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 -

Westering, who was as well known for his unique coaching methods that built up team unity and solid citizens as much as for the three NAIA Division II national titles, one NCAA Division III national championship and four NAIA national runner-up finishes, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Including stops at Parsons College (Iowa) and Lea College (Minnesota), Westering won more than 300 games as a collegiate head coach. He was 261-70-5 in 32 season as Pacific Lutheran.

To read the release from Pacific Lutheran University, CLICK HERE.

- FCA.org -

L to R: Dr. Louis Evans and Rev. Roe Johnston
with McClanen and Rickey

As moviegoers flock to the theaters across America this weekend to take in the Jackie Robinson biopic “42″, Hollywood legend Harrison Ford’s portrayal of Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey will play a key role in influencing audiences’ opinions of the movie. In real life, Rickey displayed his pioneering ways by establishing the affiliated minor league baseball system as we know it today and by signing Robinson, the first African-American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. Rickey was also a devout Christian man and a key player in helping the Fellowship of Christian Athletes get off the ground.

In 1954, seven years after Robinson made his big league debut with the Dodgers, FCA founder Don McClanen began a letter-writing campaign to professional athletes and administrators that he had read about in articles highlighting their faith. McClanen had a desire to form an organization of athletes and coaches that would project them as Christian men before the youth and athletes of the United States.

Rickey, by that time a Pittsburgh Pirates executive, was one of the few who did not respond to McClanen’s correspondence.

When McClanen, who was a coach in Oklahoma, and his family traveled East that August, he tried repeatedly to set up a meeting with Rickey.

As the story published in a book published by FCA in 2004, Sharing The Victory: 50 Years, One Mission goes:

McClanen knew that Rickey was a key, so he tried repeatedly to set up an interview. Rickey’s secretary gave him no hope, but finally told McClanen that if he wanted to drive all the way to Pittsburgh with the possibility of a five-minute meeting, he wouldn’t stop him.

While (McClanen’s wife) Gloria and their two children bathed the appointment in prayer, McClanen went to the Pirates offices and waited for an opportunity to share his idea with Rickey.

So, McClanen sat in the waiting room, hoping for his five minutes with Rickey. The five-minute meeting lasted five hours. (see McClanen speak about his meeting with Rickey in this video)

“We struck up an immediate rapport,” McClanen remembers. “I presented him with my entire story and dream of bringing ballplayers together to influence young people for Christ. Our talk was interspersed with calls about trades and such, and I enjoyed listening to that.

“Finally, he made a statement that I will never forget: ‘This thing has the potential of changing the youth scene of America within a decade. It is pregnant with potential. It is just ingenious. It’s a new thing, where has it been?’”

What followed was nearly as important as his verbal support. Rickey recognized that the movement would need funding. He came up with the figure of $10,000 and told McClanen how to get ahold of Paul Benedum, an influential businessman in Pittsburgh who eventually did give the $10,000.

That became the turning point in taking what McClanen has referred to as “God’s amazing, miraculous dream” and helping it become a Christian sports ministry with over 450 offices and more than 1,000 staff members across the nation, one that God uses to bring thousands of people into His Kingdom every year. In addition, FCA is moving beyond American borders, with camps held in 21 countries last summer alone. 

For his part, Rickey would be inducted into FCA’s Hall of Champions in 1995.

Rickey’s story is well known in baseball circles, and Ford’s version of Rickey in “42″ is sure to shine a light on Rickey’s life to those outside of the game. McClanen’s story, while every bit as remarkable as Rickey’s is not as popular. Joe Murchison’s biography on McClanen, Caution to the Wind, is available from Cross Training Publishing.

Don McClanen Speaks About His Meeting With Branch Rickey and the Birth of FCA

The Birthing of FCA – Don McClanen from FCA on Vimeo.

Kaitlyn Moreau (courtesy, Steve Franz/LSU Sports Information)

Kaitlyn Moreau sat devastated after finding out that an injured foot would keep her from competing at a weekend meet with her teammates on the Louisiana State University track and field team. The year had already been hard enough.

