{"id":302421,"date":"2011-12-15T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-12-15T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/what-is-fca\/"},"modified":"2011-12-15T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-12-15T17:00:00","slug":"what-is-fca","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/what-is-fca\/","title":{"rendered":"What is FCA?"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FCA Vice Presidents Shane Williamson and Dan Britton explain the who, what and why behind the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2011-12-15.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"21.22M","filesize_raw":"22245983","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2821],"tags":[4818,4126,5185,4158],"podcast_series":[7846],"cwp_profile":[9252,9251],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-302421","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reaching-out","tag-evangelism","tag-ministry","tag-youth","tag-youth-ministry","podcast_series-introducing-athletes-to-jesus","cwp_profile-dan-britton","cwp_profile-shane-williamson","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/302421\/what-is-fca","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/302421\/what-is-fca","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"9lwnqB2Enm\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/what-is-fca\/\">What is FCA?<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/what-is-fca\/embed\/#?secret=9lwnqB2Enm\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;What is FCA?&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"9lwnqB2Enm\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"FCA Vice Presidents Shane Williamson and Dan Britton explain the who, what and why behind the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2011-12-15.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Sports is an arena where, honestly, your walk with Christ can be put to the test, whether you are a participant or you\u2019re related to somebody who is a participant.\u00a0 Here is former high school coach, Shane Williamson.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 As a parent sitting in the stands or a coach with a whistle around your neck, you find yourself in these moments where you\u2019re tested.\u00a0 So, what I wanted to say is a word of encouragement to anybody who puts a whistle around your neck, or carries a clipboard, or wears a shirt that says \u201cCoach\u201d on it, \u201cYour kids, and the parents, and the people around you can learn as much from your failures as they can learn from your victories, if you\u2019re just willing to allow the Lord to be the Lord of your life in that area.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Thursday, December 15th.\u00a0 Our host is the President of FamilyLife\u00ae, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine.\u00a0 There is a lot all of us can learn and a lot that can be taught when families are involved in sports.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to talk about that today.\u00a0 Stay tuned.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 Thanks for joining us on the Thursday edition.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to talk today about sports, and about being parents, and about having your kids involved, and how all of that can work together to point them toward Christ.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBefore we dive into that though, Dennis, we\u2019ve got a little bit of an update for our listeners.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been telling them about the matching-gift fund that some of our friends offered us during the month of December\u2014a $2.5 million matching-gift fund.\u00a0 Many of our listeners have been responding and making donations, but you\u2019ve got a little bit of an update on that matching gift fund; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 Yes, we do.\u00a0 In fact, I\u2019m pleased to report it\u2019s grown by over $1 million.\u00a0 We\u2019re now at, really, over $3.5 million.\u00a0 That\u2019s been provided by a number of families who just said, \u201cThe family is in trouble here in America, and we believe in what you guys are doing here on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, Bob, we have over 2,000 people a day who download <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> onto their iPods\u00ae or iPhones\u00ae and listen to the broadcast.\u00a0 I know a guy who works out with us every morning up in New Jersey.\u00a0 We also have over 2,500 folks who listen online to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 Of course, then, we have hundreds of thousands who listen to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> on a radio station.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHere\u2019s what I need our listeners to know:\u00a0 This broadcast is here because someone cared enough to say, \u201cLet\u2019s fund it.\u00a0 Let\u2019s keep it on the air.\u00a0 Let\u2019s keep it going.\u201d\u00a0 Right now, we\u2019re facing a big-time challenge here with this huge matching grant, that we believe God supplied; and to take full advantage of it\u2014dollar for dollar\u2014I need you to step up, and I need you to stand with us and give a donation.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You can make a donation by going online at FamilyLifeToday.com and click the button that says, \u201cI Care;\u201d or call 1-800-FL-TODAY and make a donation over the phone.\u00a0 Again, we appreciate whatever you are able to do and hope we can take full advantage of this matching-gift opportunity.