“It’s good to be in a community where you can just learn more about Christ and walk alongside other people walking with Christ.”
Sydney Whittaker, a sophomore Christian ministry and missions major, sat with me at the baseball field as we watched the Bulldogs play against Lane College.
In previous years, support within the Union athletics community has been few and far between. There had never been a long-lasting outlet for fellowship to take place between sports — until now.
As the sun went down over the Fesmire Baseball Field, I asked Whittaker about her involvement with the recently established Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) organization at Union. Whittaker and I had met up at the baseball game in support of her fellow FCA teammates.
Whittaker is a sophomore volleyball player at Union and a dear friend of mine. She has always had a passion for making connections with others. When I asked her what drove her to start FCA at Union, she answered, “It is literally changing the culture of Union athletics as we speak.”
FCA had once been established at Union many years ago, but no one had taken the initiative to invest in the organization and get the whole student-athlete community involved. Whittaker had other plans. It was her goal to resurrect the pre-existing club, and she has had nothing but outpouring support from her coaches and fellow teammates.
In just a little over four months, FCA has flourished, all because of an hour-long meeting that occurred in Harvey Hall on Sunday, Oct. 15. According to Whittaker, each athletic team has already put forth an immense effort to be there for each other like never before, on and off the field or court.
“We already have around 30 to 40 people each FCA,” Whittaker said. “We will usually start with an icebreaker game, something to get everybody moving, really get everyone out of their shell to start, have a little fun.”
She walked me through a typical FCA meeting and all the exciting things they do to not only branch out with one another but ultimately to grow in their relationships with Christ.
“We have some of our athletes share their testimony, or some of our coaches come in and give talks and teach, and from there, we go into a small group.”
She told me that this is where the magic happens. At this point, friendships start to form, and people begin to open up and be vulnerable. The athletes have breakthroughs and get to know each other on a deeper level than just your typical player-to-player basis.
“Small group time really just gives our athletes an opportunity to talk about the different things that we struggle with and just really bond over that,” Whittaker said.
Whittaker believes fellowship within the college athlete community is more important than ever before, and the chemistry between teams as well as the friendships being made through FCA has been a big testimony of that.
Alec Hardy, a junior exercise science major and baseball player, is a part of what FCA calls the Lead Team, which is a compilation of representatives from each sports team. I asked Hardy what the best part of being in FCA was, and what being a part of a community like this means to him.
“Being able to see the people that we don’t see all the time is really cool,” Hardy said. “We are all athletes, and we know that we’re athletes, but we don’t necessarily get to see each other on other levels like we do in FCA. We are all there for the same reason.”
Hardy mentioned the friendships he has made with athletes outside of baseball, which might not have happened if athletes hadn’t been brought together through FCA fellowship.
“If I wouldn’t have met him through FCA, I probably wouldn’t have talked to him in the hallway,” Hardy said about a soccer player he now considers a friend, “and now, I get to talk to him at the basketball games, and he comes to the baseball games — It really is great.”
He also talked to me about the translation from FCA member to player, which has already made an impact on him as a teammate and a leader for his own team.
“Instead of worrying about myself, I’m worried about the unit as a whole and what can I do to help the people beside me, and I’ve really learned that through being on the Lead Team at FCA,” Hardy said. “I have a duty to fufill, and if I don’t do it, somebody else is going to be falling behind because of me. It’s the same thing on every team, so it’s just that accountability as well that’s making me stronger in my faith.”
Whittaker is determined to establish FCA for the long haul. She has obtained support from Mark Campbell, Union Women’s head basketball coach and athletic director, who hosted the FCA kickoff at his house on Oct. 8, 2023.
“Sydney has the mindset of like, this has never been done, and it’s like when she finishes one task, she’s finding the next thing that she can do to better the whole,” Hardy said. “I think she really cares.”
The future for FCA at Union is looking nothing but promising, as Whittaker has big plans to further strengthen the organization and grow in numbers with the surrounding student-athletes.
“This Sunday was our first Sunday of having worship,” Whittaker said. “That’s something we’re going to be incorporating for sure because it was really beautiful to see everybody praising God in such a small setting.”
Whittaker also sees FCA getting involved in outreaching service opportunities, making an impact on the community outside the walls of Harvey Hall.
A vision like this for FCA may seem time-consuming and require a lot of support, but Whittaker remains optimistic. With God’s hand over this club, she does not fear for the future, and can only see bright things ahead for FCA and Union athletics alike.
“As student-athletes at Union, most of us are labeled ‘Christians,’ but it’s easy to throw that word around,” Hardy said, “The real question is, ‘How can we really show that we are Christians and live out a life that we are called to live on our teams?’ We are all just trying to figure that part out together.”
If you’re a student-athlete on any athletic team looking for somewhere on campus to invest in fellowship between sports and grow in your faith in the Lord, FCA might just be what you are looking for. FCA meetings are held in Harvey Hall every Sunday night at 6 p.m.
Follow Union FCA’s Instagram @uu.fca for more information.