As a freshman, she searched for her identity and where she would fit in, testing out the party scene and trying to seek attention from boys, neither of which gave her satisfaction. She even doubted that she had the talent and ability to be a heptathlete at LSU. She had exhausted all of her options and felt empty inside.

With no plans for the weekend and all of her teammates out of town, Moreau signed up at the last minute for a Fellowship of Christian Athletes weekend retreat hosted by FCA regional director Andy Stroup and his wife Marla, the FCA chaplain at LSU. Moreau had no idea that this weekend would change her very meaning of life and offer the love and joy she had been searching for.

“You could just see in Kaitlyn something missing,” LSU senior pole-vaulter Brianne Bergeron said. “She went to the retreat because she had hurt her foot. Although she couldn’t participate in the actual sports at FCA, she fell in love with Christ and how everyone was portraying Him. That’s where her life changed.”

Those who represented Jesus at the FCA retreat inspired Moreau and she found true satisfaction in God for the first time. Amidst tears and worship, she offered her life to Christ on January 21, 2012, while at the retreat.

“For some people change is gradual,” Marla Stroup said. “Hers was a night-and-day difference. She went from dark to light. Quickly.”

In the months that followed, Moreau grew from a casual attendee at FCA Huddle meetings to a member of the leadership team.

“After she accepted Christ, FCA became her family,” Bergeron said, who is also on the leadership team. “We were friends before, but it was an automatic switch. We were sisters. There was a new bond. She shared everything with us, and that’s where our friendship started to get deep.”

Moreau added that it was not only her relationships with other Christians on the team that were altered, but her entire perspective as a teammate.

“Before, I was constantly trying to outdo everyone,” Moreau said. “Now, I work hard to push my teammates and motivate them to go harder.”

Off the track, Bergeron says that Moreau is known as the “happy, smiley and goofy one.”

“Because our team is so big, it’s hard to know all of the teammates,” Bergeron said. “But Kaitlyn knows everyone. She laughs, she jokes and she constantly points everyone to Christ. She can be herself without any pressure. She’s amazing.”

Kaitlyn Moreau’s relationship with Christ has changed the way she competes. (photo courtesy Steve Franz/LSU Sports Information)

Honoring God as a Competitor

With the help of Stroup, Bergeron, and her other FCA family members, Moreau began the discipleship process, and her life with Christ has not only changed who she is as a teammate, but who she is as a competitor.

“She’s learned in her competition to serve her teammates more,” Stroup said. “It’s not just about herself. She’s able to deal with defeat when she doesn’t perform well. It brings more excitement and she is able to relax more knowing she is competing for Christ and through Christ.”

Without a doubt, Moreau is not the same competitor she was when she first set foot on a Division I track in 2011. After dedicating her life to Christ, her journey has only jumped and sprinted down the lane most glorifying to the Lord.

Now a sophomore, the Lafayette, La., native competes in seven different events: 100-meter hurdles, 200-meter dash, 800-meter run, high jump, long jump, shot put and javelin.

“It’s impossible for me to do seven events in two days without God,” Moreau said. “I trust God by just surrendering every performance I have to Christ.”

Training for seven events is not any easier than the actual, two-day competition. During a daily practice, Moreau will practice about three of the events, and she admitted that before she became a Christian, the workouts were more challenging.

“Before, I could not get through the workouts because I was so focused on myself,” Moreau said. “It’s the same workouts as before, but now I’m able to get through them. I literally pray through the entire workout because some days it’s so hard.”

In addition to prayer, Moreau relies on God’s Word.

“The Bible says, ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength,’ and it’s completely true,” Moreau said. “I use that to help me go hard.”

Her body, which was once used as a vessel for sin in her old life as described in her video testimony, she now pushes harder and harder each day to bring glory to God. Just like 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says we should honor God with our bodies as a temple of the Holy Spirit, she is able to use her body as an athlete in confidence and give praise to Jesus on and off the track.

