Juju Braniecki had never received a Bible or heard that Jesus wants a personal relationship with her until her sophomore year at Hofstra University. Yet thanks to the encouragement of FCA leaders who invested in her life, she’s growing in her faith and serves as a Representative for the Greater Rochester, New York, area.
The former lacrosse player faced injuries and setbacks, and the school’s FCA Huddle became a refuge where she discovered a sense of purpose. It was where her faith journey began.
Justin Bentivegna, a former strength and conditioning coach at Hofstra who accepted Christ at FCA Camp, organized the Huddle with his then-future wife, Jennifer. Braniecki recognized there was something different about the couple and realized she wanted what they had.
Justin and Jennifer encouraged Braniecki to lead a Huddle on campus the following year, and in preparation to lead others, Braniecki realized she needed to grow in her knowledge of God’s Word.
“The more that I read, the more I fell in love with the person of Jesus,” she said. “I was so drawn to Him, and He really revealed Himself to me.”
So, Braniecki surrendered her life to God and committed to growing in her faith. She shared her testimony at the university’s Fields of Faith event and even went on Fox News to discuss FCA, Fields of Faith and the ministry’s impact on her life.
“God restored so much of life,” Braniecki said. “I really struggled with mental health in college and finding purpose and feeling like life was worth living. As I came to know Christ, He opened my eyes to the purpose and plan He has for my life.”
While God gave her some large platforms to share her faith during her senior year, she remained committed to locker-room discipleship.
“I got to see my team as my space of ministry,” Braniecki said. “That locker room was my mission field I was sent to be in. I took special interest in getting to know our freshmen and encouraging them.”
Braniecki initially had plans to pursue a career in the medical field after graduation and began looking at internships and graduate programs, but she was also presented with the opportunity to go on staff with FCA. Ultimately, she chose to join FCA in 2020 to see God change hearts and souls.
“Getting a taste of ministry just made me hungry for more, and I loved watching God work in those spaces,” Braniecki said. “I was so invested in the people of FCA, it made me so excited for the opportunity to do more.”
While her excitement for FCA ministry was growing, her enthusiasm for lacrosse was waning. After all, she had faced some setbacks in the sport, and it held many emotions for her. Nevertheless, she agreed to coach. Through it all, she found God wasn’t done with His plans for her in the lacrosse world.
“I experienced such a redemptive purpose in the sport,” Braniecki said. “God let me talk heart-level things and lead Huddles. He redeemed the lacrosse field in general and the purpose I could have in that space. That continued to make me hungry for what He was going to do in this ministry space.”
Katie Tutak, Director of Lacrosse Operations for Northeast FCA, said Braniecki embodies the heart of a leader who engages, equips and empowers others and has gone out of her way to build up female lacrosse players. As a result, the girls she has mentored have developed and led Huddles themselves.
“The biggest way I’ve seen [Braniecki] grow is in the way she’s learned how to love well on someone in the context of telling them about Jesus,” Tutak said. “She is able to personify some of the traits of Jesus.”
Tutak said Braniecki has even developed a curriculum detailing how to start and lead Huddles that the region now uses.
Braniecki’s ministry role today is split between helping organize FCA’s lacrosse ministry and other ministry endeavors in the area. She helps train leaders among middle and high school girls, and she also helps organize and lead a national college Huddle for female lacrosse players from all over the country who come to an event at Lake Placid each summer. In the process, Braniecki helps raise up leaders in the same way FCA staff trained her in leadership.
“The last several years God’s taught me the importance of discipleship, and I have fallen in love with that—it’s so important to me,” Braniecki said. “It gets me so excited when our young girls want to participate. I have been impacted by women intentionally coming alongside and walking through life with me and having conversations that matter.”
Zoe Baase, whom Braniecki coached in lacrosse, said one of the biggest lessons Braniecki taught her is the importance of perseverance in faith amid adversity. Additionally, Baase said Braniecki instilled in her that responsibility and accountability are essential to leadership.
“Her dedication to our team was unwavering, no matter what challenges we faced,” Baase said. “She showed up every day with words of wisdom that not only helped us improve as players but also helped our personal growth and faith. Her commitment and passion were incomparable, pushing us to strive for excellence on and off the field.
“Now, having the opportunity to coach alongside her is a blessing. It's a chance to continue learning from her and to pass on the values and lessons she instilled in me to the next generation of players.”
Increased funding, an expanding focus on all-ability sports, and growing the club lacrosse ministry are all initiatives for which Braniecki requests prayer as she helps lead ministry in Upstate New York.
“My best efforts will pale in comparison to God’s plans and purposes,” Braniecki said. “I have seen the amazing impact and honor of being part of ministries where it’s all God’s leading, and all I am in that is a willing participant.”
Learn more about Juju’s ministry here and pray for her continued influence and work with athletes in the Rochester area.
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