Every week since Sept. 3, more than 200 third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders have flooded the Boaz High School football field, baseball field, track and tennis courts.
Some play flag football while others participate in cheerleading, but all are a part of the new Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Bowl league, combining sports and Christ-focused devotionals.
“We were hoping for 50 kids to sign up, and after registration, we had right around 200,” said Chastity Faucett, one of the creators of the league and a member of First Baptist Church, Boaz, in Marshall Baptist Association. “Then just a couple days later, we had people calling and have not yet turned down a child. That one child we turn away might be the one who needs to know about Christ.”
The idea for FCA Bowl began with Boaz High football coach Drew Noles, a member of Concord Baptist Church in Albertville. Noles felt God speak to him about FCA Bowl while he was driving down the highway one day. Working with Faucett and her husband, B.J., Noles and his wife, Michelle, came up with plans for the league and wrote corresponding Bible studies.
Teaming up with fellow church members and other volunteers, the Faucetts and Noleses began spreading the word about the league to local elementary schools. Going into the schools meant that FCA Bowl attracted children who go to church, along with those who don’t, and that was the whole goal.
“We took some kids from the high school FCA around to the schools with cheerleaders and football players to talk about the program,” Chastity Faucett said. “The little kids would just look and listen to those high school kids.”
Those high school volunteers have remained an integral part of the program, and in all, about 40 teenage mentors are involved, with more and more joining each week.
Jacie Scott, a Boaz High senior and the school’s FCA president, said being a part of FCA Bowl has been an incredible experience for her.
“It’s just something I really enjoy and look forward to weekly,” said Scott, a member of First, Boaz. “It helps us students know that we have to be there and set examples. It helps to hold us accountable.”
After each game or cheer practice, the children gather in their “huddle groups” to hear a devotional led by a designated leader. The devotionals touch on subjects such as character and sportsmanship, and the leaders are encouraged to share their own stories and experiences to form a bond with the children in their group.
“One high school student had a little boy say the first night that he wanted to pray but didn’t know how, so the high schooler walked him through it,” Chastity Faucett said. “I told the high school student, ‘That kid will remember you forever because you taught him how to pray.’”
Talking to the children who participate, it’s evident that FCA Bowl is already making a lasting impression. When asked what she would remember most about being a part of the program, third-grade FCA Bowl cheerleader Kenya Tillman said accepting Jesus into her heart.
Children like Kenya are the main inspiration for Caleb Brown, a Boaz High football player, to be involved with FCA Bowl.
“A lot of these kids haven’t even been to church, but they love football or cheering,” said Brown, a member of Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Albertville, in Marshall Association. “But they get more than just a good time. They get to learn about God, and hopefully it will plant a seed in them.”
Chastity Faucett remains in awe of the huge response to the program and said it just confirms that God was behind it all from the start.
“We were worried about it running smoothly, but I don’t know why we ever doubted it because we knew this was something God wanted us to do,” she said.
Share with others: