As a competitor with a passion for sports, an athlete or coach views all of life through a sports lens. Whether you are an athlete, coach or sports enthusiast, your competitive drive for success and commitment to your sport may lead to being set apart from others, distancing yourself from friends, family and church. God wants to be the center not only of your athletics but every other area of your life.

Heart of a Competitor is a powerful game plan, providing regular spiritual training that won’t take over your workout schedule. Included in this book are 90 inspiring devotions written by competitors for competitors at every level. Now you can gain insight into handling daily challenges and use biblical principles to become a true competitor for Christ. Whether you are putting on a jersey and stepping onto the field of competition, or you are simply trying to get fit, you will be prepared to worship as you compete and give God glory.

The devotionals are written from a competitor’s point of view by well-known professional athletes such as Brian Roberts, Tamika Catchings and Lauren Cheney, as well as coaches, team chaplains and FCA staff members from across the United States. Super Bowl champion coach Tony Dungy and Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw are among the stars of the sports world who have endorsed Heart of a Competitor.

To view a sample devotional from Heart of an Athlete (PDF), follow this link.

Heart of a Competitor joins Heart of an Athlete and Heart of a Coach in the series. Like Heart of a Competitor, Heart of an Athlete and Heart of a Coach each feature 90 devotionals. Heart of an Athlete devotions are written specifically for athletes at every level, while Heart of a Coach is aimed and helping coaches deepen their relationship with Christ while modeling biblical integrity to players on their team.

For more information about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, point your web browser to FCA.org. FCA has a multitude of resources to assist coaches and athletes striving to grow in their relationship with Christ while becoming a complete competitor at FCAResources.com. The “Heart of…” series and a wide variety of books, bibles, resources and apparel are also available for purchase at FCAGear.com.

- FCA.com -

FCA staff member Bill Cox shared this story of God’s provision during an FCA Camp:

The Lord answered our prayers at our FCA/ Albany State University Girls Basketball Team Camp last weekend. We had a record of 18 teams, with almost 300 girls and coaches. Our prayer was that the Lord would do something that could only be explained by Him; and He did.

This is what the Lord did:

The first night at our evening service, we do not give an invitation at the end of our service. Because of the short window of time on the first day, we give an invitation the second night. Well, on the first night after our praise and worship was over and our speaker, Roger Woods, started his message, one of the athletes raised her hand and asked if Roger could save her. He told her that he could not save her but he knew Who could. It was then our service program changed to the Lord’s.

Roger stopped the message that he had planned and asked that young lady and her teammate sitting by her to come up on the stage. And then Roger asked if anyone else that would like to be saved. A total of 56 girls came up on the stage that indicated that they wanted to be saved. Roger shared the gospel and led them in the sinner’s prayer. Amen!

That was an answer to a specific prayer: “Lord do something that can only be explained by You.”

We had 22 more campers that indicated that they made decision for Jesus the following night (a total of 78 indicated salvations for our camp); 77 were girls on the basketball teams and the other one was a 10 year old boy who was one of the coaches’ son.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support for our campers. Please be in prayer for our next FCA Camp, which is a boy’s football team camp at Georgia Southwestern State University July 10-12.

This story was provided by Bill Cox, an FCA Area Director in Albany, Ga. If you’d like to share a story about what God is doing during an FCA Camp this summer, please let us know by contacting us through our SUBMIT A STORY page.

As the U.S. Open tees off outside Philadelphia this week, current FCA Magazine cover man Webb Simpson begins his defense of the tournament crown won last year in San Francisco. Last week, CNN released a video about faith on the PGA Tour (above), featuring Simpson and other tour players discussing their desire to follow Christ during all that comes with the rigors of being a professional athlete. Footage of a breakfast hosted by FCA Golf is also prominantly featured.

To follow the U.S. Open, check out the tournament’s official web site. The site features an updated leaderboard, live news updates, live and archived video, a photo gallery, and information on all the players.

Other Resources:

Living For What Lasts, by Joshua Cooley (FCA Magazine article about Webb Simpson, May/June, 2013)

FCA Computer Wallpaper featuring Webb Simpson.

Mastering the Game, by Clay Meyer (FCA Magazine – formerly Sharing the Victory - article about Zach Johnson, June/July, 2010)

In Cink, by Jonathan Merritt, (FCA Magazine – formerly Sharing the Victory – article about Stewart Cink, April, 2008)

FCA Computer Wallpaper featuring Zach Johnson

Scott Stallings (first-person article by PGA Tour pro Scott Stallings about his faith story, from Home Stretch in FCA Magazine, May/June, 2012) 

Note: FCA is excited to help share the faith of Kevin Streelman, currently ranked 6^th in FedEx Cup standings and 36^th in the Official World Golf Rankings, in the upcoming July/August issue of FCA Magazine. Check for that story, and others, at the beginning of July on the FCA Magazine web site.

- FCA.org -

The Faith of the Oklahoma University Women’s Softball Team from FCA on Vimeo.

Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso led her team to a second national title in 2013.

As the University of Oklahoma softball team chased down its dream of winning the 2013 national championship Tuesday night, head coach Patty Gasso and players Lauren Chamberlain, Brianna Turang and Michelle Gascoigne recently discussed their spiritual journey since a crushing defeat in the final game of the national championship series just a year ago in a video produced by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Joined by team chaplain Sarah Roberts of FCA, the coach and players remember the heartache of the near-miss in the 2012 title game and how that moment provided a powerful lesson that reached far beyond the diamond. Gasso shared her view of the responsibilities of a head coach, what she hopes her legacy will be and the importance of FCA’s presence on campus, while the players discussed what makes Gasso such a strong role model and how she has prepared them for life after college.

With goals far more important than just picking up wins on the softball diamond, the video displays the power of a coach who loves her players and a team with a higher purpose.  

- FCA.org -

2012-2013 Camp Video from FCA on Vimeo.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes has kicked off its 2013 camp season, which uses “Relentless” as its theme.  Beginning in May, FCA Camps will attract approximately 50,000 athletes and coaches to close to 400 camps in 40 states and 14 countries. Camp participants are provided with outstanding sports training as well as compelling speakers, small group time with college athletes and opportunities to dig into the Bible and develop spiritual core values.

The Relentless theme is based on scripture from Hebrews 10:39, which reads: “But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life.” (HCSB)

“This summer at FCA camp we will be diving into what it means to be relentless as a competitor and as a follower of Jesus Christ,” FCA executive vice president of ministry programs and resources Jeff Martin said. “Fierce persistence and unyielding determination carries the competitor to the edge of their ability and beyond. God’s love for us and His pursuit of us is relentless. His plan for us is to have abundant and eternal life. When we relentlessly pursue God with a desperate, determined heart, God will transform us and use us to the edge of our abilities and beyond. 

“FCA Camps have been providing coaches and athletes an incredible time of ‘Inspiration and Perspiration’ since 1956,” Martin said. “There’s no better place to be this summer than FCA Camp.”

Camp Ministry is a significant aspect of FCA’s ministry. It’s a time for athletes and coaches to reach their potential by offering comprehensive athletic, spiritual and leadership training. This life-changing impact has been an integral part of FCA Camps since the first camp in Estes Park, Colo., in 1956. Fifty-seven years later, FCA Camps are now reaching coaches and athletes in the United States from coast-to-coast as well as an expanding international camp calendar.

FCA Sports, Team, Partnership and Power Camps, open to boys and girls between the ages of 8–18 years old, are geared towards teams and individuals at the youth, middle school and high school levels.  FCA offers camps in over 23 different sports. To find out the sports offered and camp locations, go to www.fcacamps.org.

In addition to these youth camps, FCA also offers camps that focus on leadership and coaches.  Leadership Camps are for student-athletes, coaches and volunteers who serve as leaders on their local campuses.  These camps focus on teaching practical skills for Christian growth and development as an effective campus leader. 

Coaches Camps are designed to minister, equip and encourage them as coaches through Bible studies, small groups, fellowship, prayer support, discipleship and mentoring.  Weekend retreats called “Couples Getaways” are also available for coaches and their spouses to break away for a time of refreshment.

To find out more about FCA Camps, including specific types of camps and dates as well as registration information, visit www.fcacamps.org or call 1-866-269-2267.

More than 240 coaches took part in a coaches clinic in April. (courtesy, Jodi Shaheen)

In the Dominican Republic, baseball is king. From past legends such as the “Dominican Dandy” Juan Marichal and the Alou brothers, through 1980s slugger George Bell to recent stars such as Sammy Sosa, Vladamir Guerrero, Pedro Martinez, Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols, the roster of baseball legends that trace their roots back to the Dominican Republic is revered across the island. Baseball is a part of the country’s fabric and daily culture.

But, it is more than that. It is a means to an end. Baseball and other sports are a platform being used by Mike Shaheen and his FCA Dominican Republic staff to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in a country where living conditions are far different than they are in America, but the hearts of the people long for God’s love in the same way.

So, when the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and six other ministries teamed up recently in the Dominican town of Boca Chica to host a coaches clinic, baseball was the common denominator for the 260 coaches in attendance that came from as far away as the Haitian border six hours away. But half the coaches were already being discipled by FCA staff, and the other half were brought by leaders of other FCA ministry partners on the island. The idea of sport, and ultimately, coaching, as a platform for more than perfecting baseball skills, has been growing in the hearts of some of the Dominican Republic’s most influential leaders for some time.

By the time the three-day clinic was over, about 40 coaches had surrendered their lives to Christ, and many more than that had committed to use their platform as a coach to share their faith in Christ.

FCA is recognizing that the need to capture the hearts of coaches is not just a United States issue but a worldwide issue. The door to reach a coach is a universal opportunity.

“FCA is different in the Dominican Republic in that we have no sports ministry through the school system,” said Shaheen, who has moved with his wife and their two children from the Atlanta area to the Dominican Republic. “But, a coach is a coach, and a Huddle is a Huddle. Our staff and leadership are doing the same things here that the staff is doing in the USA. Walking with someone is the same no matter where you are.”

Shaheen and his staff of six Dominican nationals do face obstacles – “Our challenges are challenges that all third world nations have: electricity, communication, resources…” – but there is no denying the impact they are making.

“The coaches love that we are here to support them in whatever way possible,” Shaheen said. “Most of them have been excited to have FCA staff at their fields sharing messages of hope and grace. They also love it when FCA baseball teams come down and play their teams and share testimonies.”

FCA Dominican Republic staff meet weekly for discipleship and prayer.

To make that impact, Shaheen leads a discipleship session with his staff every Thursday morning “in order to be real with each other,” he said.

“I lead the discipleship, but we try to turn it into an opportunity for each one of us to share what is on our hearts and what we are struggling with in our lives,” Shaheen said.

The FCA Dominican staff also attends a full day seminary training for future pastors on Fridays, gaining wisdom on church leadership.

“The rest of the time, they spend at the fields in Boca Chica, pouring into coaches and players,” Shaheen said. “Each one of the staff members is assigned to a different part of the city and focuses in on the coaches in that area. It’s not uncommon for one of our guys to spend lunch a few days a week with different coaches in their assigned area.”

Shaheen said that it is vital that his staff is made of Dominican nationals.

“Long after the Shaheens and other Americans are gone, we are hoping the Dominicans are feeding and walking with other Dominicans in faith,” Shaheen said. “My hope is that my family can move to another area in the future and these six guys can continue to do the same ministry and build up other Dominican leaders in Boca Chica.”

Ideally, they will do so partnering with other ministries on the island. FCA was just one of the ministries involved in the coaches clinic, joining the Rawlings Foundation, SCORE International, G.O. Ministries, Athletics Missions International, Meeting God in Baseball and Baseball Chapel.

“I believe that the teamwork between the seven ministries during the coaches’ clinic sticks out in my mind the most,” Shaheen said, recalling the three day coaches clinic. “It was almost surreal to not only have seven ministries present working together for Christ, but the leadership from those ministries.

“It’s important that FCA partner with other organizations because we are not a ‘church’ or ‘missions sending organization’ or a ‘needs based ministry’ that provides food and water,” Shaheen said. “But we need to be part of the team that does all these things in our community. Our focus is to disciple coaches in the community, because we believe they are the most influential leaders. Our job is incomplete if we cannot work alongside a church that can feed these men that we have been pouring into.”

Worship during the coaches clinic in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic. (courtesy Jodi Shaheen)

For Shaheen and his family, the thought of staying in one place too long is contradictory to plans to spread the gospel throughout the Dominican Republic.

“Our hope and prayer is that every three years or so, we can move to another city in the Dominican Republic and start the process of doing sports ministry,” he said. “We know that God will provide the details and the timing, but we are prepared to go wherever He wants us to use sports as a platform to glorify Him.”

If there was ever a picture of how God would use FCA’s International Ministry, Shaheen just explained it in one sentence.

- FCA.org -

Abbey D’Agostino (courtesy Dartmouth Athletics Communications; photo credit Tim O’Dowd)

At Ivy League schools, student-athletes don’t receive athletic scholarships. Their expectations in class are at a higher standard. The communities are diverse, liberal, and Christianity is not the norm.

Dartmouth College is an Ivy League school located in New Hampshire and near the Vermont boarder, which are, incidentally, the two least-churched states in America. Yet despite statistics and stereotypes, Dartmouth College has a women’s track team that is fighting to compete for the glory of Christ.

Abbey D’Agostino is making history for not only Dartmouth but also for the Ivy League with all her awards and accolades on the track. A three-time individual national champion, an eight-time All-American over three seasons of competition, six straight NCAA National Championships meet appearances, and the Division I Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, D’Agostino is possibly the nation’s top distance runner and could be competing her way to the next Olympic games, after missing out on a trip to the London games by just two-tenths of a second.

This Massachusetts native runs a 4:30.03 mile, which is the seventh fastest by an NCAA woman all-time, and that’s not even her best event. She concluded the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championship Meet by becoming the first American woman to ever win both the 3000m (8:55.41) and 5000m (15:28.11) in a career, and she did it in just one meet.

“Abbey is an inspiration,” teammate and fellow co-captain Arianna Vailas said. “She has been given a gift, and she is using it to inspire so many others. God has given her an incredible opportunity to glorify Him through her running.”

Vailas, a fellow junior distance runner that hails from Manchester, N.H., said that Vailas has done the impossible, and credits her success to her incredible work ethic.

“I don’t think she understands the profundity of the effect she has on people,” Vailas said. “People watch her run and they don’t know how to react. They’ve never seen anything like it. She’s doing incredible things, proving the power of God’s love on and off the track.”

