|
Veteran football coaches Mike Donnelly, Jerry Rutherford, and Michael Vicars are
 |
| Jerry Rutherford |
no strangers to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Rutherford’s Eastwood teams and Vicars’ Genoa teams may be bitter rivals on the field, but off the field they remain strong advocates of the faith-based organization.
When the two football teams square off on October 1 at Eastwood’s Freedom Field for what could become another Suburban Lakes League showdown, don’t be surprised if both teams huddle afterwards for a word of prayer again this year. That will likely happen no matter what happens on the field, Vicars says.
“I’ll tell you what, the Eastwood-Genoa rivalry thing is definitely high spirited and it’s a big, big rivalry. No question about that, just because Eastwood has had such great success,” Vicars said.
“My point is not only is it a great rivalry, but it’s a tremendously respected rivalry. I think a big reason for that is some of the FCA involvement. It’s been very typical to play a great, tough game, even if the game is a blowout, for both teams to be very respectful of each other. Especially after the game, both teams will get together. Not only do we do it in football, but we do it in basketball and baseball as well.
“To be honest, it’s incredible the respect that both coaches, schools, and programs have for one another. You don’t see that very often,” Vicars continued.
The FCA Ministry is initiated and led by student-athletes with guidance from coaches on junior high,
 |
| Michael Vicars |
high school and college campuses. Programs include Huddles, team Bible studies, Chapel programs, Team FCA membership, Team Time, One-Way 2 Play-Drug Free, and other special events. The Northwest Ohio campus has offices on Owens Lake Drive, Walbridge.
FCA is nothing new to Vicars — he was involved with the faith-based organization at his previous coaching stint in Delta.
“That was really my first involvement with a guy by the name of Rex Stump, who kinds of runs that area of FCA. So, I think the involvement here has been a little bit heavier than it was at Delta, that’s for sure,” Vicars said.
Vicars said a former Comet lineman named Ben Sutter took the FCA program at Genoa to a higher level. The coach credits Ben and his younger brother Luke Sutter with keeping the fire lit.
“They’ve been outstanding with it. Really the family that got that going the most intensive — I don’t think they originated it — was the Sutter family,” Vicars said.
“Ben Sutter was really the pioneer here with really getting it going with the student body, and they’ve been great. Ben, when he (graduated), the torch was passed on to a kid named Greg Friar, and then when Greg Friar graduated here a couple years ago Luke (Sutter) has been kind of like the team’s chaplain now.”
Matt Medina, the NW Ohio FCA campus director, says Rutherford has been leading the charge for FCA throughout the region.
“Jerry’s involvement with the FCA is because of his sons. Because his sons were involved in FCA, he has opened up his home, letting them meet there occasionally. He has also given me the opportunity to speak to his football team,” Medina said.
Rutherford’s son, Craig, won a Humanitarian Award from FCA, and is now helping as an Eastwood assistant coach. Craig finished his senior year playing football for the Bowling Green Falcons in 2009 and is now teaching middle school mathematics in the Anthony Wayne district.
“He actually came in and gave his testimony to a coaches’ clinic where Sam Rutigliano, the former
 |
| Mike Donnelly |
football coach for the (Cleveland) Browns was speaking, and Jerry came in and gave his testimony of how FCA has affected his life,” Medina added.
Medina sees Rutherford getting more involved, and the campus director has some ideas.
“What we’re looking at doing is a video of coaches testimony — one with him (Rutherford), have him do one with us, and of course Coach Vicars at Genoa and there are some other coaches as well that we are looking to get involved,” Medina said.
“He (Rutherford) is really intellectual. He’s been coaching at the same school for nearly 30 years, so I mean he’s had an impact at the school in all ways. I hate to take away any of his fire because he’s a great person to listen to and he’s a great guy to let me into the school this past year to let me speak to the football team,” Medina continued.
“I’m going to speak at the school, but I know they want to get deeper involved with their football team and the school this year. They’ve had speakers come into the school to speak, but Jerry is looking at some bigger and better things this next year.”
Medina, a 1989 graduate of Clay, was active in FCA as a high school student. He says Clay football coach Mike Donnelly remains committed to keeping FCA strong at the Oregon high school
Medina was hired to the FCA staff on July 1, 2009. He is currently working on his Ministry degree at Ohio Christian University, plus he is a junior varsity baseball coach at Toledo Christian under head varsity coach Ron Rightnowar, an Oregon resident.
