***NEWS RELEASE***
For Immediate Release
April 17, 2017
CONTACT:
Deborah Hamilton, Hamilton Strategies, 215.815.7716, 610.584.1096, ext. 102, or Beth Harrison, 610.584.1096, ext. 104, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com
Fellowship of Christian Athletes Ministers ‘To and Through the Coach’ for 2017 Camps Season
FCA President and CEO Shane Williamson Shares Personal Insights, Background of Coaching and the Need for FCA in Today’s Culture
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—As the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA, www.fca.org) gears up for its 2017 Camps season, those who have been involved in the ministry as long as President and CEO Shane Williamson know how life-changing FCA Camps can be for both coaches and athletes.
Williamson has served FCA for nearly a quarter-century, and in his first year leading the international sports ministry, he is taking his new role in stride and keeping up with the fast pace, especially after a career in coaching and decades as an FCA staff member.
This summer, the FCA Camps theme of “ONE” highlights the power and impact that one passion, one purpose and one goal can have on a competitor in sports and in life. Campers will understand how everything comes down to One—One Gospel, One Truth and the power of One Great God who transforms hearts and brings victory.
FCA recently shared a Q&A feature with Williamson on its website, where he talked about how FCA reaches coaches and athletes on the playing fields they love and how the ministry continues to impact the culture.
FCA: Why is it so exciting for you to be the first president of FCA who has come from within the ministry?
Shane Williamson: I often say life is about lenses. Over the course of your life, God, through experiences and relationships, gives you different lenses in which you see Him, yourself and others. This helps us better serve the Lord’s purposes in our lives. I believe the relationships and experiences I have in coaching, and the different FCA roles in which I’ve served, will help me to see more clearly how I am to serve FCA in this season as president. The most humbling part of the role is representing those who serve the coaches and athletes of our world as FCA staff.
FCA: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
SW: I coach youth football and baseball teams. What may be most surprising is that I also help coach four FCA volleyball teams—P31 (for Proverbs 31)—made of 42 girls ages 8-13.
FCA: Can you share a moment from your FCA involvement that has left a deep impression on you?
SW: I have shared many times of my coming to Christ and my and (my wife) Angel’s marriage being impacted through FCA, but another special moment occurred during my second year on staff. We hosted a coaches Valentine’s dinner, with a catered meal, comedian, slow dancing and roses. Coaches have such a challenge on their time at home and their marriage, not to mention male coaches might not be the most romantic bunch. I will never forget watching coaches and their wives look into each other’s eyes as they slow danced for the first time—for many, in decades—weeping and remembering the reasons they fell in love.
FCA: How do you see this ministry being relevant now more than ever?
SW: As a coach, parent, player or fan, there are few in the world who are not directly impacted by sport. The influence of the coach—other than parents—is the greatest adult figure of inspiration in millions of children’s lives daily. This coach-to-player relationship has become even more critical for young people in single-parent homes. Ministry “to and through the coach” is a global opportunity that works in every culture and country.
That coach influence is also a key component of FCA Camps, with coaches not only impacting athletes for Christ, but also being impacted themselves.
FCA’s easy-to-use Camps website allows coaches, athletes, parents and teams to find Camps by sport, date or location. Last summer, more than 100,000 coaches and athletes converged at 720 Camp events in 40 states and in 45 countries around the world, where 8,788 coaches and athletes made first-time commitments to Christ and 11,256 recommitted their lives to Christ. The 2016 attendance was an increase of more than 10,000 over 2015.
FCA Camps combine leadership, sports and faith, as well as provide top sports training from expert athletes and coaches for a time of inspiration and perspiration. Camps also take the best attributes of an athletic-focused camp and a spiritual-focused camp, combining them into an athletic/spiritual experience like none other.
The life-changing impact on coaches and athletes has been the main focus of FCA Camps since 1956. Today, competitors who want to reach their potential through comprehensive athletic, spiritual and leadership training attend a variety of Camps: Coaches Camps, Sports Camps, Leadership Camps, Power Camps, Partnership Camps, Team Camps and International Camps.
To find FCA Camps in specific areas or to inquire about volunteering at an FCA Camp, visit www.fcacamps.org. Read more about Fellowship of Christian Athletes here, visit FCA’s web site at www.fca.org, its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fcafans or its Twitter feed @fcanews.
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To interview a representative from Fellowship of Christian Athletes, contact Deborah Hamilton at 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096, ext. 102, or Beth Harrison at 610-584-1096, ext. 104, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com.