Christian Leadership on the Track Team
All of the Dartmouth women’s track team captains, D’Agostino, Vailas, Kate Sullivan, Megan Krumpoch and Janae Dunchack, and are members of the university’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle.

Captains are the most obvious role models on the team, and D’Agostino said that they do not take this role lightly. These leaders invite their teammates to have prayer groups at away meets and are constantly praying to be witnesses on the track in practice. They embrace their role and use it to glorify God. In the last three years, women’s track members’ involvement in FCA and team prayer has only grown.

Abbey D’Agostino (courtesy Dartmouth Athletics Communications; photo credit Mark Washburn)

“We want to use our role not only on the track when we perform, but as leaders that can be examples of Christ and spread His kingdom too,” D’Agostino said.

Denise Dahlberg, FCA Volunteer Coach and Discipleship Group leader to D’Agostino and Vailas, described Abbey as highly respected and loved by her teammates.

“Her style is that of a servant leader,” Dahlberg said. “In the midst of personally excelling, she is equally committed to helping her teammates excel, cheering on each of her fellow athletes and supporting them however she can.”

Dahlberg said that Abbey and her Christian teammates are known as persons of faith and trust the Holy Spirit to help respond to teammates’ questions, pray for them, and invite them to Huddle, Disciple Group or church.

When D’Agostino travels to competitive meets, she may not always be with the rest of her team. But this speaks loudly to her leadership because she is even more intentional about connecting with her teammates on a relatable level, despite any difference in ability.

“I do my best to serve others by relating to them on the same level,” D’Agostino said. “One-on-one cohesion with the group is really when I feel God’s presence and I feel immersed in that love.”

Vailas attested that the most important quality of being a leader is the ability to be an example both on and off the track.

“I feel confident that the track and cross country teams are being led by strong Christians who exemplify God’s Word and encourage those who look up to them to do the same,” Vailas said. “Whether they say so explicitly, or simply live by Christ’s example.”

By doing so, they challenge teammates to not just be better athletes, but also better people.

“I’m so grateful to be on a team where my teammates and my closest friends keep me accountable for the same values that they hold and challenge me to become better in all aspects of life,” Vailas said.

For D’Agostino, her leadership has been impacted by her discipleship within FCA.

“We can’t devote ourselves to perfection, but rather, excellence,” D’Agostino said. “I’ve developed through FCA the importance of excellence in what you chose to do and what you are called to do, instead of measuring your success compared to others or in the world’s standards. That’s how I try to model myself.”

D’Agostino’s walk with the Lord
Raised in the church, it wasn’t until her freshman year of high school that D’Agostino started to think about and learn about the Word of God through her cross country team captain and an invitation to participate in the high school Young Life ministry. Yet falling out of touch with that relationship, she went through an insecure phase her junior and senior years.

“Coming to Dartmouth as a freshman, there is such a great representative of Christians on our team,” D’Agostino said. “I didn’t really understand what it meant. I was aware of Christian ideas and fundamentally what that meant, but more in a legalistic sense. I wasn’t motivated to apply it consistently in my life.”

All of that began to change when one days Vailas invited D’Agostino out to lunch with her FCA Coach, Dahlberg. Dahlberg and D’Agostino instantly made a connection.

“I didn’t want to accept that I might change,” D’Agostino admitted. “But then I began to learn more about myself and appreciate myself by learning more about God’s truth.”

Abbey D’Agostino (Courtesy of Dartmouth Athletic Communications; photo credit Doug Austin)

This past summer was for Vailas and D’Agostino “sophomore summer,” which requires Dartmouth students to attend the summer session after their sophomore year. Dahlberg took advantage of this class staying on campus over the summer together, and started a Discipleship Group to develop this community of believers. D’Agostino credits this intimate group for exposing her more to God’s truth.

“Before, Abbey came a few times to FCA but not regularly,” Dahlberg said. “During ‘sophomore summer,’ I did an in depth Bible study focusing on developing their personal walk with God. Abbey was a part of that and from there she has continued to be an active part of D-Group and [we] have grown close.”

Vailas and D’Agostino spent a lot of time over the summer together between workouts and D-Group, developing a friendship with its foundation in Christ.

“Her faith grew steadily and confidently as she took the time to reflect on the blessings and the challenges in her life at that time,” Vailas said. “She surprised me with her enthusiasm for the workbook that Denise suggested we read, and the fervor with which she undertook frequent reflection on her life, constantly trying to improve any weak aspects she perceived in her character and build up the relationships that supported her.”

Since that summer, D’Agostino’s faith has grown considerably.

“She is astonishingly humble despite her successes and attributed all of her accolades to God’s blessings,” Vailas said. “She is perpetually thankful for everything, be it a great race or just a great day to run on trails. She is a joy to be around and a source of positive energy for anyone fortunate enough to know her.”