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, as I said, we\u2019re going to talk about sports.\u00a0 We have already established, many times on our program, that you are a stand-out high school athlete at Ozark High School in Ozark, Missouri.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I was.\u00a0 I was a stand-out in high school and very mediocre bench-warmer in college.\u00a0 (Laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You set a record\u2014a scoring record\u2014at Ozark High; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I did.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s still in place, but\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 44 points in one game\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u2014is that right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 That\u2019s correct.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Was there\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Nobody else on the team.\u00a0 That\u2019s not true, by the way.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Was there a Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at Ozark High School?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 No, there was not.\u00a0 In fact, I don\u2019t remember the first time I heard of Fellowship of Christian Athletes; but I think it was at the University of Arkansas, where we had a nationally-ranked team, the football team.\u00a0 There was a very vigorous chapter there that met with a pastor that I work with, H.D. McCarty.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tH.D. was kind of a huddle leader, I guess, of sorts.\u00a0 They had a huge percentage of the team that came out for a Bible study every week.\u00a0 I think it was a part of the character of that team that they were ranked No. 2 in the nation and played Texas (a great game) up in the hills of Arkansas.\u00a0 Of course, all of the Texans know who won that game\u2014no doubt about it.\u00a0 (Laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe have a couple of veterans from FCA joining us on our broadcast today\u2014Shane Williamson and Dan Britton join us.\u00a0 Guys, welcome to the broadcast.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 Thank you, Dennis, for having us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 Thanks, Dennis.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Shane is a\u2014well, he was for 12 years, a head football coach in South Carolina.\u00a0 He is the FCA director for Metro-Atlanta.\u00a0 He and his wife Angel have three daughters and a son.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDan Britton has served with FCA since 1991.\u00a0 He is an executive vice president.\u00a0 He is a speaker, a trainer, a co-author of a book called <em>Wisdom Walks<\/em>.\u00a0 He and his wife Dawn have three children.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI just want you, Dan, to take a minute and just explain what FCA is to our listening audience.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure nearly all of them have heard about FCA; but they may not understand, really, what it does and who its target audience really is.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 FCA\u2019s primary focus is to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ, through the influence of athletes and coaches.\u00a0 Our heartbeat is to minister in the sports world and to minister to and through the coach, whether it is at the youth level, all the way to the professional level.\u00a0 We joke, Dennis, that whether you are eight or 108, we\u2019ve got you covered.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You probably don\u2019t have many 108-year-old athletes, but\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, there may be a few out there.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Maybe.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 They might jump to conclusions for something like that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 You work through the coaches to reach young people today to lead them to Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 We\u2019re all about winning people to Jesus Christ, having a relationship with Christ, and then, discipling them in that process.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 FCA was established back in\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 1954 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u20141954.\u00a0 Tell us about the founding of the organization\u2014who did it and kind of how it got started.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fca.org\/vsItemDisplay.lsp&amp;objectID=8FBD3D3A-4712-4082-916CB29C99D18304&amp;method=display\">Don McClanen<\/a> had a vision.\u00a0 In the 50\u2019s, he was clipping articles of any Christian coach or athlete that had a positive, Christian influence.\u00a0 He was looking around in the 50\u2019s and seeing all the negative influence that sports was having on our society.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tTherefore, he thought the opposite could be true.\u00a0 With that mindset, he said, \u201cLet\u2019s form a group called Fellowship of Christian Athletes that could have an impact on society by using sports for the good.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I kind of marvel at your ministry; I think, foremost, because of the power of sport.\u00a0 Shane, what is it about sport that seems to collect us and cause us to be riveted to our TV\u2019s or go to games where our kids play?\u00a0 What\u2019s taking place there?