Up and Running
FCA's Lacrosse team ministry has been going strong since its inception in 1992.
Oct. 26, 2009

Call it the "Rule of Thirds." All of the teams within FCA Lacrosse are aimed at a specific target. Ideally, when a team is created, 1/3 of the players will be sold-out, on-fire Christians. Another 1/3 will have had some exposure in the past to Christianity and FCA, but aren't quite there yet. And the remaining 1/3 will have had little or no experience at all.

FCA's Under-15 Lacrosse team won the national championship back in July.

"It's always been a battle for what's the purpose of our teams," said Ryan Horanburg, national director of FCA Lacrosse. "Do we want everyone on the team to be a Christian, or do we want to use it as a ministry outreach for non-believers? So we've kind of come up with a model of one-third, one-third, one-third."

It's obviously working. Since the first FCA Lacrosse team went to a tournament in Vail, Colo., in 1992, the team ministry has since expanded to 47 teams. These include both seasonal and tournament teams, the majority of which are for high school or middle school-aged players. Some teams, however, are for 50-year-old's and up.

In July, FCA's Under-15 lacrosse team won the national championship in Bel Air, Md. A local reporter followed the team during the tournament and then wrote a story about the behind-the-scenes view of the national champs. It spoke of their Bible studies, accountability time and prayer life. It interviewed a player on the team who wasn't previously involved with FCA, but intended to return to his hometown and start an FCA Huddle.

"It just painted the perfect picture of what we want our FCA Lacrosse teams to be," Horanburg said.

FCA also has a national high school team, for which 1,400 kids tried out this past year, and only 20 made the cut. They recently took second place in a national tournament. In short, both the U15 and the high school team are starting to make some serious noise in the lacrosse world.

One of the greatest benefits, Horanburg said, is that FCA Lacrosse is pulling kids from all over the country to compete on these teams and give them a glimpse of FCA. But after the tournament or season is over, those kids are going back to their communities and getting more involved with their local FCA.

In addition, the FCA team ministry idea reaches those who probably wouldn't be reached otherwise. The fact is, Horanburg said, like it or not, not everyone goes to FCA Huddles on campus.

"Whether that's because it's early in the morning or the 'cool' people aren't there –– whatever the high school reason is –– not everybody is interested in being involved," he said. "But there are a lot of kids who are interested in being a part of a team that is different or has positive values or is Christ-led. And a lot of times these kids have such a great time or are impacted in such a great way that they want to go back and be involved with their Huddle. That's the biggest thing I see."

For more information on FCA Lacrosse, visit fcalax.com.
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Photos courtesy of Frank Kelly III.