-The following program i a West Tennessee PBS special pre made possible through the gener financial support of viewers lik Please visit WestTNPBS.org and make a donation today so that we can continue to mak local programs like this possibl Thank you.

-As another school year gets un for many families and students, that means school sports.

One group is uniting two passion athletes and faith.

Hello, I'm Don McCrory.

On this edition of Tennessee Is the topic is the fellowship of Christian athl What is the organization about and what activities are they doing locally?

Let's begin the conversation.

-That's so cool.

-Then that's when I said that-- -The problem with that idea is-- -Wow, that was amazing.

-Then I came up with a solution.

-What was that about?

[background conversation] -Here's what I think about it.

[background conversation] Now we're talking.

-West Tennessee and PB presents Tennessee Is Talking.

Let the conversation begin.

-Thanks for joining the discuss on Tennessee Is Talking I'm Don The Fellowship of Christian Athl was founded in 1954 and today reaches communities across the country.

Joining us today to tell us more about what is happening locally is Keri La the Northwest area representativ for the FCA.

Let's start with how the organiz is involved locally.

Hi, Keri.

-Hi.

-Thanks for joining us today -Thank you so much for having me -It's a pleasure to have you her We're excited to know a little b about the organization.

Tell us how faith and sports come together with the FCA.

-FCA is an organization and we involve schools and sport All athletic teams are on West T We use lots of different venues athletes in programs that we do.

We do weekly huddles with teams and with students to combine students in their fai We've learned through FCA that have a lot of influence in their and coache and so we feel like the vision, actually, of FCA is to reach athletes for Christ by using the influence from coaches and athletes, and so I think that's how FC incorporates that into their eve In their schools.

-You talk about teams.

Do you have one spor that's a little bit more active -No, in all the teams now.

In 1954 when FCA was originated, obviously, it was a football coach.

When we think about FC a lot of people think about foot Because it was a football coach, he took his-- I think it was 19 kids or whate and he wrote a letter about he w to incorporate their faith, and he wanted to influence other those athletes.

It was football-related.

Through the years, it was mainly a football ministry, and it was a, mainly, a male min Obviously, we're in 2024 and that has expanded to every s I'm on campuses.

I'm on a college campus at UT Ma where we have equestrian, we have rifle, we have soccer, we have softball, we have basketball, we have tennis.

We have every sport and all spor are included in FCA.

-Both men and women.

-Yes, absolutely.

-Great.

FCA brings togethe not only athletes but coaches, fans, parents.

Tell us who can get involved.

-We have all people involved.

Each of the schools have what w huddle leaders which is usually or a teacher in that building.

They are the ones that incorpor the huddles weekly in those scho Coaches.

I love for coaches to be involv because coaches have tons of inf with the students.

If you get a coach involved, students and athletes really respond well to that.

I have tons of parent volunteer that help with events and studen that aren't athletes.

We say all the time that you do to be an athlete to be involved We have school huddles that meet that involve all students and so we involve those athletes and those coaches but also a wide variety of all community -Are some of these coaches from the local high schools around that some of the students are, maybe, familiar with?

-I'm in Northwest, Tennessee so Our office serves nine counties.

We serve Weakley County, Benton County, Gibson County, Henry County, Lauderdale County, Dyer County, Lake County, and Oban County.

All of those schools, we have huddles I think.

I'm pretty sure with 66 high sch and middle schools and all of those schools have an FCA huddle, an active huddle.

-Is that during the school year or is it year-round?

-It's during the school year.

Now in the summer, which I'm sure we'll get to, but so in the summer is when we do our camps, but starting with our school yea that's when our huddles meet and our teams meet.

-Okay.

All right.

Can you tell us some of the loca that you're a sponsor for?

-Yes, absolutely.

Our most recent event will be in September.

We have Fields of Faith.

It's at Trenton Peabody High Sch in Trenton, Tennessee.

It's a huge event.

Last year, I think we ha over 500 students and parents.

We invite the whole community, basically, so a lot of coaches, teams come.

It's Fields of Faith, and it's a very big event.

I also sponso a Field of Faith event at UT Mar which serves Weakley County stud so that's a couple events we do in the fall.

We also have, in the winter, we do Courts for Christ.

Last year we had on at South Gibson High School in M We also have one at Gibson County High School, and I've had them also in Weakley County as well.