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, Dennis, I think deep inside all of us, maybe, we all think we were once destined to be Michael Jordan; we just never got there.\u00a0 So, that\u2019s probably got something to do with it.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think, that sport really is a universal language.\u00a0 It is worldwide.\u00a0 The ability for a group of people to come together and collectively work together towards a common goal is something we all desire in our lives.\u00a0 We celebrate that.\u00a0 It gives us moments where we can have the, obviously, the joy of victory and the agony of defeat.\u00a0 It just resonates with us in terms of our culture and, I think, around the world.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, you\u2019re right about it being worldwide.\u00a0 I was in Costa Rica last summer\u2014and after lunch, every day in Costa Rica, all of the workers that we were working with down there\u2014it was time for soccer.\u00a0 Everybody gets out, and they played.\u00a0 I\u2019m telling you, they were playing on a field that was dangerous\u2014pot holes, shards, and branches.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t care.\u00a0 They wanted to go out and play soccer.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn fact, this church we were working with is building a new 1,500-seat auditorium for their church; and they are making sure, that during the week, the auditorium can be converted into an indoor soccer field.\u00a0 That\u2019s how universal the pull of athletics is; and where you\u2019ve got young men or young women who are attracted by the draw of the game, you have an opportunity; don\u2019t you?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 I tell you, when you have an opportunity to sweat and spend time on a ball field or on a court with a young person, that experience can probably have more of an impact and create more of a relational connect than probably a year of programming.\u00a0 God opens doors, allowing opportunities to do significant ministry, all because of the context of sports.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 My dad was my first coach.\u00a0 He was the only coach I knew for a number of years; but in the sixth grade, I ended up playing for a coach in basketball\u2014I\u2019ve never forgotten this guy.\u00a0 He made the statement.\u00a0 He said, \u201cState Champs, 1966.\u201d\u00a0 Well, the year was 1960.\u00a0 I mean, we were in the sixth grade.\u00a0 We were six years away from being seniors in high school, but he knew the power of vision.\u00a0 It\u2019s amazing.\u00a0 Today, I\u2019m 63 years old.\u00a0 I can still remember, \u201cState Champs, 1966\u201d as a 12-year-old in a sport\u2014having a vision, dreaming and thinking about a goal.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think, as the parents go to these games, they\u2019re tying into this motif as well.\u00a0 They want their kids to win so they look good.\u00a0 Let\u2019s admit it.\u00a0 We all love the thought of, maybe, our child playing on the state championship team; but it\u2019s really the power of that goal, and the achievement, and knowing whether you won or lost that makes the difference. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 It sure does, Dennis.\u00a0 I think Coach Steckel, our president\u2014Les Steckel says two of the most powerful words in the English language today are, \u201cCoach said.\u201d\u00a0 If you think about that for just a second, many of the listeners out there today, they probably have some kids getting in their minivans today.\u00a0 The first thing they said when they get in the minivan is, \u201cMom, Dad, let me tell you what coach said.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s fascinating, just in the environment of that world of sport, how so much influence, so much impact, so many emotional and just wonderful ties exist because of the experiences that we\u2019ve had there.\u00a0\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Coaching is a mixed bag.\u00a0 You talked about the founding of FCA\u2014that there was a negative influence to sport.\u00a0 Not every high school, not every junior high has a godly man or a godly woman leading the sports teams.\u00a0 So, how does FCA function if the coaches really don\u2019t give a rip about the spiritual dynamic of the team?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s why we\u2019ve got to win them to Christ, and that\u2019s why FCA is\u2014the great thing about FCA is we go to where the coaches are at.\u00a0 We don\u2019t ask the coaches to come to us.\u00a0 It is the Jesus model of literally going on the campus, going into the schools, going into the locker room, going on the fields, and meeting coaches right where they\u2019re at.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBilly Graham once said that a coach can have more of an impact in one year than most people will have in a lifetime.\u00a0 Then, he follows up and says, \u201cWho\u2019s coaching the coach?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Give us an illustration of a coach who is doing that.\u00a0 I mean, we all agree with you that, \u201cYes, coaches have a great impact.\u201d\u00a0 I was nodding my head, Shane, as you were talking about \u201cCoach said.\u201d\u00a0 I mean, yes, that is all true; but give me an illustration of a coach you guys are working with who is using his influence for God\u2019s purposes and glory.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 I think, probably, even on this program, you guys were blessed with Mark Richt at the University of Georgia.