October 5, 2026
FCA Chicagoland partners with By The Hand Club For Kids to bring Christ-centered athletics to under-resourced communities
‘We love to come alongside like-minded partners to fulfill our mission and make an eternal impact,’ says Deneé Barracato
CHICAGO, Ill. — Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Chicagoland is proud to announce its new partnership with By The Hand Club For Kids, a Christ-centered after-school program that takes kids by the hand and walks with them from kindergarten through college, loving and nurturing them — mind, body and soul — so they can have abundant life. Through FCA’s E3 discipleship training and high-level coaching in basketball, wrestling and sports performance, FCA staff are leading students to be athletes rooted in Christ.
“The aim of our new partnership with By The Hand is for students to grow as athletes and as disciples of Jesus through consistent coaching, relationship, Scripture and leadership,” said Deneé Barracato of FCA Chicagoland. “FCA focuses on serving local and regional communities by engaging, equipping and empowering athletes and coaches to make a difference in their lives and communities, and By The Hand is a natural partnership for us. We are so excited to see what God will do through this programming in the hearts of coaches, athletes and beyond.”
FCA’s unique, biblical approach to athletics offers a powerful addition to By The Hand Club’s established programming, creating a new, structured sports enrichment program for local youth. The programming will be deployed at By The Hand’s North Austin Community Center, a world-class 10-acre campus for education, sports and wellness offering a wide range of resources and opportunities designed to help kids and families thrive. Each session will combine sport instruction, competition, mobility and discipleship within By The Hand Club’s established one-hour weekly model for grades 7-12 while boasting opportunities to expand to other locations throughout Chicago.
“Partnering with FCA gives our students an opportunity to grow in mind, body, and soul in a way that feels natural to them. They get to learn about their faith, build character, develop new skills, and experience the joy of being part of a team, all through something kids understand so well: play. This partnership is another way we can take kids by the hand and help them discover and experience the abundant life God has for them.” —Billy Ayuko, Senior Vice President of Programming at By The Hand Club For Kids
By The Hand began in 2001, serving 16 students from Cabrini-Green. Today, it serves more than 2,000 students annually in six sites across Chicago’s most under-resourced communities: Cabrini-Green, Altgeld-Murray, Austin, North Austin and Englewood. By The Hand programs prioritize technology-enabled instruction, enrichment and literacy, tutoring and mentorship and spiritual development to help students become agents of change, and this new alliance with FCA Chicagoland opens the door for coaches and athletes to benefit from By The Hand’s robust curriculum.
“FCA exists to meet coaches and athletes where they are and help them grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ, and we love to come alongside like-minded partners to fulfill our mission and make an eternal impact,” said Barracato.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ vision is to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes. Its mission is to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. FCA’s guiding values are integrity, serving, teamwork and excellence.
Since 1954, FCA has used the powerful medium of sports and building relationships to reach the world for Jesus Christ. FCA is cultivating Christian principles by engaging, equipping and empowering coaches and athletes to know and grow in Christ and lead others to do the same so that lives are changed for current and future generations.
Visit Fellowship of Christian Athletes Chicagoland at chicagolandfca.org.
Visit By The Hand Club For Kids at bythehand.org.
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To interview a Chicagoland FCA representative, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, or Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096 ext. 105, or Richard Jefferson, rjefferson@hamiltonstrategies.com.
