Meet the God Squad
April 11, 2007 — -- When 31-year-old Zach Johnson gave an interview after beating Tiger Woods to win the Masters' Golf Tournament last Sunday, he talked about his wife and new 14-week-old baby boy -- understandably. And predictably, he thanked his coaches. Less expected was his shout out to his tour chaplain and to God.
Johnson, who locked up his win on Easter Sunday, said, "I felt like there was certainly another power that was walking with me and guiding me."
Johnson isn't the only sports figure getting that feeling. He is one of more than 1.2 million athletes who belong to a not-for-profit organization called the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Founded in 1954, the FCA is based in Kansas City, Mo., but now has chapters in all 50 states.
You'll find it on 23 college campuses and in more than 7,000 schools. And that doesn't include the summer camps, coaches' seminars and assorted team prayer "huddles."
The FCA even has its own trading cards with names like Andy Pettite of the New York Yankees, Tony Dungy, a former NFL player and current coach of the Indianapolis Colts, and Lisa Leslie of the WNBA. FCA's aim is to help athletes become acquainted with "God's game plan" and to have a "personal faith in Jesus Christ."
Notwithstanding David, who beat the odds against Goliath, "fearsome competitor" isn't always the first phrase that comes to mind when one thinks "Christian." That indicates a stereotype Les Steckel, president of FCA, has heard before.
"So many times Christian athletes are seen as milquetoast or not competitive. But that's not true. We play to win," said Steckel. "First Corinthians, Chapter Nine, Verse 24 says, 'There's only one race and you run to win'."
Steckel, a former Golden Gloves boxing champ and a former NFL player and coach, knows that most people believe a Christian life and a sporting life don't always go hand in hand.
"Every coach will tell his players to sacrifice themselves, to deny themselves so that the team can win," he said. "Well, as Christians, we say that we must decrease and 'he' must increase. So it's not about the individual, it's about 'him.'"
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