“I use my body to go as hard as I can for Him,” Moreau said. “He’s given me these gifts not for my own pleasure, but to shine light on His Name.”

In 2012, Moreau helped the Lady Tigers win their fifth SEC Outdoor title in six seasons. She set personal records of 14.29 in the 100-meter hurdles, 25.03 in the 200-meter dash, 2:37.80 in the 800-meter run, 4-11 ¾ in the high jump, 17-0 ¾ in the long jump, 39-0 ½ in the shot put and 82-4 in the javelin in the seven heptathlon events that occurred over the course of the 2012 outdoor season.

So far in 2013, Moreau has been able to trust the Lord through a tough indoor season and is looking forward to starting outdoor competitions.

“I made it to the SEC [indoor championship meet] and fell short,” Moreau said. “But it’s all part of God’s plan. My goal this season is to make it to Nationals for outdoor. I’m just trying to work hard and to rely on God to give me strength to do better.”

Regardless of the outcome, Bergeron said whether in practice or in competition, Moreau always gives everything she can.

“Kaitlyn is a fierce competitor,” Bergeron said. “She loves her sport with all of her heart and has high hopes and dreams for where she is headed. She never leaves anything on the track. Every single day she is ready to go out and do what she loves.”

Rising as a Leader

For Moreau, a transformation on the track and in her relationships came from the direct 180-degree change in her spiritual walk with Christ. Her work ethic is the common denominator in each area of life.

“I give everything I have during track,” Moreau said. “It’s only natural for me to give everything I have in my spiritual life.”

Just last month, Moreau spoke at a local high school FCA Huddle, and she is always willing to share her testimony to others and searches for students she can invite to FCA.

“Everyone she meets, she invites to FCA,” Bergeron said. “It’s crazy how bold she has become through Christ. She will tell anyone, talk to anyone, if it means that they will come to FCA and get a taste of what God’s trying to give them.”

“I give everything I have in track. It’s only natural for me to give everything I have in my spiritual life.” – Kaitlyn Moreau (photo courtesy of Steve Franz/LSU Sports Information)

Bergeron said that the biggest gifts that Moreau brings to the leadership team is evangelism and always remembering those who are wearing the same shoes she wore just a little over a year ago.

“She has the mindset of including the first-timers at FCA,” Bergeron said. “She’s always thinking of the lost.”

With such a powerful and easily relatable testimony for college students and athletes, Stroup said that her transformation is impacting other students that attend FCA. Students have insisted, “If Kaitlyn can change, then I can too.”

As for now, Stroup said that Kaitlyn is learning how to be a leader by becoming more confident in Scripture and in discipleship.

“She’s maturing and finding out more and more what it’s like to sacrifice and to help lead others,” Stroup said. “I’m excited she’s going to be around a few more years.”

Campus Revival: A Platform of Influence

Complete revival of the Holy Spirit has occurred on the Louisiana State campus through FCA in the past few years. Andy Stroup said that there have been 49 commitments to Christ in the past three semesters, including Moreau’s.

Anywhere from 120-150 students come every week to the FCA Huddle led by the Stroup and the leadership team.

“LSU athletes are put on a platform,” Marla Stroup said. “It’s amazing what their influence will do. When elite athletes meet Jesus and their lives are changed, it makes such a big difference because they can say anything and people will just follow. We are seeing true transformation.”

Similar to Moreau’s, Stroup said many of the students are becoming true examples of 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (NIV) Stroup said that she and Andy simply get out of the way so that God can work.

“They come in one way and leave another,” Stoup said. “At times Andy and I look at each other and say there’s no way we could have done this—it is God. It keeps us humble. Our goal is to serve leaders while they serve the other students.”

Stroup said that in allowing God to move, there has been an increase in discipleship and creating a culture of serving. People are no longer just showing up, but asking how they can get involved. Students are starting their own Bible Studies and creating their own community outside of FCA weekly Huddle meetings.

“LSU FCA is led by the students,” Stroup said. “They plan, they disciple and they take care of the students.”

