU's athletics philosophy calls its teams and student-athletes to live, lead, and compete according TO God's Word, BY God's power, and FOR God's glory ("To-By-For").

The partnership with 7Pillar adds another resource to that developmental model, giving ACU coaches and student-athletes a structured platform for conversations and practices on identity, mindset, discipline, relationships, wellness, resilience, and leadership.

ACU and 7Pillar will begin their work together through Firestorm softball and student-athlete leadership development, establishing an initial foundation for the partnership and evaluating opportunities for continued collaboration.

ABOUT 7PILLAR

7Pillar is a holistic training platform designed to help athletes and coaches pursue athletic excellence while developing foundations for success in sport and life. Created by professional athletes Nick and Mike Ahmed, 7Pillar provides formation plans, daily challenges, mindset training, habit-building tools, team communication resources, and educational content centered on seven foundational areas: Identity, Mindset, Lifestyle, Relationships, Nutrition, Fitness, and Recovery. The platform serves individual athletes, coaches, teams, and sports organizations. Visit https://7pillar.co/ for more information.

ABOUT ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Arizona Christian University Athletics provides student-athletes with opportunities to pursue excellence in competition while developing academically, spiritually, and personally within the mission of Arizona Christian University. Competing as the Firestorm, ACU Athletics is committed to education-based athletics as a formative environment for developing character, leadership, discipline, faith, and preparation for life. Firestorm student-athletes are challenged to adopt a "To-By-For" lifestyle, where they live, lead, and compete according TO God's Word, BY God's power, and FOR God's glory.