‘Coach RAC’ of Savannah Bananas: True identity is found in Christ, not sports
A popular Savannah Bananas player famous for his acrobatic highlights and dance moves says he hopes to point young athletes toward an identity grounded not in sports or social media fame, but in…
A popular Savannah Bananas player famous for his acrobatic highlights and dance moves says he hopes to point young athletes toward an identity grounded not in sports or social media fame, but in Christ.
Robert Anthony Cruz, better known as “Coach RAC,” is a former Washington Nationals minor leaguer who has built a massive online following through energetic training videos, acrobatic backflip catches and his role with the Savannah Bananas – the wildly popular baseball entertainment team known for its fast-paced “Banana Ball” style and sold-out crowds nationwide. Just last week the Bananas played in front of more than 100,000 fans at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.
But Cruz also is outspoken about his Christian faith, frequently encouraging young athletes to find their worth not in performance or popularity – but in Jesus.
“When I was a kid growing up playing baseball, that was my life, and so I want to be able to speak to the young kids out there who idolize their sport – and just encourage them to be able to play freely, knowing that they are seen, known, and loved by their Creator, regardless of how they perform,” Cruz said at this year’s K-LOVE Fan Awards, where he was set to receive the Sports Impact Award. The K-LOVEs will be broadcast Friday (May 29) on TBN at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern.
Cruz said he learned the hard way that success in baseball doesn’t bring lasting peace. He achieved his lifelong dream by signing with an MLB organization – the Washington Nationals in 2021 – only to see it unravel less than a year later when he was released.
“I grew up a believer,” Cruz told the Heartlander and other media members during the K-LOVE Awards. “My parents raised me in a Christian home.”
But baseball had become an idol in his life, he said, and his identity rose and fell with his performance on the field.
“The main shift [in perspective] for me was when I joined the Nationals, and they put me at third base, and I [developed] the yips at third base.”
The so-called yips are a mental block that causes baseball players to suddenly lose confidence in routine skills – such as throws from third to first.
“I remember going to a men’s Bible study the night of my first game. My very first game ever, I made a throwing error, and I was all upset about it. And I talked to this guy from this small group, and he was like, ‘Hey, man, I know what your problem is. You are a people-pleaser, you idolize the opinions of other people, and that’s where the fear comes from. If there’s no one else there, you can make the throw 98 out of 100 times. But when there’s people there, that’s when you’re afraid.’
“And so, for me, I had to be okay with failing – and trust that even if other people might see me differently, despite my failure, the God who created me loves me the same. And I think that it’s that love of God that ultimately led me out of that fear.”
Eventually, Cruz said, he learned to view baseball not as the source of his identity but as a gift from God to be enjoyed and used for His glory.
“Every day that I show up at the ballpark is a gift from God – and so I can play out of gratitude for the body that God has given me,” he said. “And so the thing that motivates me is not actually to prove anybody wrong or to be even the best of the best. My goal is to maximize the gifts and abilities that God has graciously given me. And if He’s blessed me with another day of playing on the ballfield, then I’m going to, as an act of worship, play to the best of my abilities. And I think that so many of my other teammates would say the same.”
Photo credit: Robert Anthony Cruz15 (Facebook)
