**News Release***

Coaches and Their Families Refresh and Rejuvenate at Fellowship of Christian Athletes Camps

Said One Coach: ‘FCA Coaches Camp Was an Amazing Experience for My Family and Me—I Look at What I Do in a Whole New Light’

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Family vacations can sometimes be stressful—getting there, deciding what to do, agreeing on meals and generally keeping everyone happy. But what if there was a family vacation where dads, moms and kids could be refreshed and rejuvenated, all while glorifying God and growing in their faith?

This is exactly the kind of experience coaches and their families often find at Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ (FCA, www.fca.org) Camps. One of various types of FCA Camps, Coaches Camps are designed specifically for coaches, their spouses and their families.

“Year after year, we hear from coaches and their families that are truly renewed—both as a family unit and in Christ,” said FCA President and CEO Shane Williamson. “A coach’s life can be extremely demanding, and this in turn affects the entire family as well. But when coaching families can slow down, enjoy each other’s company, strengthen their relationships and become closer to God at FCA Camps, it can truly transform a family.”

Coaches Camps challenge coaches in their faith and family life, and allow them to be spiritually, relationally and professionally refreshed. Coaches Camps are for both single and married coaches and their families; they are designed to minister, equip and encourage. Special times can be set aside for husbands and wives as well. FCA Camps minister to coaches through Bible studies, small groups, fellowship, prayer support, discipleship and mentoring.

Many coaching families plans their summer vacations around FCA Camps, and an added benefit is that coaches and their spouses can interact with others who are in similar life stages and have parallel experiences and challenges. Another regular occurrence at Coaches Camps is that attendees realize they are not alone—that other coaching families have the same struggles they do. Guest speakers address various issues, such as marriage, parenting, finances and faith.

Throughout the country at hundreds of Camps, coaches return refreshed to their families, teams and communities through FCA Camps, as evidenced by feedback year after year:

• “I’ve been able to grow in my relationship with God by being surrounded by other Christian coaches and believers discussing challenges faced everyday fighting to live counter cultural to society’s expectations of sport.”
• “FCA Coaches Camp was an amazing experience for my family and me. I walked away with an ‘all in’ mentality by being able to speak and share the Word with other coaches. Listening to them helped me look at what I do in a whole new light.”
• “I praise God for the opportunity to partner with FCA in fulfilling the Lord’s work to make an eternal investment in the lives of young student athletes.”
• “The underlying theme at Camp is feeling secure in the Lord. It manifests itself in many different ways, addressing athletes aching to know how loved they are. God shows up, and it’s cool to see their excitement to be poured into and invested in.”
• “FCA Camp not only brought me closer to my family, but also closer to Jesus Christ.”

FCA’s 2018 Camps theme is “Strong,” based on the Bible verse from 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (NLT). The “Strong” theme focuses on the fact that believers serve a strong God, and His followers are called to be like Him in every area of their lives—including sports.

Last summer, more than 113,000 participated in 780 FCA Camps in 45 states and 41 countries. FCA Camps take the best attributes of an athletic-focused camp and a spiritual-focused camp and combine them into an athletic/spiritual experience like no other. FCA Camps also remove athletes and coaches from the routine of their sport, job or community and place them into an exciting, healthy, athletic environment that allows them to pursue their passion for sport and see Christ’s passion for them.

Throughout the summer of 2017, 9,417 coaches and athletes made first-time commitments to Christ, and 10,997 recommitted their lives to Christ. More than 300 of the Camps occurred internationally, and the 2017 overall attendance of 113,000-plus was an increase of more than 7,200 over 2016.

Visit the 2018 FCA Camps site and watch the “Strong” theme video here. FCA’s easy-to-use Camps website allows coaches, athletes, parents and teams to find Camps by sport, date or location. FCA also offers a special website dedicated to this summer’s Camps season highlighting the theme of “Strong.”

Besides Coaches Camps, other types of FCA Camps include: Sports Camps, Team Camps, Power Camps, Leadership Camps and Partnership Camps. To find Camps in specific areas or to inquire about volunteering or attending an FCA Camp, visit www.fcacamps.org.

For more information about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, visit FCA’s web site at www.fca.org, its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fcafans or its Twitter feed @fcanews. Read more about FCA here.

###