Northwestern University Athletics
Football Game Program Story For Penn State
10/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 20, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - Freshman year of college can be a rough experience for anyone. For many, it's their first time out of the house and the supervision of their parents. And while that newly found freedom can seem exciting at first, it can quickly give way to the cold reality of having to make some grown-up choices.
A lot of times, religion is one of those choices. After going through the routine of Sunday church with their families, suddenly the decision falls on the student alone.
"You are put in a position where you're figuring out your faith," says Tom Christian, an assistant strength coach at Northwestern. "Is it your faith alone, or was it your parents'?"
There are on-campus groups that can help students find their path, and athletes have it no different than others-they have the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, or FCA.
What is the FCA? Well, let them tell you.
"For more than 46 years, FCA has been focused on one purpose: present to athletes and coaches, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church.
"FCA is an athletic ministry, its primary constituency being athletes and coaches from the junior high through professional levels.
"FCA is an influencing ministry, using athletics as its platform and athletes and coaches as its role models and spokespersons to reach the world influenced by athletics."
Now before you start thinking this sounds rather preachy, let Christian break it down a little more in layman terms.
"What's neat about FCA is the common bond we share as athletes," he said. "We try to address that. What kind of struggles and issues to athletes have, in their religion and in their lives?"
According to the FCA's wesite, Currently there are more than 7,700 schools that have regular meetings, or "Huddles," with an estimated 500,000 students involved.
Northwestern is among that group, and the Wildcat football team provides a presence among the campus-wide program. In fact, senior safety Marvin Brown is one of the group's four student leaders, along with wrestler Josh Saul, women's soccer player Enyo Dzata, and baseball player Steve Haake. Additionally, Christian, a former NU football player, is heavily involved as the chapter's voluntary staff member.
"I don't see myself as a leader as much as I am a sponsor or facilitator," said Christian. "Really, what I try to do is help the student leaders take ownership of the group."
Overall, approximately 25-30 student-athletes typically attend Northwestern's hour-long "Huddles," which take place Tuesday evenings in the Nicolet Football Center auditorium. One of the things the football players like about it is the wide range of sports that are represented in the meetings.
"I think every sport has been represented at some time during my four years here," said Sean Wieber. "It gives us a common ground to come together on."
"You get to see what other people are going through, you get to see their schedules and you understand what it's like to be an athlete in another sport," said Brown. "I think that's what you look forward to most at meetings, is seeing other faces."
"Sport in general does a great job of bringing together people of all different backgrounds-ethnic, family, socioeconomic," said Christian. "Couple that with the spiritual side, and I think FCA goes hand-in-hand. You tend to have a good mix of athletes."
Additionally, that hour can be therapeutic-which is exactly its purpose.
"I try to make it every week, depending on how much homework I have" said Wieber. "I find that when I go I tend to feel a lot better afterward."
"It's a good place to get away from everything else and share time with a bunch of people who have the same values I have," said David Farman.
Most of the members of the FCA were involved prior to their arrival at Northwestern. Still, the path when they arrive in Evanston can be circuitous.
"My freshman year was real hard," said Farman, who was President of his high school's chapter his senior year. "I was homesick, and I didn't know what to think about a lot of things. It has been a process, but it's been a growing relationship."
Part of the problem lies in the chicken-and-egg nature of FCA. Though Huddles tend to be relatively casual affairs, members are aware that they might be broaching a delicate subject with potential new members.
"We're not a cult, with organs playing at our meetings," said Christian. "When students come to the meetings, they aren't scared off. For the most part, I think FCA is a pretty well-known organization. But we still find that the best way to get the word out that we're here is word-of-mouth.
"Usually, it will be an older athlete saying to a younger teammate, 'hey, this is FCA, this is what it's about, do you want to come to a meeting with me?'" he continued. "I think any group is going to be intimidating when you don't know what it's about. But FCA isn't about forcing faith on people. Coming to an FCA Huddle is a personal choice."
"I think the best approach with a teammate is to be yourself," said Brown. "Truthfully, a lot of times the new guys will ask me about it, and I think that's great-you don't want to make somebody come, it's better if they want to come on their own. If they have faith, and are looking for fellowship and encouragement, this is the place for them."
Brown has been involved in FCA since middle school, when his mother was a Huddle leader, and has a strong commitment to the program. For that reason, he takes his role as a student leader seriously.
"I remember Tyrone Gooch and Brian Musso as leaders when I was a younger player," he said. "I used to look up to those guys a lot, and so being a fifth-year senior on the team I understand that the younger players are looking up to me now."
Another person who takes his job seriously is the appropriately-named Christian. A letterwinner with the Wildcats from 1990-92, he and his brother Bob were part of a small group of FCA members when he was a student. In 1999, he returned to Northwestern to work as a strength coach, and immediately began working with Leif Anderson on establishing an FCA program in conjunction with an Athletes in Action chapter that Anderson already had on campus.
When Anderson was called away to Kazakhstan in the summer of 2000, Christian was suddenly thrust into the position of being the group's leader.
"When I became a coach, the motivating factor behind it was to be a mentor and make a difference in people's lives," he said. "Through FCA, I'm able to do that. I am able to be there for the athletes, be a mentor for some of them, and share with them what I've learned in my life.
"It gives me a chance to relate with some of them on a level that would be hard to achieve in a player-coach relationship," he continued. "It allows me to to be in a different role than being just their strength coach, but not in a way that it compromises my ability to coach them."
"He has been great for us," said Brown. "When I found out Leif was leaving, I was praying for a leader and asking God, 'who is going to be next?' Up popped Tom, and it was great of him to step up and assume the responsibility. He's very unselfish and he's been great to us. Outside of him being our strength coach, I can call him one of my best friends.
"He's the same person, whether he's coaching us and challenging us or if he's standing in front of us talking about Jesus. He shows us what a true leader is and what a Christian looks like."
Among the football players, the FCA's presence in their lives cannot be underestimated.
"Out of all the things I've done here at Northwestern, FCA has been the most important thing," said Wieber. "I have no idea where my studies or my football are going to take me, but I can always have my faith. FCA has helped me establish that during my time here."
"You hear from athletes all the time who are thanking God, to the point where it become almost a clich?," said Farman. "But I really do thank God for everything I've been able to have. Sometimes it's hard to see that when you are going through struggles, but it is part of the process."