\u00a0 As a matter of fact, an interesting story\u2014maybe the listeners don\u2019t know about Mark Richt\u2014he\u2014this summer when a lot of coaches\u2014and a guy in his position (SEC big-time program, lot of pressure, need to win, should be there, trying to figure out, \u201cHow I\u2019m going to beat Auburn?\u201d, \u201cHow am I going to beat Florida?\u201d)\u2014he ends up taking himself, his family, and some players; and they go on a mission trip.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s fascinating that\u2014to be able to balance your perspective of your job.\u00a0 Mark is a guy that I think has demonstrated through winning a lot of games, and through having some challenging seasons as well, he\u2019s maintained his walk with Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 He told us the story when he was a guest on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> that when he showed up at practice as an assistant coach at Florida State\u2014that the day after one of the players had died\u2014had been shot to death\u2014and there was an empty chair in the locker room.\u00a0 Coach Bowden, head coach there, talked to all of the young men about the fact that life can be over in an instant.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 One of the men who knocked on Coach Bowden\u2019s door when that locker time was over was a young assistant coach named Mark Richt who said, \u201cI need to give my life to Christ.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s the kind of influence a coach can have.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 I have to believe, right now, that there are moms and dads, men and women, listening to this broadcast, who are coaches.\u00a0 They may be a little league coach like my dad was.\u00a0 They may be coaching their daughter\u2019s soccer team or maybe volleyball.\u00a0 They\u2019re volunteering, perhaps, through Pop Warner Little League and\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You were a little league coach for a season or two; weren\u2019t you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh my goodness, Bob.\u00a0 Did you have to bring that up?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Up until the other parents ran you off.\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t that how it worked?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 No.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 What was your record?\u00a0 That\u2019s what is really important.\u00a0 (Laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 You knew there was a story there; didn\u2019t you?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 We\u2019ll just let that lay where it is.\u00a0 We had the same record two years in a row.\u00a0 We won one game and lost 15.\u00a0 I still live in the community where this took place, and I\u2019m going to be very careful here.\u00a0 (Laughter)\u00a0 The cards were stacked.\u00a0 How shall we say it?\u00a0 So, if the guy who stacked\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 The other coach and the ump had a family relationship.\u00a0 We\u2019ll just put it that way.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh, yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 The commissioner, the coach, and the ump.\u00a0 Now, that\u2019s going to give it away for a lot of people.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 I think every coach says that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 Undoubtedly, there are those who are listening who are coaches; and they are saying, \u201cYou know what?\u00a0 I thought maybe FCA only worked with the Mark Richts.\u201d\u00a0 You really\u2014you\u2019re targeting coaches who start with young people, increasingly in the 8- to14-year range, because you believe, \u201cIf we don\u2019t win them to Christ then, we\u2019re going to lose them later on in high school.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 Dennis, most\u2014a lot of our ministry on the campus\u2014we have a campus ministry that we work with about 8,000 schools in the junior high, high school, and college level.\u00a0 On any given week, we work with roughly 300,000 young people in the school context.\u00a0 Most of those are public schools.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFCA is making <em>great<\/em> strides in ministering where 99 percent of the US population will go through the secondary school education.\u00a0 FCA is on those campuses.\u00a0 We\u2019re making a difference right where they are at; but we\u2019ve recognized, Dennis, that over the years, by the time they get to high school, it\u2019s almost too late.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tTherefore, over the years, we\u2019ve targeted junior high school campuses.\u00a0 Even in our camp program, we now have 8- to 12-year-old camp programs called Power Camps.\u00a0 We\u2019ll have over 10,000 young people that\u2019ll be a part of our Power Camp program this past summer.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 So, if a coach is listening right now, who coaches one of these little league teams, and would like to maybe increase his or her influence over the young people that he or she is coaching, what should they do?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 Call FCA.\u00a0 We have 450 offices, 900 staff, to reach two million coaches and athletes every year.\u00a0 We <em>desperately<\/em> want to engage with coaches that want to make a difference, no matter what level it is.