“Let’s go, huddle up! Bring it together.”
That was a regular command I shouted during my short-lived quarterback days as a youth football player. After each play it was the role of the QB to reassemble the other 10 players as quickly as possible to call the next play. It was the first time I can consciously remember being in a leadership role of any kind.
As a 10-year-old growing up in Pittsburgh, football was one of my first loves. Keep in mind that the Steelers of the 1960s were not very good and this all pre-dated their run of four Super Bowls in the 1970s. It was the Green Bay Packers, with Coach Vince Lombardi (the Super Bowl trophy is named for him), who ruled the NFL and their QB, Bart Starr, was one of my first heroes as a kid.
Alas, I was selected by the Jets in the Penn Hills youth league, so I quickly became a Joe Namath fan as he had just quarterbacked the New York Jets to an upset victory in Super Bowl III. I played QB for four seasons before L.O.F.T. (lack of talent) settled in and I became a hockey player. The only other time I played QB competitively was my freshman and sophomore years in the all-important dormitory intramural flag football league. Thus ended my rather insignificant football career and began my transition to a hockey coach, and I simply became a football fan.
So why am I telling you this? Because a few weeks ago I found myself as a huddle leader during a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) High School football camp at the University of South Carolina-Beaufort (USCB). Being a huddle leader at a football camp? While I am still active as a hockey camp instructor, I was way out of my comfort zone in a role working with 14– to 17-year-old football players from a high school in Columbia, South Carolina, most of whom probably had no experience or interest with the game of hockey. But getting to be involved in a football camp brought me back to my roots, in a sense, so I was all in.
The good news for the kids was that I wasn’t there to teach them football specific skills. I was there to help them with a greater purpose, a life purpose, and that was to help bring them closer to God.
“How did this come about?” you might ask. I was completing my FCA “E3” training with South Coastal Carolinas FCA Area Director Rob Jacobs (a Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, native) when he approached me about being involved. I met Rob through State College contacts who led me to the LowCountry Community Church, and we struck up a friendship immediately. Rob and I shared more than our Pennsylvania connection. In my first two years playing hockey at Penn State, we didn’t have an on-campus rink, so we traveled by van to the Skatium Ice Rink in, you guessed it, Mechanicsburg.
Rob is one of the most genuine, sincere, funny and joy-filled individuals I have ever met, and he is such an inspiration to so many. I even like him despite his allegiance to Philadelphia sports teams. He showed up at a recent lunch meeting sporting a Phillies shirt and his Phillies shoes that have a Philly cheesesteak embroidered on the tongue. When he approached me about being a huddle leader I didn’t hesitate to accept.
Living in South Carolina, you quickly realize you’re in SEC/ACC country. As former Georgia football coach Wally Butts put it, “Football is not a religion in the South, it’s much more important than that.” Mind you that very few people are actually “from” my adopted hometown of Bluffton. There is a huge contingent of Penn State alumni and Big Ten transplants here, so there is some camaraderie even amongst foes. But while you will see a wide variety of college flags on display in the fall, it’s heavily slanted to Clemson, South Carolina and Georgia.
The high school football teams came to camp from around South Carolina. Public schools, private schools, big schools and small. Many of these kids came to camp focused on one purpose: to be a better football player. They soon learned the bigger reason “why” was to become a better person by developing a better relationship with our Lord. The football part, while certainly important, takes care of itself in the grander picture. The camp’s primary purpose is to provide these young men with a moral compass and a foundation in Christ that far surpasses what football brings to their lives.
While I was admittedly a bit nervous, my own prayers were answered as I was blessed to work with a team whose coach has been a part of the FCA since 2003. Coach Walt Wilson, his staff and players made the camp so enjoyable for me. It was as uplifting for me as it was for the athletes and coaches. I grew personally from being around them. I believe we had a genuine connection, and I can’t wait to go see “my team” play this fall.
Despite thunderstorms limiting some of the on-field activities, everyone’s spirits remained positive. There were a few things that stood out to me at the camp, and one was the speakers.
Nyles Pinckney, a former defensive lineman and two-time NCAA champion at Clemson, graduated with two undergraduate degrees before playing as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, where he earned a master’s degree.
“I thought I was going to play college football and go to the NFL like they tell every kid,” Pinckney told us. “Then I realized everybody has different paths they have to take.” He captivated the students, giving them the unfiltered truth of his journey from difficulties and challenges to a life filled with joy and love in Jesus Christ. For young men to hear such vulnerability and humility was incredibly inspiring, because it was so genuine and heartfelt.
A highlight for me and the kids was hearing from former player, coach, teacher, administrator, author and renowned professional speaker Willie Speers. Talk about a bundle of pure energy! Willie spoke three times to the athletes. His message was bold and he challenged all of us to live a more Christ-like life. His message about making wise decisions and choosing the right team and friends really hit home. He was so relatable, and the athletes hung on his every word. Each time that he finished speaking I was ready to charge through any obstacle. His message helped change lives as 125 young men made a commitment to have Jesus in their lives.
Giving back through the FCA has been as uplifting to me personally as I think it’s been to the student-athletes we work with. I’m doing my best to follow through on my promise to be a better Christian and to spread the word so others can perhaps feel the peace and joy that comes with a closer relationship with God.
I am very passionate about helping students develop life skills through sports. It is a reminder that there is so much to be gained from participating in sports. Unfortunately, today it seems to be more and more about money over everything else, despite the overwhelming odds against making a living through sports or earning a scholarship for college.
The outcome of today’s Little League game or volleyball match may be important in the moment. It brings temporary happiness because of a “happening,” but it is ultimately fleeting. An education, and a relationship with God, last a lifetime.
In many ways it’s tougher to be a young person, and in particular a young man, today than it was in my day. Technology, especially social media, bombards young people with ideas and information, and it is so much easier to give into whatever is cool. Yes, we had pressures on us back in our day too, but not like kids of today. They are constantly being tempted by digital devices.
Take online gambling for instance. The dopamine rush from winning a sports bet on a cellphone app is just that: a rush. It’s short-lived; there is no lasting, deep-seated joy. Besides, in the end the house always wins. I can’t believe the number of high school and college students who are becoming addicted to online gambling. It saddens me to hear the news that the new NCAA leadership is embracing sports betting as a way to increase their revenues. The negative consequences are too risky when young athletes, unscrupulous coaches and even referees are tempted by the big dollar signs.
I believe in my heart, and through my experiences, that many young people crave standards, discipline and real relationships with people who genuinely care about them. It takes tremendous courage to push back on the pressures that society places in front of us every day. There is nothing wrong with being a strong Christian man or woman. Don’t let society tell you differently.
In my Pragmatic Passion workshops, I do exercises that ask you to do a deep dive into you including a core values exercise. What really matters in life to you? My personal core values start with Faith and Family as 1 and 1A. Financial Security is third, Fitness (health) is fourth and Fulfillment (making a difference) is fifth. I didn’t always think this way because I was using the wrong barometer to measure success. I made so many mistakes growing up and it’s OK. We are not perfect.
Now that I’ve finished an eight-week training to become an FCA facilitator and will be working this fall with USCB students and Beaufort County high school students. To Wayne, Dave, Cloe, Lisa, Paul, Keith, Ken, Drew, Scott, Zach, Sean and all the other FCA volunteers who made the camp a success, thanks for all you do for these young men.
As we celebrate the Fourth of July, I want to remind everyone that democracy depends on morals and values. So, let’s huddle up, bring it together and celebrate “One nation, under God.”
