FCS Blog

THE MISSION STATEMENT FOR FAITH CHRISTIAN SCHOOL IS: FCS EXISTS TO GLORIFY GOD BY PARTNERING WITH CHRISTIAN
PARENTS TO PROVIDE A CHALLENGING COLLEGE PREPARATORY PROGRAM AND DISCIPLE FUTURE-READY STUDENTS. OF COURSE IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXPLAIN THE WHY IN MOST STATEMENTS AND THAT IS PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD. AS AN
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, TEACHER, COACH, AND INSTRUCTOR I ALSO FEEL IT’S IMPORTANT TO EXPLAIN THE HOW. SCHOOL
ATHLETICS CAN BE THE MOST VISIBLE WAY TO REPRESENT A SCHOOL’S CULTURE AND MISSION. WHEN A TEAM COMPETES
WELL WITH AN ATTITUDE THAT DISPLAYS WHAT THE SCHOOL IS ABOUT, IT CAN BE INSPIRATIONAL TO EVERYONE INVOLVED
INCLUDING THE OTHER TEAM. I BELIEVE KNIGHTS ATHLETICS SHOULD REPRESENT HOW CHRIST HAS AN INFLUENCE IN

EVERYTHING WE DO. SO HOW DO WE DO THAT?

RESPECT (MATTHEW 7:12 SO IN EVERYTHING, DO TO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO TO YOU, FOR THIS SUMS UP THE

LAW AND THE PROPHETS.)

PLAYERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK TO ADULTS/ COACHES/ TEACHERS/ OFFICIALS/ OTHER SCHOOLS WITH RESPECT AND
CONFIDENCE. TRASH TALK IS ALWAYS DETRIMENTAL AND IN MOST CASES WILL DISQUALIFY US AS A POSITIVE INFLUENCE. I
WAS A BASEBALL UMPIRE FOR SEVEN YEARS FOR LOCAL SHOWCASE TOURNAMENTS FOR TEAMS 13 - 18 YEARS OLD. THERE
ARE FEW COACHES OR TEAMS WHO SHOW BASIC RESPECT FOR OFFICIALS OR THE OTHER TEAM FOR THAT MATTER. THERE
WAS ONE TEAM THAT STOOD OUT TO ME IN ALL MY TIME AS AN UMPIRE. A COACH FROM A CINCINNATI TEAM SAID IN OUR
PRE GAME MEETING THAT “WE ARE A CHRISTIAN TEAM AND YOU WON’T HEAR ANY COMPLAINTS OUT OF US”. I REMINDED
HIM THAT IT WAS OUR FOURTH GAME OF THE DAY IN 100 DEGREE HEAT AND WE MIGHT MAKE SOME BAD CALLS. HE SAID “I
DON’T CARE HOW BAD YOU MAY BE, WE WON’T SAY A WORD.” THEIR TEAM PLAYED HARD AND WITH COMPLETE CLASS.
THEY PLAYED LIKE A CHRISTIAN TEAM SHOULD. THEY HAPPENED TO WIN THAT GAME BUT I DOUBT IT WOULD HAVE

MATTERED. IT WAS INSPIRATIONAL!

ACCOUNTABILITY (ROMANS 14:12 SO THEN, EACH OF US WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF OURSELVES TO GOD)
PLAYERS, COACHES, AND PARENTS SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR HOW THEY COMPETE AND
HANDLE OBSTACLES. A POPULAR QUOTE SAYS “THERE MAY BE A 1000 REASONS FOR FAILURE, BUT NOT ONE SINGLE EXCUSE.”
WE WILL ALL MAKE MISTAKES AND THOSE SHOULD BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO SHOW OUR CHARACTER BY GETTING BACK
UP AND GETTING BETTER. ONE OF THE BEST THINGS A TRUE LEADER CAN DO IS TAKE THE BLAME. AS A PROFESSOR I HAD FOR

ONE MY CLASSES AT THE CITADEL “MESS UP, FESS UP, AND MOVE ON.”
HUMILITY (JOHN 15:5 ....APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING)

MATT HOLLIDAY, A FORMER MLB ALL-STAR PLAYER ONCE SAID “THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PLAYERS. ONES THAT ARE HUMBLE
AND THE ONES WHO ARE ABOUT TO BE HUMBLED.” HAVING BEEN A PLAYER FOR THE LAST 38 YEARS OF MY LIFE AND A
COACH FOR 20 YEARS, I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT HE IS RIGHT. WE SHOULD ALWAYS REMEMBER WHO GIVES US EVERY
TALENT, ABILITY, AND OPPORTUNITY AND BE APPRECIATIVE BY GIVING OUR BEST EFFORT EVERY DAY.
IF WE CAN LEARN HOW TO WIN AND LOSE WITH HUMILITY, BE A GREAT TEAMMATE, AND HANDLE CRITICISM AND

INSTRUCTION WELL, WE WILL BE A GREAT MOTIVATION TO OTHERS.

THIS ISN’T A COMPLETE LIST OF EVERY CHARACTER TRAIT AN ATHLETE SHOULD HAVE, BUT IT IS A GREAT START AND WILL SET
US APART FROM NEARLY EVERY OTHER TEAM. I LOOK FORWARD TO A GREAT YEAR WITH ALL OF OUR TEAMS AND I KNOW WE
HAVE A LOT OF STUDENT LEADERS WHO CAN HELP US BE SUCCESSFUL IN CONQUERING OUR MISSION TO BE GREAT

AMBASSADORS AND DISCIPLES FOR CHRIST.