\u00a0 Actually, the Mark Richts are far and few between; but the youth level\u2014that is really where God is raising up men and women that love Jesus Christ, that are committed to coaching young people.\u00a0 We want to engage with them.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Give us an illustration\u2014you know, you told us about Mark Richt\u2014give us an illustration of a little league coach, or maybe a soccer mom who\u2019s a coach, and how they are using their influence for Jesus Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 This past summer I had the chance to work and serve at five different of our 300 FCA camps we have that will reach 50,000 coaches and athletes through our camp program.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe had a high school coach that came to our New Hampshire camp\u2014which, that\u2019s the \u201c3-Percent Club\u201d\u20143 percent go to church up there\u2014and we had a chance to see this coach bring 15 high school soccer players with him.\u00a0 Now, he was in charge to coach soccer for all the kids; but his commitment was, \u201cIf I\u2019m going to go, I\u2019m going to bring 15 kids with me in the van to make sure they hear about Christ.\u201d\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t you know, that a number of those kids accepted Christ at that camp that week?!\u00a0 That\u2019s a great example.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 If I could add to that, one of the things that\u2014so many of the listeners, like you said, are moms or dads, and they\u2019re coaching their nine-year-old boys in baseball or their 12-year-old daughters in soccer\u2014just to encourage them in what they are doing.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI had a gentleman, who was an FCA board member, a very successful businessman\u2014was coaching his 11-year-old\u2019s baseball team.\u00a0 For our baseball enthusiasts out there, it\u2019s 15 to nothing; they are losing in this game.\u00a0 There is a runner on third, and his opponent squeezes the 16th run in to go up 16 to nothing.\u00a0 Now\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I know how that feels.\u00a0 (Laughter)\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 For those non-baseball enthusiasts, that\u2019s like throwing a 60-yard Hail Mary when you\u2019re up 50 to nothing.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, it\u2019s like pouring salt in the wound.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s just pile it on.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 It\u2019s just tough.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 So, his son was pitching.\u00a0 He walks out to the mound, goes up, and in typical baseball fashion\u2014as we love the game\u2014he tells his 11-year-old son to throw at the next batter.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Brush him back.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Seriously?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, that night I received a phone call; and he was very distraught because as many of the listeners\u2014you, as a parent, sitting in the stands, or a coach with a whistle around your neck\u2014you find yourselves in these moments where you\u2019re tested.\u00a0 Perhaps, it gets the best of you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, I understand that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shane:<\/strong>\u00a0 The testimony part of this is that he, after talking to me on the phone, the next day he goes back\u2014and just as you described\u2014he apologized to the parents and to the players; and he told about what God had taught him through that experience.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, what I wanted to say is a word of encouragement to anybody who puts a whistle around your neck, or carries a clipboard, or wears a shirt that says \u201cCoach\u201d on it, you don\u2019t have to be perfect.\u00a0 Your kids, and the parents, and the people around you can learn as much from your failures as they can learn from your victories, if you\u2019re just willing to allow the Lord to be the Lord of your life in that area.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Dan, what kind of resources does FCA provide for somebody who\u2019s a little league coach in the summer, or a high school coach, or a junior high coach?\u00a0 What kind of help can you provide them?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 We have great help, and resources, and programs.\u00a0 We have a lot of camp programs that we can send kids to camp\u2014that they can be instructed right hands on.\u00a0 We call it \u201cA Week of Inspiration and Perspiration,\u201d where they can really get after it.\u00a0 We have great campus programs.\u00a0 We have coaches\u2019 ministry opportunities.\u00a0 We even work in the community.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAlso, Bob, we have great resources.\u00a0 We have Bibles.\u00a0 We have an athlete\u2019s Bible.\u00a0 We have a coach\u2019s Bible.\u00a0 We have devotions.\u00a0\u00a0 We have small group curriculum.\u00a0 We have videos.\u00a0 We have devotionals for families in a sports context.\u00a0 There are a lot of things that we do to say, \u201cHere\u2019s FCA that you can take and develop in your local community.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Earlier, I heard you say that <em>The Athlete\u2019s Bible<\/em> was really one of the finest tools you had created because of the additional resources that are embedded in that Bible you put together.\u00a0 Who is it for?\u00a0 What\u2019s in that Bible that would guide a young man or a young woman in their faith?