Dahlberg said another small change in D’Agostino the past year has been leaving her iPod behind on early morning solo runs and instead using that time to fellowship with God in prayer and praise.

“As she has matured in her faith, she has gained a strong appreciation for God for the gift He gives her and delights in Him,” Dahlberg said.

Dartmouth, a traditionally “unchurched area”
While some may see living in a traditionally “unchurched” area like Dartmouth may be a disadvantage, Vailas and D’Agostino have a different perspective.

“I feel that being a Christian athlete at an unchurched school has strengthened the community of Christian athletes at Dartmouth,” Vailas said. “FCA in particular has brought a special group of individuals together, united in faith and by a common interest in athletics, in order to encourage one another to glorify God through our respective sports. It is a support group for those who are looking to grow in their faith, and a source of strength for those hoping to make a difference on an otherwise ‘unchurched’ campus.”

D’Agostino added while Christianity is not the norm by any means, it allows for a greater appreciation of Christian relationships and an opportunity to strengthen her faith through testifying about her faith to friends and classmates that do not know the Lord.

From the perspective of Dahlberg, she understands that for a Dartmouth athlete, free time is limited. Therefore, Dahlberg designs FCA activities to meet spiritual needs but also accommodate to the athletes. “These student-athletes are highly motivated, driven individuals who are going non-stop 24-7,” Dahlberg said. Yet since the very beginnings of FCA’s Huddle on the campus in recent years, Dartmouth athletes are making time to commit to fellowship with other Christian athletes, and together, they are becoming a strong light to the campus.

A Humble Leader
“Abbey is a calm, focused, thoughtful woman with an infectious smile,” Dahlberg said. “Her unassuming presence makes her very approachable. Although she is a fierce competitor, her greatest joys are spending time with her friends and helping others rather than reveling in her athletic successes.”

Abbey D’Agostino (Courtesy of Dartmouth Athletic Communications; photo credit Tim O’Dowd)

In any thought of success, D’Agostino will give thanks to God for providing the people—her coach, teammates and parents—who helped along the way.

“You will not find a more humble person,” Dahlberg said.

Long distance running is as much about mental preparation and training as physical. Her coach Mark Coogan has helped her learn to be focused, strategic and mentally tough when she runs.

Another part of her mental training lately has been a goal to memorize more Scripture. Sitting on her desk are two passages from the book of Philippians: Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things in Him who gives me strength,” and Philippians 1:28, “Without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.”

Dahlberg said that while D’Agostino runs her own race, she is keenly aware of who she is running against. She looks to God for her strength and her salvation.

“Through running, God is always humbling me, and I thank him for those situations,” D’Agostino said. “When I’m not having the best day, and a workout goes well, He is insistently showing me that He has given me the talent as a gift.”

Through connecting with the team, using her own experiences, and not shying away from challenges, God is not only blessing D’Agostino with the talent, but also using it to shine His glory.

“God couldn’t have chosen a more selfless, humble being to represent Him,” Vailas said. “I’m so happy He’s chosen Abbey to bless with that gift.”

- FCA.org -

“Hey, Danny, can I come back next year?” Washington called out.

“Are you graduating after this year?” Burns asked.

“Yes.”

“Then, no.”

“Why not?” Washington asked, quickly moving past disappointed and onto perturbed on the emotional scale.

“The only way you can come back next year is if you are on staff,” Burns said.

Washington smiled.

“All right.”

Twelve months later, Washington saw Burns at the same camp and said, “You remember I wasn’t supposed to be here, right? You told me I had to be on staff to come back…and now I’m back.”

Washington was, indeed, back as a member of FCA’s staff. Burns’ subtle suggestion the previous year, the impact of one of Washington’s college coaches and the passion for competing for Christ that was learned at the National Collegiate Camp sent Washington off onto a path that he continues to follow today as an FCA staff member in Abilene, Texas.

Washington said he considered making an attempt to play professional football, hoping that would give him the platform to share the gospel. He sought counsel from a coach at Abilene Christian.

“I had a really great coach at ACU,” Washington said. “He said, ‘If you want to go to the NFL for a platform, don’t do that. If you want to try and play in the NFL, you need to do that because you love the game and that’s what you are called to do. But, if you feel you don’t have a platform, God will provide that for you, whatever it is.’

Kevin Washington works with college athletes every day in his new role as an FCA staff member in Abilene, Texas.

“I thought about that,” Washington said. “What I really love to do is play sports and share the gospel, and helping people see the effect it has on their lives. I remembered what I learned at the NCC, and how the coaches there taught the gospel through active competition. That’s what I wanted to do. If I can talk about Christ while playing sports, and talk about Christ while other people are playing sports, why wouldn’t I want to do that? I love working and training, I love competing, and NCC showed me that this is not only a way, but for me, the primary way to minister through the sport, not just around it or after it.”

Competition and fellowship with other competitors are the roots of Washington’s love for NCC.

