The everyday life of a student athlete can face its challenges and difficulties. Many cope with the stress in different ways, and every Tuesday at Butler-Hancock, some of Northern Colorado’s are finding strength off the field, in faith.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a student-led group on campus that join together and learn and share the word of the Bible.
The FCA is led by five athletes at the school who are part of three different sports.
Representing the football team are seniors Addai Davis, Aliou-Rocco Traore and sophomore Evan Tarasenko. Gabi Fields is a senior on the basketball team, and senior Georgia Anne "GA" McCarter is a member of the three-time Big Sky regular season volleyball champions.
Last year was a new chapter for FCA being on campus again after 12 years. Since then, it has seen an increase in attendance from seven to almost 40 athletes ready to hear the gospel.
“FCA has grown so much since then and I think it’s a great place where athletes could come to get to know each other in the midst of a busy schedule,” Davis said.
Fields, who has been at UNC since 2022, was the last to join FCA as it started to kick off. She would later accept a role with the leadership team and has felt the change in her college experience.
“I’ve done small groups with my church but getting to do it with people going through what you’re going through… it has changed that look I have on my senior year," Fields said.
Despite having “athletes” in the organization's title, the group isn’t restricted to only those throwing a ball or running around in cleats. FCA welcomes anyone on campus who has an interest in Christianity.
“We actually had somebody for the first time who was part of the band team attend,” Tarasenko said. Traore adds that they want any and everybody who wants to come to be there.
FCA is an opportunity for students and athletes to find that sense of belonging in the college landscape. Students can grow in their faith and in the UNC community by breaking out of their comfort zone. The “huddles," which the five call their gatherings, can give students that opportunity and can vary every week.
One week they could start off with a game, while in another they may jump straight into the Bible chapter of the week or break off into small groups. At the group's meeting on Sept. 9, it was small groups.
The room full of 35 athletes, with many wearing UNC gear or school-themed “Jesus Won” shirts, split up. Before reading and discussing the chapter, each group has everyone introduce themselves by saying a high and low point of their week.
“It’s an opportunity for people to be vulnerable to share what they’re going through and to get to know them more,” Traore said.
The leadership group will do small groups because they say it limits the anxiety people get about public speaking. Students can feel more at ease just sharing a bit about themselves to a few individuals than to a full circle of people.
After the formal introductions are out of the way, everyone opens up their phones or Bibles and reads the chapter of the night, which was John 4. Once everyone finishes, the leaders will ask questions about the chapter they decided on together. The groups will give their perspectives on the chapter and what they believe it meant. Once finished, the five small groups become whole again and share their thoughts before ending in prayer.
McCarter has had experience with FCA in the past as she is a transfer student from Mississippi State, where the group had been around longer than UNC’s. She has seen the benefits of it at two schools, one already established and another on the rise, and shared how her college experience has improved.
She described herself as someone who was quiet and wouldn’t talk to people. Even if she knew them, she kept to herself. Now, she is able to speak in front of crowds at any event like volleyball games and about her faith at huddles.
“Being in this community has really helped me get out of my shell, which is something I am so grateful for," McCarter said. "Being able to openly talk about God too, it’s something that’s not super easy to do."
Every Tuesday, FCA holds their huddles at Butler-Hancock in the Champions room. The room is located on the north side of the building on the first floor close to the entrance to the basketball court.
The group will also be hosting testimony nights twice a semester. It is a partnership with another group Traore is a part of, Revival Christian Fellowship. The last meeting was on Sept. 17 and there will be one more later in the semester.
All five leaders encourage those interested in Christianity to come to a meeting and sit in to learn about the Bible and the word of God.
“Come as you are. FCA is not a group of people that will judge you," Tarasenko said. "We’re all students, student athletes here that love the Lord and enjoy spending time with others."
For more information and to learn of additional meeting times, you can follow and contact the group on Instagram.
Have a story you want to share to the Mirror involving race, religion and culture on campus? Please send an email to moe2863@bears.unco.edu.
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