We do events that we just try to cater to all students, all sports, so that all of the k can be involved.

I like to get lots of kid involved to speak in those Event I feel like they take a lot of o and they have a lot of pride in those events.

In the summer, we have camps.

Our West Tennessee kids we take them to Knoxville for FC We don't actually have a local c We do a couple of basketball pla but as far as camps, we go to Knoxville to Johnson University in Knoxvil and we do our overnight camps th We have basketball team camps, we have individual camps, competitors' camps, leadership camps.

Lots of things.

There are camps statewide.

Football camps.

Just about every sport that I mentioned earlier there's probably some kind of FCA camps somewhere in the stat during the school year for that For that sport, so we really pr ourselves in our sports and our that we have.

-Is there a cost to the individual athletes to pa -There is a cost but, locally, one of my jobs is fundraising and so we do a lot of fundraising to help scholarship those students that want to go to FCA camp.

I've been with FCA for three yea and we've been able to pay for all of our kids that went to We did not require them to pay a If I can get kids interested in to FCA camp then we try to work to fundraise for the so that they don't have to pay to go to camp -Do you have a direct outreach to local churches to solicit stu and volunteers?

-Yes, absolutely.

I speak- -Tell us a little bit about that -The Gibson association that I speak at in different chu that we go and speak to just to- For fundraising purposes.

For Churches to partner with us and help the-- Send those students to camp because it's really important those students get to go and that those churches partner The adults really like-- They love to partner and take ownership of those students, and they feel like it's a really good mission feel for them.

-What's the ages of the students that you take?

-We have a middle school camp and we have a high school camp.

It starts 6th grade-ish and all up to seniors in high school.

-Great.

Okay.

Tell us about your role with th in Tennessee and how you got inv in the organization.

-Okay.

My story started way back.

I was a college athlete myself.

I played basketball at Gibson County High School, and then I played at UT Martin.

Just always passionate about athletes and coaches.

After I graduated, I becam a teacher and a coach for 20 yea and so that was my passion.

I got to become a huddle leade at my school that I taught and c at and so whenever-- -Okay, I'm going to stop you and what's a huddle leader?

-Okay.

It's the person who organ the devotion weekly, and so I was the coac and the teacher there in that bu at Rutherford Elementary.

Every Friday morning, we would have a huddle.

That's what we called it because it's a sports term- -Okay --but it's really just a meeting with kids come in.

We would have some doughnuts and do a devotion, and I would have speakers come i Youth pastors from the are or parents would come in and lea and so I got involved volunteer just through doing the huddle le at my school.

Then the director of FCA is my-- Barry Duncan.

I'm at the Union City offic and so he contacted me about goi full-time for FCA.

I've been with FCA for three yea I'm called a Northwest Tennessee which means I have 26 high schoo and middle schools, and I do two universities.

I serve Bethel University, and I serve UT Martin, and then 26 schools in four coun I'm just one of five on our staf We have four other staff members Jackson also has their own their own office and staff.

I'm not in the Jackson area.

Barry Cox is the director in Jac I'm not sure if Barry, but he's- He does the Jackson area.

I work out of the Northwest, Tennessee office, but we service every school in Northwest, Tennessee.

-Do you and Barry share resource -Oh, yes.

Yes.

My boss is also Barry, his name is Barry Duncan, and so I'm always calling one of the Barrys [chuckling] to collaborate on thing because they're both great to wo with great.

-Great.

I understand that FCA i an international organization.

-It is.

-Can you tell me a little bit how far that reaches?

-Yes.

Our West Tennessee team partners with East Africa, and so we have, actually, a director of international missions, that he lives in Pulaski, Tennes He organizes-- I think it's three trips a year.

We go to Ethiopia.

We have FCA peopl on the ground there that are-- They're natives of the area but they work for FCA, and they do soccer camps.

Lots and lots of soccer in East -Football -Yes, football, but we call it s They do an adult mission trip.

They also do college.

A lot of college ministry.

We have a lot of college studen to Africa from our FCA programs with those kids and help develop those leaders over there so that they can wor in those soccer camps for FCA.

-Right.

Have you had the trip for this year or is it-- -It's in July.

-It's in July?

-Yes, it's in July.

They do it every July.

The college kids get to go.