“The competition is a major component for us,” Washington said. “Even if we aren’t supposed to be as competitive (at the camp) as we are, we can’t help it, because we’re athletes and it just comes out of us. That is probably my favorite part of the experience. The staff is intentional and lets that natural competitiveness come out and they teach us through that. NCC integrates the gospel as we compete, so we are being taught on our terms in our own language, and we can apply that to things we do every day.”

And even amidst that fierce competitiveness that comes when you get a group of college athletes from across the nation together in one spot, there is the feeling of camaraderie and encouragement.

“We have a lot of fun,” Washington said. “You get to know athletes from different kinds of schools across the nation and make friends that you’ll have for a lifetime. There’s a lot of encouragement. God can bring people together from different states, different backgrounds, different sports, different schools, and they are all united under one banner. It showed me that when I go places, I know that there are other people like me around, and that encourages me.

“Also, it takes you outside your own little bubble. You get a bigger perspective. It gives us a much fuller picture when we can see what God is doing outside our own back yard.”

Kevin Washington finished his college football career at Abilene Christian after transferring from Notre Dame. (photo courtesy ACU Sports Information)

Washington credits the NCC staff for setting the tone of the camp and for pouring into the lives of the athletes and equipping them to take the gospel onto the playing field.

“They know how to speak to college athletes on the athletes’ level,” Washington said. “They know how to not just say, ‘This is what you should do,’ but ‘I’ve been there and I’ve walked through this; let me walk with you, as well.’

“The staff makes it clear, ‘We want to interact with you as a person, not just try to pour Biblical truth down your throat.’ It’s ‘We care about you and want you to enjoy this, and, yes, we are going to make sure you understand the gospel, but we want you to understand that we care about you as a person.’”

“The coaching is so intense,” Washington said. “Everything they are coaching and teaching is geared toward helping a college athlete understand and implement the gospel. It is intense and passionate all over camp, whether it is in the weight room or on the field.”

Washington said teammates saw a difference in the way he competed and trained immediately after he returned from his first visit to NCC.

“When I came back to campus, people would ask, ‘What are you doing? Or why are you doing it this way?’” Washington said. “Because of the teaching at NCC showing us how to acknowledge the training and interact with others, I was able to communicate why I did things the way I did, why I competed the way I did.

“After our workouts, I’d get those questions, and I’d be able to say, “This is why you’re about to pass out and why I’m breathing easy,” Washington said with a laugh.

The camp’s impact reaches much further than the hearts of those who attend NCC. It can change teams and campuses.

“Our God is so good that he allows us to worship Him by doing what we love,” Washington said. “NCC changes and transforms the way we compete, the way we practice, the way we train. It takes it to a new level.

“There’s a new goal that’s been set by Jesus Christ and not by ourselves. That goal is constantly growing and demanding the best in ourselves in every single situation. People see that and notice something’s changed and want to train like that.

“It makes you the best athlete you can be. That is what God is calling out of us. When people ask, ‘What are you doing, and why?’ we can say, ‘We can free you from getting too high or too low. We know the source of constant motivation.’ It transforms the team.”

“You are going to come back to campus equipped to understand what the gospel actually means to you as an athlete,” Washington said. “You’ll learn a different way to compete and live that will transform the way you live and the way you compete into something you never would have imagined. As athletes, if we know what it means to compete for Christ, we’ll also understand what it means to live for Christ. This is a different breed of camp for a different breed of person.”

FCA’s National Collegiate Camp will return to St. Simons Island in Georgia this May 24-27. For more information, check out the NCC web site at http://fcancc.com.

FCA Cheer is influencing the current and future generations of cheerleaders for Christ.

Makeup applied.

Ribbon tied tight.

Smile on her face.

From the outside, cheerleaders are told to look like they have it all together. Competition breeds perfectionism, as every arm movement and jump must be clean and together. Long gone are the days of sideline chants and cheers. These girls work hard for hours every week and compete for championships at the national level in America’s fastest-growing sport.

Yet behind the makeup, ribbons and performance smiles, each girl has a heart that tells a different story.

“They are just like all other girls,” Fellowship of Christian Athletes National Director of Cheerleading Marilou Braswell said. “Suicide rate is high, abuse runs in relationships and there are things happening in their world.”

Every summer at FCA Cheer camp, thousands of girls are met by the shocking reality that they are not supposed to be perfect. They are told of a Father in Heaven who fearfully and wonderfully created them, wants to sweep them off their feet and write them their own love story that involves His eternal love.

With too many stories of redemption to tell, Braswell said that these young cheerleaders come to camp to improve their cheerleading skills, but in the process, are freed from the sin in their lives. From abuse, abortion, parents’ divorce, broken relationships and eating disorders in their everyday lives to the insecurities and perfectionism that comes with being a young woman and specifically a young cheerleader, girls are given the opportunity to present their brokenness at the alter and accept Jesus as Savior in their lives.