Bergeron said she was saved over two years ago, right before Andy and Marla moved to Baton Rouge, La., and she has seen God move in big ways through FCA.

“I got to see the group at FCA grow from 30 people, not knowing who everyone was except for which team they were on, to now 150 every week and a family,” Bergeron said. “We truly know the people and always know how everyone is doing.”

Bergeron said she also sees God moving through the hearts of the leaders that are compelled to share their faith and use their platform as athletes. 

“We aren’t just athletes who are Christians,” Bergeron said. “We are Christians who are athletes. In the past two years, God has blown up FCA with true life changes like Kaitlyn’s.”

Between Moreau, who said she would not know the Lord without FCA, and the hundreds of other students impacted by FCA on the LSU campus, clearly God is revealing Himself to the church body connected to the FCA Huddle at LSU.

“He’s doing what He wants to do,” Stroup said. “God is using us at LSU as a platform for the rest of the [Baton Rouge] area.”

 And the race has only begun.

- FCA.org -

 Kaitlyn Moreau’s Testimony

Kaitlyn Moreau Testimony from Knob and Wire on Vimeo.

Sylvia Hatchell, a longtime FCA supporter, has been elected to the basketball hall of fame. (courtesy, UNC Athletics)

University of North Carolina women’s basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell, who has been heavily involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes over the years, has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, officials of the museum announced Monday.

Hatchell, who just completed her 27th season at North Carolina, has led her teams from Francis Marion University and UNC to a combined 908 victories in 38 years on the sideline.  

Releases from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the UNC Athletics Department are available online.

Hatchell is featured in the “6 Questions” section of the current issue (March/April, 2013) of FCA Magazine. Here is how she answered our 6 Questions:

1) One of my favorite Bible verses is: “Proverbs 3:5-6, because trusting, believing and having faith is what success is all about. We don’t always understand why things happen; we just have to trust and have faith that God has a reason greater thatn we can comprehend and understand.”

2) The people who have had the greatest impact on my spiritually were: “My parents and grandparents because they always led by example and had their priorities  in order.”

3) One thing I hope my players learn from me each season is: “Their faith, family and friends are the most important things in life. Success at anything is about relationships.”

4) Being a “Christ-follower” means: “Being unselfish, putting others above yourself and treating them the way you want to be treated, and always living by Proverbs 3:5-6.”

5) One piece of coaching advice I’d share with fellow coaches is: “Take advantage of the opportunities that God puts in front of you each and every day.”

6) One piece of spiritual advice  I’d share with fellow coaches is: “God always has a plan. Even though you may not like it, agree with it or understand it, He always has a plan that will be what is best for you in the end.”

- FCA.org -

Indiana coach Tom Crean is the recipient of the 2013 John Lotz “Barnabas” Award.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Indiana University men’s basketball coach Tom Crean will be presented the John Lotz “Barnabas” Award by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes this Saturday in Atlanta. The presentation will be made at the FCA Coaches Luncheon at the National Association of Basketball Coaches convention.

The John Lotz “Barnabas” Award is presented annually by FCA to honor a basketball coach who best exhibits a commitment to Christ, integrity and encouragement to others and lives a balanced life.

Crean led Indiana to a 29-7 overall record and a top seed in the East region of the NCAA Tournament in his fifth season as the coach of the Hoosiers in 2012-13. Indiana held the No. 1 national ranking for much of the season. Crean has already been named District Coach of the Year by both the American Basketball Coaches Association and the United States Basketball Writers Association in separate polls. Crean’s Indiana teams are 56-16 over the past two seasons, and 82-80 in his five years since he moved to Bloomington following nine years as the head coach at Marquette University. Crean was ESPN.com’s National Coach of the Year in 2011-12.

