MIDLAND Athletes in the Permian Basin will get their chance to showcase their skills and strengthen their faith soon thanks to the local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
The chapter is planning on providing a four-day experience to celebrate competition and fellowship with student-athletes and coaches from around the area, while also hosting its inaugural football and volleyball all-star games.
The events are scheduled for June 14-17 in 2023, with both games taking place on the final day of the week.
Eighty football players will be selected to participate, along with 24 volleyball players and 16 cheerleaders to go with their respective coaching staffs.
“One of the reasons that we wanted to do this is, we want to reach every campus in the Permian Basin with the Gospel,” Permian Basin area director Marcus Gardner said. “This is really going to be the catalyst for us to do that.”
Gardner added that the initiative will allow FCA to develop relationships with school districts and local churches to help minster to student-athletes while giving them a chance to come together through sports.
The football game will take place June 17 at Grande Communications Stadium and will be named the Marks Football Classic, after Ken and Mary Lee Marks who started an FCA Huddle at Midland Lee High School in the 1980s.
Two teams made up of players from the Permian Basin will face off, led by staffs consisting of coaches from Classes 6A to 1A.
Senior players will be selected after being nominated by their coaches, then will be placed on their respective teams through a draft in December.
The volleyball match will happen the same day at either Midland Christian School or Midland Classical Academy.
Gardner said the Permian Basin chapter is following a blueprint created in Abilene by West Texas multi-area director Steve Keenum.
“What it’s done for them is given them the ability to hire more staff and carry out the vision of growth for FCA,” Gardner said. “We’re going to put the Permian Basin flavor on it, but we’re not having to reinvent the wheel.”
Although the inaugural event is starting with football and volleyball all-star games, the plan is to add more sports in the upcoming years.
Keenum, who has helped put together a football all-star game in Abilene for 22 years, knows the Permian Basin is taking on a large task in starting a four-day event but he feels that it will be well-received quickly by communities in West Texas.
He said regions around Abilene bought in to FCA’s mission and he expects the same in the Permian Basin.
Participating athletes will live with host families in Midland and spend time learning about the Gospel while getting a chance to coexist in various practices.
Player nominations are scheduled to begin in the fall, with all-star athletes and coaches meeting up in February after their December draft.
The practices will then be interwoven with ministry activities and meetings through the four-day stretch.
“While they may be practicing separately, all the ministry stuff they’ll be doing together,” Gardner said. “It’ll be a unique experience.”
The chapter was able to secure Grande Communications Stadium for its football game based off its strong relationships within the city of Midland and with Midland RockHounds general manager Monty Hoppel.
Gardner added that he hopes to bring the football showcase to Ratliff Stadium in the future.
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
