By Matt Howe
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November 12, 2019
Last Thursday, November 7th was a special night for Cincinnati FCA! The weather that day was pretty crumby. It had rained most of the day and that night, the air had turned pretty cold, but inside the clubhouse at Ivy Hills Country Club something exciting was happening! That night, 55 people gathered to hear the vision for Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the city of Cincinnati. The crowd was a mix of former collegiate and professional athletes, school administrators, business men and women, and church staff. The two things everyone had in common were a love of sports and a love for Christ! Kraig Cabe, our Great Lakes Regional Vice President got us kicked off, sharing the history of FCA and the need for a vibrant FCA ministry in Cincinnati. Our board chairman, John Meeker and I got our chance to share with the room God's vision for the city and how each of them could partner with us. The most powerful message of the night however, came from a recently retired high school football coach. Coach Andy Olds, Varsity Football Coach at Kings High School for the past 21 years shared his path to becoming a high school coach. Coach Olds, who led the Knights to the playoffs in 14 of his 21 seasons, was quick to give God all the glory and credit for his success over the years. He was also sure to remind the room of their own need to follow Christ. In a world where coaches are increasingly consumed with wins and losses, Olds, who was no stranger to wins himself, reminded the room of what matters most. The coolest part of all of that is that last Thursday was only the beginning. I am thrilled to serve with FCA and in just a couple of years, I can imagine a scenario where a room full of coaches like Olds will be sharing their stories of life change with one another. In my mind, it is when that happens that we will know that God's vision has become a reality! Thanks to Kraig, Andy, John, the FCA Staff and Leadership Board and all those in attendance for an awesome night!