There are new coaches getting into the FCA scene, too.
Matt Medina,
Our area—Vicars, Donnelly, (new Woodmore coach)
--whole Woodmore staff is young—Ryan Donegan (Matt’s brother, Matt helping Ken James at Northwood).
6657 Owens Lake Drive - Suite B
Walbridge, OH 43465
1-567-249-4039 Office
Leadership Team
The NW Ohio Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Board is a volunteer group of community leaders who love Jesus Christ, care about student-athletes and recognize the incredible platform that athletics provides to impact their area for Jesus through the influence of athletes and coaches.
They willingly invest their time, talent and treasure to grow the influence of FCA in NW Ohio.
NW Ohio Leadership Team
Mr. Bill Bollin- The Bostwick-Braun Co.
Mr. Chuck Delaney - Triune Performance Group
Mr. Rick Heidebrink - Spilman, Hills & Heidebrink - CPA
Mr. Frank Laws- Triple Net Properties, LLC
Dr. Clint Longenecker - University of Toledo, Business College Professor
Mr. Jay Malcolm- Huntington Bank
Mr. Doug Reiter- Territory Manager Hubbell, Inc.
Mr. Mark Reiter - Level 2 Audio
Mr. Kevin Rahe - Bank of Maumee
Mr. John Ross - Integrated Financial Resources
Mr. John Schinharl - Fifth Third Bank
Mr. Dave Smith - Lakeside Interior Contractors
Mr. Tom Snow - Scheib-Snow & Co.
Mr. Paul Sobb - Sobb+Roberts-CPA
Coach Denise Van De Walle - BGSU, Head Volleyball Coach
Brenda A. Ray - Lyden, Liebenthal & Chappell, LTD
Virginia Bossa - The Danberry Co. Realtors
Megan Beebe Evans - Beebe Financial Services
David Munn - Munn Wealth Management
James Beckman - Ernest & Young
Matthew J. Medina
Northwest Ohio Campus Director
As athletes, we’re likely more skilled in our sport today than when we first started playing. After we initially picked up that ball or held that hockey stick or bat, we made the choice to practice and play and to improve and grow.
As college athletes, my teammates and I chose to work on our individual skills and watch game film to improve and be prepared for upcoming games. We chose to grow every day so that we could continue to help our team be successful.
As followers of Christ, God doesn’t intend for us for us to receive Him and stop there. He wants us to continue to grow in Him once we receive Christ as our Savior. He wants us to experience the joy that comes from His freedom and for us to be used by Him to make a difference for His Kingdom. However, we can’t expect to be able to do either of those things without being, as it says in the verse above, rooted and built up in Him.
How do we do that? First, the foundation of our faith is built on His Word. Our faith isn’t built on feelings, emotional experiences, or even other people. Our roots of faith and the ensuing growth can take place when we spend time reading His Word and making it important in our everyday lives. Just like we choose to train as athletes, we can choose to train spiritually, being disciplined to read the Bible daily.
We also have the choice of how we will act while we are in the building process. According to Scripture, we should approach this process with thankfulness. And why can we be thankful? Because of what Christ did for us on the cross. He endured every pain, every temptation, and even death so that we could not only receive Him and His gift of eternal life, but also that we could be strengthened in Him to help spread His love to others.
Today, make the choice to train spiritually just as you would for your sport. Choose to be rooted in Him so that you can take part in building God’s team!
Go:
1. Compare how important it is to you to grow in your sport versus your faith. Which one is more of a priority to you?
2. Are there ways you can establish stronger spiritual roots? What are they?
3. What is your motivation for strengthening your faith?
Workout:
Joshua 1:8
Matthew 7:24-27
Mark 4:3-20
Philippians 3:13-14
Overtime:
Amanda Tewksbury has been involved with FCA since her senior year in high school in New Jersey. She then played basketball for the University of Maine for four years and was the student leader of the UMaine FCA huddle for four years. She has been a huddle leader and a coach at FCA camp these past four years. After graduating in 2010, Amanda is now the FCA Bangor Area Representative of Maine.
 |
Sports 
Subscribe to this comment's feed