Coaches Reflect on Life Change That Has Happened Through Fellowship of Christian Athletes Involvement
‘I Wanted to Become a Coach Who Changes the Coach-Athlete Relationship and Gives All Glory to God’
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Between practices, training camps, team dinners, games, bus rides and the emotional ups and downs of wins and losses, a coach has incredible potential impact on the athletes they lead both on and off the field.
The turning point for many athletes is when they decide if they will use that impact for earthly accomplishments or eternal treasures.
For these reasons, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA, www.fca.org) is committed to serving coaches and recognizes that one of the best ways to reach more athletes for Christ is to first reach the coach.
FCA’s “To and Through the Coach” strategy is part of the overall larger FCA vision to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes. Coaches frequently share that their connections with FCA have changed their lives and their coaching mindsets for the better.
For example, through FCA one coach has found that the numbers on the scoreboard aren’t everything.
“You can be a great leader who has influence on people, moving them in a certain direction and instilling values, but if you want to be a mentor-leader, there is a whole other depth,” he said. “We need to be transformative coaches. We need to be changing and drawing hearts to Christ.”
And because of their interactions with FCA, coaches are discovering their callings to the field have a higher purpose, such as these committed coaches:
- “I wanted to become a coach who changes the coach-athlete relationship and gives all glory to God.”
- “I no longer coach for myself, but for the greater glory of God to help build the Kingdom.”
- “I want to be helpful and productive and make sure I’m doing something that still makes a change in the world. If I’m on earth, I’m living for a purpose. That’s what my call to God would be: ‘Use me so I’m furthering Your Kingdom, whatever that looks like.’”
FCA also reaches coaches, their athletes and their teams through annual Camps, with about 770 planned this summer across the country and around the world.
“FCA Coaches Camp was an amazing experience for my family and me,” said one coach. “I walked away with an ‘all in’ mentality by being able to speak and share the Word with other coaches. Listening to them helped me look at what I do in a whole new light.”
Added another coach, “FCA Camp was awesome. I appreciated the competition, but found a deeper connection in my Huddle group, and I see the connections that will be long-lasting with me. The impact that we can have on each other personally and the impact on our peers and student-athletes is beyond measure.”
Internationally, FCA provides coaches not only with athletic and coaching instruction, equipment and resources, and organizational help, but also with Christian connections that can be unavailable in some countries.
“I have felt empty for my whole life and at this (FCA) camp I started to be full,” said a coach in Ukraine. “I feel like God is calling me to follow Him and I don’t know how, but I want to be full.”
The “To and Through the Coach” commitment helps FCA passionately pursue it vision and mission by seeking ministries that impact coaches’ hearts, marriages and families. Those coaches are then engaged, equipped and empowered to impact their fellow coaches, teams and athlete leaders for God.
FCA grounds this “Engage-Equip-Empower” (E3) method for coaches in God’s Word. FCA seeks to engage with coaches relationally by connecting with them individually and through events in many different environments. The organization works to equip coaches with Christ-centered training, events, resources and ongoing support in what it means to be a follower of Christ, growing in God’s Word and applying it to life. Then, FCA aims to empower faithful leaders who desire to use their time, talents and treasures to help other coaches and athletes experience the gospel, grow in their faith and share Jesus with others.
FCA recently announced its 2019 ministry theme of “Let’s Go!” Meant to be said with emphasis and based on Matthew 28:18-20, the “Let’s Go!” charge is not only the rally cry for many coaches, athletes and teams, but it also should be the goal of Christians when they consider Christ’s call to the Great Commission.
View the media page for FCA here. For more information about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, visit FCA’s web site at www.fca.org, its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fcafansor its Twitter feed @fcanews.
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