Last summer, Braswell said that FCA Cheer had the opportunity to sponsor scholarships for six cheerleaders from inner city Los Angeles. The cheer squad had just lost one of their very own teammates to unexpected heart failure. Of the six girls that came, one rededicated her life to Christ and four accepted Him in their lives for the first time.

“It was a very moving experience for all of us to see that,” Braswell said.

The countless stories are a constant reminder to Braswell of the need to grow the ministry to reach the growing number of cheerleaders.

“There are 400,000 cheerleaders at schools and three million that compete for a gym,” Braswell said. “Cheer has changed a lot, and as a ministry we are trying to stay with the trend.”

In keeping with the cheer trend, FCA Cheer hosts summer camps and FCA Huddles are starting up in gyms across the nations.

A Week of Impact
This summer, FCA Cheer will host nine camps, mostly in the southeast region but also one in Malibu, Calif. Each camp averages between 800 and 1,000 kids and lasts no more than a week. With more camps, the impact is only growing.

“This is the first summer we have more than one camp in a week,” Braswell said. “Our goal is to increase our number of camps this summer and minister to more girls in cheer by increasing our staff.”

Because Braswell has someone on part-time staff currently raising financial funds, FCA Cheer will have three additional camps this summer.

Braswell said that the goal for camps was simply to lead these girls to the Lord by letting them know how much God loves them. By doing this, one of the themes at FCA Cheer camp is called A Father’s Love Letter.

“A lot of the girls don’t even know that God loves them like that,” Braswell said.

Braswell also added that 62 percent of the girls that come to FCA Cheer camps also play another sport. By reaching these girls in a short window of time at camp, the athletes can go to their other sports and share their faith.

“There are more girls in cheer in the U.S. than all other sports combined,” Braswell said. “The impact for me is amazing.”

Taking the Gospel to the Gym
It’s not just the camps that are growing in this ministry. There are now over 25 cheer gyms that affiliate with FCA. In the sport-specific ministry’s fifth year, already thousands have been impacted. 

While the normal trend of Huddles are to be based out of schools, the best way to spread the gospel within the sport of cheer is to go straight into the gyms, and Braswell and those that work within FCA cheer recognize this avenue of influence.

“Cheer has changed a lot,” Braswell said. “As a ministry we are trying to stay with trend.”

Every gym runs its Huddle in a different way according to the needs of the gym. Some will pick a time around practice to try to get the most kids to come, while others might just do a devotional with prayer requests. Some do a normal FCA Huddle structure for an hour, yet others might dedicate the last 15 minutes of their practice to encouragement.

These individual FCA Huddles are growing every week, and Braswell tributes this to the local FCA staff getting involved.

“We are all over the country, but I can’t be all over the country.” Braswell said. “Local staff members have been so great about partnering with us.”

For example, Braswell contacted a local staff member about a cheer gym in Birmingham, Ala. He went to the gym and for an hour, trained the Huddle coach and the student leadership for FCA Cheer. By building a relationship with the cheer gym, the FCA director’s local ministry has also been blessed and grown.

“It’s a great example of how sport-specific and local staff work together,” Braswell said.

“My talents and time spent perfecting them mean nothing if I am trying to use them for myself.” – Anna Watson

Anna Watson Speaking Out
FCA Cheer’s monthly newsletter recently featured University of Georgia cheerleader Anna Watson, who shared her story of faith and support for FCA Cheer. 

As stated in the newsletter, Watson took the media by storm last year when she flashed her incredibly sculpted arms to the world and shared her story of rejecting a modeling contract that required her to take legal steroids, believing that doing so went against her belief that the body is God’s temple.

“She’s a modern-day Daniel,” Braswell said. “She was featured on Good Morning America. When they asked about her story, she shared her Christian story.”

Last summer, Watson was the speaker featured at many of the FCA Cheerleading camps, sharing her own testimony and encouraging the young cheerleaders.

“After [Braswell] heard my testimony, she saw that the Lord had given me a talent and passion for speaking,” Watson said. “She asked me to come along to several cheer camps and lead Huddle groups and then eventually speak. I would prepare a message and then the Spirit would lead in a way that ministered to the girls.”

Watson testified that the FCA Cheer camp experience was incredibly powerful and enjoyed seeing God communicate His love to each girl there.

Braswell said that this upcoming summer, she and Watson plan on traveling to Italy to do a Cheer camp and spread this ministry internationally.

FCA was able to catch up with Watson and get her thoughts on FCA Cheer as a growing ministry and also allow her to share a bit of her powerful testimony with us.

FCA: What affect has FCA had in your personal relationship with God?
AW: I have grown closer to the LORD by being able to speak about His great and faithful love for me. It has given me the opportunity to reflect on how He has provided for me over the last few years and directed my steps throughout college. I have seen how He has protected me and done what is best for me. Speaking has also helped my unbelief. I feel as though the LORD teaches me lessons and reveals truths to me but sometimes I do not believe how wonderful He really is until I get the chance to tell about all He has done.

