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The Fellowship of Christian Athletes officially began in 1954, when it was founded by Don McLanen, although the idea for the group was conceived years before.
According to Bill Morrow, the FCA area representative of the Upper Susquehanna Valley, McClanen, who passed away in 2016, first thought of bringing athletes together to serve Christ when he was a student at what is now Oklahoma State University.
"He believed that athletes could use their platform of influence to present Jesus Christ to the entire culture in a powerful way," Morrow said.
Morrow shared that McClanen felt "if athletes could be used to promote products through advertising, why could they not also be used to introduce people to Jesus?"
The first FCA camp was held two years later in Colorado with 256 coaches and athletes attending, Morrow stated.
In 1966, FCA began a campus ministry with the formation of FCA Huddles at colleges and schools. By 2019, the ministry has grown to 800 camps and almost 21,000 Huddles.
The ministry encompasses all ages and levels in sports, Morrow noted.
"For example, there could be volunteers who are 80 years old serving pizza at a camp to a six-year-old swinging a baseball bat at a camp for little ones for the first time," he said.
"We have athletes that call FCA 'home,' from the pro ranks to the junior peewee division at your local hockey rank and everywhere in between. There is a place in FCA for everyone," he said.
One pro athlete, whose name is easily recognized by Philadelphia Eagles' fans, quarterback Carson Wentz, acknowledges that in this time of uncertainty because of a global pandemic, his goal is finding his identity rooted in Christ by living for the Lord first and others second.
In a recent article posted by FCA, Wentz shared that he, like many athletes living with quarantine restrictions, is tempted to worry about the unknowns that surround the 2020 NFL season.
Wentz said he keeps both feet on the ground by learning to view himself
primarily as a Christian and then a quarterback and not the other way around.
"My identity is a follower of Christ," Wentz said. "I'm not an athlete who follows Jesus. I'm a follower of Christ who is an athlete."
Morrow too feels an athlete should find their identity in Christ and not have it based on their accomplishments in their sport.
"If your identity is in anything but Christ, it is temporal," Morrow said.
"First you are the 'son' or 'daughter' of a set of parents. As you grow older, you forge your own identity, maybe as a musician, student or athlete. When these identities are related to performance, we begin to see ourselves by what we do and not by who we are," he said.
He said that this leads a person to compare themselves with others. They find meaning in life through their success, working hard to avoid failure.
"This performance-based identity trap distracts us from figuring out who we really are," Morrow stressed.
"I can plan soccer for ten straight seasons, be on winning teams and perhaps even be All-American. But eventually I must look in the mirror and still decide, 'Who am I really?' 'Why am I here?' 'What is my purpose?' At FCA we believe those questions can only be answered through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ," he added.
Wentz's words echoed this belief. "If I'm not grounded and rooted in the Word, it's so easy for my identity to be consumed with my sport, because that's what the world is telling you. That's still something that you have to combat every day."
Wentz shared that he maintains his focus on the Lord by reading his Bible daily.
Young athletes can struggle with how they view their accomplishments in their chosen sport, but Morrow said he feels they should be happy about what they have achieved.
"God created each athlete to play, compete and enjoy winning and performing well," he said.
"The coaches in the athlete's life should guide him or her to see that success is also in finding joy in the process and not just the outcome," he added. "The coach should guide the athlete to see that through sport he or she has a very tangible way to praise God for all that he has given."
Morrow too feels it is particularly important to stay rooted in faith right now as the world deals with a global health crisis.
"I believe that this current situation gives us an opportunity to grab hold of the idea that this (pandemic) is not just some random, unplanned event that will have no good outcomes. Instead the Bible tells us that all things will work for good for those that love God," he said.
"Our faith is what gives us hope that with each apparent setback of detour, God does have a plan for His people, a plan for them to prosper. The timing may not be what we want, but it does not deny that a blessing can be found in this situation," he shared.