2013 FCA Coaches Enrichment Conference

The beautiful Horseshoe Bay Marriot Resort on Lake LBJ in the Texas Hill Country hosted our annual FCA Coaches Enrichment Conference on July 11-14, 2013. Approximately 160 coaches and their spouses were ministered to and found physical and spiritual rest through this relaxing retreat. Each of the coaches from our area was sent on scholarship and wants to thank the many donors who made their weekend possible.



Terry & Shelly Bean
(Brady Asst Coach/FCA Huddle Coach)



"Dear Sponsors,

Thank you so much for providing us with the opportunity to attend FCA Coaches Retreat Weekend. We had an awesome time worshipping the Lord and growing closer as a couple. It is just what we needed as we gear up to begin a new football season and school year. This opportunity would not have been available without your help.

Thank you,

Terry and Shelly Bean"



Hunter & Shannon Sims
(HPU Offensive Coord./Asst. Head FB Coach/FCA Board Member)


"Wow! What a weekend!

The FCA Coaches Enrichment Weekend was a weekend to remember! The lessons learned and accommodations this weekend have been unreal!! We as a family are so thankful and blessed to be able to be a part of this weekend! Thank you donors and board members. Without you this would not have been possible!

Love in Christ, (Relentless)
Hunter and Shannon Sims"

Ty & Jackie Lang
(Colleyville Heritage Asst Coach)
We are going to miss this couple in Brownwood.

"Thank you so much for sending Jackie and me to FCA Coaches Camp! This weekend has been a tremendous blessing to us. We have learned so many things that apply to our spiritual growth and we are anxious to see how God uses these truths in our lives. Our huddle time with other coaches and their spouses has had tremendous impact on us. Without your support, we would have missed out on so many opportunities that God has revealed to us through FCA. We have been blessed because of your generosity!

In Him, Ty and Jackie Lang"









Josh Alcorn
(Brownwood Head Basketball Coach/FCA Huddle Coach)



Kandace, Kensler Cy, & Corbin Young
(Brownwood FCA Area Rep.)





2013 FCA Sports Camp

126 athletes made up the first ever FCA Sports Camp at Texas Tech University on June 21-25, 2013.  It was a great start to a brand new camp. With opportunities to practice at Jones Stadium, Dan Law Field, and some of the finest Division I facilities in the Big 12, the kids and coaches loved it and this camp will instantly grow in the future. Some of the greatest coaches from around the state partnered with FCA to instruct the kids in their different sports: football, cross country, men's and women's basketball, baseball, volleyball, and wrestling. However, it was through the vehicle of athletics that we were able to build relationships and introduce many of these athletes to Christ. Approximately 70 of those campers were saved and gave their life to Jesus Christ for the first time. Jon Randles was our Camp Pastor and Thirty-Nine Thoughts was our Camp Worship Band.

Kevin Domingue's football huddle

Coach Terry Bean, Corbin Young



Rios Family: Rawlings, Sonya, (Corbin), Easton, & Herb



The Brownwood Area FCA was well represented by campers, huddle leaders, and coaches. Kevin Domingue, from Howard Payne, served once again as another one of our huddle leaders. Coach Terry Bean, from Brady, helped out by coaching boys basketball. Brownwood's new Head Baseball Coach, Herb Rios, also helped coach and was the head clinician for baseball. His wife, Sonya, who is and RN also served as part of our camp medical staff. The Rios' two sons, Rawlings and Easton, attended as campers and participated in football and baseball.

We have lost many great coaches over this past year in the area, but God has definitely provided us with a special coach and friend of FCA in Herb Rios. I am extremely excited about what God is going to do through his influence, leadership, and contagious faith.





2013 FCA Leadership Camp

Eric Villy's huddle

Approximately 500 leaders were trained, equipped, challenged, and sent out to disciple their campuses through FCA at our annual Leadership Camp from June 10-14, 2013 at Hardin Simmons University. Two of our Howard Payne FCA student-athletes served at the camp as Huddle Leaders. Kevin Domingue and Eric Villy did a great job investing into these young leaders, but they will both be the first to tell you that they learned so much and gained the greatest blessing by serving and building relationships with their huddles. 