FCA: What personal testimony do you use, as a cheerleader, to share with the girls at camp?
AW: I share with the girls how the LORD changed my desires and heart towards cheering and the talents He has given me. When I first started cheering in college, I had my heart set on winning and wanted recognition for my skills. I wanted to do things my way and look out for me first and then give the LORD His portion. I lost sight of my purpose of being a light. During my first year I experienced lots of challenges and the LORD took away my skills and confidence in my own abilities diminished. He showed me that all I have comes from Him and my value is found in my identity in Christ. My talents and time spent perfecting them mean nothing if I am trying to use them for myself. He turned my world upside down and took away what I thought was most important in my life.

By doing that, He gave me the greatest blessing. I saw that cheering and my skills were a gift from Him, and the only way I would truly be able to enjoy them was if I gave them back to Him. Being the best on my team or winning a national title soon began to fade in the light of His glory. I saw that cheerleading was a tool that I could use to love others and be a light for the Kingdom. It was a platform from where I could share about His goodness. After several years and lots of battling and failing, the LORD succeeded to change my heart. I no longer cheer to win and to make my name known. I now delight in using the talents He has given me as a way to point to Him. My goal is to win hearts for the Kingdom forever instead of a ring for my finger that will one day lose its value.

FCA: What pressures have you experienced as a cheerleader, in terms of body image and perfection?
AW: That has been a huge struggle for me. I never thought about body image or really put too much emphasis on perfecting that area of my life until I got to college. I have always struggled with perfectionism and it eventually found its way into my life in the form of desiring a perfect body. I have always been active and been in great shape, but when I went to cheer my first year in college I saw a new form of being in shape. I saw girls with extremely low body fat who were great at their sport. When I first saw these girls I thought they looked unhealthy but eventually I ended up looking like them. With the stresses of college and trying to maintain good grades and a highly coveted scholarship for cheerleading bearing down on me, I had to find a way to relieve that burden and did so through exercise. I started going to the gym to “relieve stress and clear my mind,” but eventually got addicted to the effects it had on my body. Losing weight and getting smaller was not something I set out to do but liked once I saw it happening. I soon became obsessed with staying small and tried to control what I ate and how much I exercised so I would not gain weight. I didn’t realize exercise could become unhealthy and addictive. This form of “in shape” that I saw in my teammates was not a good shape to be in at all.

Anna Watson spends much of her summer sharing her testimony and encouraging young cheerleaders at FCA Cheer camps.

Eventually, I realized what I was doing was causing me to be tired and lose strength. With the help of friends and the LORD, I was able to see that this addictive behavior was irrational and harmful and learned how to enjoy exercise without obsessing over it. I now see that these girls and I struggled with desiring a perfect body, because it is something the sport unintentionally deems as valuable. The girls who are the smallest or fit a certain persona or stereotype seem to be the ones getting the attention and acclaim. I am glad the LORD allowed me to struggle with this so that I know how to recognize the issue in other girls. I pray that He uses my experience to help others break the chains of oppression that come from desiring something that they can never attain. From this I learned that what the LORD sees is beautiful is not necessarily what the worlds says is beautiful, but is something that will never fade and can never be lost.

FCA: What is the potential impact of FCA Cheer for God’s kingdom?
AW: The LORD told me that He created me to encourage others. I think it is so neat how He has placed me in an environment where that is my main role! As cheerleaders we have the opportunity to lift the spirits of those around us and have a platform to display Christ’s love and grace. FCA has the chance to minister to girls with hearts made to encourage and serve others. If they are able to hear about their great encourager and understand their higher calling to love others for the sake of Christ’s Kingdom, we will have an army of athletes shouting His praises from stadiums and sidelines all over the country.

FCA Cheer Gyms

For more information on FCA Cheer, opportunities to bless this ministry or cheer camp registration visit fcacheer.org or visit the Facebook Page at facebook.com/fcacheer.

The Integrity Hockey League, a men’s Christian hockey league based in Minneapolis, Minn., is a growing outreach under FCA Hockey’s community ministries, one that is reaching a different demographic than most FCA ministries. Integrity Hockey is a league for players 18 years of age or older of all skill levels, and is attracting hundreds of athletes that don’t fit into the ‘usual’ programs. There are beginner skaters and former professionals; 18 year olds and 65 year olds – all who play with Integrity. 

Before each game teams meet for a time of devotion. In the last two years Integrity Hockey in Minneapolis has gone through the FCA core value devotionals on integrity and serving (teamwork and excellence are FCA’s other two core values). In addition, teams pray together at center ice before each game, and many players take opportunities in the ice rinks and locker rooms to disciple with one-on-one interaction. 

FCA Hockey is pursuing the growth of Integrity Hockey across the US, with the Integrity Hockey concept growing into several other states, including New York, North Carolina, and Texas. 

More information is available on the FCA Adult Hockey and FCA Hockey web sites.

- FCA.org -