“Coach Crean is an encourager who is committed to investing in his players, and his goal is to develop student-athletes and young men,” said Dan Britton, FCA’s executive vice president for international ministry and training who is a member of the John Lotz “Barnabas” Award selection committee. “That commitment is more important than winning games. As a coach who has the ability to not be controlled by the scoreboard, but instead be committed to the passion to develop young men he is exactly what the Barnabas award is all about. Coach Crean is the perfect coach to receive this year’s Barnabas award.”

That commitment has led to a change in Crean’s demeanor over the past few years, according to Perry Hunter, a teacher at Henryville (Ind.) High School and former basketball coach who volunteers with the Southeast Indiana FCA. 

“You can see the transformation in his life (over the past two years),” Hunter said. “You have a guy with a huge platform, who was a positive guy but knew he had some flaws, and you can see him changing into a man who, like all of us still has some flaws, but is making an effort to make a difference for Jesus Christ.”  

Crean (@TomCrean) is the 11^th winner of the John Lotz “Barnabas” Award, named for former North Carolina assistant and Florida head coach John Lotz. Since its launch by FCA in 2003, the award has honored a lineup of coaches that have made an impact both on and off the basketball court, including:

- FCA.org -

“Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” – Ephesians 5:1-2

Have you ever played the game, “Follow The Leader”? It’s a copycat game in which people in a group imitate the actions of the leader, and the person in the middle tries to figure out who the leader is. They may walk funny, do jumping jacks or clap their hands, but the person who is “it” must identify the leader—the one person whom everyone else is copying.

On fields, tracks and courts all over the world, players are following their leaders—coaches. They are watching what they do, hearing what they say and reading their body language. They see their emotions in the heat of competition. They see facial expressions and hear halftime speeches, learning habits and beliefs. And, like it or not, they are not only taking notes, but they are following their leader. The coach influences athletes mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually and relationally. Young athletes are learning behaviors from their coaches that will shape their futures—both who they will become and how they are likely to behave.

Coaches spend more time with kids than most parents do, so it’s not surprising coaches are often considered the No. 1 influence in the lives of young people. With so much at stake, is it possible for coaches to have a lasting, positive influence on their athletes? Yes! Coaches will never be perfect role models, and, if they try to be, it will break them. But there is one thing they can do that rises above all others—Follow The Leader.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 and 5 to be imitators of God. We are, quite simply, to follow our Leader. We are to do what He did. Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23: “…if anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

As we follow Christ, others follow our example. But as coaches, we must first follow our Leader, and then lead others. Here’s how that will look and sound:

- As we follow God, He changes the way we think. He replaces our temporal perspective with an eternal one. He shows us that it’s never enough to win on the field but lose in life. He replaces our negativity and pessimism with possibility and belief. Making excuses and blaming others becomes a thing of the past.

- As we follow God, He changes the words we speak. He replaces words that tear down with words that build up. As He gets ahold of our heart, He makes it more and more difficult to be critical and condemning. It becomes more difficult to use profanity or to shame a kid in front of their peers. We become encouragers who help others be the best they can be.

- As we follow God, He changes our physical health. He replaces unhealthy eating habits with foods that bring life and health. If we demand that our players are physically ready for competition, we should expect nothing less from ourselves. We must model healthy behaviors if we hope to be our best and have a positive influence that lasts.

- As we follow God, He changes how we express our emotions. He replaces inappropriate emotional outbursts with peace in the midst of the storm. The circumstances on the field do not dictate the condition of our heart or our ability to control our emotions. How we respond to adversity models strength and steadiness, and we grow in our ability to show love and ac-ceptance.

- As we follow God, He changes our spiritual foundation. He replaces our desire to have control with the faith that He is in control. When we know and grow in Jesus, we have a growing desire to plant seeds that lead to a life of lasting significance instead of short-term success. We build our life on what our Leader says, walking more by faith and less by sight.

Every coach has followers. But to be the kind of leader worth following, we must follow The Leader. Let’s surrender every area of life to God and imitate Him. Colossians 3:17 says it this way: “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

How we lead will have a lasting influence on who our young athletes become and how they live their lives. Let’s leave a legacy we’re proud of!

-FCA-