I haven't gotten to go yet.

I really want to do that, but of course, I still have kid and I'm trying to but one of the I promise, I'm going to do that.

-Your turn is coming.

-Yes, it's coming.

-Yes, okay.

On your website, which is fca.org, there are resources that are av for people that want to get invo and to help.

-Absolutely.

-Tell us a little bit about wha and how that they can make a con to the organization.

-Okay.

Fca.org is our national website.

Our national office is at Kansas City, Missouri.

It's a phenomenal place, it's a phenomenal website.

There's tons of information there about our history, about everything that we do.

Our local website is Northw-- nwtnfca.org, which stand for Northwest Tennessee fca.org.

I'm pretty sure if you go to the national website, you'll be able to search- -It's probably- --for us.

--a link.

-Right, it's a link.

There's places on there that yo to see how to get a huddle start If you want a huddle in your sc there's also contact information how to reach out to our local of If you want a visit fro one of our staff members to help an event going, maybe, or maybe a camp, or maybe have a huddle in your s or any of those things there would be available on our websit There's also a place to donate.

FCA is a charity.

We're donor-based, 100%, and so we have ministry partner that work along with us that hel our ministry.

If you know anybody that would b to reach out financially, that's also available on that we We also have a website called fcaresources.com.

If you are a local perso that's involved with youth minis you don't have to work for FCA, there are thousands of resources on that website.

Devotions, and videos, and games, and all kinds of activities for youth that are involved in faith-based organizations.

It's not just for FCA, so it's a great website that I really like to advertis because lots of our local youth use our website as well.

-In addition to donations, can y If you can sign up to be a volun -Absolutely.

Yes, there's a place there for volunteers, there's a plac there for financial donations.

-Great.

What is your biggest nee right now within the organizatio -Our biggest need, probably, we have a lot of schools that I what we call character coaches.

A character coach is a person that I match up.

I could ask you to volunteer to be a character coach, and I would match you up with one specific team, and you would do devotions with that team every week or every other week.

They're volunteers for FCA.

They're amazing -Do I have to be athletic to do -You do not have to be athletic [laughter] You don't have to be an athlete.

I love to match up character coa because there's one of me, and I have 26 schools, and so sometimes it's overwhelm to try to get to all the kids th to get to in a week.

Whenever I have character coache that walk along beside me, I give them-- Actually, I give them their freedom to lead.

We have to do a background check and I check in to make sure that they're going to teach faith-based things, but basically they're in charge of their team.

They meet with that team.

It's really a neat relationship.

They get to be with that team a good moments with them and be wi during hard times and do devotions with them.

They really learn each other and get to know each other, and it's really great.

That's one of the biggest needs If someone watching this program Feels the calling to be a chara we would love it because I love character coaches with our team because I know that team is goin to be well-ministered to throughout their season.

-Right.

Once again if a viewer on Tennessee Is Talk wants to make a donation or to v go to your website.

-Yes.

-Which is?

-nwtnfca.org.

That stands for Northwest Tennes It's all capital letters, N-W-T- -Okay.

What is it that you want to remember about your organizat at the end of the day?

-I just think the FCA is a phenomenal way-- It's one of the last ways left, really, that we have to teach about Jesus at school.

Our faith is one of our stronges I think, that gets kids through hard times, and I think, so many times, kids We assume that we're in Tenness and we assume that kids have a B and we assume that kids go to c but so many times in our church- Schools that's not the case.

I feel like FCA is our chance to get to those students-- I mean those athletes and just try to get them involve in a ministry that cares about t that supports them, and that wants what's best for t I love to connect with my athletes and just be their support system.

Athletes and students as well, they just need people that will pour into them on a we and just let them kno that we're always there to suppo and we love them.

We love to have our events, we love to have our camps, but at the end of the day it's that day-to-day relationshi that we build with students that I think is so important.

Some students don't get that.

They don't get that support from maybe.

We know that being on a team you always look up to that coach but every situation is different and I just think that FCA is so important in being able t into those students on a daily b -The students are actively invol in the huddles- -Oh, yes, sir --and in the communication itsel -Yes.

Really, especially in my and even most of my middle schoo they're student-led.

FCA is a student-led-- -Oh.

-Yes.

They'll bring people in to spea different churches or different organizations.

