Showing posts with label camp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label camp. Show all posts
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Character Does Matter
Today I spent some time out on the football field at Kincaid Stadium, home to Carter and Kimball High Schools. There were about 150 middle school football players participating in an FCA/DISD “In The Zone” partnership camp. Along with the students there were about 25 high school coaches volunteering their time to impact student-athletes.
The athletes and coaches gathered at center field to hear from chaplain, Jon Randles. All the athletes were sitting on the ground and as he began to speak he took a knee so that he could be eye level with them, face to face for them to see his emotion and vice-versa. He spoke boldly and truthfully about not quitting, keeping their commitment to football, striving to be the best athlete they can and how that will pay off when they get into “the real world”. But with great passion and compassion he lovingly told them that if they really wanted to make a difference, the other component is to be people of character. Sometimes people with less skills and less natural abilities can, with hard work and commitment, be more successful than the top athlete with all the skills who don’t care about being a young man or woman of character.
Coach Tom Landry once said, “Give me a choice between an outstanding athlete with poor character and a lesser athlete with good character and I’ll choose the latter every time.”
Here is what I love about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization. With the help of coaches, FCA teaches student athletes new skills about their sport of choice through clinics and camps, but most importantly we get to love on these kids, speak truth into them and encourage them. And our hope is that they will grow up to be adults who make a huge impact in their communities … for the good!
The Greater Dallas Fellowship of Christian Athletes serves 200 middle schools, high schools and college/universities in the Dallas metroplex. As a student or parent, if you would like learn more, please give me a call or send me an email so we can connect. Our website: www.fcadallas.org is a great source of information and inspiration as well. (rbowles@fca.org / 214-739-8003)
Don’t forget, our 2nd Annual Sports Leadership Camp for high school athletes is June 26-29 at Dallas Baptist University. Call us ASAP to see if there is still room.
The athletes and coaches gathered at center field to hear from chaplain, Jon Randles. All the athletes were sitting on the ground and as he began to speak he took a knee so that he could be eye level with them, face to face for them to see his emotion and vice-versa. He spoke boldly and truthfully about not quitting, keeping their commitment to football, striving to be the best athlete they can and how that will pay off when they get into “the real world”. But with great passion and compassion he lovingly told them that if they really wanted to make a difference, the other component is to be people of character. Sometimes people with less skills and less natural abilities can, with hard work and commitment, be more successful than the top athlete with all the skills who don’t care about being a young man or woman of character.
Coach Tom Landry once said, “Give me a choice between an outstanding athlete with poor character and a lesser athlete with good character and I’ll choose the latter every time.”
Here is what I love about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization. With the help of coaches, FCA teaches student athletes new skills about their sport of choice through clinics and camps, but most importantly we get to love on these kids, speak truth into them and encourage them. And our hope is that they will grow up to be adults who make a huge impact in their communities … for the good!
The Greater Dallas Fellowship of Christian Athletes serves 200 middle schools, high schools and college/universities in the Dallas metroplex. As a student or parent, if you would like learn more, please give me a call or send me an email so we can connect. Our website: www.fcadallas.org is a great source of information and inspiration as well. (rbowles@fca.org / 214-739-8003)
Don’t forget, our 2nd Annual Sports Leadership Camp for high school athletes is June 26-29 at Dallas Baptist University. Call us ASAP to see if there is still room.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Influence..alive and well
What happens when a football coach goes beyond the "call of duty" and helps a young man turn his whole world around? Recently I heard the testimony of a young football coach in the Dallas area.
Up until his early teens he thought his life was pretty normal. His parents were his stability until they divorced and his world fell apart. With no spiritual guidance from either parent he stumbled, went after whatever made him feel good and was miserable inside no matter what he tried. He was on a self-destructive path. At one point his path led him to being stabbed at a local bar and even that didn't change his ways because that was all he knew.
He was pretty good at sports and made his way to a small college to play football. It was there that a coach decided to not only challenge him to be a better athlete but he made a point to share Christ with him. Even though he was not interested in "being preached to", the young man soon saw that his coach cared about him beyond the playing field. He was concerned about his spiritual condition. And this college age football player allowed God's word to change his life.