Kevin Domingue's huddle

The Jimmy McNeal Band was the Camp Worship Team

Beau Bevers was the Camp Chaplain

 

2013 FCA All-Star Festival

The Myrle Greathouse Big Country FCA All-Star Football Game has come a long way over the past 13 years. Five years ago, women's basketball was added in Abilene. Now, the FCA All-Star Festival, which is sponsored by the Big Country Chevy Dealers, has expanded to include volleyball and men's basketball. The football and volleyball games were both still played in Abilene on Saturday, June 8, 2013. But, the Brownwood Coliseum became the new host site for the 5th annual women's basketball game and inaugural men's basketball game on Thursday, June 6, 2013 presented by Action Sports Medicine.

Hosting these games locally has been a tremendous blessing for our Brownwood Area FCA. Brownwood ISD played a critical part in making this all possible. They opened their facilities and gyms at the high school and middle school for practices each day. The City of Brownwood and Howard Payne University also provided the Coliseum, basketball court, backboards, and scoreboards to make the games possible. In addition to these sponsors, FCA gained many new ministry partners through this event. The cheerleaders, basketball players and coaches all reported for check-in on Tuesday, June 4th. Host families from different churches all around Brownwood and Early opened their homes to house these athletes and show the hospitality of Christ. Several different local churches and restaurants also helped to provide and donate the meals for these All-Stars throughout the week.

In addition to feeding and serving these coaches and athletes physically, most importantly we intentionally focused on feeding them spiritually and sharing Christ each day. We gave every All-Star a watch and a Bible. We also had a chapel service each night. Dallas Huston was our All-Star Chaplain and Chris Stuard was our All-Star Worship Leader. We also had different individuals share their testimony and challenge these All-Stars at each meal. Perhaps the greatest win of the entire week came on Wednesday night at our final chapel, where 4 of the guy basketball players came forward during the invitation to pray and receive Christ for the first time. Many other athletes also responded for prayer and made other faith decisions. The Regional Vice President of FCA and former NFL receiver, Wade Hopkins, came in from Houston to speak and deliver the pregame chapel message right before the games.      

The games were well attended with approximately 1,200 total fans coming out to support these athletes in their final game as high school basketball players and cheerleaders. During the games, FCA was able to recognize and thank our many sponsors and ministry partners who made this first year of hosting the All-Star games such a great success. Thanks again to everyone who helped through your business, church, or individually. 

 

FCA Father-Son Night

On February 25, 2013, First Baptist Church in Brady hosted our first area-wide FCA Father-Son Night. Brady FCA Huddle Coach, Terry Bean, had a burden and vision for this ministry to sponsor an event that would call men to step up in leading their homes spiritually. A little over 50 dads and their boys showed up and were led in worship by Bracken Bean's band, and challenged by FCA Area Representative, Corbin Young. One of the most significant moments of the night was when the dads/grandfathers/uncles had an opportunity to spend some time in prayer with their sons. The church also provided a meal for all these guys and it turned out to be a really fruitful and healing night of fellowship and men's ministry.

 

Grateful for Godly Administrators

Last spring, Kevin Gabaree, Brownwood ISD's Deputy Superintendent and local FCA Board Chairman spoke to the Brownwood High School FCA huddle. Mr. Gabaree shared his faith journey with the students and how God used the influence of a coach, during his high schoiol years at Copperas Cove, to lead him to Jesus Christ.

I wanted to highlight this testimony for two reasons. One, Gabaree's story confirms the mission and vision of FCA. Coaches have an incredible platform to eternally impact young people. That is why we see it as a strategic way to share the gospel on public school campuses and around the world by ministering to and through coaches.

Secondly, we have a lot to be thankful for in this area when it comes to the coaches, teachers and administrative leadership in our public schools. It is not every day that you find a superintendent like Kevin Gabaree who truly cares about the students enough to take time out of his busy evening to share the most important message in the world with the FCA huddle, which is a student-led on campus Bible study meeting. We are blessed in Brownwood.