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 <em>The Athlete\u2019s Bible<\/em> is a great resource.\u00a0 It has devotionals built into the back of it.\u00a0 They have small group curriculum actually written in an athletic context that coaches and athletes can use.\u00a0 With all of our Bibles, we\u2019ll distribute almost 200,000 Bibles this year alone into locker rooms and into schools, which is a powerful Bible ministry distribution that we have within FCA.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne of the things that we see often, Dennis, is when we give every person that comes to camp a copy of God\u2019s Word; we know that it\u2019s a take-away.\u00a0 It\u2019s a take-away that, \u201cYes, the camp experience might last for a week; but they have God\u2019s Word.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe just got a call the other day from a businessman that sent his 17-year-old son to camp\u2014last ditch effort\u2014didn\u2019t know what was going to happen; sports got him there\u2014called the other day just to tell us, for the first time, as he was walking by his son\u2019s bedroom, he saw something he had never seen before in his 17 years of his son.\u00a0 Before he turned his light off, he was sitting on his bed, reading his <em>FCA Athlete\u2019s Bible.<\/em><em>\u00a0 <\/em>He wanted to call us\u2014tears in his eyes\u2014saying, \u201cNever seen it before in my life.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 What if some of our listeners wanted to get an <em>FCA Athlete\u2019s Bible<\/em>?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dan:<\/strong>\u00a0 FCAGEAR.com or FCA.org is our way to actually get on our website, or you can call 1-800-289-0909.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Actually, we\u2019ve got a link on our website at FamilyLifeToday.com that\u2019ll take you to FCA\u2019s website, where you can get more information about many of the resources that they provide and have available for athletes at all levels of participation.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019d encourage listeners just go to FamilyLifeToday.com and look for information about the book that Dan Britton has written called <em>Wisdom Walks<\/em>.\u00a0 This is a great book for fathers to use with their sons, or with their daughters, to help cultivate character, and wisdom, and life skills.\u00a0 You\u2019ve done a great job in this book.\u00a0 Just be great for father\/son times together, father\/daughter dates together\u2014to take a copy of this book and read one of the chapters.\u00a0 They are short chapters; great stories.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAgain, there is more information about the book, <em>Wisdom Walks<\/em>, by Dan Britton.\u00a0 You can find that online at FamilyLifeToday.com as well; or if you\u2019d like to get a copy, call us toll-free at 1-800- \u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then, the word, \u201cTODAY\u201d.\u00a0 We\u2019ll make arrangements to get a copy of that book sent out to you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tQuickly, I want to remind you of what Dennis mentioned at the beginning of today\u2019s program\u2014the matching-gift fund, here at FamilyLife, that was established by some friends of the ministry\u2014that has now grown from $2.5 million to $3.5 million.\u00a0 That\u2019s exciting news for us, but the real excitement is going to happen when we hear from listeners who can help us take advantage of those matching funds.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re asking all of you to do whatever you can do this year to go online at FamilyLifeToday.com; click the button that says, \u201cI Care\u201d; and make a year-end donation to support <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 Or call 1-800-FL-TODAY and make a donation over the phone.\u00a0 We appreciate your support of this ministry\u2014want to say, \u201cThanks,\u201d in advance for whatever you are able to do.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ll keep you posted on how we do on our progress toward meeting that $3.5 million matching-gift amount.\u00a0 Stay tuned, and we\u2019ll keep you up to date with that; okay? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLet me encourage you to be back with us again tomorrow.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to talk more about families, and sports, and God and how all of that fits together.\u00a0 Dan Britton and Shane Williamson will be back with us again tomorrow from Fellowship of Christian Athletes.\u00a0 Hope you\u2019ll be back with us, as well.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today\u2014his name is Keith Lynch\u2014and our entire broadcast production team.\u00a0 On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine.\u00a0 We will see you back tomorrow for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today.\u00a0 Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you.\u00a0 However, there is a cost to produce them for our website.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright \u00a9 2011 FamilyLife.\u00a0 All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/302421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=302421"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=302421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302421"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=302421"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=302421"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=302421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}