Most huddles have a leadership and it's students that are invol that plan and organize.

Even when I go into a school, I meet with students, and I'll say "What do you guys want to do?"

and, "How are we going to do this?"

They always help plan the events It's student-led and that makes it even better, because the student really take ownership of that.

-Great.

Do you have a maximum number of that you can handle each [?]

-Oh, no.

We take- -Take them all.

--as many that will come.

-As many as will show up.

-It's so great to see when you w in a room and you have 100, 150 students there for an FCA devotion on-- Before school.

It's very encoura to know that we have adults that are pouring into those kids -Okay.

Students are actively involved in sports and faith.

That's an excellent combination.

-Yes, it really is.

It really is.

I'm very thankful that I was pu in the path of FCA all those yea and I think we're still trying to make a difference every single day in the lives of students and athletes and coaches.

We have a great coaches ministry We haven't talked about that muc but we do coaches weekends, coaches timeouts.

I have coaches huddles, which is just for-- We have coach-- Devotions with coaches once a month before school.

I was a coach.

I have a passion for coaching.

-You started as a coach?

-I did.

I coach basketball and so I have passion for coache because coaches are tired they have a lot on their plate.

They have a lot coming at them all the time, plus their own families, plus th The school and all the things, and so we try to minister to coaches as wel and walk alongside them and supp and encourage them as well because coaches have a very important role.

One of the things that we talk about in FCA is coaches have the most influence in their scho They have a position of influenc really, more than parents have most of the time.

If you have kids that have ever played sports, they come home and, "Coach says.

When coach says it, it is the la Walking with those coaches is s because I just feel like they ha to be supporte so that they can support athlete They get tired, they get burnout -Hearing the phrase "burnout" for a coach is foreign to me because they are looked up to- -Absolutely.

--as being leaders, and you think that they're givin everything that they have all th -They are.

Most of the time they are.

-I guess, in reality, that they need to step back ever and then to refresh.

-Yes, our theme for FCA- we do yearly themes on our website.

You can see that.

We have severa that are attached to that.

-but our theme for this year was I thought it was very ironic wh to studying it because it was, what is your 24/7?

For coaches, it's the grind.

24/7, literally.

Our devotion with coaches this whole school y has been step back and rest.

Rest and see what God has in sto because coaches get burnout.

Coaches get tired during their s It's so hectic.

Then they have their own family lives to go along with it, and so we just try to ministe to coaches and remind them that, at the end of the day, what's really important, and that's hard for coaches to keep in perspective.

-Yes, some coaches can teach or supervise multiple sports, ri -Oh, absolutely.

Yes.

They go from one season to They don't get a break.

[chuckles] -They do not get a break.

It's like, what do I do, coach?

Yes, and scheduling practices.

-Yes, practices every day.

It's just a daily grind for coac It's a hard job.

It's a hard ca and so we try to walk along with especially because we feel like to be refreshed and NFCA is real about working with coaches.

-Great.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes Marvelous organization.

-Yes, it is.

It's a great organization It's been such a blessing for me to work with them and just know that what we're do We're just trying to make a diff for students and for athletes and for coache because I think it's very import In the world we live in today, sometimes that' the only positive those kids get -Do you happen to have any test on your website of people that h through the program and now probably adults?

-I'm not sure if there's any on the website.

We've got lots of testimonies.

I could think of several.

I know one specific spoke.

I had a banquet in Gibson Count and one of my high school friend was saved at an FCA camp.

I didn't even know that testimo until we got to talking years la He's a pastor now, and he was li "I never would have come to know the Lor if I had not gone to FCA camp."

We've had several people throug the years that have had that tes maybe, going to a camp or going to an event, and their life being changed for -I think that's a story that needs to be told.

-Yes, for sure.

He gave his testimony at one of my banquets.

He talked about how FCA camp changed his life.

I think that's-- A lot of kids go to camp to have Have fun, but then they experie something that is life-changing, and I think that's super importa -One more time, give us that web -N-W-T-N-F-C-A.org.

-Got it.

Great.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Keri,- -Thank you so much for having me --for being here.

We really appreciate you sharing information about FCA, and we look forward to your next To re-watch this program or share it with a friend, stream it on the PBS app alon with all local Channel 11 progra Thank you for joining us today.

I'm Don McCorry.

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