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More Than the Game: How FCA Helps Athletes Grow Through Faith and Fellowship

More Than the Game: How FCA Helps Athletes Grow Through Faith and Fellowship - The Hockey Focus

More Than the Game: How FCA Helps Athletes Grow Through Faith and Fellowship

Athletes spend countless hours developing their physical abilities. They train, practice, compete, study film and search for every possible advantage. However, the pressure surrounding sports can also create important questions: Where does an athlete’s identity come from? How should a competitor respond to failure? What does genuine leadership look like? How can faith remain a priority during a demanding season?

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been helping coaches and athletes explore these questions since 1954. FCA is a non-denominational Christian sports ministry whose mission is to lead coaches and athletes into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. The organization works with professional, college, high school, junior-high and youth athletes around the world. Learn more about FCA’s mission.

What Does FCA Offer Athletes?

FCA uses the common language of sports to create opportunities for fellowship, mentorship and spiritual development. Its programs include Huddles, camps, team ministry, coaches’ studies, leadership training, devotionals and other resources designed specifically for people involved in athletics.

The organization does not ask athletes to become less competitive. Instead, it challenges them to understand why and how they compete. FCA encourages athletes to bring effort, discipline, humility, integrity and service into their sports while recognizing that their value is not determined solely by a roster position, statistics or the outcome of a game.

For young athletes, this message can be especially valuable. Sports frequently include disappointment, comparison, pressure and uncertainty. An FCA group can provide a trusted community in which athletes can discuss those experiences, study Scripture, ask questions and receive encouragement from people who understand the athletic environment.

FCA also gives athletes opportunities to develop as leaders. A player does not need to be a captain or the team’s leading scorer to influence teammates positively. Serving others, responding well to adversity and living consistently are all meaningful forms of leadership.

What Is an FCA Huddle?

An FCA Huddle is a certified small-group Bible study or devotional gathering for coaches and athletes. Huddles may meet on a school campus, within a community sports organization, around an individual team or online.

FCA offers several Huddle formats:

  • A Team Huddle brings together members of an individual team for a targeted study that connects biblical principles with the way they live and compete.
  • A Multi-Sport Huddle welcomes athletes from several different teams or sports.
  • A Coaches Huddle gives coaches an opportunity to study Scripture, encourage one another and discuss the responsibilities that come with leading athletes.

Huddles can meet before or after practice, at a school, inside a rink, in a locker-room meeting space, at a home or wherever the group can gather appropriately. Depending on the setting, a Huddle may be led by a coach, athlete, parent or another approved adult. Explore FCA Huddle options.

A typical meeting may include a short devotional, Scripture, prayer and conversation about applying faith to competition and everyday life. Subjects can include handling adversity, being a good teammate, controlling emotions, demonstrating integrity, respecting authority and using one’s athletic platform to serve others.

FCA’s Place in the Hockey Community

FCA Hockey brings this ministry directly into the hockey world. Its stated purpose is to empower the hockey community through the name of Jesus Christ, connecting players and coaches who want to grow in their faith while remaining deeply involved in the sport.

The hockey ministry offers Huddles, camps, clinics, coaches’ studies, discipleship opportunities and ways to serve. FCA Hockey camps combine on-ice instruction with activities such as dryland training, team building, chapel services, testimonies and small-group Huddles. These events seek to help participants grow as players while also investing in their development away from the rink. Visit FCA Hockey.

FCA Hockey also offers online, in-season discipleship calls. These virtual Huddles allow professional, college, junior and high-school players—as well as coaches—to connect with other members of the hockey community. Participants can build relationships, grow in their faith and discuss how to honor God and live out their beliefs within hockey. Learn about FCA Hockey’s online Huddles.

There are also opportunities for hockey coaches and volunteers to become involved. Qualified volunteers may assist with on-ice training, goalie instruction, dryland sessions, team building, Bible Huddles or camp operations. FCA Hockey’s events demonstrate that skill development and spiritual development do not have to exist in separate worlds.

How to Join a Huddle

If you are interested in participating, the first step is determining whether an FCA Huddle already exists at your school, rink, team or within your community.

  1. Ask locally. Speak with your coach, athletic director, school administrator, team chaplain or local church. They may already know of an active FCA group.
  2. Find an FCA staff member. FCA provides an online tool for connecting with the staff member serving your area. That person can help you locate an existing Huddle or explain the process for getting involved. Find local FCA staff.
  3. Contact FCA Hockey. Hockey players and coaches can email fcahockey@fca.org or call (203) 470-6094 to ask about hockey-specific Huddles, virtual gatherings, camps and service opportunities.
  4. Attend and introduce yourself. You do not need to be a star player, team captain or biblical scholar to participate. Come ready to listen, contribute and learn alongside other athletes and coaches.

What If There Is No Huddle Near You?

The absence of an established group does not mean the opportunity ends. An athlete, coach, parent or other adult can explore starting a Huddle with the guidance of local FCA staff.

Adults, coaches and sponsors who lead or support the ministry must complete FCA’s Ministry Leader Application. The group then submits a certification request, connects with local FCA staff and receives appropriate training and resources. FCA’s certification process helps ensure that the Huddle is properly supported and connected to the larger organization. Submit a Huddle Ministry Certification Request.

For a team interested in beginning its own group, FCA provides additional information about leadership, meeting locations and the steps required to become certified. Learn how to establish a Team Huddle.

Faith, Hockey and a Larger Purpose

Hockey can teach discipline, resilience, teamwork and sacrifice. It can also become so consuming that players begin measuring their entire identity through performance. FCA provides a space where athletes can step back from the scoreboard and consider the larger purpose behind their abilities and opportunities.

If you are an athlete or coach looking for a community that connects faith with sports, consider attending an FCA Huddle. If one does not exist in your area, perhaps the next Huddle begins because you were willing to take the first step.

FCA Websites and Contact Information

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

FCA Hockey

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