Now fast forward 15 or so years and this young athlete is now a coach himself. While volunteering with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as a huddle coach, he is introduced to a young football player we'll call "Jacob".
Jacob had recently moved to the area from New Orleans. His childhood was nothing but normal. His father kicked him out on the streets when he was in middle school and he went to live with a cousin who was involved in drugs. Jacob also started selling drugs and eventually wound up in Dallas living with an aunt and uncle who pretty much made it clear they were providing room and board and that was it.
No love was given to Jacob who, over the span of a couple of years, lost his cousin and grandmother to drug gangs. Jacob grew up with no one showing him love and was hugely "messed up".
About a year or so ago, someone invited Jacob to the FCA huddle group that our young coach was a part of. There, Jacob heard about Jesus for the first time. He grew up with Buddhism and had no idea who Jesus was. Eventually, Jacob was drawn to the Bible and with limited knowlege asked Christ into his heart. However, his commitment level was immature and he wavered in his Christian walk.
Last year his coach invited him to an FCA sports camp where he made a serious commitment to Christ and the Christian lifestyle. He surrendered everything to Christ and asked God to use him however He saw fit. Jacob started a Bible study for his football team and is beginning to make a huge impact on campus.
I don't know what Jacob's demeanor or personality was like prior to hearing him share his testimony but, today, you can see life and peace radiating from him.
Here's my point to this long story. Years ago a coach decided to teach a young college football player more than just football. He shared the truth about God's love. That young player eventually accepted Christ and years later, as a coach himself, he influenced another young boy, someone who didn't know what love was, to turn to the God who IS love. on earth. Now this young high school player is passing that love on to his friends and who knows what will happen next.
Be encouraged that you can make a difference. Pass love along. It is worth it.
Up until his early teens he thought his life was pretty normal. His parents were his stability until they divorced and his world fell apart. With no spiritual guidance from either parent he stumbled, went after whatever made him feel good and was miserable inside no matter what he tried. He was on a self-destructive path. At one point his path led him to being stabbed at a local bar and even that didn't change his ways because that was all he knew.
He was pretty good at sports and made his way to a small college to play football. It was there that a coach decided to not only challenge him to be a better athlete but he made a point to share Christ with him. Even though he was not interested in "being preached to", the young man soon saw that his coach cared about him beyond the playing field. He was concerned about his spiritual condition. And this college age football player allowed God's word to change his life.
Now fast forward 15 or so years and this young athlete is now a coach himself. While volunteering with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as a huddle coach, he is introduced to a young football player we'll call "Jacob".
Jacob had recently moved to the area from New Orleans. His childhood was nothing but normal. His father kicked him out on the streets when he was in middle school and he went to live with a cousin who was involved in drugs. Jacob also started selling drugs and eventually wound up in Dallas living with an aunt and uncle who pretty much made it clear they were providing room and board and that was it.
No love was given to Jacob who, over the span of a couple of years, lost his cousin and grandmother to drug gangs. Jacob grew up with no one showing him love and was hugely "messed up".
About a year or so ago, someone invited Jacob to the FCA huddle group that our young coach was a part of. There, Jacob heard about Jesus for the first time. He grew up with Buddhism and had no idea who Jesus was. Eventually, Jacob was drawn to the Bible and with limited knowlege asked Christ into his heart. However, his commitment level was immature and he wavered in his Christian walk.
Last year his coach invited him to an FCA sports camp where he made a serious commitment to Christ and the Christian lifestyle. He surrendered everything to Christ and asked God to use him however He saw fit. Jacob started a Bible study for his football team and is beginning to make a huge impact on campus.
I don't know what Jacob's demeanor or personality was like prior to hearing him share his testimony but, today, you can see life and peace radiating from him.
Here's my point to this long story. Years ago a coach decided to teach a young college football player more than just football. He shared the truth about God's love. That young player eventually accepted Christ and years later, as a coach himself, he influenced another young boy, someone who didn't know what love was, to turn to the God who IS love. on earth. Now this young high school player is passing that love on to his friends and who knows what will happen next.
Be encouraged that you can make a difference. Pass love along. It is worth it.
Labels:
camp,
flag football,
love
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