This article appears in the Fall 2025 issue of the FCA Donor Publication. The FCA publication is a gift from our FCA staff to all donors giving $50 or more annually. For more information about giving, visit here.
From the very first FCA Camp in 1956, student-athletes have been part of the fabric of FCA. That inaugural camp brought together 450 high school and college athletes to grow in both faith and sport. Since then, Campus sports have remained one of FCA’s leading strategies for reaching coaches and athletes for Christ.
Today, FCA Campus Ministry takes place in schools, colleges and universities, serving athletes from kindergarten through college. These students represent their schools as they compete in 41 different sports ranging from football, basketball and soccer to specialized sports such as shooting, sailing and rodeo.
Our field staff partner with coaches, athletes and volunteers to host FCA Huddles on campuses and sports teams. Most are multi-sport Huddles, often known as FCA school clubs, where students gather weekly for Bible-based devotionals. These student-athlete-led groups offer a space for spiritual growth, leadership and community. Staff support these efforts by equipping student-athlete leaders.
While 60% of our Campus sports Huddles are multi-sport, we’ve seen exciting growth in smaller, sport-specific Huddles. These often meet before or after practices and are led by student-athletes and supported by volunteers. Because our coaches and student-athletes already have relationships within those teams, they can grow spiritually while training athletically. Today, FCA leads more than 20,000 Huddles on more than 7,000 campuses, thanks to 13,000 volunteers. Together, we are equipping and empowering believers to share the Gospel through sports on school campuses!
Ministry Highlights
In Houston, a youth basketball league just completed its second season. FCA Director Wade Hopkins and his team partnered with high school coaches, who offered their gym spaces for an FCA-organized league serving 50 elementary schools. As sixth graders progress through the league, they are equipped to lead. When they enter middle school, they are empowered to continue serving with FCA Huddles on 18 middle school campuses. This integration of campus and league sports gives FCA breadth across the Houston school district.
In Kentucky, RuthAnn Gumm, an FCA Ambassador, oversees 170 campus Huddles through volunteers. While she supports a variety of models, her multi-sport Huddles are student-led. These high school leaders don’t stop at their own campuses. They often speak and lead at local elementary and middle school Huddles and serve as character coaches for younger sports teams. Empowered by FCA, they are discipling the next generation of athletes who will eventually join them on the same high school teams. It’s a full-circle picture of the E3 Discipleship. Campus sports allow FCA to engage, equip and empower student-athletes.
In Hart County, Georgia, there is a record number of Huddles: 15 at the high school, 15 at the middle school and one at each elementary school. At the high school, the dedicated Student-Athlete Leadership Team meets weekly with FCA Representative Chad Posey to practice leading Discovery Bible Studies. His goal is for one athlete on every team to lead a sport-specific Huddle, creating full campus saturation. This deep impact didn’t happen by accident. Posey embraced a “shrink-to-grow” mindset, stepping down from his five-county Director role to focus entirely on one county. By narrowing his scope, he expanded his reach so that every coach and athlete in Hart County has the opportunity to hear the Gospel and grow in faith through FCA.
These stories are just a glimpse of what God is doing through FCA Campus Ministry. From sixth graders leading younger basketball players across 50 Houston campuses, to high school athletes speaking on middle school campuses in Kentucky, to the saturation of a school district in Georgia, FCA student-athletes are transforming their communities by pointing others to Jesus Christ.
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