FCA Resources Provide Needed Pep Talk to Coaches, Athletes Benched by COVID-19
‘You are more than the numbers in your stat box or W’s in win-loss columns.’
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As COVID-19 looms Goliath-like and taunts coaches, athletes and teams with canceled, delayed or altered seasons, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA, www.fca.org) is encouraging their David-like team members to reach into the stream of FCA training and resources and pull out stones capable of felling a giant.
By providing Huddles, in-person camps, an online engagement space called FCA Virtual, devotionals and mentorship opportunities, FCA equips coaches and athletes by helping them find their identity 100% in Christ, not in statistics erased by a canceled season.
When the pandemic first disrupted athletic seasons with delays and probable cancellation, FCA’s Danny Burns, Senior Director of Technology Integration, reflected on the disappointment in an article called “A Season Deferred.”
“When I was a NCAA Division II distance runner, I was faced with a season-ending knee injury,” said Burns, who stated that the unexpected end to his season allowed him to discover his identity in Christ, not in stats. “I was more than that spot on the roster, the scholarship, the gear, the reputation and the stats. My athletic career was what I did; it wasn’t who I was.”
Individual coaches and athletes experience disappointingly late season openings, early finishes and other season interruptions all the time due to injury or weather, FCA reminded members in a recent article, “More Than Your Statistics.” The COVID-19 pandemic has simply benched entire leagues at the same time — and, as is usually true in sports, attitude is half the battle.
“It’s not about performance or a winning record,” FCA writes. “Sports are great and a fun outlet to showcase the talents we’ve been given, but it’s not the end-all. You are more than the numbers in your stat box or W’s in win-loss columns. Even though it may seem bewildering that the year has gone the way it has, you can stand firm in unchanging truths of just how treasured you are. … ‘See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!’ (1 John 3:1).”
FCA trains coaches and athletes to find their identity in Christ, positioning them for spiritual victory, not just personal bests. One foundational training resource FCA provides is its dedicated website The Four (www.thefour.fca.org), which presents the Gospel in four quick and easy steps — with optional 1-minute videos for competitors too drained to read after a workout — in a clean user interface.
While many coaches and athletes contemplate a botched season beyond their control, FCA resources remind them that God has placed them on their team — or in charge of it — for evangelism and discipleship.
Being liberated by God’s love redeems even a sidelined season through an athlete’s service to teammates similarly stripped of their season.
“You are a light in the world around you. Your athletic environment is where God has placed you. It’s a platform to introduce God’s love to teammates who need to know they are cared about, and a platform to share with your staff the ways to coach and lead like Jesus.”
Finding one’s identity completely in Christ, not in one’s stat sheet, provides the foundation for FCA’s mission to use athletics to transform young men and women for Christ.
Earlier this year, FCA introduced FCA Virtual, an online and social media initiative to rally coaches, athletes and staff around the incredible stories of what God is doing through virtual FCA ministry. FCA Virtual is a space to gather ideas about how to engage teams and Huddles in online spiritual growth and to look for ways to serve and connect in this time of limited social interaction. FCA hopes coaches and athletes will be encouraged by what God is doing around the world through the virtual avenue. FCA Virtual will also help coaches, athletes and teams to keep up with evolving ministry and training events in the field, as they unify leaders around a common rallying cry during a time of increased isolation. Learn more at FCA.org/Virtual.
Read more about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes here, visit FCA’s website www.fca.org, or connect on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
