This story appears in FCA Magazine’s January/February 2016 issue. Subscribe today!

Family: Wife- Lorrie
Children- son Jean-Paul, daughter Monique
Coaching Career:
• Wichita Falls Wildcats (2014-present)
• Shattuck-St. Mary’s School (2007-14)
• Bozeman Icedogs (2000-07)

"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."                 -Proverbs 27:17

Playing at competitive levels before seeking God’s direction for his life, John LaFontaine fell in love with hockey because of its close-knit camaraderie and multifaceted skill base. But it was God who inspired him to trade in his skates for a whistle, opening him to the opportunity to grow in his faith and inspire his players to do the same. 

FCA: How did God call you into coaching?

JL: I played at an elite level but didn’t make it professionally, so my playing days were done. I graduated from college, and four months later I was married and got my first full-time job. So I was focused on that.

About four years into it, I got down on my knees at 4 a.m. at the factory where I worked and asked God where He wanted me. The next day, I got a call from an old friend I hadn’t talked to in many years wanting to know if I’d consider running hockey schools for him. The day after that, an older friend called wanting me to be an assistant coach for the Junior A hockey team. I wasn’t considering either, so for me that was God telling me that’s where He wanted me. And I haven’t looked back since.

FCA: How do you approach coaching as a ministry?

JL: God has always hit me over the head that I need to get to know players and learn how to serve and care for them more. There were all kinds of character issues and philosophies I learned that I thought would work, but God was saying, “No, I got you into coaching, and I want you to do it as your ministry, not put yourself on a pedestal.”

It’s really rewarding to see a player come to know Christ. It doesn’t get any better than that. It’s also rewarding to see young men reach their dreams, obtaining a college scholarship to play hockey.

FCA: What is God teaching you in this season of life?

JL: You’re always working on, “God, don’t let me leave You out of any phase of my life,” whether it’s work, school, church or athletics. It’s good to always be excited and anxious and enthusiastic, but let God lead you in the right way, whether it’s by actions or words. I’m learning to be bolder in my faith.

FCA: How are you involved with FCA Hockey?

JL: This is my fifth year with the FCA Hockey coaches' study. It’s awesome. We’re coaches from all parts of the country with different backgrounds and experiences, and once a month we all get on a call. We share where we’re being stretched or challenged, where this or that has worked, and it’s all while we’re studying God’s Word.

FCA: What does it mean to work for the Lord?

JL: Colossians 3:23. That’s the one I like to talk to the players about. God wants us to be authentic, and He doesn’t want them to do it for attention or the applause of other men. We’re doing it for Him, for the right reasons, and He sees all, knows all. He knows our thoughts, He knows the inner part of us, and we can’t hide anything from Him.

FCA Staff Quote:

“John has been an instrumental part of FCA Hockey’s coaching ministry over the past five years, impacting coaches and players at all levels of the game. He is truly a 3-Dimensional Coach who transforms his players’ lives on a daily basis, while showing them how much he cares for them and their future.”

-Rick Randazzo
Executive Director, FCA Hockey

-FCA-

–This article appears in the January/February 2016 issue of FCA Magazine. To view the issue digitally, click here: January/February 2016 FCA Mag Digital 

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Photos courtesy of Cody Wooten, Optic Photography