Faith Over Fame: Leslee Holliday on Family, Marriage, and Staying Grounded Beyond the Game
True wisdom in sports doesn’t come around often — but Leslee Holliday embodies it. She’s not only married to the game— her husband, Matt Holliday, spent 20 years in Major League Baseball — she’s also raising the next generation of baseball greatness. Her sons, Jackson and Ethan Holliday, were both top-10 MLB Draft picks, and at just 21 years old, Jackson has already made his Major League debut.
But what truly sets the Holliday family apart isn’t just elite talent or a famous last name — it’s their faith, perspective, and purpose. The Hollidays live out what it means to stay grounded in God while navigating the highs and lows of professional sports.
In this powerful interview, Leslee shares her heart on parenting in sports, building unshakable faith, and staying connected as a family through the grind of the game. Grab your notepad — this one’s packed with wisdom, authenticity, and inspiration that every athlete, parent, and person needs to hear.
The narrative of sports is always shifting. Why is knowing your identity so important?
Leslee: When I think identity I think rooted in christ- but I think for a lot of families, that isn’t where they are right now. It gets so tempting to play a game and you killed it and then you think, “I am the greatest.” On the opposite side of that, you have a bad game and you think, ‘I am the worst.” You don’t ever want to let your job or your sport, have so much power over you that it makes who you think you are fluctuate so dramatically. In sports there are so many highs and lows that you have to know who you are, and you bring that to the area of competition.
When things go array you asses it, but you don’t let it crumble you.
Its hard work but it is valuable because one day, you play your last game, and it is important to
understand who you are outside of the competition.
The “noise” in life is unavoidable. What plan has your family used to handle it?
Leslee: It is multifaceted. Regarding social media: you need to know the reality of this space, then know who you are and your capacity, and then come up with a plan. We have control over what we allow to impact us, and we always have, so use that. If you need to get off social for a month, do it. Regarding the noise from the outside (coaches, analysts, former players, etc) sift for the truth.
Criticism can be a great gift, take what’s useful and get back to work.
What are the biggest lessons the game has taught you over the past 20 years?
Leslee: Control what can be controlled: attitude, effort and commitment. Let failure be an honest teacher.
Remember development isn’t linear – if you love it, then do it. People grow and learn at different paces and that’s okay! Go out there and do your best. As parents, don’t compare your kids to other kids.
Be present. Laugh a lot. Enjoy your people.
Be a Barnabas – Let me explain that one. Barnabas, in scripture, his name meant “son of encouragement.” I think that is
incredible! To be in the Bible for ever and ever to be known as the son of encouragement, that is what I want to be known as! I am not saying to be fake, but there is something to be said about shaping the perspective towards a positive for your kid. I like to use the word “Yet” with my family. “It’s ok we haven’t learned that YET.” Our words matter to those who are the closest to us, to the ones we love the most, I want to be an encourager and someone that breaths life to something that is hard.
What would your superlative award be in the MLB?
Leslee: I think LEAST competitive would be mine. When I was little, I had a whole stack of those “Mrs. Congeniality” awards.
Who were the women that most impacted you in the game?
Leslee: I was surrounded by what I would call “winners” -the kind of people who were just FOR everyone else. They would cheer for Matt and they genuinely wanted him to succeed. Christy Helton (who is Todd Helton’s wife), was huge for me in the way that she handled Todd’s career, and I mimicked her example during our 20 years in the game. She was always very warm, you would never know her husband was the best player on the team. She was always just WITH us; not once did I feel like she was “above” any of us other wives.
(Leslee’s advice above to those who are married to the game).
What are your dreams for the future?
Leslee: I am doing exactly what I want to be doing right now. Matt has been retired for about 7 years but long ago, Matt got drafted (out of high school) and I basically moved from a sorority house to a basement in Denver Colorado for a winter development program. We got married when we were 20 and 21 years old and its like, “What did I just do?!” The time that he had to invest in himself and the team was more than he thought, and the loneliness that you feel is a lot more than I thought it would be. And then there is this tension that you experience that is “maybe I need to start something for me” which is amazing and beautiful but here is what I would say to encourage other women. Do the lonely work during the chaos of their career. I knew at one point in my life that when Matt was done playing, I wanted to dedicate my life to teaching the bible. I wanted to know and teach the word of God so I went back to bible school when Matt was playing in Missouri, and I will tell you it was lonely work, but I got my degree. Nobody knew I was doing it, but I was invested in my dreams and what I felt called to do.
Final words of advice?
Leslee: There is a lot of life after baseball is over. Their career is a time-stamped moment, and the chaos will settle one day, so pray about it, ask the Lord and then invest in yourself. I believe that two things can be true at the same time-you can be an incredibly supportive wife, a locked in mama, and pursue the things God has placed in you to pursue.
One more thing I want to say because it is important- you have to view your marriage as a joint calling.
In the garden of Eden the Lord says that they are going to rule TOGETHER, so I think the original design
as believers is to really do it together as one. Baseball wives are notoriously independent women but it’s
important that you don’t run ahead before you and your husband have made a plan together.
Plan then run.
This conversation with Leslee is the kind that stays with you—a reminder that faith, family, and calling were never meant to compete but to work together. Whether you’re in the game, raising the next generation, or finding your footing beyond it, her words call us back to purpose. Keep doing the quiet, faithful work—because God is writing a story far bigger than the box score.
